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Emotive Language

What is emotive language.

• The regime's soldiers massacred the untrained and unwilling combatants.
• Our soldiers heroically captured the terrorists' lair.
• Our soldiers neutralized the enemy threat.

Table of Contents

Easy Examples of Emotive Language

Real-life examples of emotive language, emotive language using connotation, why emotive language is important.

• The victims were executed in cold blood.
• The men were killed.
• Non-emotive version : Another person in the bar was injured by the man's glass.
• Emotive version : An innocent bystander suffered facial injuries when the thug launched his glass across the bar.
• Non-emotive version : The government will reduce interest rates.
• Emotive version : The government will slash interest rates.
• Non-emotive version : Mr Smith was attacked by Mr Jones for two minutes.
• Emotive version : For what seemed a lifetime, Mr Smith was subjected to a vicious, cowardly assault by the unemployed, steroid-pumped monster.

Tell It and Judge It

• He is svelte.
• He is skinny.
• You are meticulous.
• You are nitpicking.
• You are unassuming.
• You are plain.

(Reason 1) Influence others.

• Lee begged / asked / pestered passers-by for help.
• The flames barely illuminated Lee's svelte / willowy / skinny figure.

(Reason 2) Don't be influenced by others.

• State the facts and judge the facts using emotive language.
• Use the subtle differences between synonyms to influence your readers unassertively but effectively.

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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What is Emotive Language? Definition, Examples of Emotional Language

Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » What is Emotive Language? Definition, Examples of Emotional Language

Emotive language definition: Emotive language is word choice that is used to evoke emotion. Emotive language could also be called emotional language.

What is Emotive Language?

What does emotive language mean? Emotive language pertains to word choice. Specific diction is used to evoke emotion in the reader.

Word choice greatly effects how writing and speech is received. Different words can be used to cause different reactions in the audience.

• This sentence is not emotive. It is a command, but it does not cause an emotional reaction.
• This sentence is emotive. It suggests an action that elicits an emotional response. Don’t you want to save the planet? How could you choose to not recycle since it saves the planet?
• The emotive response causes a reaction or a response.

Examples of Emotive Language in Everyday Life

Oftentimes, news headlines use emotive language to hook the audience.

Here are a few examples.

• The words “innocent” and “murdered” and the phrase “in cold blood” are the uses of emotive language in this sentence.
• The words “monster,” “violated,” and “underage” are the uses of emotive language in this sentence.
• The phrases “defenseless victims” and “cover of night” and the word “attacked” are the uses of emotive language in this sentence.

In each example the emotive words do not need to be used to communicate a fact. However, this diction creates an emotional response in the audience.

The Effect of Emotive Language

This audience manipulation is a type of rhetoric. Consequently, emotive language can cause an audience to take action or to argue with the speaker.

Emotive language should not be overused. Furthermore, it should be used when there is a purpose the speaker wishes to achieve. Using emotive language effectively can be very beneficial to a speaker.

How Emotive Language is Used in Literature

One strong use of rhetoric throughout his speech is emotive language. The following is just one excerpt.

“One hundred years later the life of the Negro is still badly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.”

Here, Doctor King uses emotive (and figurative) language to stir up his audience. He wants them to feel unsettled and bothered. He wants them to take action in the Civil Rights Movement. Vividly, he depicts what the African American’s life is like in contrast to a White man’s experience.

Define emotive language: the definition of emotive language is language used to evoke emotions from an audience.

In summary , emotive language:

• is intended to cause an emotional response in the audience
• is a type of diction that can be used to persuade the audience
• should be used purposefully and mindfully

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Insight: Engage

Understanding emotive language and connotations.

It can be easy to spot emotive language and connotations in persuasive texts, but for effective analysis, the deeper meaning and intent behind their use needs to be explored. This week, Insight writer and English teacher Kylie Nealon outlines how to explore and analyse emotive language and connotations for Section C of the English exam.

Emotive language and connotations are language features that are often used to persuade an audience to feel a certain way. While these features are generally easy to identify, the deeper meaning and intent behind their use is not always immediately clear. In order to succeed in analysing the use of argument and persuasive language, you must be able to identify and explore the effects of these techniques.

Before you master analysis of the techniques, you must first ensure that you have a sound grasp of the basics of both emotive language and connotations.

What does emotive language actually mean?

Emotive language refers to language designed to target an emotion – positive, negative, sometimes deliberately neutral – and to make the audience respond on an emotional level to the idea or issue being presented. For example, further below we see Martin Luther King talk about the innocence of ‘little black boys and girls’ in relation to the issue of racism.

What does it look like?

Let’s take a look at an extract of a speech given by actor Charlie Day in 2014:

‘You cannot let a fear of failure or a fear of comparison or a fear of judgement stop you from doing the things that will make you great. You cannot succeed without the risk of failure. You cannot have a voice without the risk of criticism. You cannot love without the risk of loss. You must take these risks.’

All of Day’s language choices in this speech are designed to evoke an emotional, heartfelt response in his audience. He attempts to evoke this response by using a number of words with strong positive and negative associations. The terms that convey negative emotions include ‘failure’, ‘criticism’, ‘risks’ and the repeated ‘fear’; these all work to create feelings of unease or anxiety in the reader. However, Day’s repeated use of ‘cannot’ encourages the reader to reject these negative feelings, and to give much more importance to the terms with strong positive emotions: ‘great’ and ‘love’.

As with all persuasive techniques, emotive language does not work alone but combines with other techniques. In Day’s speech these other techniques include:

• challenging/confronting his audience with the use of the second-person pronoun ‘you’
• confronting his audience with the idea that achievement comes at a cost, but one that is necessary
• concluding his point with an imperative, through the command term ‘must’.

Another notable example of emotive language use is Martin Luther King’s 1963 ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Throughout this speech King uses repetition (e.g. the phrase ‘I have a dream …’), but his genius comes from the emotive approach he takes. One example of this is his reference to his ‘dream’ that children (connoting innocence) will be liberated from ‘vicious racists’ (connoting destruction and hatred): ‘little black boys and girls … able to join hands with little white boys and girls as sisters and brothers’. King’s use of highly emotive language was intended to appeal to his listeners’ sense of compassion and empathy. As a preacher, he called on his language skills and sounded as though he was giving a sermon; his cadence and flow were deliberately paced throughout, heightening the impact of his emotionally loaded language.

What is connotation ?

Connotation refers to what is suggested or implied by language – in other words, the extra meanings beyond a literal interpretation. Different words carry different associations, which makes word selection very important when trying to evoke a specific reaction in an audience. Colour association is one of the simplest ways to understand this concept. We associate red with passion and danger, white with purity and black with death. Sometimes connotation can be deliberately played with by the writer/speaker in order to call attention to, or subvert, a specific association.

In her stirring speech to the troops at Tilbury in 1588, Elizabeth I deliberately called attention to her physical limitations while emphasising her inspirational strengths:

‘I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king …’

In this extract, Elizabeth uses the words’ heart’ and ‘stomach’ not for their literal meanings, but for their connotations of spirit and courage. That is, she is stating that although she is a woman in a man’s world and lacks the physical strength of a man, she has the strength of feeling and courage – the inner strength – generally associated with a king.

Analysing emotive language and connotations

Now that you have a sound grasp of what emotive language and connotation are, it is time to get analysing! Your first step should be to consider what emotional response the writer/speaker desires from their audience. Is it anger, pride, pity, sadness or joy? Secondly, how does this emotional response relate to the writer’s overall argument and purpose?

Another key aspect to consider when analysing language techniques is placement . If a writer or speaker starts off with angry phrases, might this enrage or turn off the intended audience? Or does it create a ‘them and us’ scenario with which the reader might identify?

It is crucial to consider emotive language in the context of the argument(s) being presented in the piece. Ask yourself these questions as you’re analysing a text:

• How does the use of emotional language change according to the argument being presented?
• Does the language ‘amp up’ or soften depending on what is being discussed?
• What kinds of connotations would different audiences respond to?

Remember, religious beliefs, gender, age and socioeconomic factors also influence the effects that emotive language and connotations can have on an audience. A text that is interpreted positively by one person could be taken in a very different way by someone of a different background.

