English

Taken from: http://www.938LIVE.sg/sgem/issue95(5september).htm

How do you write a persuasive text?
Regardless of the type of work you do, there are times when you need to be able to persuade your reader.
How can you effectively achieve your aim?

Below are some guidelines which could be used when writing to persuade:
1 Plan your writing - determine the purpose for writing, the reader (his/her background, needs etc) and the context (ie the situation which led to the need for the particular piece of writing)
2 Know your product/service well
3 Anticipate the reader's reaction or concerns, and consider how to counteract any possible negative thoughts or responses
4 Emphasise the benefit(s) to the reader and/or his/her organisation - be honest and sincere
5 Create a desire for the product/service - be objective when providing the relevant information 6 Create a positive feeling in the reader - organise the content of your writing in a manner which is likely to be well-received by the reader " Show sound reasoning, based on credible evidence
7 Provide all necessary information so that the reader is able to make a decision without having to clarify issues with you
8 Organise the content into coherent and cohesive paragraphs
9 Include illustrations such as graphs, tables, drawings, photographs etc, if appropriate
10 Establish your credibility, to make the reader want to consider your ideas
11 Use vocabulary and a tone appropriate for the purpose, reader and context
12 Ensure that your writing is free of errors in spelling (including capitalisation), punctuation and language use
13 Prompt the reader to take action (eg to place an order) or to re-consider his/her way of thinking
After sending off the proposal, follow up by calling the reader over the telephone or making a visit in person so that you can answer any queries which the reader may have. Prompt the reader again to take action.

By Singapore Polytechnic

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We normally describe the height of a building and mountain as follows:
The tallest building.

The highest mountain.

Can we say the tallest mountain and highest building?

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English explains the use of high as "the distance above the ground" and tall as "the length from top to bottom".

The word tall is commonly used to describe objects that are not only high but also narrow, such as people, trees, buildings and other objects of the same sort of shape.

By Singapore Polytechnic