English
GCSE
Section: Se ction: 1 PE
SUASIVE SU ASIVE WRITING Contents:
AFOREST AFOREST rym ( wrd md frm h l f my wrd) d rpr m f h y ll ud pruv p ruv wrg whh yu mu lr.
AFOREST does not give you every possible skill, however the techniques here are very important so you need to make sure you can spot, explain and use them yourself. This first section is about the IMPACT of AFOREST, why we use it and what it adds to writing.
A Alliteration– This is where words –
are used together which share the same starting sounds, they often make good tongue twisters and draw our attention.
F-Facts
–
This is information which is presented
as truth and can be supported. Importantly facts can be wrong but are meant to be believed. Facts often use examples to prove themselves.
O-Opinion
–
This is the opposite of fact, an
opinion is what the writer thinks or feels, you may agree with them but you cannot prove that everyone should.
R Repetition OR –
IRST ’ S LOOK S LOOK AT AT THE THE KEY KEY TERMS TERMS F IRST , LET ’
Rhetorical questions
Ok, two
–
TABLE 1 Here are some examples of AFOREST in action.
-He is not just new, he is better, faster, stronger than ever! -I don’t personally feel that accent makes much difference on TV shows, I care more about the content. -Amazingly only 10% of people realise that there are more than 5 senses -Think of poor Johnathon, left starving out in the cold winter night, all he wants is a warm place to sleep and someone to love him. -Some may say we are dreamers. Some may say we know nothing. Some may even call us fools. Some people are just wrong. -Drinking water contains a chloride, a chemical u sed to protect us from germs. -Don’t you think that was a daft thing to do? -Portly people prefer pre prepared produce.
here. Repetition is the re-use of a word or phrase in or over a few sentences. They don’t have to be write net to each other, but close enough to see a pattern. Rhetorical questions are questions which need no answer and are asked to engage the reader.
E Emotive Language –
–
This is
where language is used to make you feel something because of empathy. A lot of charities or sad stories use it to make you feel an emotional response.
S Statistics –
–
The use of maths in your
writing, when you see someone talk about percentages, numbers or ratios these are statistics that are used to help you visualise the topic.
T Power of three/Triplets –
–
Similar to making a list, by using three adjectives or adverbs together it can emphasise the effect you are trying to create. This is short enough to be snappy but detailed enough to be powerful, 3 is the magic number!
EXTRACT 1 1—Don’t
Lose Radio
Music radio has been around for over 30 years in the UK and I personally think it is one of the best forms of entertainment around. After all, where else do you find the latest music releases to help you stay ahead of the trend? Only radio is completely free, needing no licenses, only radio can heard in every country of the world and still let you enjoy the music and only radio can introduce you to new music every day. There has been a lot of criticism in recent years about the limited number of choices for radio. After all Radio 1 is mostly pop and rock, but why not listen to classical? What’s wrong with changing the programme and going with Kiss FM? Another really important part of our radio is that it is a part of our lives. The radio changed the world, it announced those fatal words “we are at war” many times, brought us news of the Berlin Wall and it’s collapse and it brings you live sport and music fresh, vibrant, exciting, all from the seat of your car or the earphones of your phone or mp3 player. It would be sad to lose radio, our lives would miss something which has brought us so much joy over the years. Bring back the beauty of radio!
It should be clear that the extract above has persuasive writing techniques used in it like AFOREST. SO what can we say about it? First the work is more engaging with the audience, this means the audience is asked to think or to learn something, that is more interesting than a simple story. Another thing is that it draws your attention a ttention in places. Alliteration and repetition stands out to us when we hear or read something, that means the writer can use it to make us pay attention to his points.
Task:
Read all tasks properly before beginning. 1– Cpy h d yur b frm h
lum h pp pg. Nx h d wr dw h mhg xmpl frm TABLE 1. 2– Ar h xmpl frm TABLE 1. S f yu
r yur w xmpl xmpl wll d pu h udrh, m ur yu r xmpl fr h rm. 3– Rd h rl bv. Gv prgrph whh
xpl h mp f pruv lgug, u h fllwg wrd yur wr.
Alliteration + Rhetorical Questions Tw f h m ud d mg h hrd d f h hqu frm AFOREST. I h w l h d hw w u wr. Alliteration is easy to understand, it simply involves the use of same sounds at the beginning of words to create an unusual tone to a piece of work.
“She said, shrugging sore shoulders” This is obviously a bit of an extreme example, alliteration can be used with just two words if necessary.
