WRITING TO ARGUE, PERSUADE, ADVISE

LESSON 1

LESSON OBJECTIVE

To revise ways of starting sentences with present participles.

To revise the language of argument and persuasion

To write an effective persuasive letter.

STARTING SENTENCES USING PRESENT PARTICIPLES

Many pupils would benefit from leaving school at 14.

Leaving school at 14 would benefit many pupils.

……. homework is always fun. Playing an instrument ……………….. Change the sentence below, making it

start with a present participle. It is polite to arrive on time.

PRESENT PARTICIPLES

Continuing to expect students to complete homework after a long day at school is unreasonable.

Offering financial incentives to students will encourage them to stay on at school, as many of their European counterparts do already.

KEY FEATURES OF WRITING TO ARGUE, PERSUADE, ADVISE BE LOGICAL – give a reasoned

argument Use EMOTIVE LANGUAGE (to appeal to

reader’s emotions), but do not be too emotional yourself

Use COUNTER-ARGUMENTS to show that you understand the opposing view

ORGANISE your ideas

LANGUAGE

Rhetorical questions Lists of three Repetition (of words and sentence structures) Alliteration Similes and metaphors Examples (anecdotes) Facts and statistics Connectives (e.g. however, although, because) Impersonal register (It can be seen that)

“The internet can be a powerful tool for good” Argue for or against this statement.

Plan your answer

Note that you argue for OR against

No specific audience, therefore assume intelligent adult (examiner!)

SHOPPING

GOOD For people who

cannot get out For people who are

busy at work For giving access to

a wider range of goods

BAD Not all sites are

secure Fraud and crime take

place Goods cannot be

looked at properly before you buy

EDUCATION

Good Can look at sites to

help with revision or homework

Can find out information for topics

Can find out the latest news

Bad Some sites are

difficult to get on to No way to filter

information Too many sites can

make it difficult to find just what you need

COMMUNICATION

Good Instant access to

friends or businesses through e-mail

Anyone in the world at any time

Bad Hackers can get into

e-mails Sometimes people

receive so many e-mails that they can hardly reply to them all

CLEAR INTRODUCTION

Since its introduction, the internet has been an invaluable tool for businesses and for individuals. How did people ever manage without it? We can shop anywhere we want without leaving our chairs, communicate with anyone else in the world at any time (providing they have internet access!) and even extend our education. There are, however, people who misuse the internet for criminal activities, but this should not prevent us from embracing and enjoying all the invaluable resources that this instant information highway can provide.

Shopping

For some people, such as those who are housebound, or who work unsocial hours, when the shops are shut, the internet is a great way to do their shopping. Anything can be ordered over the internet, from food to holidays to furniture. On the other hand, it is not possible to “try before you buy” so many goods have to be returned. More importantly, how can people be sure that their very valuable credit card details are indeed secure?

PLENARY

What have you learned? Write a list of the types of language to

use in an argument.