AQA · English Language · 8700
GCSE English Language: Literary devices — persuasion (DAFOREST)
Direct address, alliteration, facts, opinions, rhetorical questions, emotive language, statistics, triples — and the rhetoric beyond the mnemonic: anaphora, antithesis, counter-argument, register. For analysing non-fiction in Paper 2 Question 3 and writing it in Question 5.
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Which mnemonic lists direct address, alliteration, facts, opinions, rhetorical questions, emotive language, statistics and triples?
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DAFOREST.
What is direct address?
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Speaking straight to the reader as 'you', making the message personal and hard to ignore.
What effect do inclusive pronouns such as 'we' and 'our' have?
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They put writer and reader in one group with a shared problem and a shared responsibility.
Why is alliteration common in headlines and slogans?
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The repeated sound makes the phrase punchy and memorable.
How do a fact and an opinion differ?
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A fact can be checked and shown to be true; an opinion is a belief or judgement.
How do persuasive writers make opinions sound like facts?
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By stating them confidently, without hedging, as if they were established truths.
'How much longer must we wait?' is an example of which device?
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A rhetorical question: asked for effect, expecting no answer.
Why do rhetorical questions persuade?
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The reader supplies the answer themselves, so they feel they reached the writer's conclusion on their own.
'Innocent children slaughtered' uses which persuasive device?
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Emotive language: words chosen to provoke a strong feeling.
'Nine out of ten dentists recommend it' — which device?
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A statistic, making the claim look objective and proven.
What should a careful reader ask about a statistic?
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Where it came from and what it leaves out.
What is the rule of three?
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Grouping three words or ideas for rhythm and a sense of completeness: 'education, education, education'.
What is anaphora?
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Repeating the same word or phrase at the start of successive sentences or clauses.
'We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds…' — which device?
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Anaphora: the repeated opening 'we shall fight'.
What is an anecdote?
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A short personal story that turns an abstract issue into a human one the reader can picture.
What is the risk of overusing hyperbole in persuasive writing?
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It undermines the reader's trust in the writer.
What is an imperative?
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A command verb that tells the reader to act: 'Act now.'
What do modal verbs such as 'must' and 'should' add to an argument?
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A level of obligation or certainty that presses the reader to agree or act.
What is antithesis?
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Setting opposite ideas against each other in a balanced phrase.
Why include a counter-argument in persuasive writing?
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Knocking down the opposing view makes the writer seem fair, informed and more trustworthy.
Why cite an expert or a study in a persuasive piece?
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To borrow their credibility for the writer's own claim.
What is register?
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The level of formality of the language, chosen to suit audience, purpose and form.
A writer's attitude to the subject — angry, playful, urgent — is called the ?.
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tone
What is a persona in writing?
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The voice or character a writer adopts for a piece, which need not be their own.
What effect do superlatives like 'the greatest' or 'the worst' have?
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They present something as extreme, leaving no room for a milder view.
What is a discourse marker?
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A signpost word or phrase such as 'however' or 'in conclusion' that shows how the argument moves.
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