--- title: Persuasive letters, newspaper articles and diaries — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Persuasive letters, newspaper articles and diaries», a lesson of the english course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: A persuasive text tries to change your mind. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [English](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/) / Persuasive letters, newspaper articles… # Persuasive letters, newspaper articles and diaries Lesson 24 of the english course of Mova's primary school: 26 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/0/) — A persuasive text tries to change your mind. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/1/) — «Dear Head Teacher, I am writing to ask for a longer lunch break. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/2/) — Firstly, children need time to eat. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/3/) — Secondly, exercise helps learning. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/4/) — Surely you agree?» It gives reasons in order (firstly, secondly) and ends with a question that doesn't need an answer, a rhetorical question, which makes the reader feel they should agree. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/5/) — A leaflet says «Visit Sunnybay! - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/7/) — «Everyone knows homework is pointless» sounds like a fact, but it is an opinion dressed up as one. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/8/) — Words like everyone, obviously and surely are clues. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/9/) — A newspaper article has a headline in big or capital letters to grab you and sum up the story: «LOCAL GIRL SAVES DUCKS». - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/10/) — The first paragraph tells who, what, when and where: «Nine-year-old Ella Brown rescued six ducklings from a drain on Monday.» Quotes like «"It was terrifying," said Mrs Patel» give real people's words and make the report feel true. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/11/) — Look for a photo, a caption under it and columns too. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/12/) — A diary is personal and chatty: «Dear Diary, today was the WORST. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/13/) — I forgot my PE kit and Mr Hall made me wear spare shorts that were massive.» It uses «I», feelings, and contractions like «I'm» and «can't» that sound like talking. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/15/) — Persuasive writing tries to make the reader agree or do something. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/16/) — Persuasive techniques include reasons in order, strong words, exaggeration and rhetorical questions. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/17/) — A rhetorical question is asked for effect and doesn't expect an answer, like «Surely you agree?» - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/18/) — An opinion can be dressed up to sound like a fact, for example with «everyone knows». - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/19/) — A headline is the title of a news story; it is short, bold and grabs attention. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/20/) — The first paragraph of a news article usually tells who, what, when and where. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/21/) — Newspaper articles include quotes, which are people's exact words in inverted commas. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/22/) — Newspaper features include a headline, a photo, a caption and columns. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/23/) — Newspapers can favour one side; comparing two reports helps you spot it. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/24/) — A diary is a personal record of events and feelings, written in the first person. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/25/) — Diaries often use informal language and contractions such as I'm, can't and didn't. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/26/) — Clues like candles, horses and carts, or old-fashioned words can show a diary is from long ago. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/27/) — Slang: «boss» (Liverpool) means great; «gutted» (Britain) means very disappointed; «ate» (Gen Z) means did brilliantly, as in «that letter ate». - ← previous: [Reading non-fiction: recount, instructions, report](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report/) - next →: [Reading poems: meaning, sound and pictures](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/25-reading-poems-meaning-sound-and-pictures/) - ↑ back to [English](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/)