A personalanecdote is used to open or anchor the argument: it establishes the columnist's credentials, creates emotional connection, and frames the issue in human terms before the wider argument begins.
Arhetorical question does not invite a real answer: it implies its own answer and positions the reader to arrive at the columnist's conclusion feeling they reached it themselves.
Direct address ("you") and inclusive pronouns ("we", "us") place the reader inside the argument: "we" builds solidarity; "you" creates urgency or accountability.
Anaphora repeats a phrase at the start of successive sentences or paragraphs, building rhythmic and emotional momentum: each repetition accumulates weight, making the argument feel insistent and overwhelming rather than merely asserted.
Aconcession-rebuttal structure ("yes, but") acknowledges an opposing argument before dismantling it: the columnist appears fair-minded while reinforcing their own position, and the pivot word ("however", "and yet") marks the argumentative turn.
Irony says one thing and means another; sarcasm is irony without ambiguity: both allow the columnist to criticise a target without making the accusation directly, which flatters the reader's intelligence.
Example
A columnist writing about corporate greenwashing might say: "Congratulations to FuelCorp for their bold commitment to a net-zero target by 2075.
Future generations will be thrilled." The irony turns a corporate announcement into an indictment without the writer stating their view directly.
The Column's Ending
Column endings are carefully crafted: a call to action, a provocative question, a return to the opening image, or a short punchy final sentence crystallises the argument and leaves the reader with the thesis at its most forceful.
An isolatedsingle-sentence paragraph placed at the close, or anywhere in the column, is a structural device: its brevity signals that the claim is meant to land with emphasis, not pass unnoticed.
Exam technique
When you identify a device, always name it precisely ("anaphora", "rhetorical question", "concession"), then state the implied answer or argumentative move, then connect it to the columnist's overall thesis.
When analysing irony, always explain both what the writer is literally saying and what they actually mean: do not assume the gap is self-evident.
For concession-rebuttal, locate the pivot word and explain what the argumentative turn achieves: this is a mark of sophisticated analysis.
Interactive question
What is anaphora and what effect does it create in an opinion column?
Markscheme
Anaphora is the repetition of a phrase at the start of successive sentences or paragraphs [1]
It builds rhythmic and emotional momentum, making the argument feel insistent and overwhelming rather than merely stated [1]
Active recall
What is a rhetorical question and why is it used in opinion columns?
Explain how inclusive pronouns function as rhetorical devices.
How does a concession-rebuttal structure strengthen a columnist's argument?
