ESL language analysis

[kakaka:DDD]

for each paragraph, is it better to stick with just ONE technique at a time? or is it better to combine with other stuff?
if im writing just one technique, it seems too little to talk about, but then again if i have more, it kinda looks confusing and not as focused...
recommendations plz??!!
(this is ESL so it'll be different than normal ENG)

[lynt.br]

I'm not too familiar with the ESL format but in English I would combine techniques that are similar, serve a common purpose or advance a certain argument. The way I approached language analysis was to break up the text into the writers key arguments. When you plan an essay, you often have a few key ideas or arguments that form the basis of your paragraphs. This process is just the reverse of that; you are tying to find the writer's main points and arguments.

Once I had identified these, I would then identify and analyse the persuasive devices that advanced that argument. This tends to group together similar techniques because the same type of techniques are often used in the same arguments.

An example of this process using a made up example:

"The writers main contention is that chicken farms are cruel and should be shut down"

The writer's main points/arguments in are:
1. Trying to evoke sympathy in readers towards chickens.
2. Attacking chicken farmers.
3. Promoting the health benefits of free range or alternative foods.
4. Balancing financial concerns with moral obligations.

Then for within each one I could identify various persuasive techniques that work towards this point, for example, for point (1):
* Use of highly emotive language.
* Use of analogy's to illustrate chicken's predicament.
* Visuals that may stimulate reader sympathy.
etc.

[kakaka:DDD]

Thanks alot.
just a question, how would you start the topic sentence? would you identify the persuasive device first then add more later in the paragraph?
like eg: (refer to point 1)
The writer in his use of emotive words attempts to manipulate readers to reject chicken farms and that it should be shut down. ...