Focus on the intent and the execution of emotive language and connotations in the piece(s) you discuss, and explain their effects on the audience . Having said that, there are a number of ways you can approach the analysis of argument and language, and assessors like to see independent, well-supported ideas. Let that guide you as you continue your preparations for the end-of-year exam.

Need help with analysing argument and persuasive language? Insight’s Argument & Persuasive Language by Melanie Napthine is a workbook and textbook in one, and covers the analysis of argument and of persuasive language in a variety of media texts, including newspaper texts, web-based texts, oral texts and visual texts.

Argument & Persuasive Language is produced by Insight Publications , an independent Australian publishing company .

Photo credit: Rawpixel.com/shutterstock

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Emotive Language in Argumentation

Fabrizio Macagno and Douglas Walton, Emotive Language in Argumentation , Cambridge University Press, 2014, 292pp., $32.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781107676657.

Reviewed by Gary N. Curtis, The Fallacy Files (www.fallacyfiles.org)

Douglas Walton, a prolific and influential writer on logical fallacies and related subjects, has co-written this book with communication researcher Fabrizio Macagno. Walton's earlier, The Place of Emotion in Argument (Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park, 1992) dealt with traditional logical fallacies -- such as the appeals to pity and fear -- in which emotions play an obvious role, but emotional language was only touched on in passing. The emphasis of the current book is the reverse of the previous one, that is, it concerns the emotional aspects of words and definitions, seldom mentioning the fallacies of appeal to emotion.

Macagno and Walton discuss two main ways that emotive language can enter into argumentation:

1.     "Loaded" language (chapters 1 and 2): This refers to words that have a positive or negative emotional "charge" in addition to their literal meaning. Charles L. Stevenson, in Ethics and Language (Yale University Press, New Haven, 1965, pp.78-79) drew a useful distinction between "dependent" and "independent" emotive words. An emotive word is "dependent" if its emotional charge depends on the word's literal meaning, that is, its referent or extension. For example, words such as "war" and "mother" have strong emotive charges because wars and mothers arouse strong emotions. In contrast, an emotive word is "independent" if it is not dependent, that is, its emotive charge does not depend on the emotional effect of the word's literal meaning. For instance, the negative emotive charge of "beast" is independent of its literal meaning of animal. Of course, the distinction between dependent and independent emotive words is a vague one, and few if any words are purely one or the other.

2.     Persuasive definitions (chapters 3 and 4): The term "persuasive definition" appears to have been coined by Stevenson in a paper with that title ( Mind 47 (187): 331-350) and is discussed in his book (chapter 9). A "persuasive" definition is a type of redefinition of a word that is emotive in the sense just explained. Stevenson notes that the supposed persuasiveness of such definitions comes from a characteristic of emotive words:

A particularly interesting phenomenon depends upon the "inertia", so to speak, of meaning. Suppose . . . that a term's laudatory emotive meaning has arisen solely because its descriptive meaning refers to something which people favor. And suppose that a given speaker succeeds in changing the descriptive meaning of the term . . . One might expect that the emotive meaning will undergo a parallel change, automatically. But in fact it often will not. Through inertia, it will survive a change in the descriptive meaning on which it originally depended. (p. 72)

So, when a persuasive definition of an emotive word redefines the word's literal meaning, its emotive charge lingers for at least awhile. In this way, the redefined word is supposed to persuade by affecting one's emotional attitude towards its new referent or extension at least for the time that it retains its charge.

What are Macagno and Walton's goals? Unfortunately, I'm not clear about what questions they hoped to answer, but here are some I came to the book with:

1.     What is the logical status of arguments that use emotive language? According to standard logical terminology, arguments are valid or invalid, sound or unsound, no matter what emotive language they are expressed in. So, it would seem that such language is simply logically irrelevant and, as a consequence, any argument that persuades based on the emotive language in which it is expressed would commit a fallacy of irrelevance. If this is correct, then a logical study of emotive language in argument is the study of a type of logical fallacy. However, Macagno and Walton take a broader view of argument that is not limited to deduction, but allows for "presumptive" reasoning (pp. 180-195) [1] in which one is allowed to presume that something is true in the absence of specific evidence against it. For instance, we presume that a bird can fly unless we know that it's an ostrich, has a broken wing, or there is some other specific reason why it cannot. Now, I'm all for this kind of reasoning, but there doesn't seem any more of a place in it for arguments that use emotive language in a non-eliminable way than in deductive arguments. If a presumption were based in an essential way upon an emotion, then this would seem to be a specific reason for rejecting it.

2.     What is the ethical status of argumentation using emotive language? I place this question second because it would seem to depend on the answer to the first. If persuasion based on emotive language is a species of logical fallacy, it would seem to deserve the same moral condemnation that fallacious argumentation in general usually receives. Emotions are often intimately related to beliefs and, as a result, can be based on rational or irrational beliefs. There is perhaps, then, a sense in which the use of an emotive word "presupposes" a belief that would make the emotion aroused by the word rational. [2] For instance, the use of frightening language may presuppose that there is danger. Arousing emotions that are not justified in a situation seems to be a type of deception, and thus subject to the same moral strictures as deception in general. When the emotional reactions it arouses are justified, emotive language may not be deceptive, but it still treats adult people as if they are children or animals to be manipulated by emotions rather than reason. Of course, there may be situations in which such manipulation would be justified, such as imminent threats in which time is of the essence.

3.     Does emotively charged language really persuade? Writers on argumentation take it for granted that emotive language actually affects attitudes, but it's at least possible that emotional appeals have little or no tendency to persuade people, that the effect is much less than we usually suppose, or that it may rhetorically backfire and alienate the audience. Now, I'm not especially skeptical about the persuasiveness of emotive language, but experience suggests that it's a mistake to take such things for granted no matter how obvious they seem. Moreover, I do suspect that advertisers and propagandists tend to exaggerate the effectiveness of highly emotive advertising and propaganda. An important thing to keep in mind about advertising is what advertisers sell: advertising agencies don't sell consumer goods, they sell advertising to those who do sell such goods. Therefore, advertisers have a strong motive to exaggerate what advertising can do in order to sell advertisements. A similar story applies to professional propagandists, who must first convince politicians or parties to hire them. It would be ironic if their main achievement were to bamboozle us about the effectiveness of their products. This is not a question that I would expect Macagno and Walton to try to answer, since it's one for experimental psychology, but it should be answered before we spend a lot of time and energy on the logic or rhetoric of emotive language.

Unfortunately, the book does not seem to address any of these questions. Of course, it would be perfectly fair for Macagno and Walton to be concerned with different questions, but it's not clear what those are. As a result, it's difficult to judge to what degree the book is successful.

What tools do Macagno and Walton bring to the study of emotive language in argumentation? There are four main ones:

1.     Speech act theory (chapter 4): Persuasive definitions, as other definitions, occur in speech acts of various sorts: defining, of course, but also informing (p. 132), reminding (pp. 132-134), and declaring (pp. 135-137). Even failing to define a word can, according to the authors, constitute a speech act in situations where a definition is called for (pp. 140-142). This seems correct as a general account of defining as a speech act, but how does it advance our understanding of persuasive definitions in particular, or of emotive language in general? The supposed persuasiveness of such definitions does not seem to be related to their roles in speech acts, but on the inertia of emotive charges, as discussed above.

2.     Argument schemas: The argument schema is an extension of the traditional notion of logical form, but is not restricted to deductively valid arguments, thus allowing schemas for types of non-deductive argument, such as presumptive reasoning. Schemas are certainly useful for identifying patterns in argument for further study, but it would seem that emotive language can enter into almost any pattern of reasoning. The emotive aspect of language is a characteristic of words and phrases, similar to ambiguity, and there are thus no distinctively emotive patterns of reasoning any more than there are distinctively ambiguous patterns.

