GCSE English

Writing that Persuades

WHEN YOU WRITE TO PERSUADE YOUR PURPOSE IS TO TRY TO INFLUENCE SOMEONE TO THINK YOUR WAY OR DO SOMETHING THAT YOU
WANT
You need to imagine tat in !ou" to#n te $o%a$ &$a!ing 'ie$d( 'o" !oung(te"( a"e in a me(() Te! a"e
not #e$$ *e&t) You de%ide to #"ite a $ette" +a,out -. (ide(/ to !ou" $o%a$ ne#(&a&e" to (a! #! te
%oun%i$ (ou$d (&end (ome mone! to im&"o0e te %ondition o' te(e &$a!ing 'ie$d( 'o" te ,ene'it o'
!oung &eo&$e) He"e1( a #a! to go a,out ti(2
1 Create a list of reasons why you feel your cause is a good one. Choose the three most convincing reasons.
Each of these will form the basis for an individual paragraph in your letter. From each point, crate a first topic!
sentence and e"plain the point more deeply in its paragraph. #ow thin$ up two reasons against your idea. %ou
need to refer to these in your letter to show you have thought about the $ey ob&ections to your ideas.
' (t)s important to present yourself as being authoritative and authentic i.e. $nowing deeply about the issue and
feeling deeply about it!. %ou could suggest that you are a &unior scout leader or some other position where you
have a real interest in sports facilities for young people. %ou need to introduce yourself to let your reader $now
this. %ou could also start by pointing to what is called *common ground). +his is to mention an outcome of
your proposal that your opponent will also agree with for e"ample, the health of young people is important to
society in general or, $eeping young people occupied helps them develop into better citi,ens, and so on - both
being good reasons for having better sports facilities!.
. %our reader will be more easily persuaded if you se/uence your ideas thoughtfully, so the structure of your
letter is important and will count towards your mar$s. So you need to organize your ideas and points in a
logical seeming way that will cause the persuasiveness to build up strongly as the letter proceeds.
0 (n summary1
create a sense of (in%e"e &a((ionate inte"e(t in the topic and add auto"it! from the beginning
to make you and your ideas seem sincere and believable.
add extra auto"it! by bringing in the view of an e3&e"t or some "e(ea"%;
use some persuasive devices such as a "eto"i%a$ 4ue(tion, an ane%dote, "e&etition or $i(t5o'5
t"ee;
use %onne%ti0e( to create a fluent flow of ideas, e.g. and so, so you see!, following on from
this!, on the other hand!, to conclude!, etc.
%on%$ude by summarising your main points in an e''e%ti0e6 &o$ite and %on0in%ing way.
SETTING OUT A FORMAL or BUSINESS LETTER
our address and !ostcode "#ut no name$%
The date #"itten in 'u$$ 7 a0oid a,,"e0iation(8
&ho 'ou are (riting to) invent their name* +o# tit,e*
com!an'* and address ",eave out in an in-orma, ,etter$%
Dea" M"* M(* Mi(( or M"( 999999)
O!en strong,' and c,ear,') state 'our !oint. #ui,d trust in
'ourse,- and 'our idea. -ind common ground%
Introduce each !aragra!h (ith a /to!ic sentence0 that
introduces a sing,e main !oint. deve,o! this -u,,' and at
,ength 1 i- 'ou cannot* it is too (ea2 a !oint3 Use a 4cm
indent -or each ne( !aragra!h* not a dou#,e s!ace
s!aces are -or t'!ed ,etters$% Each !aragra!h shou,d
#ui,d -rom its !redecessor in a su#t,e* ,ogica, and
e--ective (a'. ,in2 each !aragra!h su#t,' (ith a /hoo20
sentence%
5onc,ude #' restating in a di--erent (a' 'our !oint o- vie(
and 'our main ideas. end strong,' (ith a !ersona, !,ea%
Sign o-- (ith You"( (in%e"e$! i- 'ou have addressed the
reci!ient #' name or (ith You"( 'ait'u$$!* i- 'ou have not%
TIPS! As you write switch roles and become your reader by thinking, Is this persuading me so far? Ask yourself, Am I feeling
patronised, belittled or even offended even worse, does this suggest Im a fool for holding my views!? "inally, check you have used
commas correctly and never to end a sentence# And also check your use of apostrophes#
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xxxxx Road
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xxxxxxshire
ZE4 3BG
xxxxxxxxx plc 21 xxxxxx 1999
35 xxxxx Road
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xxxxxshire
XY3 6TG
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our signature and* underneath* !rint 'our name c,ear,'%