Persuasive Language Conventions

Simile
A simile is when one thing is compared to another using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.

How can similes be used to position the audience to respond to a point of view:
A simile can be used to position the audience to believe my point of view by comparing an idea or a thing with my point of view to strengthen my argument. By providing this comparison, I am helping my audience see just how important my point of view is. For example, if I want people to believe that a particular political leader is making bad decisions and should not be trusted, I can persuade people they are not fit for the job by saying “So-and-so is as dumb as a sack of potatoes.”

How can similes improve persuasive communication:
Similes can improve my communication by helping me to communicate how my point of view can be compared to another. This helps me provide a visual comparison for my audience so my point of view becomes clearer.

Examples
Topic: Raising awareness of how terrible drugs are so young people don't try them.
Don't be like those people who use drugs, they are like sloths.
- Liam Walker

Emotive Language
Emotive language is words or phrases that provoke an emotional reaction from the audience.

How can emotive language be used to position the audience to respond to a point of view:
Emotive language can strengthen my persuasive argument by adding a little drama and power to my words. By providing my audience with something to connect with on a deeper level I can shift the opinions of the audience and show them a different way of looking at my topic. Therefore I have a greater chance of gaining the support of my said audience.

How can emotive language improve persuasive communication:
Emotive language can improve my communication as my words take on new meaning when put together to make the audience feel something. This is helpful to provide a reason to share my opinion.

Example:
Topic: Fracking should be banned from the Northern Territory.
But no the people of the bush were saying that killing foxes with a poison that causes a slow, agonising death.
Fracking has ruined the lives of thousands, poisoning their water, killing the land that gives them food. How dare we continue this trend with the devastation that it leaves behind!
- Sophie Johnson

Imagery
Imagery is the technique used in persuasive language technique to further improve the audience image on the topic.

How can imagery be used to position the audience to respond to a point of view?
Imagery can be used to put an image in the audiences mind so they can match the words with an image. When someone can visualise a topic they are more likely to remember it.

How can imagery improve persuasive communication? Imagery can help persuade the audience by strongly embedding an image in their brain that hopefully can change their point of view by matching words with an image.

Examples
Topic: Illegal drug use in Darwin is dangerous and ruins Territorians lives.
Imagine a loved one slowly dying by the overuse of an illicit drug or substance.
Scarred, pock-marked face and shaking hands ... this is the face of illicit drug use.
- Jason Moore

Adjectives
Adjectives are describing words often used to make a reader feel a certain way.

How can adjectives be used to position the audience to respond to a point of view?
An adjective can be used to describe an object or person in depth and help strengthen an argument or change someones point of view. Adjectives also help to make sentences more exciting. For example, he is the president. He is an amazing president.

How can adjectives be used to improve communication?
Adjectives can improve persuasive communication by helping to describe thing in ways that appeal to people. This helps to express ideas and opinions better to people.

Example
Topic: Child abuse in Darwin and how this needs to stop straight away.
child abuse needs to stop because its affecting children everywhere.
Child abuse needs to stop because its affecting children horribly everywhere.
Child abuse can occur in many different ways, mentally, physically, emotionally.
Child abuse occurs in many awful different ways such as mentally, physically, emotionally.
- Rebekah Bodkin

Adverb
A word that is both a verb and an adjective at the same time. For example: quickly, gently.

How can adverbs be used to position the audience to respond to a point of view?
An adverb can be used to bring more depth to the topic by making the sentence more persuasive. This will show how the text is not just thrown together without any thought. It can also add a greater vocabulary to the sentence and leave more space for other words to be added. So instead he was very fast > he ran quickly.

How can adverbs improve persuasive communication?
Adverbs can improve communication by adding a higher vocabulary. It helps us explain a point of view in greater depth.

Examples:
Topic: The horrors of child abuse in the Northern Territory.
The kid was thrown at a wall gently.
The kid ran away from the police quickly.
The little boy was pummelled softly with a pillow case filled with bars of soap.
- Dan Breen

Alliteration
Alliteration is a sentence put together with the first letter of each word have the same sounding letter.

How can alliteration be used to position the audience to respond to a point of view?
Alliteration can be used to make the audience believe my point of view by making it stick in their head. They then repeat it over and over again because they can't get it out of their head and they end up believing it.

How does alliteration improve persuasive communication? Alliteration can help improve persuasive communication by making people firstly listen to my point of view and then from here we can make them see our point of view.

Example
Topic: The Northern Territory needs to clean up after themselves.
Lazy lying litter bugs.
NT needs no more negative neighbours littering.
- Tiana Clarke

Anecdotes
Anecdotes are short personal stories that help to present a point.

How can anecdotes be used to position the audience to respond to a point of view?
Anecdotes can be used to place an opinion on a personalized level. It is invaluable to use anecdotes when trying to persuade someone and nothing else seems to work, as a last resort of sorts. If someone was adhered to their belief, bringing a personal story to fruition could help to make said someone feel an emotion, see your point of view, etc.

How can anecdotes improve persuasive communication?
Anecdotes can improve persuasive communication by helping to better display your point of view. If you bring something personal into the mix, it could help the opposing side better understand why you feel the way you feel.
- Will Gangur

Appeals
What we find ‘appealing’. What we find good, what we are attracted to. What about fracking appeals to us?

How can appeals be used to position the audience to respond to a point of view?
Fracking although in some ways horrible, has many positive effects, especially to us humans. Fracking decreases the need for coal, it is a stable extraction process, low amounts of water is used, it lowers the tax to some households and gives so much electricity. There are many good things about it that easily can change people’s point of views. Its sometimes difficult to choose to get rid of something that has so many benefits.

How can appeals improve persuasive communication?
The benefits of fracking is extremely appealing, to persuade people, all you need is to tell them all of those benefits and the amount of jobs fracking gives and how much less we’d have and how much everyone would lose from it. But either way, we will run out of fossil fuels soon enough, and fracking isn’t all good. But appealing to people, even under those circumstances wouldn’t be difficult.

Example
Topic: The dangers of fracking in the NT.
Fracking saves you money, gives the people jobs. Without it, we’d have major setbacks and it would take years to get us on track again.
- Tahlia Forrest-Hall

Colloquial Language
Writers will often use colloquial language, sometimes called everyday language to make themselves seem more down to earth

How can colloquial language be used to position the audience to respond to a point of view? People may use colloquial language so they can connect with the audience and make themselves seem more human.

How can colloquial language improve persuasive communication? Colloquial language can help improve persuasive speaking because it can make people understand and connect with the speaker.

Examples
Topic: Mental health and the need to raise more awareness of this in the NT.
Every day at least 6 Australians will die from suicides and a further 30 will attempt to take their own life.
In Australian youth (18-24) have the highest risk of mental health than any other age group.
- Andie Hallgath