“Lovely lettuce” Or it can be spread over a sentence (though if it is too widely spread the effect is lost.
“Soberly the sole remaining soldier”
Task: Read all tasks properly before beginning.
1- Sl 3 lr frm h lphb (ry h r lr f yur m f yu r rugglg). Rwr h xr xr blw blw lud l 3 xmpl f llr ug h lr r y wrd. Rmmbr, llr d d l h r x, ju y mm. S : Cumbrm,
The use of alliteration can often create a tongue twister and in a smaller scale, we notice this as we are reading something, the greater effort that is needed draws our attention to the writing.
“The work was going well and everyone had been doing their job. However, hours of horrendous hail had meant that the roof could not be fitted and despite desp ite the hard work the building was flooded.” This time you notice the alliteration is embedded in the extract, it helps the weather to stand out as the most interesting part of the story, whereas if we take the alliteration out we can see the difference immediately.
lg, ylh, xrm, lg, bggr, b
2– Udrh yur prgrph xpl wh yur llr drw h rdr .g. hlp hw hw v v h bry bry lf w . . D mprv h wrg?
XTRACT 1 E XTRACT 1
NEW MODEL
“The work was going well and everyone had been doing their job. However the rain meant that the roof could not be fitted and despite the hard work the building was flooded.”
With a longer battery life the new model of handset can keep you alert and up to date with your friends at any time of the day.
It may not seem much, but coupled with other techniques it can be very good at engaging the audiences interest in key sections of writing.
The app store is also much better, with exciting new entertainment for you to try with the latest games on Android.
Smooth and now a much better shape, the clunky old phone of the the past is gone. gone.
Rhetorical Questions Rhetorical questions are used in day to day life. Every time someone asks you a question where it is clear they do not want you to answer, but they DO want you to think about what they have said, is a rhetorical question. A good rhetorical question is often best used to begin or end a subject. That means it could introduce a paragraph, a section or even and essay, and it can end these things as well. The idea of a good rhetorical question is that it makes you think about what you are about to hear/read or what you have just read/heard. Remember a rhetorical question is one which is not expected to be answered, though there are some which often seem pretty obvious if you are asked.
“Do you have your pen?” That is not likely to be rhetorical if you are sitting in your classroom and you should have the pen.
“If that your best work?” This however is more likely to be rhetorical because although there is an expectation, the teacher probably already knows but they want you to realise re alise something.
“Should we sit back and ignore childhood childhood obesity?” This is clearly a rhetorical question, while the answer is probably no, we are expected to start thinking about the subject and what we can do.
Table 1 Statement
Question
Is it likely to be rhetorical and why?
I am hungry. There is a shop over there.
Are you hungry, do you want to go to the shop?
No, you expect a clear answer
This is all you ever do.
Why do you never do something else?
Yes, you expect the person to think about it and change their habits.
You look like you are bored Hollyoaks, I can change the channel. Do you want to dance? I don’t appear to be happy with that
answer. Does Romeo truly love Juliet?
Task:
Read all tasks properly before beginning. 1– Cpy d mpl h grd bv. M ur h m d h qu rl h hr. 2– Add 3 mr rw d ll hm yur bl. 3– Wh r rhrl qu b ud fr? Awr full dld .
Fact v Opinion Th w m rg lm f AFOREST bu ly fud.
F
acts in writing are normally used to add weight to what has been said.
Opinions do the same thing, the key difference is that the fact will be a true (or presented as true for an exam) an opinion however is what you or someone else thinks. The biggest problem between the two features is that they can be easily mixed up, as shown below.
EXAMPLE FACT : -You need a British driving licence to drive in the UK. -The sky is blue due to the light refracting through the atmosphere.
EXAMPLE OPINION: -Mozzarella is the best cheese. -The X Factor is a rubbish TV show filled with talentless wannabes.
Extract 1 Nottingham, Simply the Best. –
“The town centre of Nottingham is a buzzing bu zzing and vibrant place where all the best shops can be found. There Ther e
are over 200 stores, big and small which can be found within half a m ile of the city hall. One of the notable features of the centre is the city hall itself. A large and majestic building it is easily one of the most popular sites and and is over a hundred years old. In front front of this can be found two large concrete concrete lions. While every city has its statues and symbols, these lions carry a tradition in Nottingham, you should always arrange to meet by the left lion in order to have good luck and every Nottingham born person knows about this tradition. It can get a little confusing though when you ask which one is on the left (depending on where you are coming from). Nottingham as a city is one of the largest in i n the East Midlands and lies less than 30 miles away from Derby its neighbour and biggest competitor. Even though Derby and Nottingham both have football teams, there is a classic rivalry between Nottingham Forest and Derby (with Forest clearly being the better team). Nottingham is also full of great places to eat and you could say it is the food capital of the east midlands. It even features a Michelin star restaurant.” When you are writing a piece of work and need to include a fact you are often allowed to invent the fact. That means if you are writing an exam answer which asks you to write a persuasive article about saving whales, you could make up some facts to support your answer. This is allowed because you are showing your ability to use skills, don’t try and do this in real life situations as trying to present a lie as a fact c an get you in trouble with the law (Slander and Libel are both crimes.).
