Part 9: Understanding the language point Task 16: Read through the following information about persuasive language.


It is not only the content of your essay which can persuade a reader about the merits of your argument. The language and structures that you use can also do this. Five strategies for doing this are outlined below.


1. ‘Rule of three’ The ‘rule of three’ is a principle of English writing which states that presenting ideas in a set of three is more effective than any other number. The effect on the reader is likely to provoke interest and help the reader remember particular ideas more easily.


2. Emphatic adverbs Emphatic adverbs, often placed at the beginning of a sentence, can highlight particular areas. Such adverbs include: especially, particularly, crucially, most importantly and above all.


3. Rhetorical devices Although rhetorical devices are more commonly used in spoken academic English (e.g., in presentations), they can also play an important role in academic writing. Such devices include:


• anaphora (the repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses or sentences, e.g., we shall not flag or fail … we shall go on to the end ... we shall fight in France …)


• antimetabole (the reversal of the order of repeated words, often to show contrast, e.g., Not all schooling is education nor all education, schooling.)


• antithesis (the establishment of a clear contrast between ideas by placing them next to each other, e.g., To err is human; to forgive, divine.)


• parallelism (the use of either the infinitive or gerund form creates a nice ‘echo effect’ in your writing, as well as being a useful tool for comparing and contrasting different ideas, e.g., She likes cooking, running and travelling.)


4. Use short, powerful sentences Generally speaking, your sentences in English should be around 12–18 words long. Whenever a short sentence is used, the reader tends to take more notice. A short sentence, therefore, can be an effective way of highlighting a particularly important idea. In particular, using such a sentence at the beginning of a paragraph (to present a concise overview of the paragraph) or at the end (to provide a very focused summary) can be very effective. A short sentence can also work well as the first or last sentence of the whole essay. This said, you should be careful not to overuse this device. If you do, your writing may sound ‘breathless’ and too simplistic.


5. Do not use bold, italics, underlining or capitalization A note on bold, italics, underlining and CAPITALIZATION: it can sometimes be thought that using these techniques for words, or indeed whole sentences, can make your writing more emphatic, and therefore more persuasive. However, in academic writing, these techniques are generally considered informal and inappropriate. They should therefore be avoided.


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