Analysing Argument

Year 9C

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

 WHAT IS
PERSUASIVE
WRITING?
• Persuasive writing is a
form of writing in which
the writer uses words to
convince the reader that
the writer's opinion is
correct in regards to an issue.
• Is takes a position for or
against something
 GOALS OF
PERSUASIVE
WRITING
• To State the writer's
contention
• Give reasons why the
reader should agree
• To convince the reader
to take action
 WHY DO WE
NEED IT?
• There are many important issues in
the world that require people to
care, facilitate change and spread
awareness.
• It allows for people to think about
and reflect on issues and topics
• It activates action eg. Buy a
product, vote for someone, protest,
advocate, donate money, take a
particular stance on something or
turn someone against something.
ISSUES IN SOC
IETY TODAY
Persuasive
Techniques
Capture Emphasise a Ensure
We use persuasive Attention Message audience
language to remember
convince others to
agree with our facts, Connect the Illicit Change Convince an
share our values, audience audience
accept our argument emotionally
and conclusions
Techniques are
designed to:
TONE WORDS
TONE WORDS
POSITIVE TONE WORDS
NEGATIVE TONE WORDS
S O R R O W/ F E A R/ W O R R Y T O N E W O R D S
H U M O R/ I R O N Y/ S A R C A S M T O N E W O R D
S
MISCELLANOUS TONE WORDS
CONTENTI
O N (POV)
An author’s contention is the
main claim they’re trying to
prove throughout their article.

Placing their contention at the

beginning is the most direct
method and has the effect of
positioning the reader to the
author’s beliefs from the outset.

Example; The date of Australia

should be changed because it
represents an insensitive and
backwards society.
TARGET
AUDIENCE
The specific group of people
that the article is based on
persuading. This must be
specific and not generalised.

Example:
Women and politicians would
be the target audience for an
abortion article.
Pensioners would be the
target audience for retirement
villages and funeral packages.
PURPOSE

The writer/ speaker will

have a clear purpose in
mind. EG: An aim of a piece
could be for the audience to
donate money, raise
awareness or vote for a
certain politician.
SELF-EXPLANATORY
DEFINITIONS:
Author: Who wrote the piece.

Source: Where the piece was

published (eg. The Herald Sun).

Title: The title/ heading of the piece.

Date (if stated): When the piece was

published.

A text: A book or other written or

printed work, regarded in terms of its
content rather its physical form.
DEFINITIONS YOU MAY NOT BE
FAMILIAR WITH:
Context: The setting, background and circumstances surrounding a text,
all of which affect how the text is understood.
Issue: The general topic of a persuasive piece.
Contention: The contention is what the writer/author/ person is trying to
argue. It is their point of view on the issue.
Arguments: The author/ writer/ person will present arguments that
support their contention.
Target Audience: The creators of a text will always have a particular
audience in mind before they write or create their text.
Tone: Tone is the mood or feeling of the language used by a writer or
speaker. It conveys the writer’s attitude towards an issue, argument,
individual or group.
Aim/ purpose: The writer/ speaker will have a clear purpose in mind. EG:
An aim of a piece could be for the audience to donate money, raise
awareness or vote for a certain politician.
TEXT TYPES
 TEXT TYPE/FORM
What type of piece is this? It could be any of the
following…
Editorial: Are written by a newspaper’s senior editor
or group of senior editors to express the
newspaper’s collective point of view on an issue
Opinion piece:
Gives one person’s point of view on an current issue.
Often written by an expert in a particular area, or by
someone with standing in a community (e.g. a
politician) and is usually placed opposite the letters
to the editor and the editorial

Blog:
A regularly updated website or web page, typically
one run by an individual or small group
Usually information or conversational style
 TEXT TYPE/FORM
Speech:
A speech is an oral text delivered to an audience
Letter to the Editor:
Provide a voice for the general public
All newspapers have them and they include emails which
can be published online or in print
Comments:
Often publications include comments from readers/
viewers in response to previous articles etc
Cartoons:
Use images with a few words (or sometimes no words) to
take a humorous approach to a serious issue
Offer an opinion on an issue
Can appear straightforward, but is actually usually very
complex
ANNOTATING AN ARTICLE

