Rules of Persuasion

1. Take a position or make a statement…have an opinion

· you don’t necessarily need to use first person in your writing

2. Use devices of persuasion

· repetition

· parallelism (compare your argument with a similar situation to prove similar outcomes)

3. Order of Importance

• begin AND end with your strongest appeal

4. Use connotations

• feelings and attitudes of words – know when to use stronger vocabulary
• ex: the difference between “cry” and “sob”

5. Consider Audience, Tone, and Style

• To whom are you writing? Answer this question to dictate
• tone:
• formal, informal, humorous, serious, etc
• style
• how you achieve tone (elevated vocabulary, plain style, etc.)

6. Refute the point of opposition

• prove not only that you’re right, but that the other guy is wrong

Things to Avoid in Persuasive Writing

• assuming a point has been proven
• mean-spiritedly attacking the opposition
• making generalizations
• “Everyone disapproves of adultery.”
• assuming on two extreme alternatives
• “The U.S. either goes to war or becomes totally isolated from the world.”
• making false analogies or comparisons based on trivial similarities
• “People have gotten AIDS from hypodermic needles so doctors shouldn’t give shots.”