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Learning outcomes

  • distinguish influencing from arguing
  • identify audience and purpose
  • use persuasive appeals carefully
  • write short influence-oriented messages

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What is writing to influence?

  • Writing to influence aims to shape opinion, attitude, or action.
  • It often appears in:
    • speeches
    • campaigns
    • notices
    • advertisements
    • opinion pieces

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Influence vs argument

  • Argument focuses on proving a position logically.
  • Influence focuses on moving the reader toward a response or action.
In practice, both may overlap.

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Key persuasive tools

  • direct address: “You can make a difference.”
  • emotional appeal used carefully
  • benefit-focused wording
  • rhetorical question
  • repetition of key idea
  • call to action

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Audience matters

  • For students: practical and relatable examples
  • For teachers: academic benefit and discipline
  • For public audience: safety, community, convenience

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Example

  • “Reduce plastic use today. Small personal choices can protect local water sources and reduce waste. Carrying one reusable bottle may seem minor, but repeated action creates visible change.”

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Exam hints and traps

  • Overdramatic writing can weaken credibility.
  • Influence writing still needs logic; it is not pure emotion.
  • Audience mismatch reduces effectiveness.
  • A strong closing call to action improves persuasive effect.

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Quick practice

  1. Identify the audience: “Parents should encourage daily reading at home.”
  2. Write one slogan on reducing food waste.
  3. Add a call to action to: “Clean classrooms improve health.”
Answer key:
  1. Parents
  2. Example: “Save food, respect effort.”
  3. Example: “Start today by keeping your classroom clean after every session.”