Use appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in persuasive writing
Key notes :
The purpose of many writing tasks is to persuade readers. To accomplish this purpose, writers use persuasive strategies or appeals. These appeals can be divided into three categories:
Appeals to ethos, or character, emphasise trustworthiness, credibility or values shared with the audience. A writer can do this by
- mentioning personal or professional credentials;
- drawing on the established reputation of a person, institution or brand;
- establishing common ground with the audience.
Appeals to logos, or reason, use logic or verifiable data. A writer can do this by
- citing relevant and credible statistics, facts or studies;
- explaining the logical chain of reasoning that supports a claim;
- anticipating and refuting potential counterclaims.
Appeals to pathos, or emotion, attempt to activate the audience’s emotions. A writer can do this by
- citing dramatic stories about specific individuals;
- appealing to emotions such as fear, guilt, anger, pity or desire;
- choosing words with strong connotations;
- using descriptive language to create powerful images.
Learn with an example
➡️ Which statement primarily appeals to pathos, or emotion, to support the position that computer games can increase users’ intelligence?
- Like many fans of complex, puzzle-based computer games, I often find myself feeling both stimulated and challenged as I work my way through a game.
- While age-related memory loss can be devastating, after a few weeks of playing computer games, users are often heartened by the cognitive improvements they see.
The second statement is the correct answer. It appeals to pathos, or emotion, by using strong language (devastating and heartened).
While age-related memory loss can be devastating, after a few weeks of playing computer games, users are often heartened by the cognitive improvements they see.
The first statement appeals to ethos, or character, by establishing common ground with others (Like many fans of complex, puzzle-based computer games).
Like many fans of complex, puzzle-based computer games, I often find myself feeling both stimulated and challenged as I work my way through a game.
➡️ Which statement primarily appeals to logos, or reason, to support the position that professional athletes should not be allowed to use performance-enhancing drugs?
- Allowing professional athletes to use dangerous performance-enhancing drugs would be the downfall of sports as we know it.
- Performance-enhancing drugs have been shown to be unhealthy for those who take them, causing harmful side effects such as heightened aggression, heart palpitations and hypertension.
The second statement is the correct answer. It appeals to logos, or reason, by citing relevant factual information.
Performance-enhancing drugs have been shown to be unhealthy for those who take them, causing harmful side effects such as heightened aggression, heart palpitations and hypertension.
The first statement appeals to pathos, or emotion, by invoking a dramatic scenario (the downfall of sports).
Allowing professional athletes to use dangerous performance-enhancing drugs would be the downfall of sports as we know it.
➡️ Which statement primarily appeals to pathos, or emotion, to support the position that economic competition is necessary for a productive society?
- As the influential economist Adam Smith asserted, healthy economic competition and free markets help foster a productive, more efficient society.
- When competition is high, business can flourish, leading to ever-better products at ever-lower prices.
The second statement is the correct answer. It appeals to pathos, or emotion, by evoking desire in the audience (ever-better products at ever-lower prices).
When competition is high, business can flourish, leading to ever-better products at ever-lower prices.
The first statement appeals to ethos, or character, by drawing on the authority of Adam Smith.
As the influential economist Adam Smith asserted, healthy economic competition and free markets help foster a productive, more efficient society.
let’s practice!
Compare the student text with the source.
Source: Viorica Marian, PhD, and Anthony Shook, ‘The Cognitive Benefits of Being Bilingual’. Published in Cerebrum Oct. 2012.
Researchers have shown that the bilingual brain can have better attention and task-switching capacities than the monolingual brain, thanks to its developed ability to inhibit one language while using another.
Student text:
The bilingual brain, ‘thanks to its developed ability to inhibit one language while using another’, is more adept at multi-tasking (Marian and Shook).