W
hen we are reading about something in a newspaper people will either believe it or not. Many people think newspapers and adverts lie and others trust them completely to only give us the facts.
The truth is a bit of both. Newspapers, magazines, adverts (or anything which is give to people to try and help make money) has to be truthful, otherwise it is committing a crime. However that doesn't mean a newspaper can only use facts, they can also often offer an opinion and present it as a fact. That means I can have an interview with Mr Smith who says:
statistic. However I can offer an opinion which says:
“However most people don’t believe that” That is not a fact unless I can prove it and the effect is that it makes the first fact appear less truthful. The last thing is that facts can be disproven. That means that once upon a time people thought the world was made in 7 days. Then science proved it was not and this means that the old FACT is now wrong. That does not mean it was not a fact, only that it is not one anymore. Importantly, remember that facts:
Fact or Opinion? i)
Nutella contains Nuts.
ii)
Strawberry jam is bad for you.
iii)
Tall buildings are boring.
iv)
Spiders are evil.
v)
I am scared of heights.
vi)
John thinks doctors are paid too much.
-Add weight to an argument.
“all politicians are nutters!” which is his opinion. However I can present his opinion because it is still a fact that he said it, that way I am presenting an opinion in a factual way. Similarly I can try and make a fact appear more like an opinion:
“90% of men over 30 are likely to lose their hair at some point in their life,” So far that is a fact which is also using a
-Help convince people. -Are mean to be truthful.
Doctors are paid over £30k. viii) London is the 5th largest city in the world. ix) London is the best city in the world. In a recent survey x) most people said they didn't like trains. xi) Nobody likes trains. vii)
While opinions:
-Can be presented as facts. -May not be true. -Do not need to be correct but often people believe they are.
Read all tasks properly before
Task:
Table 1
beginning. 1– Fd 5 f d 5 p frm Exr 1. Cpy hm u wh ‘f’ r ‘p’ x h. 2– F r p, l h m m Tbl 1 d dd whhr hy r f r p, r yur w bl wh h hdg d py h m . 3– Wr xpl f why f d p b ud. Rmmbr rd h pg bv fr d. 4– Img yur jb prud m buy w brd f hwg gum 20 wrd r l, lud f d p.
xii)
Food could be cheaper.
xiii) Food should be cheaper. xiv) I can drive.
Repetition, Triplets, Exercise 1
Statistics
Tripling
Th l hr lm f AFOREST, ly pd, hrdr rprdu.
R
Harder, Faster, _______ Swim, Run, _______ Punch, Kick, ________
epetition and Triplets (often known as power of three,) often get mixed up. This is because you are getting a similar effect, they say the same or a similar thing over again to help it stand out.
Repetition is the use of THE SAME WORDS OR PHRASES used multiple times in a sentence, paragraph or piece of text. It does not need to be back to back and can be done as many times as you need, the key thing is that it should be obvious to the audience. Here is an example:
“If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,” This is from a famous poem and you can see the words ‘If you can’ repeated every two lines. This helps give a consistent pace and rhythm to the work as well as helping the writing build up to a powerful climax.
Triplets work differently though, they involve using three words or phrases which are SIMILAR and they must be back to back.
The only advice I can give is this, fight, run, win! This is similar because you are still repeating a meaning and building up to cause greater effect. However it is different because the words must be different (though still linked together) and they only work as a set of three whereas repetition can be as little as two and can go to any amount. Repetition also can be spread over a larger amount of writing while triplets are back to back.
Read all tasks properly before
Task:
beginning. 1– Fll h bl, py d mpl xr 1. Rmmbr h rpl huld hr mlr mg vr h hr wrd. 2-Rd xr 1. Wh bg rpd. Hw d h hw h wh Mr Luhr Kg l bu mpr hm? U h fllwg wrd yur xpl: Emphasis, power, suggest, meaning, grow
Quieter,________,________ Heavy, ________, ________ Sweet, Sticky, ________
EXTRACT 1 1– Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a dream speech’ 1963 I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of i nterposition and nullification, that one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
Table 1
Read all tasks properly before
Task:
beginning.
