New
New
Year 5

Identifying the features of a persuasive letter

I can identify the features of a persuasive letter.

New
New
Year 5

Identifying the features of a persuasive letter

I can identify the features of a persuasive letter.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The purpose of a persuasive letter is to change someone’s mind or behaviour or convince them about something.
  2. A persuasive letter is often formal in tone.
  3. Flattery, presumption and veiled threat are examples of persuasive devices.

Keywords

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

  • Purpose - the reason for something and the desired impact

  • Linguistic technique - language device used to have a desired impact on the reader

Common misconception

Pupils may not know the difference between the different types of fronted adverbial.

Teach pupils that an ‘and’ formal fronted adverbial builds on a point, a ‘but’ formal fronted adverbial introduces a contrasting idea to the previous sentence and a fronted adverbial of cause tells the reader the cause and effect of something.

You may wish to print off an A3 version of the persuasive letter so that pupils can work in groups to highlight or underline each feature.
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).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
True or false? A letter is a written, typed, or printed communication, sent in an envelope by post or messenger.
Correct Answer: true, True
Q2.
What are the features of something?
the title
the words used in a book
Correct answer: the parts or characteristics that make something 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 linguistic feature of 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

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