ANALYZING ARGUMENTS Tools of Persuasion
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
1/27/22
Harnoor Sethi
Name: ___________________________________________________
Date: ________________________
Mrs. Martinez B2
L.Arts P1
Ethos, Pathos, Logos
Directions: Use the graphic organizer below to take notes on an author’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos. (See Scope’s
“Ethos, Pathos, Logos: What to Know” to learn more about these three appeals.)
Schools should start later because teens need more sleep, and
Write one sentence that states the author’s argument: _____________________________________
it_____________________________________________________________________________
can affect every aspect of their lives.
Ethos
The author is trustworthy because
he compares and contrasts
different times to our current
times. For example,
"Last year, things were different.
Many teens were able to sleep in
because remote classes started lat
er, didn’t require a commute, or g
ave students flexibility in their sc
hedules. But now that in-person
school has resumed, teens across
America are once again battling t
heir alarms, and a debate has
reignited: Should school start late
r?"
Does the author
create an emotional
connection between
readers and the
topic? If so, how?
Pathos
In the introduction, the author uses a reallife example to connect the reader to the
text.
"Your phone shrieks. Confused and grogg
y, you open your eyes. Surely it isn’t time
to get up already? You tap snooze and sink
back into dreamland—
until your dad knocks on the door.
“Wake up!” he calls.
“The bus will be here in 10 minutes!”
You groan. Five more minutes. Please, ple
ase, pleeaasseeeee!
If this sounds familiar, you aren’t alone. B
efore the pandemic, nearly 70 percent of t
eens weren’t getting enough sleep."
Does the author
come off as
trustworthy and
believable? Why
or why not?
Does the author try
to convince you with
reason and logic?
With evidence such
as facts and figures?
Give examples.
Logos
The author uses lots of evidence and
logic to show various points
throughout the story. For example,
"Later dismissal times could also cut in
to afterschool jobs and create scheduling confl
icts forfamilies. In Cherry Creek, some
families say they have less time in the
evening for homework anddinner.
Transportation is another obstacle. Late
r start times could require some district
s to invest inadditional buses and drive
rs, which can be costly. And many pare
nts might not be able to drive theirkids
to school before work."
PAGE 1 OF 2
ANALYZING ARGUMENTS Tools of Persuasion
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Directions: Answer the questions below. Use the notes you took on page 1 to help you.
1. Which appeals did the author use? If the author used more than one appeal, did he or she
use them equally? Explain.
The author used ethical appeals, logical appeals, and emotional appeals to convince the reader. The author did not use the appeals equally. For example, at the beginning of the passage, the author uses
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
an emotional appeal. "Your phone shrieks. Confused and groggy, you open your eyes. Surely it isn’t time to get up already? You tap snooze and sink back into dreamland—until your dad knocks on the
___________________________________________________________________________________
door.“Wake up!” he calls. “The bus will be here in 10 minutes!”You groan. Five more minutes. Please, please, pleeaasseeeee! If this sounds familiar, you aren’t alone. Before the pandemic, nearly 70
percent of teens weren’t getting enough sleep." The author uses a logical appeal at various points in the story. "In Cherry Creek, some families say they have less time in the evening for homework and
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
dinner." The author barely uses any other appeals. This is because logical appeals present facts, and facts are the strongest way to back up a point.
Key:
• Restate-Blue
• Answer-Green
• Cite-Orange
• Explain-Red
2. Which part of the author’s argument did you find most persuasive? Why?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
I found that when the author used facts and evidence, it was more convincing.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
This is because when logic is used, the facts are the only truth and the reader must agree with them.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Which part of the author’s argument did you find least persuasive? Why?
I found that the transportation aspect of the article was the least convincing.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
This is because most children have their own transportation system.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Place a star on the line below to indicate how persuasive you found the author’s argument
overall.
not very persuasive |--------------------------------------------------| very persuasive
_ Sum up your reasoning in one or two sentences.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Personally, I feel that the author used strong evidence and logic to back up most of his/her points.
However, some aspects including emotions and trustworthiness were lacking. This affected the
___________________________________________________________________________________
overall performance which explains why I put my star near the center.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
©2019 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. PERMISSION GRANTED TO TEACHERS AND SUBSCRIBERS TO PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
PAGE 2 OF 2