3.     Formal dialogues (Chapters 6 and 7): When first introduced by C. L. Hamblin in a paper ("Mathematical Models of Dialogue", Theoria 37 (2): 130-155) and in his influential book Fallacies ( ale Press, Newport News, 1986), formal dialogues were an exciting idea. Hamblin's own efforts in this direction were promising, but not too impressive. Unfortunately, in the more than forty years since, they have not lived up to that early promise. It's still important to understand the dialectical aspect of certain fallacies, such as straw man and begging the question, but modeling them in the setting of a formal dialogue doesn't seem to help much. It may be that some advance in the underlying theory of formal dialectic is needed for their promise to be fulfilled. However, even if such dialogues should become a useful tool for understanding argumentation in general and dialectical fallacies in particular, emotive language does not appear to be a dialectical characteristic of arguments. So far, the tools discussed seem to be the wrong ones for the job. The next tool, however, has at least one plausible application to emotive language.

4.     Presuppositions (Chapter 5): What is a presupposition? One familiar type is that which occurs in "loaded" questions, for instance, the question "Have you stopped chewing your fingernails?" presupposes that you previously chewed them, which is the "load" of the question. Macagno and Walton discuss several other types of presupposition, which I won't go into here.

How does presupposition relate to emotive language? Obviously, presuppositions need not be more emotive than any other claim, nor expressed in more emotive language. Can emotive language itself presuppose? This would seem to be Jeremy Bentham's contention in his account of what he calls "question-begging epithets" in his Handbook of Political Fallacies (Thomas Y. Crowell, New York, 1971). Bentham divided such epithets into the "eulogistic" and "disparaging" (Bentham, p. 140), for those words that have a positive and negative emotive charge, respectively. Here's his description of how such words beg the question:

To the propositions of which it is the leading term, every . . . eulogistic or disparaging epithet, secretly as it were, and in general insensibly, slips in another proposition of which the same leading term is the subject, and the assertion of praise or blame is the predicate. The person, act, or thing in question is or deserves to be, or is and deserves to be, an object of approbation or of disapprobation. The proposition thus asserted is commonly one which requires proof. But when this fallacy is committed, the proposition is one that is not true, and cannot be proved. And when the person who employs the fallacy is conscious of its deceptive tendency, his object is, by employing the artifice of the question-begging name, to cause that to be taken for true which is not so. (Bentham p. 141)

I don't mean to endorse Bentham's view but it does seem a plausible connection between emotive words and presupposition, and it explains the fallacious use of emotive language in terms of a well-established logical fallacy. Of course, not all uses of emotive language can be said to beg the question, but only those in which people substitute emotive words for reasons in a dialectical context where they bear a burden of proof. Unfortunately, Macagno and Walton do not pursue this approach, and Bentham's name does not even appear in the book. [3]

Let's turn from the substantive content of the book to matters of presentation. The writing is admirably free of unnecessary technical terminology, but is too wordy and repetitive to make for easy reading. A good editing could have reduced the length without any substantive loss. Speaking of editing, or the lack thereof, I would estimate that the book has at least one typographical error every few pages. Of course, most of these are minor, but each is like a small pothole in the road, and their number together with the length of the book makes for a long, bumpy ride. [4]

To sum up, the tools that the authors bring to bear on the problem of emotive language in argumentation seem to me either ill-suited for the job, or not put to proper use. It's a shame that the chapter on presupposition, which is its most interesting and valuable contribution to the study of argumentation, was not published separately either as a paper or short book. It would stand better on its own than as a chapter of a lengthy book on emotive language, especially since the authors only tie it indirectly to the title subject of the book. I would recommend this book to those interested in presupposition for its chapter on the subject. For those interested in the place of emotive language in argumentation, I think more would be gained from a reading or re-reading of Bentham, Stevenson, or Walton's earlier book.

[1] This appears to be the same thing as what they call "defeasible" (p. 82) or "plausible" (p. 177) reasoning.

[2] See the brief discussion of presupposition, below.

[3] It's not listed in the index, p. 282.

[4] There is at least one major mistake: on page 226, what is labeled as the structure of the third argument is actually a repetition of the structure of the second, and the structure of the third is missing.

A Comprehensive Guide to Writing a Persuasive Speech

Hrideep barot.

• Speech Writing

The term Persuasion means the efforts to change the attitudes or opinions of others through various means.

It is present everywhere: election campaigns, salesmen trying to sell goods by giving offers, public health campaigns to quit smoking or to wear masks in the public spaces, or even at the workplace; when an employee tries to persuade others to agree to their point in a meeting.

How do they manage to convince us so subtly? You guessed it right! They engage in what is called Persuasive Speech.

Persuasive Speech is a category of speech that attempts to influence the listener’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, and ultimately, behavior.

They are used in all contexts and situations . It can be informal , a teenager attempting to convince his or her parents for a sleepover at a friend’s house.

It can also be formal , President or Prime Minister urging the citizens to abide by the new norms.

But not to confuse these with informative speeches! These also aim to inform the audience about a particular topic or event, but they lack any attempt at persuasion.

The most typical setting where this kind of speech is practiced is in schools and colleges.

An effective speech combines both the features of an informative and persuasive speech for a better takeaway from an audience’s point of view.

However, writing and giving a persuasive speech are different in the sense that you as a speaker have limited time to call people to action.

Also, according to the context or situation, you may not be able to meet your audience several times, unlike TV ads, which the audience sees repeatedly and hence believes the credibility of the product.

So, how to write and deliver an effective persuasive speech?

How to start a persuasive speech? What are the steps of writing a persuasive speech? What are some of the tricks and tips of persuasion?

Read along till the end to explore the different dimensions and avenues of the science of giving a persuasive speech.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND BEFORE WRITING A PERSUASIVE SPEECH

1. get your topic right, passion and genuine interest in your topic.

It is very important that you as a speaker are interested in the chosen topic and in the subsequent arguments you are about to put forward. If you are not interested in what you are saying, then how will the audience feel the same?

Passion towards the topic is one of the key requirements for a successful speech as your audience will see how passionate and concerned you are towards the issue and will infer you as a genuine and credible person.

The audience too will get in the mood and connect to you on an emotional level, empathizing with you; as a result of which will understand your point of view and are likely to agree to your argument.

Consider this example: your friend is overflowing with joy- is happy, smiling, and bubbling with enthusiasm.

Before even asking the reason behind being so happy, you “catch the mood”; i.e., you notice that your mood has been boosted as a result of seeing your friend happy.

Why does it happen so? The reason is that we are influenced by other people’s moods and emotions.

It also means that our mood affects people around us, which is the reason why speaking with emotions and passion is used by many successful public speakers.

Another reason is that other’s emotions give an insight into how one should feel and react. We interpret other’s reactions as a source of information about how we should feel.

So, if someone shows a lot of anxiety or excitement while speaking, we conclude that the issue is very important and we should do something about it, and end up feeling similar reactions.

Meaningful and thought-provoking

Choose a topic that is meaningful to you and your audience. It should be thought-provoking and leave the audience thinking about the points put forward in your speech.

Topics that are personally or nationally relevant and are in the talks at the moment are good subjects to start with.

If you choose a controversial topic like “should euthanasia be legalized?”, or” is our nation democratic?”, it will leave a dramatic impact on your audience.

However, be considerate in choosing a sensitive topic, since it can leave a negative impression on your listeners. But if worded in a neutral and unbiased manner, it can work wonders.

Also, refrain from choosing sensitive topics like the reality of religion, sexuality, etc.

2. Research your topic thoroughly

Research on persuasion conducted by Hovland, Janis, and Kelley states that credible communicators are more persuasive than those who are seen as lacking expertise.

Even if you are not an expert in the field of your topic, mentioning information that is backed by research or stating an expert’s opinion on the issue will make you appear as a knowledgeable and credible person.

How to go about researching? Many people think that just googling about a topic and inferring 2-3 articles will be enough. But this is not so.

For writing and giving an effective speech, thorough research is crucial for you as a speaker to be prepared and confident.

Try to find as many relevant points as possible, even if it is against your viewpoint. If you can explain why the opposite viewpoint is not correct, it will give the audience both sides to an argument and will make decision-making easier.

Also, give credit to the source of your points during your speech, by mentioning the original site, author, or expert, so the audience will know that these are reliable points and not just your opinion, and will be more ready to believe them since they come from an authority.

Other sources for obtaining data for research are libraries and bookstores, magazines, newspapers, google scholar, research journals, etc.

Analyze your audience

Know who comprises your audience so that you can alter your speech to meet their requirements.