The above definitions are all essential to

writing an analysing argument essay.
It is IMPORTANT to ANNOTATE the article
given to you and IDENTIFY and FIND the
above things within the article BEFORE
writing you analysis.
You can not begin the essay without
identifying the above information.
Persuasive Techniques in Ads
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn0lwGk4u9o
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1RRXhqC1gw
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfAxUpeVhCg
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79AoSEgfPs4
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z23CzSONiU
ACTIVITY: TONE
1. From the list on the above slide pick 10 words you are not familiar with and
in your own words, develop a definition, and then find two synonyms for each.

You will need to look the definition up before putting it in your own words.
ACTIVITY: TONE
2. Create dialogues for the following scenarios experimenting with tone as
indicated:

A teenager argues their case for

borrowing the family car for the
evening.

• The parent is annoyed and

outraged.
• The parent is supportive and
friendly.
 ACTIVITY: TONE
3. Choose a word or two from the above list to describe the tone of each of the
below examples:

- ‘We should be proud to be a part of the multicultural success story that is Australia’.

- ‘Please don’t kill Nature’s gentle giants, the whales’.

- ‘I appreciate you irritation when students break the rules, but I urge you to reconsider your decision to ban
mobile phones’.

- ‘I have worked as a specialist palliative care doctor for 13 years, and the exposure to death and dying has taught
me many lessons’.

- ‘I weep for the birds driven out of Albert Park when the Grand Prix is held in Melbourne’.

- ‘I strongly believe that the way to introduce children to great-tasting food that just happens to be good for them
is to engage their curiosity, and let them enjoy the widest possible range of flavours and textures in a supportive
environment. Our new school program will do just that and we are keen to launch it today’.
 TIPS FOR WRITING ABOUT
TONE:
• Try to identify the tone precisely; use more than one word if necessary.
• Remember that the tone of a piece can change; for example, some texts begin in an
emotive or angry fashion, then move to a more thoughtful, measured or rational voice.
• Try to avoid overusing the word tone when you are analysing someone’s use of
language; for example, ‘Grattan starts her piece in a dramatic fashion, however, by the
end of the article she has adopted a more restrained voice.’
 TONE & EFFECT

The effect of tone is the impact of language on readers.

Explaining the effect of a particular tone of voice is as important as identifying the
tone itself;
For example, if someone adopted an aggressive and confrontational tone throughout an article, many readers
would feel alienated or perhaps offended. These feelings are the effect of tone.

It is important to remember when talking about tone that you need to go beyond
just identifying the tone and should also seek to show examples of the tone and
explain its effect.
When you identify examples to illustrate the tone, be sure to identify the exact
individual words or phrases that indicate the tone to you.
ACTIVITY: TONE & EFFECT
Example: This ceremonious pomp and posturing is sadly typical of a government obsessed with public image.
Tone: scornful, critical
Example: ‘ceremonious pomp and posturing’
Effect: represents the government as focusing on outward show and self-promotion at the expense of action,
encouraging readers to feel resentful about the fact that nothing has been done.

4. For the example below:

Identify the tone
Select two words or a phrase that convey the tone
Consider the effect of the tone.
“The stupefying modern obsession with productivity denies the whimsy and the freedom that a full life
demands. We must dare to relax our grip on time for a day, or even for an hour, throwing clocks,
watches and iPhones over the housetops, untethering ourselves solely for the thrill of not knowing
what happens next”.
ACTIVITY: TONE & LANGUAGE:
ARGUMENT
Considering the tone and language you use when trying to persuade someone of
something is intrinsically linked to who the audience is and what the purpose is.

