“Give cyclists a break”, Exercise 26, p. 40
(You must achieve a balance between key idea/arguments and the persuasive words and their purpose)
Key idea: Ms Winter believes that all road-users should value the contribution of cyclists. In particular car drivers should show greater courtesy and respect on roads towards cyclists.
- Ms Winter suggests that we should value the contribution of cyclists (they should be encouraged, not intimidated, because of their valued role to traffic and environmental management concerns.
- She uses the daughter’s experience to criticise drivers (shaming tactics)
Argument strategies:
- Ms Winter uses her daughter’s accident as a catalyst for her criticisms of thoughtless drivers.
- Ms Winter refers to her daughter’s, Maggie’s accident, to reveal the (painful/traumatic/debilitating) consequences of a driver’s thoughtless actions.
- Ms Winter discredits the reckless (disrespectful; thoughtless; discourteous; cavalier; irresponsible) behaviour of many motorists. She compares local drivers with European drivers to reinforce their lack of consideration.
Persuasive strategy/ words: (scaremongering and shaming tactics)
- The descriptions of her daughter’s physical horror, “gashed chin…” highlight the dangerous repercussions of the driver’s thoughtless actions.
- Ms Winter highlights the importance of cyclists. She encourages all road users to recognise that cyclists reduce congestion and minimise pollution.
Purpose:
- scaremongering and shaming tactics: Ms Winter seeks to shame those drivers who are causing pain and inconvenience to others. In the extreme, their actions are “endangering lives’.