College Writing

College Writing Study Guide Page 31 of 42 The ancient study of rhetoric broke down the general methods we use to get what we want into three broad appeals: ethos, logos, and pathos. • Ethos is persuasion based on the credibility of the speaker. When you see commercials with celebrity spokespeople, that is an example of ethos because the advertisers know that you trust or like the celebrity, and they hope that you transfer that trust and affection onto the product they’re selling. Ethos also relates to positions of authority: you trust the doctor to tell you about your medical condition because of his/her character or position of authority. Last, ethos includes personal experience; after all, you have to trust the speaker in order to con- clude that his/her personal experience is germane to the argument. • Logos is persuasion based on facts, logic, or objective truth – anything veri�iable in the outside world. When an article quotes a study with speci�ic numbers or data, that is an example of logos. If you can independently verify the statement, that makes the statement logos. • Pathos is persuasion based on the emotions of the audience. When you see commercials that use humor, high-energy spokespeople who try to get you as excited as they are, sexual imagery or situations, fear, or excitement, the advertisers are using pathos arguments. In fact, a close reading of the vast majority of advertisements will reveal that pathos is the most widely used appeal. These three appeals are called the rhetorical triangle or simply the three appeals, and as a critical writer and reader, it is your responsibility to understand the most strategically effective use of each of these three appeals. If you’re writing for an informal audience, perhaps pathos will be the most ef�icacious way to get your point across, b ut in an academic setting logos and, to a lesser extent, ethos are the most valued rhetorical appeals. In addition to appealing to your audience in the most effective way, rhetorical devices can simply make your argument sound better. Called the “rhyme-as-reason effect,” this is a cognitive bias that indicates people are more likely to be convinced by an argument that rhymes or “sounds good.” Though the ethics of using cognitive biases to in�luence others are complicated, good writers none- theless use rhetorical devices to more convincingly express themselves usually as a way to extend their pathos arguments. • Allusions are references to a famous saying or concept to contextualize your argument in an older or similar argument. For example, “Bringing lambs back into the fold” is a Biblical allu- sion, and using this for a religious audience might be effective. • Alliteration is the repetition of a consonant sound across many consecutive words. This is a stylistic device that makes your language feel like it’s “rolling off the tongue.” • Anaphora is the repetition of a phrase or set of words. Like alliteration, this is a stylistic device that gives your writing a cadence or rhythm. ©2020 Achieve