Lesson 1 – Identifying Persuasive Text Features
How Persuasive Texts Work
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How Persuasive Texts Work
This lesson focuses on analysing persuasive texts, not writing a full piece yet. Keep examples concrete and familiar for Year 5 EAL learners, such as school rules, healthy food, or homework.
Today’s learning goal
I can identify the purpose and audience of a persuasive text and explain at least three persuasive language features.
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What words come to mind when you hear persuasive text?
Use this to surface prior knowledge such as opinion, convince, reasons, advert, poster, change minds, and strong words. Accept home-language links if helpful, then connect student ideas to the lesson goal.
What is a persuasive text?
A persuasive text tries to change a reader’s mind
It shares an opinion about something
It gives reasons to support that opinion
It uses language to make the reader agree
Emphasise that persuasion is different from simply giving information. A persuasive text wants the reader to think, feel, or do something.
Purpose: why was it written?
The purpose of a persuasive text is to convince someone.
A writer may want the reader to:
agree with an idea
choose one thing over another
take action
change a behaviour
You can model simple examples such as 'Our school should have a longer lunch break' or 'Children should wear helmets when riding bikes.'
Audience: who is it for?
The audience is the person or group reading the text
Writers choose words to suit their audience
A text for children sounds different from a text for adults
Support EAL learners with the sentence frame: 'The audience is _ because the writer says _.''
Finding purpose and audience
Look for clues in the text:
the topic
the writer’s opinion
who the writer speaks to
words such as we, you, or students
the action the writer wants
This slide prepares students to analyse a model text. Encourage them to use evidence from the text, not guesses only.
How persuasive texts are structured
Introduction: states the opinion
Body: gives reasons and examples
Conclusion: repeats the opinion and ends strongly
Keep structure simple in this lesson. Students only need to recognise the parts now; they will use them in planning and writing later.
What is the main purpose of a persuasive text?
To tell a story
To convince the reader
To explain a process
To describe a place
Checks the core idea from slides 2 to 3. Distractors are other common text purposes students may confuse with persuasion.
Purpose, audience and structure
A persuasive text tries to change a reader’s about something. Its is to convince someone. The is the person or group reading it. It often has an introduction, body and .
Correct answers in order: mind, purpose, audience, conclusion. This summarises slides 2 to 6 using the lesson wording.
How can you spot the audience in a persuasive text?
Expected elements: students should name clues such as the writer's opinion, who the writer speaks to, words like you/we/students, and the action the writer wants. Encourage them to justify with evidence from the text.
Opinion words and strong statements
Writers often show their opinion clearly.
Examples:
I believe
In my opinion
Everyone should
It is important that
Explain that these phrases help readers notice the writer’s position quickly. You may contrast them with neutral factual language.
Persuasive words
Writers choose words with a strong feeling
These words can sound positive or negative
Examples: safe, unfair, excellent, harmful
For EAL support, briefly clarify meanings with visuals or simple synonyms. Focus on how word choice affects the reader.
Reasons and evidence
A strong persuasive text does more than share an opinion.
It also gives:
reasons that explain the opinion
evidence such as facts, examples, or details
Students at this level may confuse reasons and evidence. A reason tells why; evidence helps prove it.
Direct language to the reader
Persuasive texts often speak straight to the reader.
Examples:
you should
we need to
let us
This makes the message feel personal.
Highlight pronouns such as 'you' and 'we'. These are useful, easy-to-spot language features for B1 learners.
Linking words
Linking words join ideas clearly
They help the argument make sense
Examples: because, also, firstly, finally
Mention that linking words are also called cohesive devices in the curriculum, but keep the classroom language simple.
Looking at a persuasive text
When we analyse a persuasive text, we look for:
the writer’s opinion
the purpose
the audience
the structure
language features that influence the reader
This slide brings the lesson together before students annotate a model text. Encourage them to name features and explain their effect.
Which phrase is an opinion statement?
The bell rings at 3 pm
Everyone should recycle
Our class has 25 pupils
The library opens daily
Tests recognition of opinion language from slide 7. The other options are factual statements.
Persuasive language features
Persuasive writers use strong to influence the reader. They give and evidence to support an opinion. They may speak straight to and use linking words such as because and .
Correct answers in order: words, reasons, you, also. This pulls together slides 7 to 12.
Why do strong words help persuade a reader?
Expected elements: students may explain that words such as safe, unfair, excellent, or harmful create feelings and can make the reader agree more easily. Prompt for an example if needed.
What is one thing you learned today?
Reflection only. Invite brief responses about purpose, audience, structure, or persuasive language features.
What helped you understand best?
Reflection only. Students may mention examples, sentence frames, spotting clue words, or discussing with a partner.
Glossary
persuasive text - a text that tries to make a reader agree or act
purpose - the reason a text was written
audience - the person or group the text is written for
opinion - what someone thinks or believes
reason - an idea that supports an opinion
evidence - facts, examples, or details that support a reason
structure - the way a text is organised
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Glossary
language feature - a word or phrase used for a special effect
persuasive words - strong words chosen to influence the reader
linking words - words that join ideas together
introduction - the opening part of a text
body - the main part with reasons and details
conclusion - the ending part that closes the argument
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