English Composition › Section I · Rhetorical analysis › Topic I.1

Rhetorical strategies: ethos, pathos, logos

Every advert, op-ed and campaign speech is built from a small set of persuasive tools. Learning to name them, and to judge how well they work, makes you a sharper reader and a more convincing writer.

In this topic

  • Persuasion all around you
  • Aristotle's three proofs
  • Ethos: the appeal of credibility
  • Pathos: the appeal to emotions and values
  • Logos: the appeal to reason
  • Kairos: the right moment
  • Devices that sharpen an appeal
  • Strategies that sidestep reasoning
  • Worked example: a letter to a local paper
  • Worked example: an advert with mixed appeals
  • Common mistakes to avoid
  • Key takeaways

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