icon-background-square
New
New
Year 3

The features of a persuasive letter

I can identify the layout and linguistic features of a persuasive letter.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 3

The features of a persuasive letter

I can identify the layout and linguistic features of a persuasive letter.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The purpose of a persuasive letter is to try to convince someone to do something or to change their mind or behaviour.
  2. Letters written from a character's point of view are written in the first person.
  3. A persuasive letter has a specific layout: a salutation, two paragraphs and a sign-off.
  4. Persuasive letters have distinctive linguistic features in order to achieve their purpose.
  5. A range of persuasive techniques can be used to increase the pressure on the reader to act.

Keywords

  • Purpose - the aim of the text

  • Persuasive writing - trying to convince someone to do something or to change their mind or behaviour

  • Layout - the way a text is structured

  • Persuasive techniques - language structures or devices used in writing to try to change someone’s mind or behaviour

Common misconception

Pupils may find it challenging to identify opinions and reasons in a persuasive letter.

Look for sentences where the writer expresses their emotions and a reason for why they are feeling that way.


To help you plan your year 3 english lesson on: The features of a persuasive letter, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Provide each child with a copy of the model persuasive letter so that they can annotate features. You may wish to provide children with a range of persuasive letter examples to analyse.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2016 Harper Collins edition of ‘The Day the Crayons Quit', written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers for this lesson.

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
What does writing in the 'first person' mean?
writing about things that are going to happen
writing from the perspective of the person involved
Correct answer: writing about yourself and calling yourself by your name
Q2.
What is a letter?
a fictional tale involving magical creatures
a private book where someone records their experiences and feelings
Correct answer: a piece of writing that someone sends to someone else
Q3.
What are features of something?
the words used in a book
Correct answer: the parts or characteristics that make something unique
the images in an text
Q4.
What does persuade mean?
to give your opinion
to give a different idea to your partner
Correct answer: to convince or to make someone agree with you
Q5.
Which of the following would be a suitable way to start writing a letter?
Bye!
How are you?
Correct answer: Dear Lucas,
See you soon.
Q6.
Which of these words might a writer use when writing in the first person?
you
Correct answer: I
they
Correct answer: my

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the vocabulary to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:purpose,the aim of the text
tick

the aim of the text

Correct Answer:features,distinctive qualities or characteristics of something
tick

distinctive qualities or characteristics of something

Correct Answer:layout,the way a text is structured
tick

the way a text is structured

Correct Answer:letter,a piece of writing that someone sends to someone else
tick

a piece of writing that someone sends to someone else

Q2.
Which of the following are common linguistic features used in persuasive letters?
Correct answer: exaggeration
speech sentences
Correct answer: command
figurative language
Correct answer: rhetorical question
Q3.
Put the following in the order they appear in a persuasive letter.
1 - salutation
2 - first paragraph
3 - second paragraph
4 - sign-off
Q4.
Which sentence is an example of a command?
It seems like you have forgotten about me.
Correct answer: Listen to me!
Can you try to use me tomorrow?
If this continues, I will have to leave.
Q5.
Which reason could follow this opinion? 'I feel left out...'
Correct answer: because you use every colour except me.
because I am used every day!
because I am yellow.
Q6.
Which is an example of exaggeration?
I am quite frustrated.
I am so frustrated.
Correct answer: I am the MOST frustrated I have EVER been.
I was really frustrated.

Additional material

Download additional material