5. For the scenarios on the next slide consider:

Identify the audience and purpose
Identify the tone of each possible argument
Pick the argument that you think would be the most
effective and give a reason why you think this (think about
what language is most likely to persuade the audience)
 ACTIVITY: TONE & LANGUAGE:
ARGUMENT
1. A teenager is trying to convince her teacher to let her attend a school excursion although she behaved badly on a previous
excursion.
• It’s not fair – all my friends are going.
• Excursions are an important part of the educational experience.
• I’ve learned my lesson after last time. I won’t make the same mistake again.

2. A psychologist is trying to convince parents that young children should not watch any television before the age of two.
• Evidence shows that screen viewing before the age of two has lasting negative effects on children’s language
development, reading skills, and short-term memory.
• Parents who use televisions as babysitters are lazy and irresponsible.
• Television has a ‘dumbing down’ effect on all viewers, but especially children.

3. An advocacy group wants to recruit volunteers to teach English to detained refugees.

• It will be an incredibly rewarding experience to make such a profound difference to someone’s life.
• Refugees in detention are often traumatised and depressed, with complex needs, for which they need a lot of help in
various ways.
• Being a volunteer English teacher is a great addition to your CV.
 IMAGES
Images have a strong and immediate impact on readers and audiences in
various ways. They:
• Transport us visually to a story’s location,
• Give us a sense of the appearance and personality of key individuals,
• Illustrate the central elements of a story, enabling them to be quickly
understood.

Often the real meaning and persuasive effects of images come from their
association with an accompanying text.

Images can reinforce or add to the viewpoint presented in the accompanying

text, or they can suggest a contrasting viewpoint, perhaps making us regard
certain statements in a more critical light.

It is also important to consider where the image is located in relation to the

text.
 IMAGES
Useful terms for analysing a visual:
• Composition: Number of items/subjects and their position within the text and in relation to one another. Includes camera angles, body
language, white space etc.
• Focal Point: Where audience’s attention is drawn to first, usually top left hand corner. Colours/shades Colours used, where, for whom?
What do the colours symbolise?
• Body text: Words within frame of text. E.g. Speech bubbles, sign. Can reinforce or state contention.
• Caption Words: outside frame of text. Can state contention.
• Motifs/symbols/icons: Signature signs or labels that identify a subject. Images that represent ideas or concepts. For example, rose
represents love, dove represents peace. An icon is a symbol or image of a sacred or religious subject. Sydney Opera House, Pharlap, Edna
Everage are Australian icons. Appeals to audience values.
• Stereotype: A type of generalisation in which a single person or thing is taken to represent a class of people or things. Generally well
known to audience. The blonde, blue-eyed, suntanned, muscular lifesaver is said by some to be the stereotypical Australian. This is a
generalisation and inaccurate. Not all Australians are blonde, blue-eyed, tanned, muscular lifesavers.
• White space: How much blank space there is and where it’s located. Where does it draw audience attention?
• Tone: The attitude of the creator towards the subject. E.g. Humorous.
• Style: The way the creator constructs the text. E.g. Minimal number of strokes and big round heads for a cartoon, lots of close up camera
shots etc.
• Layout: Different font sizes and percentage of text that is graphics. Can make message clearer to audience.
• Form: The type of image – photograph, cartoon, banner, slide, illustration
IMAGES: PHOTOGRAPHS
Photographs associated with an article do
more than simply illustrate what is said in
words, they often have a powerful emotive
impact that underpins their persuasive effect
on a reader.
Photographs can present or support a point
of view by:
• Highlighting an extreme aspect of the issue;
for example, through a photograph of injured
victims in a war zone.
• Showing expressions on peoples faces that
convey an emotion (e.g. happiness, anger,
concern, sadness), therefor making an impact
on the reader.
• Presenting a landscape in a way that
emphasises the beauty or ugliness of that
setting.
ACTIVITY: PHOTOGRAPH
6. Consider this image
from the article ‘Storm in
a headscarf: FIFA was
wrong to ban hijabs in
soccer’.
• What emotions does the
photograph encourage the reader
to feel?
• How does it evoke these
responses?
• Does the photograph suggest or
imply a point of view on the
issue?
IMAGES: CARTOONS
Because cartoons combine images
and text, they can present a clear
point of view on an issue, often
without needing further explanation.

