Elements of an Argument
Rhetorical Triangle
message
logos
The Appeals
• pathos – emotional appeal; stirs strong
feelings within the audience
• logos – logical appeal; constructs a
message of a well-reasoned argument
• ethos – ethical appeal; establishes
credibility and authority of speaker
How do I identify pathos?
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Connotative diction
Diction
Imagery
Figurative language (metaphor,
personification, hyperbole, etc. )
• Carefully-crafted syntax (sentence
structure)
• Personal anecdotes (experiences or
stories)
How do I identify logos?
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Facts
Statistics
Research
Referring to experts
Cause & effect
How do I identify ethos?
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Stating qualifications for expertise
Using first person plural pronouns (“we”)
Citing relevant authorities
Citing relevant allusions
More parts to the
construction of an
argument…
• Call to action – the action the speaker or
writer is persuading the audience or
reader to take
• Claim – debatable controversial statement
the speaker or writer intends to prove with
evidence
• Commentary – connecting the evidence to
the claim (How does evidence support
claim?)
• Concession – respectful
acknowledgement of opposing viewpoint
• Hook – the beginning of a persuasive
essay meant to capture the reader’s
attention (quote, profound statement,
imagery, etc.)
• Evidence – support for writer’s claim
(examples, anecdotes, facts, statistics,
research, etc.)
• Thesis – a sentence that expresses the
writer’s position on a certain topic
• Qualifier – puts limits on a claim (usually,
sometimes, in most cases, etc.)
Constructing an Argument
1. Introduction
a. Hook
b. Thesis
2. Body Paragraph 1
a. Claim
b. Evidence
c. Commentary
3.
Body Paragraph 2
a. Claim
b. Evidence
c. Commentary
4. Body Paragraph 3
a. Claim
b. Evidence
c. Commentary
5. Conclusion
a. Refutation – (slight CONCESSION)
b. Make it memorable (CALL TO ACTION)
Terms of Concessions
• I concede that…; however, …
• Yes, but…
• I recognize that …, but I must point out
that…
• While I agree that…, we must remember
that…
• Although I understand that…, I still believe
that…