Demographics like age group, gender ratio, the language with which they are comfortable, their knowledge about the topic, the region and community to which they belong; are all important factors to be considered before writing your speech.

Ask yourself these questions before sitting down to write:

Is the topic of argument significant to them? Why is it significant? Would it make sense to them? Is it even relevant to them?

In the end, the speech is about the audience and not you. Hence, make efforts to know your audience.

This can be done by surveying your audience way before the day of giving your speech. Short polls and registration forms are an effective way to know your audience.

They ensure confidentiality and maintain anonymity, eliminating social desirability bias on part of the audience, and will likely receive honest answers.

OUTLINE OF A PERSUASIVE SPEECH

Most speeches follow the pattern of Introduction, Body and Conclusion.

However, persuasive speeches have a slightly different pathway.

INTRODUCTION

BODY OR SUPPORTING STATEMENTS( ATLEAST 3 ARGUMENTS)

CONCLUSION OR A CALL TO ACTION

1. INTRODUCTION

Grab attention of your audience.

The first few lines spoken by a speaker are the deciding factor that can make or break a speech.

Hence, if you nail the introduction, half of the task has already been done, and you can rest assured.

No one likes to be silent unless you are an introvert. But the audience expects that the speaker will go on stage and speak. But what if the speaker just goes and remains silent?

Chances are high that the audience will be in anticipation of what you are about to speak and their sole focus will be on you.

This sets the stage.

Use quotes that are relevant and provocative to set the tone of your speech. It will determine the mood of your audience and get them ready to receive information.

An example can be “The only impossible journey is the one you never begin” and then state who gave it, in this case, Tony Robbins, an American author.

Use what-if scenarios

Another way to start your speech is by using what-if scenarios and phrases like “suppose if your home submerges in water one day due to global warming…”.

This will make them the center of attention and at the same time grabbing their attention.

Use personal anecdotes

Same works with personal experiences and stories.

Everyone loves listening to first-hand experiences or a good and interesting story. If you are not a great storyteller, visual images and videos will come to your rescue.

After you have successfully grabbed and hooked your audience, the next and last step of the introduction is introducing your thesis statement.

What is a thesis statement?

It introduces the topic to your audience and is one of the central elements of any persuasive speech.

It is usually brief, not more than 3 sentences, and gives the crux of your speech outline.

How to make a thesis statement?

Firstly, research all possible opinions and views about your topic. See which opinion you connect with, and try to summarize them.

After you do this, you will get a clear idea of what side you are on and this will become your thesis statement.

However, the thesis should answer the question “why” and “how”.

So, for instance, if you choose to speak on the topic of the necessity of higher education, your thesis statement could be something like this:

Although attending university and getting a degree is essential for overall development, not every student must be pushed to join immediately after graduating from school.

And then you can structure your speech containing the reasons why every student should not be rushed into joining a university.

3. BODY OF THE SPEECH

The body contains the actual reasons to support your thesis.

Ideally, the body should contain at least 3 reasons to support your argument.

So, for the above-mentioned thesis, you can support it with possible alternatives, which will become your supporting statements.

The option of a gap year to relax and decide future goals, gaining work experience and then joining the university for financial reasons, or even joining college after 25 or 35 years.

These become your supporting reasons and answers the question “why”.

Each reason has to be resourcefully elaborated, with explaining why you support and why the other or anti-thesis is not practical.

At this point, you have the option of targeting your audience’s ethos, pathos, or logos.

Ethos is the ethical side of the argument. It targets morals and puts forth the right thing or should be.

This technique is highly used in the advertising industry.

Ever wondered why celebrities, experts, and renowned personalities are usually cast as brand ambassadors.?

The reason: they are liked by the masses and exhibit credibility and trust.

Advertisers endorse their products via a celebrity to try to show that the product is reliable and ethical.

The same scenario is seen in persuasive speeches. If the speaker is well-informed and provides information that is backed by research, chances are high that the audience will follow it.

Pathos targets the emotional feelings of the audience.

This is usually done by narrating a tragic or horrifying anecdote and leaves the listener moved by using an emotional appeal to call people to action.

The common emotions targeted by the speaker include the feeling of joy, love, sadness, anger, pity, and loneliness.

All these emotions are best expressed in stories or personal experiences.

Stories give life to your argument, making the audience more involved in the matter and arousing sympathy and empathy.

Visuals and documentaries are other mediums through which a speaker can attract the audience’s emotions.

What was your reaction after watching an emotional documentary? Did you not want to do something about the problem right away?

Emotions have the power to move people to action.

The last technique is using logos, i.e., logic. This includes giving facts and practical aspects of why this is to be done or why such a thing is the most practical.

It is also called the “logical appeal”.

This can be done by giving inductive or deductive reasoning.

Inductive reasoning involves the speaker taking a specific example or case study and then generalizing or drawing conclusions from it.

For instance, a speaker tells a case study of a student who went into depression as the child wasn’t able to cope with back-to-back stress.

This problem will be generalized and concluded that gap year is crucial for any child to cope with and be ready for the challenges in a university.

On the other hand, deductive reasoning involves analyzing general assumptions and theories and then arriving at a logical conclusion.

So, in this case, the speaker can give statistics of the percentage of university students feeling drained due to past exams and how many felt that they needed a break.

This general data will then be personalized to conclude how there is a need for every student to have a leisure break to refresh their mind and avoid having burned out.

Using any of these 3 techniques, coupled with elaborate anecdotes and supporting evidence, at the same time encountering counterarguments will make the body of your speech more effective.

4. CONCLUSION

Make sure to spend some time thinking through your conclusion, as this is the part that your audience will remember the most and is hence, the key takeaway of your entire speech.

Keep it brief, and avoid being too repetitive.

It should provide the audience with a summary of the points put across in the body, at the same time calling people to action or suggesting a possible solution and the next step to be taken.

Remember that this is your last chance to convince, hence make sure to make it impactful.

 Include one to two relevant power or motivational quotes, and end by thanking the audience for being patient and listening till the end.

Watch this clip for a better understanding.

TIPS AND TRICKS OF PERSUASION

Start strong.

A general pattern among influential speeches is this: all start with a powerful and impactful example, be it statistics about the issue, using influential and meaning statements and quotes, or asking a rhetorical question at the beginning of their speech.

Why do they do this? It demonstrates credibility and creates a good impression- increasing their chance of persuading the audience.

Hence, start in such a manner that will hook the audience to your speech and people would be curious to know what you are about to say or how will you end it.

Keep your introduction short

Keep your introduction short, and not more than 10-15% of your speech.

If your speech is 2000 words, then your introduction should be a maximum of 200-250 words.

Or if you are presenting for 10 minutes, your introduction should be a maximum of 2 minutes. This will give you time to state your main points and help you manage your time effectively.

Be clear and concise

Use the correct vocabulary to fit in, at the same time making sure to state them clearly, without beating around the bush.

This will make the message efficient and impactful.

Answer the question “why”

Answer the question “why” before giving solutions or “how”.

Tell them why is there a need to change. Then give them all sides of the point.

It is important to state what is wrong and not just what ought to be or what is right, in an unopinionated tone.

Unless and until people don’t know the other side of things, they simply will not change.

Suggest solutions

Once you have stated the problem, you imply or hint at the solution.

Never state solutions, suggest them; leaving the decision up to the audience.

You can hint at solutions: “don’t you think it is a good idea to…?” or “is it wrong to say that…?”, instead of just stating solutions.

Use power phrases

Certain power-phrases come in handy, which can make the audience take action.

Using the power phrase “because” is very impactful in winning and convincing others.

This phrase justifies the action associated with it and gives us an understanding of why is it correct.

For instance, the phrase “can you give me a bite of your food?” does not imply attitude change.

But using “may I have a bite of your food because I haven’t eaten breakfast?” is more impactful and the person will likely end up sharing food if you use this power- phrase, because it is justifying your request.

Another power-phrase is “I understand, but…”.

This involves you agreeing with the opposite side of the argument and then stating your side or your point of view.

This will encourage your audience to think from the other side of the spectrum and are likely to consider your argument put forth in the speech.

Use power words

Use power words like ‘incredible’, ‘fascinating’, ‘unquestionable’, ‘most important’, ‘strongly recommend’ in your speech to provoke your audience into awe.

