What the exam asks
In Paper 1 (20 marks per analysis), persuasive passages often carry a guiding question such as:
- “How does the writer use rhetorical strategies to persuade the reader to take action?”
- “In what ways does the speaker construct an authoritative and convincing argument?”
Examiners reward three things:
- Criterion A (Understanding and interpretation): Pinpointing the exact audience, the writer’s overt purpose and subtle assumptions, and the situational context.
- Criterion B (Analysis and evaluation): Explaining how specific persuasive choices (appeals, devices, argument structure) position the reader, and evaluating (judging how well they work) for that target audience.
- Criteria C (Focus and organization) and D (Language): Grouping your essay by persuasive strategies or shifts in argument rather than listing devices (C), and using precise terminology in clear, accurate English (D).
Core ideas
1. The rhetorical situation and the appeals
Every persuasive text operates within a rhetorical situation: a writer or speaker addresses a specific audience with a clear purpose on a particular occasion within a wider cultural or historical context.
Within this situation, writers draw on the three classical appeals (ethos, pathos and logos), plus kairos, the classical idea of the right moment:
| Appeal | Plain meaning | How writers build it |
|---|---|---|
| Ethos (credibility) | Trust me: I am qualified, ethical and on your side. | Personal credentials, expert testimony, balanced tone, inclusive pronouns (“we”, “our”). |
| Pathos (emotion) | Care about this: feel urgency, pride, anger or empathy. | Emotive diction, vivid sensory imagery, personal anecdote (a short story from real life), direct address (“you”). |
| Logos (logic) | Think about this: the facts and reasoning prove it. | Statistics, verifiable facts, cause-and-effect chains, clear structure. |
| Kairos (timing) | Act right now: this moment is uniquely urgent. | References to a current crisis, time-limited offers (“Before midnight”), urgent adverbs (“now”, “today”). |
2. High-yield rhetorical devices
Never just label a device; always explain how its form shapes the audience’s thought process.
- Anaphora: Repeating a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses (“We cannot wait for policy. We cannot wait for consensus.”). Effect: Builds rhythmic momentum and makes the claim feel inescapable.
- Tricolon: A series of three parallel words, phrases or clauses. Effect: Creates a sense of completeness and memorable symmetry.
- Antithesis: Placing contrasting ideas in parallel grammatical structures (“We pay in pennies today, or we pay in lives tomorrow.”). Effect: Sharpens a complex issue into a stark moral binary.
- Rhetorical question: A question asked to make a point rather than get an answer. Effect: Forces the reader to supply the intended answer mentally, creating active agreement.
- Hyperbole: Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis. Effect: Heightens emotional stakes, though overuse can weaken ethos among sceptical readers.
- Call to action (CTA): The explicit instruction telling the audience what to do next (donate, vote, boycott), usually placed at the structural climax or ending.