Rhetorical Devices Ethos Pathos and Logos ESL 015

Rhetorical Devices: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos ESL 015 Jun Xu 04/10/2014

Class Flow ● What are Ethos, Pathos, and Logos? ● Identify Ethos, Pathos or Logos ● Practice & Share!

What is Rhetoric? ● The art of effective persuasive speaking or writing. – According to Aristotle, rhetoric is "the ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion. " He described three main forms of rhetoric: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.

What are Ethos, Pathos and Logos ● ● https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Lw. OTGe. R w. Qq. Y Download the form and write down key words in it (definition, effects on audience) ● Share notes and discuss in a group (answer the 3 rd question) ● Send your completed form as a group to jxx 122@psu. edu

Ethos ● Ethos: Ethical appeal --- convince readers of the author's credibility or character ● Author's credibility --- worth listening to

How to develop ethos? ● Content --- build up your credibility by indicating your background/expertise; ● Language & Tone --- make yourself sound sincere and unbiased

Example of Ethos ● If you are still unsure, please consider that my advanced degree and field work speak for themselves.

Pathos ● Emotional appeal --- persuade readers by appealing to their emotions ● Positive & Negative emotions

How to develop Pathos? ● Content - Provide vivid descriptions like memories, imagination - Emotion envoking examples or experiences ● Language & Tone - Use emotionally loaded language - Create a sense of humor/sympathy/anger. . .

Example of Pathos ● After years of this type of disrespect from your boss, countless hours wasted, birthdays missed. . . it is time that you took a stand.

Logos ● Convince readers by use of logical evidence or reason ● Evoke cognitive, rational responses

How to develop logos? ● Content – – – ● Theories/scientific facts/statistics Quotations/citations from experts/authorities Literal or historical analogies Language & Tone – – Very straightforward and accurate Objective and convincing

Example of Logos ● More than one hundred peer-reviewed studies have been conducted over the past decade, and none of them suggests that this is an effective treatment for hair loss.

Ethos, Pathos, or Logos? ❖ Which rhetorical device is applied? ❖ Why do you think so? (content, language and tone) ❖ Share the sentence and your answers with your group members

Let's get rhetoric! ● Topic: Should attendance be mandatory in college? ● Write down at least 3 sentences with ethos, pathos, and logos applied respectively.

Share & Check ● Identify ethos/pathos/logos in each sentence. Have you been persuaded? Why or why not? ● Any interesting argument or different opinions? ● ●