Watch this video of some of the common but effective words that can be used in a persuasive speech.

Give an emotional appeal

Like mentioned earlier as one of the techniques of persuasion called pathos, targeting emotions like joy, surprise, fear, anticipation, anger, sadness, or disgust gives your speech an emotional appeal, and more feel to your content, rather than just neutrally stating facts and reasons.

Hence, to keep your audience engaged and not get bored, use emotions while speaking.

Make use of the non=verbal elements

Actions speak louder than words, and they create a huge difference if used effectively.

There is so much else to a speech than just words.

Non-verbal elements include everything apart from your words.

Maintaining eye contact, matching your body language with your words for effective transmission of the message including how you express your emotions, making use of the visual signs and symbols via a PPT are all important parts of any speech.

Check your paralanguage i.e., your voice intonation, pitch, speed, effective pauses, stressing on certain words to create an impact.

Doing all of these will make your speech more real and effective, and will persuade your audience into taking action.

Give real-life examples

Speak facts and avoid giving opinions.

However, just mentioning hard statistical facts will take you nowhere, as there is a chance that people may not believe the data, based on the possibility of them recollecting exceptions.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Hence, back up your statistics with real-life examples of situations.

Also, consider using precise numerical data.

For example, using “5487 people die due to road accidents every day”, instead of “approximately 5500 people”.

Have no personal stake

You can lose credibility if the audience feels that you have a personal stake in it.

Suppose that you are speaking for the idea of using reusable plastic products, and you say that you are from a company that sells those goods.

People are likely to perceive your argument as promoting self-interest and will not be ready to change their opinion about reusable plastic products.

Consequently, if you argue against your self-interest, your audience will see you as the most credible. 

So, if you say that you are working in a plastics manufacturing company and have a statistical record of the pollution caused by it; and then promote reusable plastic as an alternative to stop pollution and save the environment, people are likely to accept your point of argument.

The you attitude

Shift your focus to the audience, and chances are high that they are likely to relate the issue to themselves and are most likely to change.

Hence, use the “you attitude” i.e., shifting focus to the listener and giving them what they want to hear and then making subtle additions to what you want them to hear.

Make a good first impression

The first impression is indeed the last. This is the reason why image consultancy is such a growing sector.

A good first impression works wonders on the people around you, including the audience, and makes your work of convincing a lot easier.

Avoid appearing shabby, ill-mannered, and refrain from using uncourteous and biased language.

Doing these will reverse the effect you want from the audience and will drive them away from your opinion.

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION?

If you are the type who gets nervous easily and have fear of public speaking, practice till you excel in your task.

I used to dread speaking in front of people, and partly still do.

Earlier, unless and until someone called my name to state my opinion or start with the presentation, I didn’t even raise my hand to say that I have an opinion or I am left to present on the topic.

I had to do something about this problem. So, I made a plan.

2 weeks before the presentation, I wrote the script and read it over and over again.

After reading multiple times, I imagined my room to be the classroom and practiced in front of a mirror.

The main thing I was concerned about was keeping my head clear on the day of my presentation. And that’s what happened.

Since my mind was clear and relaxed, and I had practiced my speech over and over again, presenting came more naturally and confidently.

You might ask what is the purpose of impression management?

Impressions are used for Ingratiation i.e., getting others to like us so that they will be more than willing to accept or agree to your point.

If you like someone, you are drawn towards them and are likely to agree on what they agree or say.

TIP- Try to come early to the venue, and dress appropriately to the needs of the occasion. And don’t forget to smile!

PERSUASIVE SPEECH EXAMPLES

1. wendy troxel – why school should start later for teens.

Almost all the important elements of a persuasive speech are found in this TED talk by Wendy Troxel.

Take a closer look at how she starts her introduction in the form of a real-life personal story, and how she makes it relevant to the audience.

Humor is used to hook the audience’s attention and in turn their interest.

She is also likely to be perceived as credible, as she introduces herself as a sleep researcher, and is speaking on the topic of sleep.

Thesis of how early school timings deprive teenagers of their sleep and its effects is introduced subtly.

The speaker supports her statements with facts, answers the question “why” and most importantly, presents both sides of an argument; effects of less to lack of sleep and its consequences and the effects of appropriate and more sleep on teenagers.

The use of non-verbal elements throughout the speech adds value and richness to the speech, making it more engaging.

The use of Pathos as a persuasive technique appeals to the audience’s emotions; at the same time backing the argument with Logos, by giving scientific reasons and research findings to support the argument.

Lastly, the speech is meaningful, relevant, and thought-provoking to the audience, who are mostly parents and teenagers.

2. Crystal Robello- Being an introvert is a good thing

In this example, Crystal Robello starts by giving personal experiences of being an introvert and the prejudices faced.

Notice how even without much statistics the speech is made persuasive by using Ethos as a technique; and how credibility is achieved by mentioning leaders who are introverts.

3. Greta Thunberg- School strike for climate

One of my favorite speeches is the above speech by Greta Thunberg.

She uses all the techniques; pathos, ethos and logos.

Also notice how the speaker speaks with emotions, and uses body and paralanguage efficiently to create a dramatic impact on the audience.

Her genuine interest is clearly reflected in the speech, which makes the audience listen with a level of concern towards the topic, climate change.

To sum up, we looked at the things to keep in mind before writing a speech and also became familiar with the general outline or the structure of a persuasive speech.

We also looked at some of the tips and tricks of persuasion, and lastly, got introduced to 3 amazing persuasive speech examples.

So, now that you know everything about persuasion, rest assured and keep the above-mentioned things in mind before starting your next speech!

Also, check out related posts:

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• Published: 30 June 2022

The potential of emotive language to influence the understanding of textual information in media coverage

• Adil Absattar 1 ,
• Manshuk Mambetova 1 &
• Orynay Zhubay 2  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  9 , Article number:  222 ( 2022 ) Cite this article

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• Language and linguistics

Online media attempts to influence how people think. The promotion of online discourses and the use of extra-linguistic factors enable a tilt towards a desired way of thinking. Internet users seek, make decisions, and act not only according to their beliefs but also according to the ideas propagated by the media. This paper focuses on public relations formation in a media discourse and an emotive response to news coverage. The paper aims to analyze the use of emotive linguistic means at the level of Kazakh media discourse. Through contextual analysis of emotive vocabulary used in media discourse, the paper explores the cognitive perception of media coverage by readers. This method allows for an in-death study of emotivity. The scientific novelty of the study is that it examines the emotive aspect of the Internet media discourse. The results show that emotivity of the Kazakh media texts is expressed using lexical and syntactic means and is crucial for building public relations and influencing the audience. The studied corpus includes media texts from the three largest online media sources in Kazakhstan. It appears that the culture of Internet media readers plays a decisive role in how they perceive products of communication, even if there are other variables involved in the equation. The use of emotive items in online media debates was found to depend on discourse content and writer’s intentions. A sample of emotive items was used. Content published on politics-oriented online media (Zakon.kz) channeled negative emotions, namely sadness and fear. Online media sources with entertainment content (Kazinform and Sputnik Kazakhstan) were characterized by the presence of such universal emotions as fear, joy, and hope. Positive emotions prevail. In general, the potential of Internet media content to influence readers and manipulation tactics vary depending on the content of the coverage.