What could be the statistic?
1– Cpy h p frm Tbl 1, fr h yu mu wr g
Q- To convince people to buy low fat milk
whh hlp hv h purp , l h
A– Low Low fat milk is 30% cheaper and 10% bet- ter for you than full fat milk.
xmpl f ry. Try u dr yp f . 2– Rd xr 1 d h py yur b ddg yu d . Yu huld b bl lud pl f
h bld wrg.
S
tatistics are similar to facts because they should both be truthful. Very often a statistic is also a fact.
“Cadbury chocolate contains 40% milk”
This could be both a fact and containing a statistic. It informs you of something truthful and gives you a numerical figure to help you. However a statistic can be an opinion.
“Half of my friends will vote in the election” This may be an opinions without much supporting evidence, but they are still using a percentage or a fraction to support what they say. This is often used when we present opinion as fact as we normally find that the use of figures adds strength to what you say.
Show smoking is bad for you To demonstrate the benefits of reading
Help sell a house
Convince people to save
Persuade people to take a holiday
Put people off drugs
Not to swear
To play more sport
Extract 1
Look at the following examples:
There is significant evidence in recent years
1 – “I – “I didn't do my homework because I had too much to do.”
that the population of blue whales is decreasing.
2- ”I ”I didn't do my homework because I was at work for 4 hours and then I had to get a bus which was 30 minutes late”
Latest figures suggest there are far fewer blue whales than at older points in time.
Both can be fact or opinion presented as fact (you should always make time for homework). However the second is more powerful because its supports itself with statistics.
It is not just blue whales which suffer as many other whale species are also being hunted in the pacific for their use as medicine, fat and food.
Statistics must generally use a percentage (%), ratio (:) or fraction (/) and can be written mathematically or in English, though it is important to decide which is appropriate. A formal letter or speech may require written English whereas a report could use numerical figures.
Japan is responsible for a large amount of whale hunting and kills many each year.
When you are writing a piece of work and need to include a statistic you are often allowed to invent it. That means if you are writing an exam answer which asks you to write a persuasive article about saving whales, you could make up some statistics to support your answer. This is allowed because you are showing your ability to use skills, don’t try and do this in real life situations as trying to present a lie as a fact c an get you in trouble with the law (Slander and Libel are both crimes.).
More skills A wll AFOREST hr r umbr f wrg ll whh b ud hlp mprv pruv d rgum rgumv v wrg. Th wll vlv mxur f hqu d dv. There are a number of techniques in addition to AFOREST which can be used to engage an audience, this include the use of direct address and imperative or suggestive language. You can also use listing, short sentences and non paralinguistic features.
Table 1
Technique
Definition Th u f ‘yu’ r ‘w’ m h ud fl
Direct address
Perhaps the most important part however is to consider target audience. NB. Remember that although your work will always need to be written for a teacher or examiner, they will give marks for how suitable it is depending on what the task asked. Therefore if it is aimed at children and you only write for adults you could lose marks.
The target audience is often shown in the question, however if you are reading something which has been written by another person then you may have to l ook out for key clues. – What 1 – What language is being used?
vlvd. Wrd whh mmd ‘d’, ‘mu’, ‘g’, h
Imperatives
The use of AFOREST combined with these skills is important to help improve the quality of writing overall.
m h ud fl l hy hv h bu .
If it is very simple it may be for kids, if it is too advanced it is for educated people and adults. Many newspapers make their writing somewhere in the middle so that most people can read it but it doesn't sound too childish.
Opp f mprv, ‘my’, ‘uld’, h r
Suggestions
wrd whh urg ppl bu d rdr hm, l ggrv. By gvg l f d r r hlp m
Listing
p h ud ggd.
An article on bullying may have meaning for everyone (adults went to school too), whereas a piece written about a certain TV show or hobby may only appeal to a smaller group. You may also find that your target audience could be men or women, families or single people.
Th r uful m ud mr
3 – How long is the article? How is it presented? – How
yur rgum m rgr, ppl d l r dgr. Th b ud fr udd ‘A w.’
Short sentences
Complex sentences rd by ddg mr dl. Th hvd by lg w wh v.
Paralinguistic Features
Task:
– What are they saying to you? What is the 2 – topic?
