Persuasive Text: Definition, Structure, Characteristics, Types, Rules & Steps

Understanding Persuasive Text

Persuasive text is a text variant that contains an invitation or persuasion to encourage someone to follow the hopes and desires conveyed in the text through opinions that are strengthened by arguments (as in exposition text).

Yes, this text uses opinions accompanied by solid reasons. The Ministry of Education and Culture Team (2017, p. 184) expressed that persuasive texts express opinions accompanied by logical reasons, just like argumentative texts.

Meanwhile, still in line with the opinion above, Waluyo (2018, p. 193) argues that persuasion text is a variety of texts containing opinions on an actual problem accompanied by arguments and data to support opinions to direct readers to follow what is conveyed. In the text.

The definition of persuasion text above is also reinforced by the opinion of Mulyadi et al. (2016, p. 23), which says that a persuasive text is a text that contains persuasion to invite someone to follow the hopes and desires of the author.

Persuasive Text Structure

The structure of a persuasive text is the various elements or parts that build a persuasive text. The Ministry of Education and Culture Team (2017, p. 186) explained that the structure of a persuasive text consists of:

1. Issue introduction, namely the general introduction or delivery of the problem that is the basis of the text.
2. Series of arguments, namely several opinions or arguments related to issues that have been introduced previously. This section is also usually reinforced by disclosing facts to support the opinions or arguments presented.
3. Invitations are the essence of the text that encourages the reader or listener to do something either implicitly or explicitly.
4. Reaffirmation, namely reaffirming the essence of the statements, facts, and invitations that have been previously presented through conclusions and summaries to ensure that the persuasion has been conveyed and can be remembered and then influence the reader or listener to actually follow it.

Meanwhile, with a similar but quite different opinion, Mulyadi (2016, p. 223), more concisely and concisely, argues that the structure of persuasion text consists of:

1.      Issue introduction

Submission of the basis of the problem of writing or speaking.

2.      Series of arguments

It contains several opinions or arguments regarding the issues raised and reinforced by the facts section to support them.

3.      Invitation statement

It is a part that contains encouragement to the reader or listener to follow the opinion of the text.

4.      Reaffirmation

Reassure the reader against the statements of opinion and invitations that have been submitted previously

Persuasive Text Type

Based on the genre or type of text that uses persuasion, persuasive text can be divided into as simple as:

1. propaganda persuasion, which tries to lead readers/listeners to certain opinions.
2. Political persuasion, trying to invite readers/listeners to vote for a party or candidate for the leader in political campaign activities.
3. Advertising persuasion is a text that tries to persuade the reader/audience to buy the goods or services offered.
4. Educational persuasion is persuasive texts that try to make the readers follow or want to learn and behave following the education given.

Meanwhile, if it is differentiated based on the technique or method of persuasion, Keraf (12011, p. 124) suggests that the methods used in persuasion include the following points.

1. rationalization persuasion, namely proof of truth in a rather weak form, and based on a justification basis for a matter only, where the basis or reason is not the direct cause of the problem;
2. Identification persuasion, persuasion that tries to attend a conflict situation so that the writer or speaker analyzes the audience/reader and the whole situation they face carefully to make persuasive ideas.
3. Suggestion persuasion means persuading or influencing others to accept a certain belief or position without giving a logical basis for belief in the person who wants to be influenced.
4. Conformity persuasion, namely, is carried out through mental mechanisms to adjust or conform to something he wants.
5. Compensation persuasion is an action or a result of an effort to find a substitute for something unacceptable or an attitude or situation that cannot be noticed. The reader or listener feels "satisfied" by the compensation given.
6. Replacement persuasion (displacement) replaces an intention or thing experiencing obstacles with an intention or other thing that can replace it.
7. Projection persuasion is a technique to turn something that was previously a subject into an object so that the sense of ownership of the listener or reader becomes stronger. For example: "This box of conscience is ours together".

Characteristics of Persuasive Text

Based on various explanations of the meaning and structure, it can be concluded that the characteristics of persuasive texts are as follows.

1. It contains an invitation or encouragement to do something discussed in the text.
2. There are arguments or opinions of the author so that listeners or readers can consider the invitation.
3. It contains facts that try to prove one of the truths outlined by the author's reasoning.
4. The target of the text's thought process is oriented to the reader, not to the author himself as in argumentative texts.
5. The main idea is usually to avoid conflict or try to be as neutral as possible so that the reader's trust is not lost because the text is too specific.

Persuasive Text Language Rules

The Ministry and Culture Team of the Republic of Indonesia (2017, p. 188) revealed that persuasion texts' language features or linguistic rules are as follows.

1. Using technical words or terminology related to the topic being discussed. For example, if the text deals with adolescent problems, persuasion will use the internet, drugs, and reproduction.
2. Using argumentative conjunctions such as: because, because, if, thus, consequently, therefore.
3. To make it seem as if the writer is on the same side as the reader and "agree" to more persuade him, the text usually uses our pronouns, such as sentences: we must fight against this problem.
4. Using mental verbs, such as: concerning, predicting, admiring, expected, guessing, assuming, assuming, and concluding.
5. Using reference words in presenting facts, such as: based on that, referring to opinions.
6. Use imperative verbs such as important, should, should, should.

As a comparison, the following is the opinion of Mulyadi (2016, p. 224), which explains the linguistic rules as follows.

1. The words characterize persuasive statements must, should, should, should, and imperative verbs.
2. There is the pronoun "we", which aims to make the writer seem to represent the speaker's wishes.
3. The use of technical words or terms related to the topic discussed.
4. There is an argumentative use of conjunctions. For example, if, then, cause, because, thus, consequently, therefore.
5. As expected, use mental verbs concerning, admiring, opinionating, and summing up.
6. To convince and strengthen the persuasion that has been discussed previously, the author uses reference words. For example, based on…, referring to the opinion…

Steps to Compose a Persuasive Text

The steps of compiling or writing a persuasive text are the stages of expressing one's thoughts and thoughts, which are poured into a text or general idea. The Ministry of Education and Culture team revealed that the steps for writing a persuasive text consisted of the following points.

1. Determine the theme that contains the main thrust or persuasion.
2. Compile details that contain an introduction to the issue and a series of opinions or arguments.
3. Collecting material for strengthening opinions or arguments in the form of data and facts.
4. Develop the text by paying attention to the structure and rules of the language.

Meanwhile, Suparno and Yunus (2008, p.150) argue that there are several steps to compiling a persuasive text, namely:

1. Determine the theme or topic of the text.
2. Determine the goals that underlie a problem to be presented.
3. Collecting data that supports the overall idea of ​​the text can be obtained from empirical experience or observations (observations) ourselves as well.
4. Creating a text outline, the text outline is arranged based on the structure and the main sentences.
5. Develop an outline into a perfect text.
6. Create a title.

Interestingly, the title is determined at the end of the stage. This is indeed one of the techniques often used by professional writers such as journalists. Why? Because the title really determines the main interest of a text.

This is the same as how social media influencers make their titles as agitative as possible (clickbait). But journalists and writers who uphold their code of ethics do not take advantage of such deception and only try to make the title as attractive as possible.

Read also : Examples of Persuasive Texts and Their Structures (Various Topics)