Using Language to Persuade - Unit 1 Â
Newspapers and other Media text 2 ‌continued. Opinion articles Opinion articles express the writer's personal opinion on an issue in depth, with evidence in support. Opinion articles use highly persuasive language to present a clear and sustained argument. These articles are usually written by experts, public figures, or people with an in-depth knowledge of the issue. Read the following article and the annotations that follow. In the incomplete annotations, fill in the blanks to identify and explain the effects of persuasive techniques in the article.
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Using Language to Persuade - Unit 1 Â
Annotation 1. This play on words emphasises injustice and the contrast between the children's poverty and the rich garments they are producing. 2. Alliteration and the term 'glamour' suggest the frivolity of those who buy the garments. 3. Focusing on an individual has the effect of: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. 'Painstakingly' suggests 'painfully'. 5. The contrast between the sweatshop conditions and the fineness of the garment arouses a sense of ____________________________________________ in the reader. 6. This paragraph closely matches the scene in the photograph, although it is never stated that they are the same scene. 7. The terms 'affluent elite', 'exclusive', 'society weddings' and 'glittering functions' evoke a world to which most readers have little access, creating a feeling of 'us and them'. 8. This generalisation is attributed vaguely to 'social workers' a sector commonly regarded as professional, dedicated and caring, lending authority to the statement. 9. The situation of the child workers is exaggerated by the use of only the lowest figure. 10. 'Hit' implies a violent collision. 11. This is an example of a ____________________________________________ about a social group, implying they are ignorant and uncaring 12. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 13. The build-up from 'poor' to 'minimal' to 'no' and the rhyming endings of 'ventilation' and 'sanitation' have a cumulative impact. 14. This ____________________________________________ (persuasive technique) implies that the problem is large and threatening. 15. The emotive quote from an attributed source which uses exaggerated language such as 'life of servitude' and 'living nightmare' creates an effect of: _____________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
VCE ENGLISH UNIT 1&2
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Using Language to Persuade - Unit 1
16. The assertion that 'tens of thousands of children' are 'forced' to do this work is not challenged by the writer, and no evidence is produced to support it.
17. 'Insatiable' suggests uncontrolled greed.
18. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
19. Suggests teeming, out-of-control masses, reinforcing a common stereotype of India.
20. Ending the article with this quote makes Swarovski appear dismissive and uncaring.
Analyse "A Dollar a Day” Complete the following sentences to show how the opinion piece presents a point of view and uses persuasive language and techniques.
1. The issue being explored in this opinion piece is ___________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. The writer's point of view on the issue is __________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. This point of view is expressed through the use of persuasive techniques such as ________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________(identify at least three).
4. Find three examples of emotive words or phrases and explain the connotations of each. •
The word/phrase____________________________, with its connotations of_____________________________ has the effect of ______________________________________________________________________________
•
The word/phrase____________________________, with its connotations of_____________________________ has the effect of ______________________________________________________________________________
•
The word/phrase____________________________, with its connotations of_____________________________ has the effect of ______________________________________________________________________________
VCE ENGLISH UNIT 1&2
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Using Language to Persuade - Unit 1 Â
Editorials Editorials present a newspaper's official viewpoint on an established issue. For large city newspapers, members of the editorial team write the editorials; for smaller newspapers there might be only one editor who writes all the editorials. They are written using persuasive and sophisticated language, in a formal style and serious tone. The argument presented is thoughtful and reasoned. Read the following editorial and the annotations that follow. For the incomplete annotations, fill in the blanks to identify and explain the effects of persuasive techniques.
VCE ENGLISH UNIT 1&2
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Using Language to Persuade - Unit 1 Â
Annotations 1. The headline clearly identifies the issue and the tone is ______________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Mention of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's report has the effect of ________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. This appeal to being modern and up-to-date has the effect of ________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. 'Many' identifies the issue as a significant one affecting a large number of people. This is likely to cause the reader to __________________________________________________________________ 5. Use of evidence from an authoritative source suggests the editorial's point of view is based on facts and logic, adding credibility to this position. 6. The writer rebuts the concerns of those opposed to longer school days, indicating to the reader that they have considered both sides of the argument, making their view appear more balanced and reasonable. 7. 'Simply formalise' makes the move sound minor and therefore nothing to be alarmed about. 8. Reference to 'many children' leads the reader to feel _______________________________________________ 9. This implies that ______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 10. 'Casual, sometimes unreliable care' makes it sound as though children are in a precarious or even dangerous situation, positioning the reader to _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 11. 'Stressful juggling act' has connotations of______________________________________, causing the reader to _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 12. This frames the issue as one that the reader, as a member of the community, ought to be concerned with, and suggests that everyone has a responsibility to ensure children are well looked after. 13. Ending the article on this note has the effect of _____________________________________________________
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