Term 1 – Workbook
31.01.2025
Persuasive texts are a form of non-fiction writing that aim to convince the
reader of the authors point-of-view or to take a specific action. The author
does this by using things like emotive language, rhetorical questions,
appeals to logic (logos), appeals to emotion (pathos), and addressing
potential counterarguments. Examples of persuasive texts include
advertisements, editorials, political speeches, sales pitches, opinion
pieces, letters to the editor, and charity appeals
Advertising – TV, radio, in print, online, social media – influence the
public to buy your product
Op-ed pieces – newspapers, magazines, and online publications –
convince a reader to see something from a specific point-of-view or
take a specific action
Editorial – newspapers, magazines, and online publications –
convince readers to view things a certain way or take certain action
Speeches – political events, conferences, company meetings,
historical archives, online databases, courts – convince audience of
a point-of-view or to act from speech
Essays and articles – newspapers, magazines, online news sites,
academic journals, reviews, brochures, advertising campaigns,
political speeches, social media posts – convince the reader of a
specific view or to act a certain way
Debates – news programs, political forums, online discussion boards,
opinion pieces in newspapers and magazines, academic
conferences, debate clubs, social media – convince an audience or
opponent to adopt a viewpoint or to take a specific action
Discussions – news articles, opinion pieces, political debates,
advertising, social media, courtrooms, sales pitches, everyday
conversation – convince someone to adopt a viewpoint, opinion, or
course of action through day-to-day conversation.
05.02.2025
Example of Logos – using facts and statistics, showing cause and effect,
visualising the data with the image of the boy.
Example of Ethos – establishes expertise, using credible sources,
maintaining professionalism.
Example of Pathos – uses vivid imagery, appeals to shared values, uses
figurative language/images, personification/humanisation, emotional tone
12.02.25
1. Find an article based on the topic you wrote your practice essay on
2. List the facts you found in the article
3. List the opinions and classify them as expert or personal with your
justification
4. Is there a bias in your article? Explain.
5. Is the article useful or reliable to use in your essay? Explain.
1. “What Students Are Saying About Banning Books From School
Libraries” [[Link]
[Link]]
2. Book bans in school libraries are increasing, some school proposed
using content warning or parent permission systems, a growing
number of books about race, gender, and sexuality have been
banned or challenged, some books that have been banned include
‘Maus’ and ‘The hate u give’
3. Personal opinions include :
School libraries should have more diverse books to
challenge thinking
Banning books harms students understanding of
sensitive topics
Banning books is ineffective as students can access
them online
Parents should discuss concerns with schools, not
demand bans
Families should accept diverse ideas in schools
Flagging books for sensitive content is better than
banning them
Expert opinions include:
Books on sensitive topics are valuable for students and
should not be banned
Presenting honest perspectives on history is crucial, and
balance shouldn’t include misinformation
Banning books limits students thinking and exposure to
diverse ideas
Exposure to different ideologies helps intellectual and
emotional growth
Banning books restricts creativity and students’
potential
Hiding real-world history limits students’ awareness of
issues like racism
Book bans about race, gender, and sexuality are driven
by discriminatory agendas.
4. The article is very biased towards not banning books. Many
individuals expressed their belief that banning books limits students
understanding of sensitive topics, prevents intellectual growth, and
is a form of discrimination. It strongly advocates for unrestricted
access to books regardless of what they address. While the article
includes a large variety of statements and opinions, both personal
and expert, the book leans very heavily towards the against for
banning books.
5. This article is useful for discussing the impacts of books bans,
however the reliability is limited due to a focus on personal opinions
and a very small number of expert ones. You would have to use a
more factual or analytical source with this one to get best results.