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Introduction

In recent years, many technologies have developed, which, with the advent of the Internet, led to the rise of new forms of communication and interpersonal expression (Cheshmedzhieva-Stoycheva, 2018 ). Thanks to technological progress and the mass deployment of information technology, communication and self-expression habits have changed dramatically, entailing the emergence of new linguistic practices. Statistics show that 57% of the world’s population use Internet-based media to obtain information, sharpening receptive skills along the way (Fisher and Mehozay, 2019 ). The immersion into a new language setting underlined the totality of new linguistic forms and styles of communication. Internet media became the central platform for social and public activity, which enables readers to receive various kinds of information with the help of technology (Beloedova and Kazak, 2011 ; Chen et al., 2018 ; Clément and Sangar, 2017 ). Today, citizens have an unprecedented ability to express themselves, make themselves heard, share, and expand their knowledge. The rapid development of technology has changed the way people express themselves (Kaliazhdarova and Ashenova, 2019 ; Kazak et al., 2017 ). The advent of the Internet and social media ushered in an era of debate, giving citizens an opportunity to speak without intermediaries and freely initiate discussions. In a way, those networks facilitated public expression and knowledge sharing. New discursive practices have emerged that became paramount methods and means of exchange and expression today. A recipient now speaks in public and talks with multiple speakers in real time (Sahmeni and Afifah, 2019 ). The numerous online media tools offered for individual and collective liberation act as a trigger and accelerant for social change. The choice of the topic is since the Internet media have become an unusually important tool for communication and marketing. The rational use of visual and textual emotive information is very important for social media marketing because such information significantly influences decision making. The question is how different forms of information (e.g., textual, visual, and audiovisual) in social media affect the reader. For this reason, the emotive vocabulary of the Kazakh Internet media and their emotive impact on the recipient are examined as an example. The choice of article title is also duplicated in methods.

Media content is widely used in all spheres of human activity and for various purposes: in everyday communication, politics, political propaganda, art projects, to display events, and to build public relations, especially at the verbal level (Alemi and Tajeddin, 2020 ; Posternyak and Boeva-Omelechko, 2018 ; Solomon and Steele, 2017 ). Through the integration of media content, language users reimagine writing to enable immediate and spontaneous communication (Dong et al., 2021 ; Fisher and Mehozay, 2019 ).

This research focuses on feelings and emotions that constitute an integral part of speech. Recipients were reported to perceive all events covered in media through an emotive-sensual prism. Thus, it can be seen as a medium of subjectivity (Bateman, 2019 ; Koschut et al., 2017 ; MacDonald, 2017 ). That is what unites, to a certain extent, the emotional or expressive function of language, which, according to Jakobson ( 1987 ), is centered on a sender, who expresses his/her feelings and judgments through speech. Subjectivity is inseparable from language and discourse. In the modern world, the language of the mass media is the leading language used to cover social and other events in the form of a media text (Suvorova and Polyakova, 2018 ), an extra-linguistic unit, the structure of which can vary from a grapheme to sound recorded in an audio file. The media text’s genre is determined by its content. At the same time, media texts are associated with the following four principles: functionality (i.e., influencing the masses), communicativeness (i.e., degree of orientation to different strata), content, and intentionality (i.e., planning to affect the recipients) (Alba-Juez and Larina, 2018 ; Demetriou, 2018 ; Hiltunen, 2021 ). Even with one principle in place, a media text is a media discourse.

This research deals with emotivity concept at the junction of several disciplines (Pawliszko, 2016 ; Polyakova and Suvorova, 2019 ). Previously, researchers did not describe an emotive media discourse in its traditional sense, nor did they analyze the meta-terms associated with the concept of emotion (such as subjectivity, affectivity, and expressiveness). At least, there were none found. The challenge lies in conceptualizing and language in the context of communicative linguistics, language theory, differentiating emotive lexicography, and identifying linguistic means (i.e., language units and context) that make an expressive discourse. The emotive potential of media discourse will define a range of innovative concepts for media communication and uncover the extent to which media texts can manipulate one’s emotions. The present paper presents and explains a typological picture of emotive vocabulary usage in the Kazakh Internet media with their emotive impact on the recipients. In doing so, this work makes a substantial contribution to the study of the emotive code and functional stylistics. The study results can be used to design lecture courses in humanities, in particular journalism.

Conclusions

The analysis of emotive lexemes (different parts of speech) collected from different online media sources made it possible to investigate various emotional expressions used in the Internet media. The selection was carried out according to the classical criteria of emotivity. The study results showed how quite different and quite mixed expressive processes can construct the meaning of the message and influence the reader. The texts of the selected online media are characterized by multimodality, polyphony, hypertextuality, heterogeneity, and carry bifurcated denotational meaning. It was revealed that these forms are predominantly the most expressive emotive process. The present study recognized and described emotive lexical units, analyzed the different layers of information that make up the emotionality of a media text and determine the conditions of the described lexical units’ functioning. The pattern markers that are present in the text and influence textual variations were also studied.

Multimodality was also considered, which characterizes media writing. This research shows that expression of feelings and emotions in a digital discourse requires special linguistic and extra-linguistic means. Online media are a place where people can express themselves freely. Hence, it can be said that media favor self-expression. Content writers have the freedom to integrate any expressive process. Unlike the traditional written discourse, where affective categories are often channeled through lexicon, the digital space is associated with the presence of linguistic and extra-linguistic layers. This study identified lexical and linguistic means that integrate emotions into the online media texts. Those expressive processes are a function of the immediacy and spontaneity of media discourse. Basic emotive vocabulary and possible extra-linguistic elements actualized in Kazakh media discourse appeared to exploit paraverbal expressions to replace expressive means used in face-to-face communication. Such tactics allow conveying emotions in written debates. When it comes to digital media texts, it is not enough to look at what has been said. Attention should be paid to both linguistic and non-linguistic processes. Depending on the purpose of the media text, content writers who seek to influence readers can use emotive lexemes in specific ways. Therefore, it is important to examine emotive language from the standpoint of linguistics and extra-linguistics. The results of this study can be used in teaching aids and courses in philology, psychology, journalism, and semiotics.

Suggestions for future research

Future research should investigate the integration of emotions and their linguistic and non-linguistic manifestations in a discourse. Attention should be paid to the new method of writing that is currently used in the Internet spaces—iconic emotive forms. Such research will form a cognitive basis for studying the iconic coding principle, a mechanism of human associative memory.

Data availability

Data will be available on request.

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Absattar, A., Mambetova, M. & Zhubay, O. The potential of emotive language to influence the understanding of textual information in media coverage. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 9 , 222 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01232-2

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The functional and semantic category of appeal as a linguistic tool in political propaganda texts (in the example of the english language).

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What is Emotive Language Definition Example Use and Benefits

Emotive language is a type of language that is used to evoke emotions and feelings in the audience or reader. It is designed to elicit an emotional response by using words that create a particular tone or mood. Emotive language can be found in a variety of contexts, such as advertising, politics, literature, and everyday communication . In this article, we will explore the definition of emotive language, provide examples of its use, and discuss the benefits of using emotive language.

Table of Contents

Definition of Emotive Language

Emotive language is a type of language that is designed to create an emotional response in the reader or listener. This can be done through the use of certain words or phrases that are associated with specific emotions, such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, or excitement. Emotive language is often used in persuasive writing or speech, where the goal is to convince the audience to feel a certain way or take a particular action.

Examples of Emotive Language

Emotive language can be found in many different types of writing and speech. Here are a few examples:

Advertising:

Advertisers often use emotive language to create an emotional connection between the product and the consumer. For example, a commercial for a luxury car might use words like “sleek,” “powerful,” and “sophisticated” to make the viewer feel excited and aspirational.

Politicians often use emotive language to appeal to voters’ emotions and values. For example, a candidate might use words like “freedom,” “justice,” and “equality” to create a sense of patriotism and appeal to voters’ sense of fairness.

Literature:

Authors often use emotive language to create a mood or atmosphere in their writing. For example, a horror writer might use words like “dark,” “terrifying,” and “sinister” to create a sense of fear and foreboding.

Everyday communication:

Emotive language is also used in everyday conversation to convey emotions and feelings. For example, someone might use the word “heartbreaking” to describe a sad event, or “thrilling” to describe an exciting experience.

Benefits of Emotive Language

There are several benefits to using emotive language in writing and speech :

Evokes emotions:

Emotive language can be a powerful tool for evoking emotions and creating a connection between the writer or speaker and the audience. By using words that are associated with specific emotions, the writer or speaker can create a mood or atmosphere that resonates with the audience.

Increases engagement:

Emotive language can also increase engagement with the audience. When the audience feels an emotional connection to the writer or speaker, they are more likely to pay attention and be receptive to the message.

Makes writing more memorable:

Emotive language can make writing more memorable by creating a strong emotional impression. When the reader or listener feels a strong emotional response to the writing or speech, they are more likely to remember it.

