## **Learning Outcomes**

After working through this article, you will confidently identify and analyse rhetorical devices, persuasive methods, and diction choices in non-fiction texts (AO2). You will be able to explain how writers use rhetorical questions, repetition, tricolon, and antithesis to shape meaning, recognise appeals to logic, emotion, and authority, and connect word-level choices to tone, audience, and purpose. These skills are essential for strong performance on AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2, Question 3.

## **AQA GCSE English Language 8700 Syllabus**

For AQA GCSE English Language 8700, this article helps you:

- Explain, comment on, and analyse how writers use language to achieve effects and influence readers (AO2)
- Use relevant subject terminology to support your views when discussing rhetorical and persuasive techniques (AO2)
- Link language choices to the writer's viewpoint, purpose, and intended audience response (AO2)
- Select and interpret precise textual evidence to support analysis of non-fiction language (AO1/AO2)

## **Test Your Knowledge**

_Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, remember to look more closely at that area during your revision._

1. Name three rhetorical devices a non-fiction writer might use to persuade a reader.
2. True or false: An appeal to authority relies on the reader's emotions rather than expert evidence.
3. What is the difference between identifying a technique and analysing its effect?
4. A writer states: "We cannot ignore this. We must not ignore this. We will not ignore this." What rhetorical device is being used, and what effect might it have on the reader?

## **Introduction**

Non-fiction writers persuade, argue, and inform through deliberate language choices. In Paper 2, Question 3 (12 marks), you must analyse how a writer uses language to achieve effects. AO2 rewards you not just for spotting techniques but for explaining how and why the writer's choices shape the reader's response. This means every point you make should connect a method to its purpose and impact.

The three areas tested most often are rhetorical devices (structural patterns in language), persuasive methods (strategies for convincing the reader), and diction (individual word choices that create tone). Understanding how these work together is the key to a strong analytical response.

> **Key Term: rhetorical device**
> A deliberate pattern or technique in language designed to persuade, emphasise, or create a particular effect, such as a rhetorical question, repetition, or antithesis.
>
> **Key Term: persuasive method**
> A strategy a writer uses to convince the reader, including appeals to logic (facts and evidence), emotion (feelings and values), or authority (expert opinion and credibility).
>
> **Key Term: diction**
> A writer's choice of individual words, selected for their connotations, formality, and the tone they create.

## Rhetorical Devices in Non-Fiction (AO2)

Rhetorical devices are patterns in language that draw attention to key ideas and make arguments more memorable. The most common devices in non-fiction include:

- _Rhetorical question_ — a question asked for effect rather than a genuine answer, forcing the reader to reflect ("Can we really afford to do nothing?")
- _Repetition_ — repeating a word or phrase to emphasise urgency or importance ("This matters. This matters to every one of us.")
- _Tricolon_ — a list of three items or phrases that builds rhythm and impact ("faster, safer, fairer")
- _Antithesis_ — placing contrasting ideas side by side to highlight a difference ("It is not a question of cost but of conscience.")

When analysing these devices, always explain the effect. Naming a rhetorical question is not enough; you must explain how it involves the reader or challenges an opposing view.

### **Worked Example 1.1**

A campaigner writes: "Are we content to stand by while our green spaces vanish? Are we willing to explain to our children why we did nothing? Are we prepared to sacrifice the future for short-term profit?"

> **Answer:**
>
> The writer uses a sequence of three rhetorical questions, forming a tricolon that builds in emotional weight. Each question challenges the reader's inaction, moving from a general concern ('green spaces vanish') to personal responsibility ('explain to our children') to moral judgment ('sacrifice the future'). The repeated structure 'Are we...' creates a rhythm that makes the argument feel urgent and collective, positioning the reader as complicit unless they act. The combination of rhetorical questioning and tricolon intensifies the persuasive pressure.

### **Exam Warning**

> Do not simply name devices. The mark scheme for Paper 2 Question 3 rewards explanation of how and why the writer uses a technique. Feature spotting without effect analysis will not achieve above Level 2 (4-6 marks out of 12).