Th r ly rlly ud ph, hwvr vlv vryhg h ph, uh
An article with lots of pictures and few words may be for someone younger using the internet or someone just skimming over news. A complex article ar ticle however may be more for someone who is interested in that subject or hobby.
lvg drm pu r gur.
Read all tasks properly before beginning. 1– Cpy h bv d yur b, fr h dd xmpl, yu uld u rl dr pg hlp d mhg ubl. 2-Th f l f rl whh uld lrly b rgd h fllwg grup. A– Single ladies B– People who like to travel to unusual desnaons C - Young people interested in polics D– Older people new to social networks like Twier or Facebook 3-Wr h pg prgrph f h 3 rl, yu mu b bl rd h hr pr d hy ur mu b bl dfy wh h rg ud , yu wll l mr fr mg u y pruv lgug hqu d fr pr grmmr.
Childhood bullying 'damages adult life' Bullying in childhood "throws "throws a long shadow" into victims' adult lives, suggests suggests research indicating long -term negative consequences for health, job prospects and relationships. rel ationships. The study tracked more than 1,400 people between the ages of nine and 26. School bullies were also more likely to grow up into adult criminals. The study, from Warwick University in the UK and Duke University in the US, concludes bullying should not be seen as "a harmless rite of passage".
The long-term impact of bullying in childhood was examined through the experiences of three different groups - those who had been bullied, those who had carried out the bullying and those who had been both victims of bullying and had also carried out bullying themselves. The research, published in Psychological Psycholog ical Science, suggests the most negative outcomes were for those who had been both victims and perpetrators of bullying, described described in the study as "bully-victims".
Described as "easily provoked, low in self -esteem, poor at understanding social cues, and unpopular unpopular with peers", these children grew into adults six times more likely to have a "serious illness, smoke regularly or develop a psychiatric disorder". disorder". By their mid-20s, these former "bully-victims" were more likely to be obese, to have left school without qualifications, to have drifted through jobs and less likely to have friends. Those who had been victims of bullying, without becoming bullies themselves, were more likely to have mental health problems, more serious serious illnesses and had had a greater likelihood of of being in poverty. poverty. But compared with "bully "bully-victims" they were more likely to have been successful in education and making friends.
There were also distinctive patterns for those who had been bullies, but who had not been bullied themselves. These "pure bullies" were more likely to have been sacked from jobs, to be in a violent relationship and to be involved in risky or illegal behaviour, such as getting drunk, taking drugs, fighting, lying and having one -night stands with strangers. They were much more likely to have committed offences such as breaking into property.
However in terms of health and wealth, bullies had more successful outcomes outcomes than either the victims of bullying or those who were both bullies and victims. Such "pure bullies" were identified as often being strong and healthy and socially capable - with their manipulative and aggressive behaviour being seen as "deviant" rather than reflecting that they were "emotionally troubled". The study included verbal, physical and psycholog psychological ical bullying and the comparisons were adjusted to take into account social background factors, such as family hardship, family stability a nd dysfunction. "We cannot continue to dismiss bullying as a harmless, almost inevitable, part of growing up. We need to change this mindset and acknowledge this as a serious problem for both the the individual and the the country as a whole; whole; the effects are long-lasting and significant," said Prof Dieter Wolke of the University of Warwick.
"In the case of bully-victims, it shows how bullying can spread when left untreated. Some interventions are already available in schools but new tools are needed to help health professionals to identify, monitor and deal with the ill -effects of bullying. The challenge we face now is committing the time and resource to these interventions to try and put an end to bullying."
Emma-Jane Cross, founder of the anti- bullying bullying charity BeatBullying, BeatBullying, said: "This "This groundbreaking groundbreaking study shines shines a light on what has has been an overlooked subject subject for society and the economy. The findings demonstrate for the first time just how far -reaching and damaging the consequences of bullying can be."
19 August 2013 Last updated at 17:28 Sean Coughlan BBC NEWS
Task:
Extract 1
Read all tasks properly before beginning. Read the arcle above and answer the following quesons.
1– Wh wuld yu y h ud rgd , xpl yur r g. 2– Wh d h rl ugg w frm bu h mp f bullyg? 3– Whl grlly url, uld yu y h rl h vw bullyg d hw d ugg h? 4– I bullyg ru r mr u? Hw h vdd frm h lgug d ur f frm? EXTENSION– U , 10 -13,
Form of Address Lgug vr dpdg wh w w. Th wy w m ur lgug mpr hr udrdg f .
