Non-Fiction Reading
& Writing
Identifying the writer’s purpose
• Identifying writing techniques used to
communicate ideas
• Identifying appeals to persuade a reader
•
Identifying a writer’s purpose
 How do you find the theme? The main idea
of a text
 Look for repetition of central ideas.
 Be aware of what the writer is attempting to
communicate. What is his/her point?
 In your own writing, always be aware of
what your main point is. What is your
thesis? Your main idea?
How to identify writing techniques
 Writers use various writing techniques in
order to communicate the main point.
 Techniques can include:
Irony
Metaphor/Simile
Humor
Juxtaposition
Symbolism
Dialogue
Point of View
Foreshadowing
Allusion
Characterization
Diction – word
choice
Setting
Mood
Imagery
Syntax- sentence
structure
Hyperbole
Persuasion in writing
 How do writers persuade, coax, influence
or urge readers to agree with them?
 They present an argument in order to win
over the reader; to get the reader to
willingly accept one's ideas.
 Modern argumentation theory has roots in
Greek and Roman thinking (Aristotle).
 We judge evidence, investigate carefully,
state ideas accurately, and listen critically
Who is Aristotle?
 Aristotle (384-322 BCE) is
the most notable product of
the educational program
devised by Plato. Aristotle
wrote on an amazing range of
subjects, from logic,
philosophy, and ethics to
physics, biology, psychology,
politics, and rhetoric.
Assessing the appeals used by
writers in persuasive writing
ETHOS, PATHOS, OR LOGOS?
Appeals to Look for in Persuasion
Ethos (authority, character)
Pathos (emotions or values)
Logos (statistics, facts, proof)
ETHOS, PATHOS, and LOGOS
 Ethos: the source's credibility, the
speaker's/author's authority.
 Pathos: the emotional or motivational
appeals; vivid language, emotional language
and numerous sensory details.
 Logos: the logic used to support a claim;
can also be the facts and statistics used to
help support the argument.
Ethos: ETHICS (Credibility)
 Greek for ‘character’
 To make the audience decide right or wrong about what is
being presented to it
 Political issues, national beliefs, religious issues, etc…
 Demonstrates author's reliability, competence, and respect
for the audience's ideas and values through reliable and
appropriate use of support and general accuracy
How to build your credibility?
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Does the reader respect you?
Does the reader believe you are of good character?
Does the reader believe you are generally trustworthy?
Does the reader believe you are an authority on this topic?
Keep in mind that it isn’t enough for you to know that you
are a credible source. (This isn’t about your confidence,
experience, or expertise.) Your reader must know this.
 Ethos is your level of credibility as perceived by your reader.
 What other credibility does the author build into the
argument? Does the author supplement his/her authority
with someone else’s as well?
Pathos: EMOTION
 Greek for ‘suffering’ or ‘experience’
 To make the audience feel something about what
is being presented.
 Children, animals, illness, memories, etc…
 “Tugs at your heart strings”
 EFFECT: Evokes an emotional response
How to appeal to emotion?
 Do the words evoke feelings of … love? Sympathy?
Fear?
 Do the words evoke feelings of compassion? Envy?
 Does the characterization of the competition evoke
feelings of hate? Contempt?
 Emotional connection can be created in many ways by
a writer, perhaps most notably by stories, but also
anecdotes, analogies, similes, and metaphors. These
are most often used to trigger an emotional response
from the reader.
Logos: LOGIC
 Greek for ‘word’
 To make the reader think about what is presented
 Statistics, facts, authorities, etc…
 Very straightforward, limited “fluff.” It has a very
scientific, factual approach.
 EFFECT: Evokes a cognitive, rationale response
How can you appeal to Logic?
 Does your message make sense?
 Is your message based on facts, statistics,
and evidence?
 Will your call-to-action lead to the desired
outcome that you promise?
You have undoubtedly seen Ethos,
Pathos, and Logos in Advertising
Look at the following advertisements and
whether they would be an example of Ethos,
Pathos, or Logos
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
Children shown
with measles –
and you are
being asked to
vaccinate your
own children.
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
Rory
McIlroy
endorses
Nike.
