Effective arguments depend on . . .

Ethos – Establishing Credibility Logos – Using Logic Pathos – Connecting Emotionally

Your use of ethos conveys to your audience that

you are:

informed, intelligent, benevolent, honest

through the use of

Ethical Appeals (Appropriate/Fair Ethical

Behavior)

o Demonstrate knowledge of your subject
▪ Claim authority (credentials,

qualifications, past or present

experiences)
▪ Use evidence to support claims

o Demonstrate fairness to your audience
▪ Use language accurately and

respectfully
▪ Acknowledge the opposing point(s) of

view (anticipate possible objections)
▪ Concede any personal weaknesses /

admit limitations

o Establish common ground with your
audience
▪ Acknowledge shared viewpoints
▪ Connect your argument to well-

established or widely respected core

values / principles

Your use of logos allows your audience to see

your argument logically (facts and reason) –

Claim + Supporting Evidence

through the use of

Logical Appeals (Appropriate/Fair Logical

Behavior)

o Hard Evidence
▪ Facts
▪ Statistics
▪ Surveys and Polls
▪ Testimonies, Narratives, Interviews

o Logical Structure
▪ Analogies (Comparison / Contrast)
▪ Precedent

o Strong Evidence & Sound Reasoning
▪ Inductive Reasoning: Drawing a

probable conclusion on the basis of a

number of specific examples

▪ Deductive Reasoning: Assuming a
general, widely held principle (called a

premise) and then applying that

principle to a specific case

Your use of pathos allows the audience to

emotionally (anger, compassion, patriotism, etc.)

identify with the subject/argument

through the use of

Emotional Appeals (Appropriate/Fair

Evocations of Emotion)

o Language
▪ Vivid and concrete descriptive and

evocative language
▪ Figurative language

o Anecdotes
▪ Personal experience
▪ Experiences of others
▪ Narrative / story-telling

o Imagery
▪ A picture is worth . . .

Kairos – Showing Timeliness

o The writer demonstrates the temporal
significance and relevance of the

argument and shows that this is the right

moment to make and support his or her

claim.