Persuasive Writing Techniques: Logos, Ethos, and Pathos, Study notes of English Language

Download Persuasive Writing Techniques: Logos, Ethos, and Pathos and more Study notes English Language in PDF only on Docsity! Logos: Appeal to reason by using facts, statistics, research, logical arguments, etc. This is the most convincing technique in academic writing. Ethos: Appeal to the credibility or character of the author or of the people quoted. Use credible sources, and prove your own credibility with good academic writing and tone. Pathos: Appeal to emotion, values, and beliefs to support your own feelings or passion about the issue. Include personal stories from yourself or others, and use appropriate word choice to emphasize emotion. In academic writing, this technique should be used with care. Pathos Principle 1: Know your Audience. They are concerned about local issues and local people • Make local arguments They make decisions with both their minds and hearts • Appeal to both They feel financially pressured • Show how your programs save money or bring new money into the community Pathos Principle 2: Know what moves your Audience. Ask yourself: What do they all commonly want? • What have you done for me lately? • What are your program’s results? And give it to me straight! • Since I have lots of competition for my attention, give it to me short and simple • Tell me the facts & figures that prove your program helps • Show me how people were helped Ethos Principle 1: Write like a Professional • To trust you, your readers must believe you are a competent person, a professional • Make sure you get the information down correctly: • The data • The names • The spelling • The grammar Ethos Principle 2: Write like a Person • Never talk down to or over the heads of your audience • Tell your story simply • Aim for a 10th grade level docsity.com • Use simple familiar words • Avoid jargon and acronyms • Use short simple sentences • Show rather than tell Logos Principle 1: Make your argument clear. Don’t forget: An argument involves the process of establishing a claim and then proving it with the use of logical reasoning, examples, and research. • Answer the basic questions (5W’s & 1H) • State your activities and results plainly • Choose clear words • Choose a common vocabulary • Choose active verbs • Choose concrete nouns, adjectives, & adverbs Logos Principle 2: Organize your argument. An organized argument: • Guides an audience through your reasoning process • Offers a clear explanation of each argued point • Demonstrates the credibility of the writer UNDERSTANDING YOUR AUDIENCE Supporting only your own viewpoint is not sufficient for writing a persuasive paper. You must also understand your audience, so you can find ways to support your thesis in a manner convincing to them. Ask yourself the following questions to help you identify and persuade your audience more effectively: What is the audience’s knowledge level about your topic? What is their attitude towards the topic? What are the audience’s values and beliefs? These questions will help you identify the character of your audience and establish a tone for your paper that is both professional and reasonable. Assume your audience is intelligent—never sound condescending or know-it-all—but be sure to thoroughly explain concepts. Knowing your audience will also help you determine areas to research in order to effectively address counterarguments. LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES A large part of understanding your audience is addressing alternative perspectives. This can be done just after the introduction, just before the conclusion, or throughout the paper. Addressing other viewpoints can be intimidating, yet it is essential. Alternative perspectives should be treated fairly— think about what others believe and why they believe so, and focus on the most common arguments. From there, you can either refute or concede. Conceding means that you agree with the argument and acknowledge the issue is complex; follow with a discussion of your next strong point. When refuting arguments, show why your view is more reasonable or stronger. Always build on common ground. docsity.com