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
Sprite Zero is
100% sugar-free.
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
High Efficiency
Tide cuts down
on energy use.
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
Advertisement
shows images
of happy
families using
their Toyota
vehicle.
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
Cardiologists recommend
Ecotrin more than any
other brand of aspirin.
Ethos, Logos, Pathos?
Ethos, Logos, Pathos?
Ethos, Logos, Pathos?
Advertising vs. Persuasive writing
While advertising
typically sticks to one
appeal, persuasive
writing should utilize
more than one appeal.
The more appeals used,
the more likely the
reader will connect
with it.
Examples of Ethos, Pathos, and
Logos
"I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight
against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild
our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the
tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining
nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new
partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism
and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change
and disease. And I will restore our moral standing, so that
America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called
to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who
yearn for a better future."
Democratic Presidential Candidate Acceptance Speech
by Barack Obama. August 28th, 2008.
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
"However, although private final demand, output, and employment have
indeed been growing for more than a year, the pace of that growth
recently appears somewhat less vigorous than we expected. Notably,
since stabilizing in mid-2009, real household spending in the United
States has grown in the range of 1 to 2 percent at annual rates, a
relatively modest pace. Households' caution is understandable.
Importantly, the painfully slow recovery in the labor market has
restrained growth in labor income, raised uncertainty about job security
and prospects, and damped confidence. Also, although consumer credit
shows some signs of thawing, responses to our Senior Loan Officer
Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices suggest that lending
standards to households generally remain tight."
The Economic Outlook and Monetary Policy by
Ben Bernanke. August 27th, 2010
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
"I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials
and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And
some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom
left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds
of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering.
Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go
back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go
back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of
our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be
changed."
I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr.
August 28th, 1963
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
My fellow citizens: I stand here today
humbled by the task before us, grateful
for the trust you have bestowed, mindful
of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.
I thank President Bush for his service to
our nation...
President Barack Obama
ETHOS, PATHOS, LOGOS?
Let us endeavor so to live that
when we come to die even the
undertaker will be sorry.
Mark Twain
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
The primary reason given for lack of health
insurance coverage in 2005 was cost (more
than 50%), lost job or a change in
employment (24%), Medicaid benefits
stopped (10%), ineligibility for family
insurance coverage due to age or leaving
school (8%).
National Center for Health Statistics
The Rhetorical Triangle
 The rhetorical triangle is typically
represented by an equilateral
triangle, suggesting that logos,
ethos, and pathos should be
balanced within a text.
 However, which aspect(s) of the
rhetorical triangle you favor in
your writing depends on both the
audience and the purpose of that
writing. Yet, if you are in doubt,
seek a balance among all three
elements.
Questions to Help You Recognize
and Utilize Logos, Ethos, and Pathos
Logos:
 Is the thesis clear and specific?
 Is the thesis supported by strong reasons
and credible evidence?
 Is the argument logical and arranged in a
well-reasoned order?
Questions to Help You Recognize and
Utilize Logos, Ethos, and Pathos
Ethos:
 What are the writer’s qualifications? How has the writer
connected him/herself to the topic being discussed?
 Does the writer demonstrate respect for multiple viewpoints
by using sources in the text?
 Are sources credible? Are sources documented
appropriately?
 Does the writer use a tone that is suitable for the
audience/purpose? Is the diction (word choice) used
appropriate for the audience/purpose?
 Is the document presented in a polished and professional
manner?
Questions to Help You Recognize and Utilize
Logos, Ethos, and Pathos
Pathos:
 Are vivid examples, details and images used to
engage the reader’s emotions and imagination?
 Does the writer appeal to the values and beliefs
of the reader by using examples readers can
relate to or care about?
ACTIVITY!
 Identify the use of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in the
article you have been given.
 Be ready to give and explain an answer of each to
the class!
How to Determine appeals used – in
what you read, and in what you write
 The author’s Central Argument
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What is the main point being argued?
 The Target Audience

What groups will most likely be targeted?
 The Author’s Purpose in writing this

What is the author trying to persuade others to do?
To believe? To consider?
 Persuasive Techniques used