Recap
Arguments persuade or motivate action through appeals, the modes of persuasion. Logos appeals to reason (evidence, logic, structure). Ethos appeals to credibility and character (knowledge, fairness, shared values, good will). Pathos appeals to emotion and values. Most sentences do more than one job, so name the primary appeal and say what it accomplishes for this audience and purpose.
Key relationships
| Appeal | Built from | Signal words and moves |
|---|---|---|
| Logos | Facts, statistics, reasons, cause and effect, structure | “because”, “therefore”, figures, comparisons |
| Ethos | Experience, fairness, shared values, reliable sources, careful language | “I have worked…”, concessions, accurate citation |
| Pathos | Connotation, imagery, narrative, values language | Vivid scenes, personal stories, “fairness”, “neighbour” |
| Kairos (optional) | The right moment | “Now is the time”, “before the vote” |
Worked mini-example
Anthony, 1873: “It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.” Logos: argues from the founding text by narrowing and rejecting restrictions on “the people”. Pathos: the rising rhythm of “not… nor yet… but” and the widening scope. Ethos: places the speaker inside the founding words her audience reveres.
Marlbridge paramedic passage: “I have worked as a paramedic for twenty-two years” (ethos); “fourteen of seventeen cardiac arrests happened more than five minutes from an ambulance” (logos, invented figure); “I have knelt beside a father on his own front path” (pathos and ethos).
Common confusions
- A statistic is not always logos: it can arouse fear or lean on a credible source.
- Citing an expert for authority is usually ethos.
- Pathos covers any feeling, not only sadness.
- Ethos is not only a job title; tone, fairness and accuracy build it.
- Appeals are tools, not good or bad in themselves.
How to write about appeals
- Quote or point to the choice.
- Name the primary appeal.
- Explain the effect on this audience.
- Link it to the purpose.
Example: “By citing twenty-two years as a paramedic, the speaker establishes expertise, so the audience of councillors can trust her figures.”
Where this appears on the exam
- Multiple choice (reading): which sentence is primarily an appeal to ethos, logos or pathos; what an appeal adds to the argument.
- Multiple choice (writing): which added sentence would best build credibility or support a claim with reasoning.
- Rhetorical analysis essay: appeals are part of explaining how choices serve a purpose for an audience.
Mistakes to avoid
- Listing the three appeals as a checklist without explanation.
- Forcing each sentence into only one box.
- Treating all emotion as manipulation.
- Naming an appeal and stopping.
- Treating logos as numbers only.
Quick self-check
- Which appeal does “I have taught for thirty years” most directly serve? Ethos.
- Which appeal does a vivid story of a struggling pensioner mainly serve? Pathos.
- Which appeal is cause-and-effect reasoning? Logos.
- Why name a primary appeal? Because sentences often do more than one job, and naming the main one shows control.
- What is kairos? The right moment for an argument or action.
For the full explanation and worked examples, return to the study guide.