Prof. Wozencraft ENG227

1. Consider your audience’s
four broader goals:
• security
• recognition
• professional growth
• connectedness
Chapter 8. Communicating Persuasively © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 1

2. Work within eight constraints:
• ethical
• legal
• political
• informational
• personnel
• financial
• time
• format and tone
Chapter 8. Communicating Persuasively © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 2

3. Follow six steps to
craft a persuasive argument:
• Identify the elements of a persuasive
argument.
• Use the right kinds of evidence.
• Consider opposing viewpoints.
• Appeal to emotions responsibly.
• Decide where to present the claim.
• Understand the role of culture in persuasion.
Chapter 8. Communicating Persuasively © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 3

4. Understand the three elements
of a persuasive argument:
• The claim—the idea you are communicating.
• The evidence—the facts and judgments that
support your claim.
• The reasoning—the logic that you use to
derive the claim from the evidence.
Chapter 8. Communicating Persuasively © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 4

5. Use the right kinds of evidence:
• “commonsense” arguments
• numerical data
• examples
• expert testimony
Chapter 8. Communicating Persuasively © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 5

6. Consider three ways of meeting possible
objections to your argument:
• Show that the opposing argument is based on
illogical reasoning or on inaccurate or
incomplete facts.
• Show that the opposing argument is valid but
less powerful than your own.
• Show how the two arguments can be
reconciled.
Chapter 8. Communicating Persuasively © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 6

7. Understand the role of culture in persuasion:
• Know what each culture regards as a
persuasive argument.
• Know how each culture structures a
persuasive argument.
Chapter 8. Communicating Persuasively © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 7

8. Avoid ten common logical fallacies:
• ad hominem argument, or argument against
the speaker
• argument from ignorance
• appeal to pity
• argument from authority
• circular argument, or begging the question
Chapter 8. Communicating Persuasively © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 8

9. Avoid ten common logical fallacies (cont.):
• either-or argument
• ad populum argument, or bandwagon
argument
• hasty generalization, or inadequate sampling
• post hoc reasoning
• oversimplifying
Chapter 8. Communicating Persuasively © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 9

10. Demonstrate four characteristics
when creating a professional persona:
• cooperativeness
• moderation
• fair-mindedness
• modesty
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11. An example of using words and images
to create a persuasive argument
Caption: “A young boy works 12-hour days packing mud bricks in Liberia.”
Source: U.S. Department of State, 2009 <www.state.gov/documents/organization/123360.pdf>.
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12. An example of using an image
to convey technical evidence
Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 2008 <www.iihs.org/ratings/rating.aspx?id5867>.
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