Identifying features of a persuasive letter written to Sherlock Holmes
I can identify the structure and persuasive techniques in a letter written to Sherlock Holmes.
Identifying features of a persuasive letter written to Sherlock Holmes
I can identify the structure and persuasive techniques in a letter written to Sherlock Holmes.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- We can imagine Sherlock Holmes receiving lots of letters from potential clients asking him to help.
- We can imagine Holmes would only take on interesting cases, perhaps from people in desperate need.
- A letter to Holmes would have been formal in tone, given his position in society.
- A persuasive letter contains elements of both persuasion and explanation.
- The explanation must be coherent and a range of persuasive devices can be used.
Common misconception
Pupils may confuse rhetorical questions and standard questions.
Most questions demand an answer; in a rhetorical question, the question itself contains the implied, expected answer.
Keywords
Persuasive writing - writing where we are trying to convince someone to do something or to change their mind or behaviour
Explanation - the detailed steps that led to something happening
Persuasive techniques - language structures or devices used in writing to try to change someone’s mind or behaviour
Formal tone - the effect created by using serious, factual language
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
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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