Paper 2 Question 5: Persuasive Language Techniques (AQA GCSE English Language)

Question 5 requires a response which uses language and features appropriate for the task. In all cases, you will be expected to use some persuasive language techniques to develop and add authenticity to your arguments. Which of these techniques are most effective will depend on the specific task, but to achieve the highest marks, you must interleave and craft your use of linguistic devices in a sophisticated manner.

In your answer you must:

• Use persuasive techniques appropriately, judiciously and convincingly for the task
• Avoid overusing one particular technique 

In this guide, we will be further exploring persuasive linguistic techniques in more detail, under the following sections (click to go straight to the section):

• What are persuasive language techniques?
• Persuasive devices and examples
• Top tips

Persuasive language techniques, or rhetorical devices, are the linguistic devices that make your language more persuasive and convincing. You may have identified and analysed some of these techniques in your responses to Section A questions 3 and 4.

There are lots of techniques you can use, so it is important to utilise them in a sophisticated and integrated way in order to add impact to your argument. For example, political speech writers use lots of rhetorical devices to convince their listeners that the speaker is correct and should be agreed with. It is, however, important to remember that you are not trying to sell something; instead, you are trying to convince your readers to accept your views or ideas.

Question 5 most commonly asks you to argue your point of view. This means you will use persuasive techniques and rhetorical devices to convince your reader of your opinion. When the task requires you to argue, it is important to remember to:

• Employ an assured and confident tone of voice without being rude or aggressive:
• Using inclusive pronouns builds rapport and sounds less aggrieved, such as “we” and “us”
• Convince your reader or listener by constructing a balanced argument using both facts and opinions
• Acknowledge a counter-argument:
• This means you predict your reader’s possible reasons for disagreeing and offer an argument against them 
• Consider your audience carefully to understand where their values and concerns may lie

When planning your answer to Question 5, it is vital to spend time thinking about your brief (your task), just as a journalist would do. The brief will indicate whether to write in a formal or informal style. The information given in the question is a bit like a journalist’s brief. 

The following can be useful to think about in your planning:

• Consider what your readers’ opinions may be on the subject
• Think about how you will use persuasive techniques to offer a convincing argument
• Consider whose perspective you will write from and how you can build rapport with your reader or audience:
• It may be more effective to write from an adult’s perspective if your intended audience are adults
• Plan the tone of voice you wish to adopt:
• Use sophisticated vocabulary and avoid slang
• Use modal verbs to construct a tone:
• Words like “must” are more aggressive than “could”, or “should”
• Vary your punctuation and sentence lengths to avoid a monotonous voice

Next, we are going to consider some of the main persuasive devices, along with examples of how they might be used in an exam response.

The acronym DAN FOREST PIE can be useful to help you to remember some of the key devices, but there are many other techniques you can employ for effect:

Device	Definition	Example
Direct address	Addressing your audience directly to build rapport	When it comes to the issue of animal cruelty, you cannot stand back and not take a stand. This is your fight as well.
Audience	Acknowledging the whole of your audience in your writing	Parents, you must surely agree that banning mobile phones in classrooms will improve concentration and enable your children to make better progress in their studies.
Not only, but also	Used as part of your sentence to add to an argument	Not only does this issue affect local communities, but also has wider implications for the whole of the country.
Facts	Something that can be proven to be true	London Zoo is the oldest zoo in the UK.
Opinions	What you believe or think, often presented as fact	In my view, banning fox hunting with hounds is the best thing to have happened for a long time.
Rhetorical questions	A question which does not require an answer	Is it right that reality TV stars are paid vast amounts of money while not actually having any skills?
Emotive language	Language deliberately chosen to make the audience or reader feel a particular emotion or have an emotional response	The horribly cruel, brutal and violent manner in which hunting hounds murder a fox when caught, ripping them apart, is completely wrong.
Statistics	Factual data used in a persuasive way	80% of commuters agree that rail fares currently do not represent good value for money.
Triplets	Three ideas or examples in a sentence used to emphasise a point	Nutritious, delicious and environmentally conscious, plant-based eating is the only way to reduce our impact on the environment.
Personal and inclusive pronouns	“I”, “you”, “we”, “us”	We must act now on climate change, as it matters not only to us, but to our children and children’s children.
Imperatives	Command verbs	Act now, as further delay could be catastrophic.
Exaggeration	Also known as hyperbole - exaggerated language or examples used for effect	If we do nothing, we will regret our inaction for the rest of eternity.

You could also consider using:

Flattery	Complimenting your readers or audience	As well-educated and intelligent people, I am sure you will agree that this situation must not continue.
Alliteration	Two or more words that begin with the same consonant sounds - the words do not have to be consecutive	Is fast food making us fatter, or is this idea just a fad?
Antithesis	Opposing words or ideas presented together to show a contrast	Just a small act of defiance could have a huge effect.
Double adjectives	Starting your sentence with two adjectives	Smart and exciting, new wearable technology is the latest craze.

Now we are going to look at how these devices can combine to contribute to a convincing argument. Remember, using too much of any one technique can actually weaken your argument, so make sure you are using persuasive devices judiciously. As you read the short example below, consider which persuasive techniques have been used and how they contribute to the writer’s arguments:

Task: “Some people believe it is preferable to holiday at home rather than travel abroad on holiday. Travelling abroad is expensive, damaging to the environment and takes away important income from local tourism businesses.”  Write a letter to a newspaper giving your views on this topic.

Dear Editor, I am writing in response to the opinion recently expressed in your newspaper that holidaying at home is preferable to holidaying abroad. I am the first person to express a love for my country, as we have amazing countryside and some beautiful beaches. However, I simply cannot agree with the idea that holidays abroad should be avoided. Surely this takes away one’s right to choose how to spend their free time and money? While I am very mindful of the environmental impact of air travel, this must be utterly negligible compared to the hundreds of coal-based power stations around the world, as well as oil fields, that pump millions of tonnes of toxic waste into our atmosphere every year. Let me make it clear to every one of your readers: I am passionate about the natural world and I am not one of those people who claim that global warming is a myth. I recycle. I never drop litter. I have solar panels on my roof at home. But these measures are still a drop in the ocean compared to the collective impact of humanity on the health of our planet. I hardly think that one family spending their hard-earned money on a flight to Spain and back once a year is the biggest contribution to climate change, do you? So you can keep your wet weekends in Weston-Super-Mare; I’d rather be sipping cocktails on a beach in Greece, as I am sure would 90% of your readers!

• Plan your response:
• Alternating facts and opinions throughout your writing will be more effective than producing a purely emotional response
• One way to do this is to consider how your paragraphs will use persuasive techniques to convey your points in a more developed and convincing way
• Focus on the effects of your choices:
• Using too much hyperbole and emotive language will weaken your argument
• Rhetorical questions which are not answered with facts or an anecdote will lose their impact
• Statistics can be made up for the purposes of the exam, but keep them credible and believable
• Avoid placing all your facts in one paragraph:

• Plan how you can convey facts across your writing using:
• Polls and studies
• Expert quotes or witness statements
• Statistics 

• Remember to use anecdotes and personal examples or stories to bring your ideas alive: 
• The examples do not have to be based on your real experiences
• You may be able to refer to an example you read in the insert for Section A
• Being humble and showing your reader you are not perfect is a great way to build rapport
• Using emotive language is effective as long as it is not overused:
• Emotive language can highlight your attitude and present your ideas passionately, but it should not take the place of facts

Summary

Avoid overusing the same technique repeatedly  Ensure your points are highlighted and developed by persuasive techniques  Facts build credibility Avoid an overly emotional response