• Cartoons can also present a point of

view that is related to, but distinct
from, that of an accompanying
article.
• Cartoons use many persuasive
techniques, such as hyperbole,
irony, puns and personal attack.
• They almost always use humour and
often identify a comical or ridiculous
angle to a current news story.
 ACTIVITY: CARTOON
7. Consider the
following cartoon:
• What issue is this cartoon
concerned with?
• What point of view does
this cartoon present?
• What is the main source of
humour in the cartoon?
• What parts of the cartoon
stand out the most?
• What emotions does the
cartoon encourage the
reader to feel? How?
IMAGES: ILLUSTRATIONS
Illustrations allow us to ‘see’ information and understand it much more
easily than if it were presented in words.
• They appear to present information in a fairly objective fashion, which can
have a persuasive effect by indicating the fact or evidence-based nature of
the accompanying article.
• Maps or diagrams when there is a spatial element involved can show
locations, accidents, etc.
• Graphs presenting numerical information are quicker to ‘take in’ than lists
or tables of numbers; they can emphasise scientific elements or make
supporting evidence more compelling.
• A drawing of a person where no photograph is available (e.g. someone on
trial in a courtroom) can ‘interpret’ the individual so that we view the
person in a particular light, e.g. dishevelled or nervous.
ACTIVITY: ILLUSTRATIONS
8. Consider the following
illustration:
• What are the effects of representing the numbers of asylum
seekers arriving in each country as human figures?
• The graph and the clocks indicating the average length of
detention are both preceded by direct questions. What effects
might these questions have on the viewer?
• Is there any relevant information omitted from the chart? Why
might this have been omitted?
• Imagine that this image accompanied an opinion piece
expressing the viewpoint that Australia receives far too many
asylum seekers. Without altering the underlying statistics,
identify three aspects of the graph’s presentation that you
would change in order for it to better support the article’s
CONTEXT, CONTENTION,
AUDIENCE & PURPOSE
Context: The rising number
Identifying context, of people smoking which is
contention, audience causing premature ageing
and purpose is Contention: That smoking
essential in any has negative impacts on
your health
analysing argument
Target audience:
essay. It is important to Individuals who smoke
differentiate between Purpose: To stop people
all four in order to from smoking and
understand how texts therefore dying at a young
age.
are used to persuade.
ACTIVITY: CONTEXT,
CONTENTION, AUDIENCE &
PURPOSE
9. It is now Context:
your turn to
analyse the Contention:
following
advertisemen Target audience:
t and
determine
the context, Purpose:

contention,
target
audience and
purpose.
ACTIVITY: IDENTIFYING
CONTENTION
10. For the following Opinion Article Titles, identify the key words within before
answering the question below.

What is the Author’s Contention?

__________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Is this title effective? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITY: IDENTIFYING
CONTENTION

What is the Author’s Contention?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Is this title effective? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITY: IDENTIFYING
CONTENTION

What is the Author’s Contention?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Is this title effective? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
 ACTIVITY: IDENTIFYING
CONTENTION & TARGET
AUDIENCE
11.

What is the Author’s Contention?

