Persuasive communication: using emphasis structures effectively
1
Think about these questions before reading. Share your ideas with a partner.
- Think about a time you had to persuade someone of something important, either at work or in your personal life. What was the situation, and what approach did you take to make your argument convincing?
- Describe a public speaker or presenter you found particularly compelling. What was it about their communication style—their choice of words, tone of voice, or body language—that made them so effective?
- When you're listening to an argument, what makes certain points or phrases 'stick' in your mind more than others? How do speakers emphasize their key messages to make them more memorable?
2
Winning Over the Team
Listen to the dialogue. Notice how the vocabulary and grammar from the lesson are used.
3
Answer these questions in your own words. Support your answers with evidence from the article.
01What are the core communication skills the article identifies as central to the lesson?
Sample answerThe main skills are persuasion, general communication, and public speaking. The lesson uses a real audio to help students develop these areas.
02According to the article, what is the primary function of using emphasis structures in communication?
Sample answerTheir main purpose is to make your speech more impactful and persuasive by highlighting a specific part of a sentence.
03In what way does the key vocabulary mentioned in the article support the overall theme of persuasion?
Sample answerThe words, like 'confidence', 'compelling', and 'convinced', are all directly related to the act of persuading someone. To be persuasive, you need to show confidence and make a compelling argument so that the other person is convinced.
04How does the lesson plan described in the article connect theoretical knowledge with practical, real-world application?
Sample answerIt does this by first teaching grammar and vocabulary, then providing practical phrases for presenting an argument, and finally having students use all of these elements together in a role-play that simulates a real-life scenario.
4
Expressions for persuasive communication
Vocabulary
These expressions will help you discuss communication and influence more effectively.
Examples
Win someone over — to persuade someone to finally agree with you or support you, especially when they were initially opposed.
Usage note: This is often used when you've had to make an effort. You can win over an individual, a crowd, or a committee.
Get your point across — to succeed in making other people understand your idea or opinion.
Usage note: Often used with adverbs like 'clearly' or 'effectively'. If you can't get your point across, it suggests a communication failure.
Sway opinion — to influence someone to change their belief or decision.
Usage note: This is slightly more formal than 'change someone's mind'. It's common in contexts like politics, marketing, or formal debates.
Drive a point home — to state something in a very forceful and effective way so that everyone understands its importance.
Usage note: This phrase implies using emphasis, repetition, or a powerful example to make an idea unforgettable. It's about making a strong impact.
Hold the floor — to be the main person speaking in a discussion or presentation, often for a significant amount of time.
Usage note: This can be used positively (e.g., 'She held the floor with her fascinating stories') or negatively if someone is dominating the conversation.
5
Persuasive language collocations
Strong collocations make your arguments more powerful. Can you match these phrase beginnings to their correct endings?
Match each item on the left with the correct item on the right.
Drag or click to match
Definitions
6
Grammar: Cleft sentences for emphasis
Grammar
Cleft sentences split a single clause into two parts to emphasize a specific piece of information. This is a powerful tool in persuasive speaking, as it helps you direct your audience's attention to your most important ideas.
Examples
It's a compelling argument that truly changes people's minds.
Use 'It is/was...' to emphasize the subject or object. Here, we stress the importance of the argument itself.
What we often overlook is the power of non-verbal communication.
Use a 'what-clause' to focus on the action or an entire concept. This is very common in presentations.
The reason I'm proposing this change is to improve our team's efficiency.
You can also use 'The person who...', 'The place where...', or 'The reason why...' for more specific emphasis.
Key points
- Use cleft sentences to make one part of your message stand out.
- Common structures start with 'It is...', 'What...', or 'The reason/thing/person...'
- Save them for key moments; overuse can make your speech sound unnatural.
7
Spot the error
Read the sentences below. Each one has a single mistake related to grammar or vocabulary from the lesson.
Find the error in each sentence and write the corrected version.
01To be a successful speaker, you need to have a lot of confident in your message.
Corrected version
To be a successful speaker, you need to have a lot of confident confidence in your message.
02What I find most challenging about presenting are the questions at the end.
Corrected version
What I find most challenging about presenting are is the questions at the end.
03It took a while, but he finally won the committee up with his compelling data.
Corrected version
It took a while, but he finally won the committee up over with his compelling data.
04Not only she gave a great speech, but she also handled the difficult questions brilliantly.
Corrected version
Not only did she gave give a great speech, but she also handled the difficult questions brilliantly.
05By the time the debate ended, she has swayed the opinion of most of the audience.
Corrected version
By the time the debate ended, she has had swayed the opinion of most of the audience.
06He's very good at getting his point around, even when discussing complex topics.
Corrected version
He's very good at getting his point around, across, even when discussing complex topics.
07The CEO's argument was so convince that the board approved the proposal immediately.
Corrected version
The CEO's argument was so convince convincing that the board approved the proposal immediately.
8
Mastering persuasive speaking
Read the passage about public speaking and persuasion.
Fill in each blank with the correct phrase from the word bank.
Word bank
In any debate or presentation, your primary goal is to effectively . This isn't always easy, especially when the audience is skeptical. To truly , you need more than just facts; you need a compelling narrative. Sometimes, you might need to repeat a crucial piece of information in different ways to really . If you're particularly passionate, you might find yourself starting to without realizing it, so it's important to allow for questions. Ultimately, the ability to is a powerful skill in both professional and personal life.
9
Discuss these questions with a partner. Try to use vocabulary from the lesson.
- Some people believe that using strong emotional appeals is the best way to win someone over, while others think logical arguments are more effective. Which approach do you think is generally more powerful in swaying opinion, and why?
- In your culture, what are the most respected ways to get your point across in a formal setting, like a business meeting or a public debate? Are there certain persuasive techniques that are considered aggressive or inappropriate?
- How important are persuasive skills in everyday digital communication, like emails or social media posts? How do people try to drive a point home when they can't use tone of voice or body language?