Verbs in persuasive language
In this lesson, students will analyse persuasive language in a charity appeal, and then write their own charity appeal. There is a particular focus on the way modal auxiliary verbs can be used to persuade.
Goals
- Identify modal auxiliary verbs.
- Analyse persuasive language.
- Practise writing persuasively.
Lesson Plan
Activity 1
The extract on the Activity 1 slide, in the right hand menu, is from a charity broadcast on Radio 4. It is designed to appeal to its listeners and to persuade them to donate money to support the charity’s aims. Part of this persuasion is achieved by the use of modal auxiliary verbs. Students should identify the modal verbs in the extract by clicking on them, then check their score at the end.
Activity 2
Consider the following questions about the extract in Activity 1:
- What do these modal verbs do in this text?
- How do they help create different meanings?
- How might these meanings be useful to the overall purpose of the appeal?
- What other persuasive devices can you identify in the text?
Activity 3
Now students should write their own charity appeal, using the source material on the Activity 3 slide, in the right hand menu. This is a statement from a charity about their aims and methods. In writing their appeal, encourage students to make use of a range of persuasive devices, including modal verbs.
If students want to see a list of modal verbs to refresh their memory, go to the slide after the source material.
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Verbs in persuasive language: Activity 1
Activity 1
Identify the modal verbs in this extract by clicking on them, then check your score at the end.
Answers
Verbs in persuasive language: Activity 3
Activity 3
Write your own charity appeal, using the source material below. It is a statement from a charity about their aims and methods. Make use of a range of persuasive devices, including modal verbs.
The "Live Not Exist" charity has been set up with the following key aims:
- to help raise the standard of care for people with serious illnesses
- to help improve the quality of life for those people and their families
- to put pressure on the government to properly fund support services for these people
Factual material:
Live Not Exist funds over 2,000 support workers to help seriously ill people with basic tasks such as eating, getting out of bed, toileting and washing/bathing.
The support also involves bringing in books, magazines, audio books and music for the patients, making sure that they can enjoy themselves and keep occupied and stimulated.
These support workers also assist families with:
- organising visits
- organising group social activities to make sure that patients can share experiences with other people in a similar situation
- helping young children deal with the consequences and impacts of serious illnesses on families
Live Not Exist needs:
- funding to help pay for these support workers
- funding to help us produce educational and informational literature
- volunteers to train as support workers
List of modal verbs