Using Rhetoric and Persuading
an Audience
ACTIVITY
1.18
continued
SUGGESTED LEARNING STRATEGIES: Close Reading, Drafting, Graphic
Organizer, Word Map
Activity 1.18
Using Rhetoric and
Persuading an Audience
Materials:
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the use of words to persuade, either in writing or speech.
Aristotle defined rhetoric as “the ability, in each particular case, to see
the available means of persuasion.” He described three main types of
rhetoric: pathos, ethos, and logos. Authors and speakers use these
rhetorical appeals in their arguments based on their intended audience
as well as on the nature of the argument itself. You might have used
these appeals in persuasive writing pieces you created. Advertisers, too,
make use of these appeals in their attempts to persuade an audience.
Pathos
Pathos, or emotional appeals, attempt to persuade the reader or
listener by appealing to the senses and emotions. Political ads that
show politicians kissing babies or shaking hands with the elderly often
appeal to the emotions. Also, these appeals usually include statements
with vivid sensory details, which awaken the senses and perhaps
manipulate the emotions of the audience.
Ethos
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Ethos are ethical appeals that attempt to persuade the reader or
listener by focusing on the qualifications or the character of the
speaker. The speaker’s credibility is paramount in an ethical appeal.
Ethical appeals focus on the speaker even more than on the situation.
Examples of ethical appeals in advertising are expert or celebrity
endorsements of products. Other examples of ethical appeals are a
teen’s argument that he or she should be allowed to do something
because he or she has never been in trouble, or because his or her
friend is a perfect citizen, and so on.
Logos
Logos, or logical appeals, attempt to persuade readers or listeners
by leading them down the road of logic and causing them to come to
their own conclusions. Logical appeals state the facts and show how
the facts are interrelated. If/then statements are examples of logical
appeals. Sometimes, the if/then can be inferred; for example, if a book
jacket indicates the book spent 26 weeks at the top of a bestseller
list, a potential reader might infer that since many people read the
book it must be a book worth buying. Logical appeals are often used
in courtroom situations as well.
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
Rhetorical appeals are
emotional, ethical, and
logical appeals used to try
to persuade an audience
to agree with the writer or
speaker.
WORD
CONNECTIONS
CO
The word pathos includes
the Greek root -path-,
which comes from the
Greek word meaning
“suffering.” This root
also occurs these English
words: pathetic, sympathy,
apathy, empathy,
pathology, and telepathy.
LITERARY TERMS
•Vocabulary Notebooks
Purpose:
•To understand the components of
rhetoric
•To analyze the use of rhetoric in
advertising
Steps:
1
Introduce students to the
rhetorical appeals of pathos,
ethos, and logos by conducting a
close reading of the information
on this page. Consider adding the
terms to your Interactive Word
Wall. Discuss the rhetorical devices
with students, focusing on how they
relate to persuasive writing as well
as advertising.
Pathos is a rhetorical appeal
to the reader’s or listener’s
senses or emotions.
Ethos is a rhetorical
appeal that focuses on the
character or qualifications of
the speaker.
Logos is a rhetorical appeal
to reason or logic.
© 2011 College Board. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 • Coming of Age 73
Unit 1 • Coming of Age 73
Activity 1.18
Continued
Steps:
ACTIVITY 1.18
continued
Using Rhetoric and Persuading
an Audience
2
Arrange students in groups to
review the ads they examined in
Activity 1.17 and look for examples
of ethos, pathos, and logos. As in the
preceding activity, be sure to include
book jackets for some of your
examples. Ask students to fill in the
chart with examples of rhetorical
appeals they can identify in the ads.
As you look back at the sample ads, list examples you find of each of the
rhetorical appeals listed.
Ethos
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Pathos
Logos
© 2011 College Board. All rights reserved.
74 SpringBoard® English Textual Power™ Level 4
74 SpringBoard® English Textual Power™ Level 4
ACTIVITY 1.18
continued
Activity 1.18
Continued
Steps:
3
Ask students to select one ad
to use for a close reading. Instruct
one member of the group to keep
track of the group’s answers as they
read and examine the ad. This page
will guide them to analyze the target
audience. Ask each group to assign a
speaker to share their analysis.
One of the most important elements of an advertisement is its need
to reach its target audience; if it does not, it has failed. The goal of a
media-literate person is to be able to identify that intended audience.
Audience Profile: Look closely at an advertisement. Answer the
following questions to determine the audience for the ad.
1. What is the product that is being advertised?
2. In general, this product is mainly used by male / female / either.
3. The average age of people who use this product is probably
4. The apparent age of the people in the ad (if they are present) is
5. The gender of those in the ad (if they are present) is male /
female / both.
6. Identify the setting of this ad (outdoors, office, classroom, etc.).
7. Briefly describe the action in the ad.
© 2011 College Board. All rights reserved.
8. Describe people you know who do the actions you identified.
9. Read the written part of the ad. Rate the diction as easy / medium /
difficult / complex.
10. What is the racial or cultural group shown in this ad?
Write a statement about the audience for this advertisement. Analyze
the relevance, quality, and credibility of the persuasive rhetoric for this
audience.
Imagine that this ad was created for a different audience. Describe
the new audience. What would be different about this ad? What would
remain the same? Why?
© 2011 College Board. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 • Coming of Age 75
Unit 1 • Coming of Age 75
Activity 1.18
Continued
Steps:
ACTIVITY 1.18
continued
Using Rhetoric and Persuading
an Audience
4
Now ask students to
Continue your close examination of a sample ad. Consider how
effectively it uses advertising techniques and rhetorical appeals to
reach the target audience you identify. Take notes on the organizer.
Then write a paragraph in which you analyze the effectiveness of the
advertisement. Include a thesis statement that states the product name
and the techniques or appeals the advertiser uses to influence the
audience. Support your thesis statement with specific examples from
the ad. Be sure to mention the target audience and your analysis of the
overall effectiveness of the advertisement.
Use of Advertising Appeals
Use of Rhetoric
Target Audience
Effectiveness
© 2011 College Board. All rights reserved.
Product:
76 SpringBoard® English Textual Power™ Level 4
© 2011 College Board. All rights reserved.
work individually to draft a
paragraph that analyzes the ad
for the following: target audience,
advertising techniques, and
rhetorical appeals. Suggest that
they begin by analyzing the ad’s
techniques and appeals. They
should take notes in the graphic
organizer on this page.
5
Guide students to do the
following in their drafts:
•Identify the intended audience.
•Comment on the advertising
techniques and rhetorical appeals.
•Explain why the appeals and
techniques are appropriate for that
particular audience.
6
Finally, ask students to think
about one of the texts the class
has read in this unit and to imagine
creating an ad to persuade an
audience to read it. Place students
into pairs and ask them to do a
rough sketch or outline of a print ad
for one of the texts. Urge them to
be sure their ad includes an example
of ethos, pathos, or logos.
7
Direct students to create an
appropriate word map graphic
organizer in their Vocabulary
Notebooks and explore the
concept of rhetorical appeals.
8
Discuss the Essential
Question: How are rhetorical
appeals used to influence an
audience?
76 SpringBoard® English Textual Power™ Level 4