Persuasive Appeals
Appeal to Emotion (pathos)
- using expressive or highly charged language to manipulate readers’ emotions instead of
offering factual evidence to convince them of a viewpoint
Examples:
- Toxic emissions in our fair city have rocketed to a dangerous high. Do your part to reduce
the poisonous fumes in our air by turning OFF that belching car engine. As a healthy
alternative, take the convenient, clean-running City Rapid Rail to work, to shop, and to
move about the city.
-
The Maki people of the South are known to be invading our towns! They are
corrupting our children and taking our jobs!! Vote for me and I will eradicate this
menace!
Appeal to Reason (logos)need facts!
- a call on readers’ ability to think logically and rationally about a topic in order to produce a
change in readers’ thoughts
Example:
- Pollution emissions in our city have reached a dangerous high. Reports of asthma and
other respiratory problems are on the rise, and if air quality continues to degrade,
residents’ suffering will increase. Do your part to reduce the poisonous fumes in our air
by turning OFF that car engine. As a healthy alternative, take the convenient City Rapid
Rail to work, to shop, and to move about the city.
Appeal to Authority (ethos)
- a reference to or quote from a person/source considered an expert in order to make a
viewpoint seem more believable
Example:
-According to the Department of Public Safety, pollution emissions in our city have
reached a dangerous high. Do your part to reduce the poisonous fumes in our air by turning
OFF that car engine.
Identify the following statements as appeals to authority, reason or emotion.
_________________1. Voting for senatorial candidate Perry Hudson makes sense to Ohioans. His
years of service include working on school boards, volunteering in the
community, and fighting for stronger pollution laws. As a result, he knows
Ohioans’ needs in a way his opponent, Samantha Morse, does not. Chose the
logical candidate—choose Hudson!
_________________2. “Show your support for healthy living by joining Teens for a Drug-Free
School. Your healthy future begins today.”—a message from the attorney
general of the United States.
_________________3. We all look forward to the holiday season: cozy fires, comforting meals,
beloved family members. But what of the cold, lonely plight of the
homeless? This year, help give the homeless a season of comfort and care.
Volunteer at Street Shelter today.
_________________4. Dog owners who have done their homework know that bargain dog food is
actually no bargain at all. Made with fillers and inferior ingredients, it results
in poor growth, a dull coat, reduced energy, and more frequent illness. Buy
the brand that nourishes your dog from the inside out—buy Top Dog.
Doesn’t your dog deserve it?