Topic Summaries

Persuasive writing is not just about cramming in a bunch of rhetorical questions and emphatic language. You have to consider how to shift the mindset of your audience by appealing to their hearts and minds. It’s important that you align yourself with your audience (i.e. don’t isolate or attack them) and include fair but effective rebuttals of opposing viewpoints (i.e. without creating ‘strawman’ arguments, or undermining the strength of your contention). The best persuasive writing will use a combination of logical and emotional appeals, including a range of the following techniques.