Persuasion:

Emotive language can be a persuasive tool, as it can create an emotional connection between the writer or speaker and the audience. This can be particularly effective in persuasive writing or speech, where the goal is to convince the audience to take a particular action.

How to Use Emotive Language Effectively

Here are a few tips for using emotive language effectively:

Know your audience:

When using emotive language, it is important to know your audience and what emotions and values are important to them. This will help you choose words and phrases that will resonate with them.

Use specific words

Use specific words that are associated with specific emotions. For example, instead of using the word “sad,” use more specific words like “heartbroken” or “devastated.”

Use figurative language

Figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, can be a powerful tool for creating an emotional connection with the audience. For example, “Her smile was like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day” creates a positive emotional impression.

Use language in context

Emotive language is most effective when used in the appropriate context. For example, using emotive language in a scientific paper might be inappropriate, but using it in a personal essay could be effective.

Avoid overuse

While emotive language can be a powerful tool, overusing it can have the opposite effect. Use emotive language sparingly and strategically to maximize its impact.

Emotive language is a type of language that is used to create an emotional response in the reader or listener. It can be found in a variety of contexts and has several benefits, including evoking emotions, increasing engagement, making writing more memorable, and being persuasive. When using emotive language, it is important to know your audience, use specific words, use figurative language, use language in context, and avoid overuse. By using emotive language effectively, writers and speakers can create a strong emotional connection with their audience and make their message more impactful.

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Emotional Speech Corpus for Persuasive Dialogue System

Sara Asai , Koichiro Yoshino , Seitaro Shinagawa , Sakriani Sakti , Satoshi Nakamura

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[Emotional Speech Corpus for Persuasive Dialogue System](https://aclanthology.org/2020.lrec-1.62) (Asai et al., LREC 2020)

• Emotional Speech Corpus for Persuasive Dialogue System (Asai et al., LREC 2020)
• Sara Asai, Koichiro Yoshino, Seitaro Shinagawa, Sakriani Sakti, and Satoshi Nakamura. 2020. Emotional Speech Corpus for Persuasive Dialogue System . In Proceedings of the Twelfth Language Resources and Evaluation Conference , pages 491–497, Marseille, France. European Language Resources Association.

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16 Effective Persuasive Language Techniques

Persuasive language is the language being used when convincing others for something. It can be seen and heard around you every day. You’ll see it in TV commercials, social media, magazines, billboards, and any other medium where advertisement campaigns are placed. While you may think persuasive language is only for the ones who communicate with the public to convince, it is actually helpful to learn it. At one point or another, you may have used it without noticing it, and you may also need to use it in the future. Persuasive language can be employed when you want others to believe your viewpoints and conclusions, accept your facts, and get someone to take a certain action. It can be done verbally, nonverbal, or even written. To make your message easier and more compelling, different techniques can be used. Your audience and your motive become the basis on which technique to use. Scroll down and read to know the commonly used techniques in persuasive language.

Your claim is your main point. It is the gist of your argument. When delivering a persuasive message, state your claim as clearly as possible. This will enable you to get your point across vividly and have your message be understood by your audience correctly. It also ensures that there is only one interpretation thus prevents leading to other interpretations. 

“I’d like you to eat dark chocolates because it is a healthier option compared to other sweet foods.”

2. Repetition

To emphasize your point, and reinforce an argument, you can do repetition. As you keep on repeating words or phrases, it creates a familiarity with your main point or message. This eventually stays in the mind of your audience thus making your message more memorable. To do this, choose the key points that you want to emphasize. Keep on repeating those words throughout your text or speech, however, remember to do it judiciously. If you overdo it, people will think the content of your message is redundant. Do it fluidly by repeating your main point in different ways. You can put it on your details, evidence, examples, and summary.

“You can easily choose from the alternatives that I offered you. Both of them are easy solutions.”

3. Colloquial Language

Using colloquial language is effective when persuading others because it makes your message clearer to them. Since it is common for people to use it, they will understand your point easily. Your audience can identify with you and feel as if you are on the same wavelength as them. Moreover, it sounds more friendly and can make your point appear more practical and realistic. To do this you can use slang when delivering your message. 

“If you follow their demands then you’re a bunch of half-wits.”

“Did you travel abroad just to follow his instructions? What a joke!”

4. Jargon words

While we are often told not to use jargon or complex terminology as much as possible, using them in the persuasive language is effective. This is helpful if your audience is professional or intellectual. Using jargon words and formal language can make you sound knowledgeable thus making your point sound reasonable and rational. 

“Share your advocacy to your clients to guide them to be aware of value-based purchasing.”

5. Emotive appeals

Engaging people’s feelings is another technique used to convince others. Most of the time, emotions become the motivation for why people do things. When people emotionally get in touch with you and are swayed by their emotions, they are more likely to agree with you. Through carefully choosing your words, you can evoke emotion from them. It may invite them to feel sympathy, disgust, guilt, anger, or excitement. To do this use emotive language or euphemism. 

Learn more about emotive language by reading  our article:  How To Communicate Your Emotions Into Words

“In some places across the country, you can see people agonizing from poverty. The locals are living without food nor shelter to live in. That’s why giving something of what we have no matter how small or big it may be would mean a lot to them.”

6. Inclusive language

Inclusive language is a technique where you try to create an impression that you and your audience are on the same side and share the same viewpoint. This is effective in persuasive language because you position your audience to agree with you by showing that you belong in a team, campaign, or project that they can be part of. To employ inclusive language use ‘us’, ‘we’, and ‘our’.

“We are in this together.”

“By doing your part we can mitigate the effect of this virus crisis.”

7. Rhetorical question

Rhetorical questions are questions that are asked but not required to be answered. They are often used to get the audience’s attention, imply certain answers, emphasize a point, or guide audiences to draw certain conclusions. When a rhetorical question is asked, an obvious answer is already posed to a particular issue. You just ask to make the audience think about the same question and realize that your point is rational, and to disagree with it seems foolish.

“Who wouldn’t want to progress to live in comfort?”

“Should we allow this malpractice to continue?”

8. Hyperbole

Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration. It is often used to make a point or emphasize it. Overstating can be effective as your point can be viewed as greater than it actually is and more urgent and important. Using exaggeration can make two things, to communicate value, or make the situation seem worse. By describing an extreme version of events, it creates a dramatic impact. This provokes strong emotional responses from your audience which makes them more likely to accept your viewpoint.  However, when using exaggerations, make sure that it is done appropriately and can be backed up by proof. 

“They are selling the best ice cream in the country.”

“They can do it in one second.”

9. Anecdotal evidence

An anecdote is a short story involving real-life events. It is used to illustrate a point and simplify complex issues. It triggers imagination thus makes your point more vivid and relatable thus keeps your audience engaged. By providing real stories your persuasive message sounds more realistic, credible, and interesting. It is effective especially when backed up by facts.

To know more about storytelling read:  How To Tell A Story In English

“Recently a colleague of mine experienced this dilemma first-hand”

“To give you an example, I’d like to share my experience on this issue.”

Bias is providing only a partial or one side of an issue to influence others. It is commonly used to highlight good reasoning to motives and ignore counter-arguments. To make this effective, state your claim and biases then explain why this one-sidedness helps and makes sense to your audience. 

“Our product is environmentally-friendly thus assures you that it is safe, sustainable and value for money.”

“The newly released phone is the best in the market today.”

11. Expert opinion

Quoting expert’s opinions can help your persuasion message sound more credible. Not only does it add substance but also puts more weight on your argument. When people see that experts agree with you, people are influenced and believe that it would be rational to agree with you. Do this by including quotes that refer to experts who agree with your viewpoint. Make sure that the personalities you will quote are respectable and well-known to make your claim stronger and believable.

“Dr. Murphy’s extensive research on the virus proves that it can be transmitted via… “

12. Facts and statistical evidence

Add weight to your argument by incorporating statistics and facts into your persuasive message. This is effective especially to an analytical audience. Including facts and statistics in your message shows that you researched and investigated your claim. It makes you appear that you know what you are talking about. Your message will be seen as valid since facts and statistics are unquestionable and irrefutable. Make sure that when using statistics it is accurate and taken from reliable sources.