A great tract of Earth is on fire. It looks as you might __________________________________________________
imagine hell to be. The air has turned ochre: visibility _________________________
in some cities has been reduced to 30 metres. __________________________________________________
Children are being prepared for evacuation in warships _________________________
; already some have choked to death. Species are Who is the target audience?
going up in smoke at an untold rate. It is almost __________________________________________________
certainly the greatest environmental disaster of the _________________________
21st century – so far. __________________________________________________
_________________________
 ACTIVITY: IDENTIFYING
CONTENTION & TARGET
AUDIENCE
What is the Author’s Contention?
_________________________________________
__________________________________
_________________________________________
__________________________________
Who is the target audience? – Rosa Marino, The Guardian.
_________________________________________ I was working an overnight shift at my job in Reynosa, Mexico, where I was cutting
__________________________________ metal for parts used in assembling flatscreen televisions. I was working in my
_________________________________________ usual area, and the boss was pressuring us. I was moved to Machine 19, which can
rip and cut metal and takes two hands to operate. It is heavy, weighing at least
__________________________________ one ton, maybe two, and no one liked to work on it because it was too difficult.
They always seemed to assign it to me. I started work at 11pm. Around 2 or
2:30am, I was positioning metal inside Machine 19. My hands were actually inside
the machine, because I had to push the metal in until it clicked into place. That’s
when the machine fell on top of them.
 CONNOTATIONS
Writers choose their words carefully to evoke specific reactions in the reader. One of the ways they do
this is by selecting words (more specifically nouns and adjectives) with particular connotations.
Connotations are the extra meanings or associations attached to a word, beyond its literal meaning.
Nouns are naming words. Chosen carefully nouns can give extra meaning to the subject being
discussed, for example, describing a person as a ‘terrorist’ or a ‘freedom fighter’ would completely
change the context of what was being said.
Another example is the word ‘home’ which literally means the place where a person lives, however, it
also carries emotional associations linked to comfort, support and refuge. In contrast, the word
‘house’ has a similar literal meaning but does not carry the same extra associations.
Adjectives are words or phrases that describe nouns. They add extra meaning to words by telling us
more about the nouns, for example, first-time-ever event, shocking details, deplorable situation,
welcome change, foolish person.
Just as writers and speakers choose nouns carefully, so too do they choose adjectives carefully in
order to convey their opinions or feelings about a subject to the audience. For example, you could
describe sunshine as warm, too bright or glorious and all three of these adjectives convey a different
connotation.
ACTIVITY: CONNOTATIONS
12. The two sets of sentences below contain views for and against
animal experimentation. Explain how the words in bold create
subtle differences in impact.

For Against
Animal experimentation is a scientific process Animal experimentation is unethical
Animal experimentation is necessary Animal experimentation is cruel
Animal experimentation saves lives Animal experimentation violates animal rights
 ACTIVITY: CONNOTATIONS
13. Circle the adjective in each of the following statements, match them with the
appropriate effect and then indicate whether the connotations are positive (P),
negative (N) or neutral (X).

PNX Her radiant smile implies that ideas are undeniable, valid
PNX A preposterous claim suggests intelligence, a keen intellect
PNX A never-ending saga suggests beauty, happiness
PNX The bold move implies strength, fortitude
PNX An unforgettable moment suggests importance, historical significance
PNX A typical blunder implies stupidity, irrelevance
PNX His salient points suggests that the mistake has been made before; implies incompetence
PNX Irrefutable logic implies that the situation has been ongoing (too long)
 ACTIVITY: CONNOTATIONS
14. Circle the adjective in the following statements, indicate whether the effect is positive, negative or neutral,
determine the effect of the adjective and find an antonym of it.
Statement PNX Effect Antonym
His employees regard him as a ruthless task-
master.

Ms Smyth characterised her husband as a

benevolent teddy-bear.

Her vivacious smile captured the hearts of

everyone.

The priceless jewellery was stolen last night.

His somewhat sinister demeanour raised our

suspicions.
ACTIVITY: CONNOTATIONS
15. Create statements about the following topics that will encourage the
reader to respond with the emotion given in brackets. Think about not only
your choice of words, but also the main argument you will put forward to
support your point of view. Below each statement, write a brief explanation of
why your argument and word choices will evoke the intended emotion.
a) changing the time at which school starts to 10am.
(anxiety)

b) the opening of the new youth detention centre in a local

neighbourhood. (outrage)

c) an Australian gold medal win at the commonwealth

games. (pride)
HAPPINESS • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9dZQelULDk
HAPPINESS
MAN • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfGMYdalClU
MAN
ARE YOU LOST
IN A WORLD • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUW1wjlKvmY
LIKE ME?
ARE YOU LOST IN A WORLD LIKE ME?