In you persuasive writing, you need to use evidence! This is so important and examiners will be LOOKING FOR IT!
Firstly, in persuasive writing, you are arguing for or against a certain topic and that requires evidence. Think about it…a lawyer wouldn’t go into court without concrete evidence to back them up! If you need help structuring your work, read my guide to structuring your persuasive articles here!
But…how do I do that?
Don’t worry…I hear you!
Most importantly, there’s one thing you need to know.
It’s okay to make it up!
In the exam, you are going to be given a statement to agree or disagree with. It could be anything! Examiners do not expect you to know facts and statistics about climate change or social media or government policies! They are simply testing your ability to write a good article!
It’s not necessarily what you say, it’s how you say it!
You could be arguing for a topic you don’t know much about. THAT’S FINE! Students can still get full marks even if they don’t know loads about that topic.
Here’s how!
1. Statistics
Okay…if I don’t know much about the topic, how on earth I am going to find statistics to use?
Don’t worry! Let me show you!
Statistics are basically facts containing numbers. The best ones to use are percentages or numerical values.
All you need to do is to design some statistics that look believable and support your point!
Examples
Let’s check out some examples!
“In a recent survey carried out in Greater Manchester, 80% of 16-year-olds said that they would like to have the right to vote.“
Did you carry out this survey? I certainly didn’t! I MADE IT UP! And…it sounds pretty believable doesn’t it? Here’s another one!
“Scientists predict that 10,000 species will become extinct by 2050.“
Okay…a quick note of caution. Whilst this is perfecting okay in GCSE English exams, you can’t go around making up evidence in the real world. Soz.
2. Expert Opinions
Secondly, we have expert opinions. These are, you guessed it, opinions stated by experts. And…once again…you’re going to make them up!
Who are these so-called experts you might ask!
Well…I’m glad you asked.
Experts can be scientists, politicians, researchers, headteachers, doctors, prime ministers…basically anyone qualified to give an opinion on a certain topic.
Examples
Let’s look at some examples:
A scientist at the University of Oxford recently said: “We are danger of losing a huge proportion of land mass due to rising sea levels if we don’t act with urgency”.
A member of the Labour party recently announced: “We believe that young people should take more of an active role in politics”.
Again…completely made up…but they sound believable!
3. Anecdotes
And finally…last but by no means least…we have anecdote!
You might have heard of this one before…it’s a popular persuasive device.
Anecdotes are stories and examples that either happened to you or someone you know. The word might sound unfamiliar but I promise you…YOU DO THIS ALL THE TIME!
We are constantly telling people stories about things that happened to us or people we know. Did you hear about Shelia down the road? Oh gosh, I can’t believe it! And did you hear what Bob did? No, what happened? Oh you won’t believe it, but first, guess what happened to me this morning on my way to work!
It’s no wonder that word of mouth is one of the most effective forms of marketing. We all love to talk and you can’t quite seem to shut us up!
And once again…it’s okay to make these up!
Examples
Here are some examples:
“My cousin had the opportunity to get involved in youth parliament activities as a teenager. This helped him enormously in later life and he is now an MP. He believes that everyone should have the opportunity to vote and be an active citizen because it can enhance our lives in incredible ways.“
And…that’s a wrap! Let me know how you get on and comment below to tell me about your experiences. Get using that evidence and watch your grades soar! Also don’t forget to throw some devices in there too! Check out my free eBook on devices here!