“According to the survey presented by ABC statistics, 90% are… ”

“A recent survey conducted by ABC Statistics found that…”

13. Generalization

Generalization is a statement that suggests that what is true for some is true for the majority. It is often used to simplify an issue, and to prove that your claim is logical because the effect is experienced by many. This is effective if your audience stance is already on the same side as yours, but uncompelling to those that have doubts and proofs to disprove it. If you are going to employ it, use generalizations that tell commonly held beliefs that many accept or support. 

“Teenagers today are more expressive, vocal, and bolder.”

“The locals are skillful and entrepreneurial.”

14. Comparison

Comparison is a technique where you compare two things to present a point. It is another way to simplify complex issues. It can guide your audience to see the connection of things thus will help in making your audience agree with your point. Similes, metaphors, and analogies are often used to illustrate comparisons. 

“The shade of the newly launched lipstick is like red roses.” 

“Our fabric is as soft as cotton.”

A pun uses homophones, homonyms, or rhymes to play with words. The use of words that sound similar is intended to suggest a double meaning. This other meaning often represents a positive or negative connotation that influences the audience’s viewpoint or response on the issue. It is effective because its humor catches the attention and interest of your audience. 

“She is returning the dress she purchased because she is experiencing post-traumatic dress syndrome.”

16. Clichés

A cliché is an overused phrase. Although it is normally discouraged to use cliché, it can be effective when delivering your persuasive messages. Clichés allow you to communicate your viewpoints quickly. Since the expressions you are using are familiar and uncomplicated your audience can easily grasp and understand your point. This enables them to easily accept your idea. 

“We are doing our best to resolve it but we are still uncertain about the outcome. Time can only tell.”

The techniques given above are easy and simple to follow. By employing them, you will deliver a message that is compelling and convincing. Keep in mind that your aim is not to be manipulative. While sharing your message, remember that you have to persuade your audience with something that makes sense and beneficial to them to create a win-win situation. 

Learn the commonly used expression and how to incorporate persuasive language into your conversations. LingualBox offers courses that can help you improve communicating in English effectively. Avail your free trial class today.

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Persuasive Speeches — Types, Topics, and Examples

What is a persuasive speech?

In a persuasive speech, the speaker aims to convince the audience to accept a particular perspective on a person, place, object, idea, etc. The speaker strives to cause the audience to accept the point of view presented in the speech.

The success of a persuasive speech often relies on the speaker’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos.

Ethos is the speaker’s credibility. Audiences are more likely to accept an argument if they find the speaker trustworthy. To establish credibility during a persuasive speech, speakers can do the following:

Use familiar language.

Select examples that connect to the specific audience.

Utilize credible and well-known sources.

Logically structure the speech in an audience-friendly way.

Use appropriate eye contact, volume, pacing, and inflection.

Pathos appeals to the audience’s emotions. Speakers who create an emotional bond with their audience are typically more convincing. Tapping into the audience’s emotions can be accomplished through the following:

Select evidence that can elicit an emotional response.

Use emotionally-charged words. (The city has a problem … vs. The city has a disease …)

Incorporate analogies and metaphors that connect to a specific emotion to draw a parallel between the reference and topic.

Utilize vivid imagery and sensory words, allowing the audience to visualize the information.

Employ an appropriate tone, inflection, and pace to reflect the emotion.

Logos appeals to the audience’s logic by offering supporting evidence. Speakers can improve their logical appeal in the following ways:

Use comprehensive evidence the audience can understand.

Confirm the evidence logically supports the argument’s claims and stems from credible sources.

Ensure that evidence is specific and avoid any vague or questionable information.

Types of persuasive speeches

The three main types of persuasive speeches are factual, value, and policy.

A factual persuasive speech focuses solely on factual information to prove the existence or absence of something through substantial proof. This is the only type of persuasive speech that exclusively uses objective information rather than subjective. As such, the argument does not rely on the speaker’s interpretation of the information. Essentially, a factual persuasive speech includes historical controversy, a question of current existence, or a prediction:

Historical controversy concerns whether an event happened or whether an object actually existed.

Questions of current existence involve the knowledge that something is currently happening.

Predictions incorporate the analysis of patterns to convince the audience that an event will happen again.

A value persuasive speech concerns the morality of a certain topic. Speakers incorporate facts within these speeches; however, the speaker’s interpretation of those facts creates the argument. These speeches are highly subjective, so the argument cannot be proven to be absolutely true or false.

A policy persuasive speech centers around the speaker’s support or rejection of a public policy, rule, or law. Much like a value speech, speakers provide evidence supporting their viewpoint; however, they provide subjective conclusions based on the facts they provide.

How to write a persuasive speech

Incorporate the following steps when writing a persuasive speech:

Step 1 – Identify the type of persuasive speech (factual, value, or policy) that will help accomplish the goal of the presentation.

Step 2 – Select a good persuasive speech topic to accomplish the goal and choose a position .

Step 3 – Locate credible and reliable sources and identify evidence in support of the topic/position. Revisit Step 2 if there is a lack of relevant resources.

Step 4 – Identify the audience and understand their baseline attitude about the topic.

Step 5 – When constructing an introduction , keep the following questions in mind:

What’s the topic of the speech?

What’s the occasion?

Who’s the audience?

What’s the purpose of the speech?

Step 6 – Utilize the evidence within the previously identified sources to construct the body of the speech. Keeping the audience in mind, determine which pieces of evidence can best help develop the argument. Discuss each point in detail, allowing the audience to understand how the facts support the perspective.

Step 7 – Addressing counterarguments can help speakers build their credibility, as it highlights their breadth of knowledge.

Step 8 – Conclude the speech with an overview of the central purpose and how the main ideas identified in the body support the overall argument.

Persuasive speech outline

One of the best ways to prepare a great persuasive speech is by using an outline. When structuring an outline, include an introduction, body, and conclusion:

Introduction

Attention Grabbers

Ask a question that allows the audience to respond in a non-verbal way; ask a rhetorical question that makes the audience think of the topic without requiring a response.

Incorporate a well-known quote that introduces the topic. Using the words of a celebrated individual gives credibility and authority to the information in the speech.

Offer a startling statement or information about the topic, typically done using data or statistics.

Provide a brief anecdote or story that relates to the topic.

Starting a speech with a humorous statement often makes the audience more comfortable with the speaker.

Provide information on how the selected topic may impact the audience .

Include any background information pertinent to the topic that the audience needs to know to understand the speech in its entirety.

Give the thesis statement in connection to the main topic and identify the main ideas that will help accomplish the central purpose.

Identify evidence

Summarize its meaning

Explain how it helps prove the support/main claim

Evidence 3 (Continue as needed)

Support 3 (Continue as needed)

Restate thesis

Review main supports

Concluding statement

Give the audience a call to action to do something specific.

Identify the overall importan ce of the topic and position.

Persuasive speech topics

The following table identifies some common or interesting persuasive speech topics for high school and college students:

Persuasive speech examples

The following list identifies some of history’s most famous persuasive speeches:

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You”

Lyndon B. Johnson: “We Shall Overcome”

Marc Antony: “Friends, Romans, Countrymen…” in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

Ronald Reagan: “Tear Down this Wall”

Sojourner Truth: “Ain’t I a Woman?”

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Computer Science > Computation and Language

Title: large language models are as persuasive as humans, but why about the cognitive effort and moral-emotional language of llm arguments.

Abstract: Large Language Models (LLMs) are already as persuasive as humans. However, we know very little about why. This paper investigates the persuasion strategies of LLMs, comparing them with human-generated arguments. Using a dataset of 1,251 participants in an experiment, we analyze the persuaion strategies of LLM-generated and human-generated arguments using measures of cognitive effort (lexical and grammatical complexity) and moral-emotional language (sentiment and moral analysis). The study reveals that LLMs produce arguments that require higher cognitive effort, exhibiting more complex grammatical and lexical structures than human counterparts. Additionally, LLMs demonstrate a significant propensity to engage more deeply with moral language, utilizing both positive and negative moral foundations more frequently than humans. In contrast with previous research, no significant difference was found in the emotional content produced by LLMs and humans. These findings contribute to the discourse on AI and persuasion, highlighting the dual potential of LLMs to both enhance and undermine informational integrity through communication strategies for digital persuasion.

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