New
New
Year 5

Understanding the purpose, layout and features of a persuasive letter

I can identify the purpose and features of a persuasive letter in preparation for writing based on ‘Front Desk’.

New
New
Year 5

Understanding the purpose, layout and features of a persuasive letter

I can identify the purpose and features of a persuasive letter in preparation for writing based on ‘Front Desk’.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. To persuade is to convince someone to do something through reasoning or argument.
  2. A persuasive letter is often highly formal in tone.
  3. Paragraphs are used to structure a persuasive letter.
  4. Flattery, presumption and veiled threat are examples of persuasive devices.
  5. A persuasive letter contains an address, return address, greeting and sign-off.

Common misconception

Pupils may be unaware of the layout features of a formal letter.

Ensure that pupils know that a persuasive letter starts with the date, a greeting, is organised by paragraphs and ends with a sign-off.

Keywords

  • Purpose - the aim of the text

  • Persuasion - the action or process of trying to change someone’s mind or behaviour

  • Recipient - the person who receives a letter

  • Linguistic feature - language features that help the text achieve its purpose

  • Persuasive technique - a structure or device used in writing to try to change someone’s mind or behaviour

Give pupils non-examples of persuasive letter layouts. Give them visual scaffolds that show the correct and incorrect ways to lay out persuasive letters so that they can explicitly see the difference.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
True or false? A letter is a written, typed or printed communication that is sent in an envelope by post or messenger.
Correct Answer: true, True
Q2.
What are the features of a text?
the title
the words used in a book
Correct answer: the parts or characteristics that make the text unique
Q3.
What does persuade mean?
Correct answer: to convince or to make someone agree with you
to give your opinion
to disagree with someone
Q4.
What is vocabulary?
the thoughts in our head
the pictures used to communicate
Correct answer: the words we know and use to communicate with others
Q5.
True or false? Informal writing can be identified by its serious, unemotional and impersonal tone.
Correct Answer: false, False
Q6.
The place where someone lives or where an organisation is situated is called ...
Correct answer: an address.
a map.
a direction.

6 Questions

Q1.
Persuasion is the action or process of trying to change someone’s ...
name.
address.
Correct answer: mind or behaviour.
Q2.
True or false? The purpose of a persuasive letter is to change someone’s mind or behaviour or convince them about something.
Correct Answer: true, True
Q3.
Which of these might be reasons to write a persuasive letter?
Correct answer: to explain something
Correct answer: to ask something
to agree with someone
Correct answer: to sell something
Q4.
True or false? Persuasive letters are mostly written using an informal tone.
Correct Answer: false, False
Q5.
Which of these is a persuasive technique in a persuasive letter?
figurative language
Correct answer: flattery
rhyming words
Q6.
Which of these is a definition for the technique 'veiled threat'?
Correct answer: a threat that isn’t directly stated but is implied
a threat that is promised to be carried out
a threat that is so unlikely it is clear that it will never happen