If
you are speaking to an audience in order to persuade them, it is just as important to make sure you use the right language to address them as it is to put the right techniques and skills into the writing itself. Firstly you will often want to use DIRECT ADDRESS. This is the technique of talking directly to your audience and often using the personal or shared pronouns;
“I, me, we, us” this will make people feel that you are talking directly to them and that you see yourself as one of them. This is important because you want to encourage people to think as you do, this can be helped by showing you are going through the same things and that you see yourself as the same as them (even if you are not). However it is also important to remember that a nice sounding speech can be dangerous. Many people will use lots of persuasive techniques and try and show people they understand them, whereas actually when you look at what they have said, it is not very good.
EXAMPLE 1 Direct address, is it shared , personal or neither neither?? I.
We can do it together... together.. .
II.
Mind over matter...
III.
Together we have what it takes...
IV. Our future is in our hands... hands... V.
Its all about me...
VI. There is a future for for the rest... VII. Our country needs you... you... VIII. Don’t give in... IX. It brings brings a tear tear to to my eye... X.
Did you know...
EXTRACT 1 1 “In the long history of the world, w orld, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its i ts hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility-- I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would would exchange places with any other people or or any other generation. generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring bring to this endeavour will light our country country and all who serve it--and the glow from that that fire can truly light light the world.
And so, my fellow Americans : ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country . My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together t ogether we can do for the freedom of man. Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you . With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, deeds, let us go go forth to lead the land we love, love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.” – J F Kennedy –
DO
Could
As a word, do, is very powerful because it is an order, it expects us to carry out the act. When you use language to order people about without necessarily asking or offering, it is an imperative.
Much politer is to ASK or RE QUEST people to do something. You give them a choice to say no or to respond. This is much less aggressive and useful to persuade people, especially when when it is just a small small request.
Imperatives can be useful because they are blunt and direct, they hit people hard and carry a single clear message.
Suggestive or requesting language is useful because it does not offend people as easily and can be used to help them empathise.
…
…
A speech which encourages people will often build up to imperatives because they are encouraging people to act in a way or do something about the issue which concerns them. Imperatives are also very aggressive and bossy, and some people can feel intimidated by them. Where might you use them?
Important infromation
Please could you keep off of the grass? Could you keep the noise down?
Work faster
Try tasting it first
Where might you use them?
When you something.
are
asking
Shall we carry on?
for
When you are talking to important people.
Stop there
Would we be able to slow down?
When it is important to be polite. When you are giving people advice and suggestions. Spit it out
They can also be ‘negative’
“Do NOT go in there”
Should you be doing that?
These are commands you give to people.
Task:
Request
Can we go elsewhere?
“Could you do your homework?”
Keep off the grass
We have
When talking to people who work for you Giving clear instructions
Imperative
Take a break
“Do your homework”
A passionate and emotional speech
Imperative or suggestion
So instead of
Example 2
Read all tasks properly before beginning. 1– Cmpl xmpl 1, py h m u d dfy whh ug h h prl pru, whh ug h hrd pru d whh ug hr. 2-L Exr 1, wh d w h JF Kdy d wh h pg ? I v ph? Expl yur r wh rfr pruv lgug fur d hqu. 3– Wr f ru fr mg up f , u mprv. 4-Wr mll p f dv fr m wh rvu bu bullyg hl, u rqu d uggv lgug.
Skills Test Th huld b ppruy m f h ll f AFOREST d rlg h ll dvdul p f wr.
These pages are full of activities for you to challenge and develop your new AFOREST skills, don't just look for the blue box .
1
Persuasive writing can be found in speeches, letters and adverts in particular because they are all trying to make people think a certain way. Below is an example of a promotional poster which is trying to persuade people to support green energy in the UK. Identify what AFOREST features can be found here and copy an example of each into your book. Using some of the information here, write the opening paragraphs of a letter to your local newspaper trying to send the message that greener energy is good. Include an example of every AFOREST feature.
Example 1
NEW: Now contains...
% Example 2
2
Persuasive writing can be short, sharp and snappy (alliteration there you clever people). Therefore it is often used in adverts and posters because it is far more eye grabbing than a long boring list of details.
With that in mind look at the empty poster above. You are a re responsible for promoting a new soft drink. It is fruit flavoured, aimed at young people and the company wants people to know it is also one of their five a day and low sugar. Up until now you have had to find AFOREST features to fit into your work, now you must make sure your features are relevant to the target audience. The tone should reflect a teenage audience and your choice of alliteration, a lliteration, statistics and triplet should be targeted at a t engaging them. You could copy the advert into your book. You must then present your advert a dvert to others and there should be a vote on what features are best used by which peoples adverts and why.