## Persuasive Methods and Appeals (AO2)

Writers persuade through three broad types of appeal, often used in combination:

- _Appeal to logic (logos)_ — using facts, statistics, and logical reasoning to convince through evidence ("Research shows that 73% of residents support the proposal.")
- _Appeal to emotion (pathos)_ — using emotive language, personal stories, or vivid imagery to stir feelings ("Imagine a child walking to school through clouds of exhaust fumes.")
- _Appeal to authority (ethos)_ — citing experts, personal experience, or credibility to build trust ("As a doctor with twenty years of experience, I have seen the consequences first-hand.")

Strong answers identify which type of appeal is being used and explain why it is effective for the specific audience and purpose.

### **Worked Example 1.2**

A newspaper columnist writes: "According to leading scientists, air pollution causes over 30,000 premature deaths each year in the UK alone. These are not distant numbers. These are our neighbours, our parents, our children breathing in poison every single day."

> **Answer:**
>
> The writer opens with an appeal to authority ('leading scientists') and logic (the statistic '30,000 premature deaths'), establishing credibility and factual weight. The shift to 'our neighbours, our parents, our children' moves to an emotional appeal, making the abstract statistic personal and immediate. The word 'poison' carries strong negative connotations, intensifying the sense of danger. By combining logos and pathos, the writer makes the argument both rational and emotionally compelling, leaving the reader feeling that inaction is both illogical and morally unacceptable.

## Diction and Tone (AO2)

Diction refers to the specific words a writer selects. Every word carries connotations — associations beyond its literal meaning — and these connotations shape the tone of the writing. Analysing diction means zooming in on individual words and explaining what they suggest.

For example, describing a building project as an 'investment' creates a positive, forward-looking tone, while calling the same project a 'gamble' implies risk and recklessness. The facts may be identical, but the diction steers the reader's response.

When writing about diction, use this pattern: identify the word, explain its connotation, and link it to the writer's purpose or the reader's response.

### **Worked Example 1.3**

Two writers describe the same housing development. Writer A calls it "a bold vision for modern living." Writer B calls it "a concrete scar on the landscape."

> **Answer:**
>
> Writer A's diction is aspirational: 'bold' suggests courage and confidence, while 'vision' implies planning and progress. The tone is optimistic and forward-looking, encouraging the reader to see the development positively. Writer B's diction is hostile: 'scar' connotes permanent damage and pain, while 'concrete' strips away any warmth, reducing the development to its raw material. The tone is critical and emotive, prompting the reader to view the project as harmful. The contrasting diction shows how word-level choices can shape entirely opposing viewpoints on the same subject.

### **Revision Tip**

> When revising, practise the 'identify–quote–explain' pattern: name the method, give a short quotation (one to five words), and write one sentence explaining the effect on the reader. This is the core structure for every AO2 paragraph.

## **Summary**

Rhetorical devices create patterns that make arguments memorable and forceful. Persuasive methods appeal to a reader's logic, emotions, or trust in authority. Diction shapes tone through individual word choices and their connotations. In Paper 2 Question 3, always move beyond naming techniques: select precise evidence, explain how the method works, and connect it to the writer's purpose and the reader's response.

## **Key Point Checklist**

_This article has covered the following key knowledge points:_

- Identify and analyse common rhetorical devices: rhetorical questions, repetition, tricolon, and antithesis
- Recognise and explain appeals to logic, emotion, and authority in non-fiction
- Analyse how diction and connotation shape tone and influence the reader
- Structure AO2 responses using the identify–quote–explain pattern
- Understand the Paper 2 Question 3 mark scheme requirement for effect analysis, not just feature spotting

## **Key Terms and Concepts**

- rhetorical device
- rhetorical question
- repetition
- tricolon
- antithesis
- persuasive method
- appeal to logic (logos)
- appeal to emotion (pathos)
- appeal to authority (ethos)
- diction
- connotation
- tone


Language analysis (non-fiction) - Rhetorical devices, persuasive methods, and diction