3
Not every part of AFOREST is useful for every situation. Consider the 3 potential texts below and copy the table, filling it in to show what elements you would use and why for that text. An example has been filled in for a factual news report on an earthquake.
Situation 1. A short charity voiceover for an advert. Situation 2. A medicine information booklet suggesting people give blood. Situation 3. A speech to primary school children about traffic safety. Skill
Would I use it? (Yes/No/Maybe)
Why/Why Not/In what Situations?
Alliteration
No
It might undermine a serious story
Fact
Yes
In order to show the news
Opinion
Maybe
To show the impact on victims
Repetition
No
The report should be brief, not repetitive
Rhetorical Question Maybe
It could help engage the audience
Emotive Language
Maybe
It could produce sympathy for victims
Statistics
Yes
In order to help present facts
Triplets
No
It may make the work appear less formal
Revision Tools Exr d hlp rp.
Short sentences
–
Useful for emphasising a
powerful point and delivering short sharp points.
Complex/Compound sentences
using
—
commas and connectives to embed or connect sentences allows them to be longer and to draw out grater information and reasoning, often useful to build an argument.
Alliteration, using the same sounds to begin a word and using these words together in writing. “Red Rum runs rampart” Facts, these will be statements which inform the reader and provides information which is truthful. “Water is made from H20” Opinions, this will be a statement which offers a judgement or someone's views, this is not fact because people have different opinions. “Hollyoaks is the worst soap ever” Repetition, using a words or phrase over a sentence, paragraph or text multiple times. This adds emphasis to the words. “You can run, you can walk, you can do it” Rhetorical Questions, this will be a question which encourages a reader to think, a direct answer is not required. “Should we sit here and ignore poverty?” Emotive Language, when a sentences, phrase or paragraph are used to make people feel an emotional response. “Think of the suffering of starving children” Statistics, the use of maths in your writing, when you include percentages, numbers or ratios used to help you visualise the topic. “50% of people are at r isk from cancer” Smlr mg l, by ug hr djv r dvrb ghr mph h yu r ryg r. “Beer, faster, stronger”
Revision: When revising AFOREST, practise makes perfect.
DO -Try and spot examples in leaflets and adverts of TV or posters around town. -Try and make a point of including these skills in your writing -Throw them into conversation (they are made for this)
DONT -Ignore them and hope to quickly revise near exams (you need to get in the habit of using them naturally) -Just use the same things over and over, alliteration and triplets and very powerful but people often don't use them and instead just use facts which can be dull.
Global Warming Article:
A good revision tool is to find articles like this one and explore the skills used. I recommend newspapers or BBC Bite size for help here! Try rewriting the article and improving it.
There is little doubt that the planet is warming. Over the last century, the planets temperature has risen by around 1 degree fahrenheit (0.6 of a degree celsius). The warmest since the mid 1800’s was the 1990s. The hottest years recorded were 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003. The United Nations panel on climate change projects that the global temperatures will rise 310 degrees fahrenheit by the century’s end – enough to have the polar caps all but melted. If the ice caps melt, a vast majority of our countries borders will be under water. Monuments and great buildings, as well as homes and lives will be under water, including New York City. So now we know what some of the causes are for global warming, how can we as individuals do our part to help save the planet? The answer is simpler than you may think. You don’t have to go miles away from home to protest, or spend masses of money. If you try to follow the few simple steps that I shall now give you, you will have have started started to help us all.
Firstly, plant a tree. This could be easier than it sounds. Join or help out a local wildlife group and ask to plant a tree. Trees, when fully grown, will help keep the planet cooler. On the same point, you could protest against the demolition of the rainforests. This is the same principle, we need the trees to cool our planet and yet they are chopping them down to create roads or homes. Something Important and as simple as walking instead of taking the car will help reduce pollution. As well as stopping pollution, you are giving yourself exercise, something important for our bodies. So the next time you get into your car, or your motorbike, think – do I have to make this journey by vehicle or can I walk? Something important to think about. If possible use solar energy, after all it is free; all you need to buy is the equipment. You can get much of your hot water and heating from the sun and even generate electricity. Reduce, reuse and recycle. Only buy what you need; don’t stock the cupboards with things you may or may not use. Reuse whatever you can, like containers and paper, and recycle what you cannot reuse. It really is as simple as that.
Finally turning off unused sources of power such as televisions and heaters will help the environment, as well as save you money. If everybody stuck to these rules, we would be doing a great thing by protecting the earth. So please take into consideration what I have said, and try to do your part. After all, it will be our next generation that will feel the effects.
Question and Exemplar Hr xmpl p f pruv wrg d xmpl qu mp. In the AQA June 2013 Paper the question asked students to argue for or against the following statement in the form of an article.
“Young people today waste too much time watching TV and playing computer games.”
A wrong sentence and quesqueson, some grammar problems but some direct address.
This is a sample of a D grade student work, copied word for word. Suggeson and short sentence
Is your teenage spending way too much time playing online with friends when there is activities,. Educational activities waiting outside for them? I suggest we put a stop to this! It has been stated that 89% of students who are in year 11 (most important year) have been failing their course work and have severe withdrawn symptoms because of the amount of time they put into these very addictive games.
for power, good use of exclamaon, limited vocabulary.
Stasc, bracketed aside and facts are used to persuade persuade audience.
Do you have one of them teenagers? Well you’re not alone. We
can help. This is one of those stages when your teenager wants the latest game consol or brand new games to just fit in with the society, their friends and this generation. You should worry. A teenager that spends most of their on online games is a disadvantage to their health. The ideal teenager should be committed to passing their GCSE’s and think about their career which leads into succeeding.
Rhetorical queson and the use of ‘We’ helps create connecon to audience., good use of triplet.
Direct address with ‘’you”, some emove language ‘succeed’. Limited sophiscaon, short sentences.
Also you’ll gradually notice your daughter or son ageing quicker
And basic grammar
because of their constant addiction and eyes glued to the screen.. Would you want this to continue?
Should be ‘put’ not ‘make’
Make a stop to it.
another rhetorical queson.
Angelica, 32, mother of two teenagers requested to write about how she is suffering through this terrible life stage and how it is to live in an pressured, tense environment. environment.
vocabulary types.
Sll limited sentence and
This is a copy of the AQA mark mark scheme taken from the 2013 English Paper, we have kept in the top two bands, what would be roughly grades A -C, see how a real emphasis is on engaging the reader, communicating well and extensive vocabulary. There is also a need to plan and organise your ideas so the work AO3, i, ii English English A04 i, ii English Language
Band 4
Communication
‘convincing’
communicates in a way which is convincing, and increasingly compelling
‘compelling’
form, content and style are consistently matched to purpose and audience, and becoming assuredly matched
13 - 16 marks
engages the reader with structured and developed writing, with an increasingly wide range of integrated and complex details writes in a formal way, employing a tone that is appropriately serious but also manipulative, subtle and increasingly abstract uses linguistic devices, such as the rhetorical question, hyperbole, irony and satire, in a consciously crafted way that is increasingly increasingly sustained shows control of extensive vocabulary, with word choices becoming increasingly ambitious Organisation of Ideas employs fluently linked paragraphs and seamlessly integrated discursive markers uses a variety of structural features, for example, different paragraph lengths, indented sections, dialogue, bullet points, in an increasingly inventive way presents complex ideas in a coherent way
Band 3
Communication
‘clear’
communicates in a way which is clear, and increasingly successful
‘success’
clear identification with purpose and audience, with form, content and style becoming increasingly matched
9 - 12 marks
engages the reader with a range of material, with writing becoming more detailed and developed writes in a formal way, employing a tone that is appropriately serious and clearly chosen, with increasing anticipation of reader response uses linguistic devices, such as the rhetorical question, hyperbole, lists and anecdote, as appropriate, and increasingly to engage and interest the reader shows evidence of a clear selection of vocabulary for effect, with increasing sophistication in word choice and phrasing Organisation of Ideas employs usually coherent paragraphs that are increasingly used to enhance meaning, for example, one sentence paragraphs, and increasingly increasingly integrated discursive discursive m arkers uses a variety of structural features, for example, direct address to reader, indented sections, dialogue, bullet points, increasingly effectively presents well thought out ideas in sentences
We need better role models. Is reality TV dumbing down the youth of today? Plan an essay around one of the ideas above, persuading people to agree with your opinion. This should be for a speech you will give to your year group. Think about how you can use AFOREST to persuade your audience. You should also think about... -Context (what is the situation you are writing for) -Audience (who is it you are aiming this at) -Language (as well as AFOREST, what other outstanding language can be used to carry your message)
Remember, this would be the kind of work an examiner would mark. Some use of slang is permitted but too much WILL hurt your mark. It is about you showing a good variety of skills being used well.
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