Persuasion and its Rhetorical Appeals
Tips for Applying Pathos in Your Writing
PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
- It is goal-directed.
- The sender has a clear objective or goal in mind
and tailors the message to achieve that
objective.
- To inform, persuade, entertain, educate, or
provoke a certain response or action from the
recipient.
According to Aristotle, rhetoric is: "the ability, in each
particular case, to see the available means of
persuasion." He described three main forms of rhetoric:
Ethos, Logos, and Pathos.
Aristotle Modes of Persuasion
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
Logos
"Women comprise more than half the world's population.
70% of the world's poor, and two-thirds of those who are
not taught to read and write."
Ethos
"Over the past 25 years. I have worked persistently on
issues relating to women, children, and families." "Earlier
today. I participated in a World Health Organization forum."
Pathos
"Women also are dying from diseases that should have
been prevented or treated. They are watching their children
succumb to malnutrition caused by poverty. They are being
denied the right to go to school by their own fathers and
brothers. They are being forced into prostitution, and...
banned from the ballot box."
Tips for Applying Logos in Your Writing
- Strategy 1-State the facts. Statistics, data, and other
irrefutable facts make ideal evidence. "Twenty-seven
percent of college students will experience back pain at
some point due to the weight of their textbooks."
- Strategy 2-Show that it would be unreasonable not to
take your side. "Over ninety percent of university students
already own a laptop or tablet, and all major publishers
make their materials available in digital formats. Nothing
stands in the way of our university making this change."
Strategy 1- Make your audience feel something: pity, fear,
joy. sadness, pain, etc. "Her lower back screams as she
lifts the heavy bag to her shoulders for the tenth time that
day" evokes pity from the audience and puts it in a position
to understand the subject's pain.
Strategy 2 Let word connotation do the work. "Students
sluggishly plod across campus as they haul their burdens
from class to class." ("Plod" and "burdens" suggest a
weariness that isn't present if you write "walk" and
"backpacks" instead.)
Strategy 3 Relate to your audience. "Teachers and
administrators also have to carry heavy books to and from
class and their offices. We would all benefit from lightening
our loads."
Tips for Applying Ethos in Your Writing
Strategy 1 Show that you have good character by
establishing your own credibility: "As a busy and studious
college student, I carry all 45 pounds of my books to and
from class each day."
Strategy 2 Show that you have what Aristotle called "good
sense" by citing reliable authorities this demonstrates that
even if you aren't an expert yourself, you have the
knowledge to find and sift through other credible
information: "According to renowned orthopedic surgeon
Dr. Skel Eton, the average college student is at serious risk
of back injuries due to carrying heavy textbooks.
Performance
Speeches are performances, and they are delivered best
when they have the feel of authenticity and earnestness.
Plan the Speech
It is important to express oneself in an expressive and
articulate manner. It is best to choose one's words
carefully, and to ensure that one's speech builds on the
foundations of logos. pathos, and ethos.
Eye Contact
One way of coming across as authentic is the ability to
make good eye contact with the audience, and to speak in
a manner that touches them.
Speaking Style
Different people have different speaking styles, and one
can only find one's personal style through constant
practice.
Clothing
Clothing, Traditional audiences often call for mere formal
clothing for men, this would mean donning a suit and tie at
the most formal level, or at the very least, the use of
long-sleeved buttondown shirts, slacks, and leather shoes.
In the Philippines, the use of a barong and slacks is
acceptable, For the women, a pantsuit or a formal coat and
skirt ensemble should suffice.
Visual Aids
Since we live in a world that is more dependent on
information technology, it has become de rigueur for
audiences to expect speeches to be accompanied with
visual aids. such as PowerPoint presentations. video or
audio clips, and infographics.

PowerPoint Presentation
When it comes to the use of PowerPoint, one should
ensure that the font size of the text is not too small. An
acceptable size font would be type 24 or larger, and the
text should be in dark colors for easier reading. The best
PowerPoint presentations are not text-heavy; instead, they
are visually oriented, which is why the use of photographs,
illustrations, charts, and the like would better serve one's
use of the medium.
Handouts
It would be best to have handouts ready for one's
audience, so that members of the audience Will not have
to scramble when taking notes during the presentation:
These should be written succinctly. and should have
appropriate citations
Feedback
It is always good to read the verbal and non-verbal cues
from the audience, such as whether they agree with what
one is saying or whether they are resisting to certain ideas,
mirrored by their use of body language.
LOGIC AND REASONING
Mode of Persuasion:
Ethos- Credibility
Pathos- Emotion
Logos- Logic
We learned that persuasion does not just depend on one
mode, but on the speaker using his or her personal
credibility and credentials; understanding what important
beliefs, attitudes, values, and needs of the audience
connect with the persuasive purpose; and drawing on fresh
evidence that the audience has not heard before.
LOGIC
Is the study of reasoning, inference, and argumentation.
It's a formal system of rules and principles used to evaluate
and construct valid arguments.
REASONING
is the mental process of making sense of things,
understanding
concepts, drawing conclusions, and solving problems
based on available information and prior knowledge.
TWO COMPONENTS OF LOGICAL ARGUMENT
PREMISE
Statement in an argument that provides evidence or
reasons to form a conclusion.
It contains the information that leads your audience to
believe that your argument is true.
CONCLUSION
A conclusion in an argument is the statement the premises
support; it indicates what the arguer is trying to prove to
his/her audience. An argument can have only one
conclusion.
Examples of Premise and Conclusion
1.Since small fish is rich in calcium, it follows that your
body will benefit if you eat them.
Premise -small fish isrich in calcium;
Conclusion - your body will benefit if you eat them.
This argument has only one premise.
Note that this argument can be also written asfollows.
Your body will benefit from eating small fish because it
is a rich source of calcium.
Here, the conclusion is presented first and the premise is
connected to it by the linking word because. It isimportant
to remember that the conclusion and the premise have no
set order in an argument.
2.I have heard that cats with long hair have lots of fleas.
They also shed all over the house, so you should not get a
long-haired cat.
Premise 1: Cats with long hair have lots of fleas.
Premise 2: Cats with long hair shed all over the house
Conclusion: Don’t get a cat with long hair.
3. He is not good at his work, so he doesn’t deserve a
raise.
Premise: He is not good at his work.
Conclusion: He doesn’t deserve a raise.
4.No one under eighteen-years-old can vote. Jim cannot
vote because he is not yet eighteen.
Premise 1: No one under eighteen-years-old can vote
Premise 2: Jim is under eighteen.
Conclusion: Jim cannot vote.
Deductive VS. Inductive Reasoning
INDUCTIVE REASONING
Inductive reasoning involves making generalizations
based on specific observations or evidence.
specific observations to general conclusion.
The conclusion reached through inductive reasoning is not
certain; it is only probable or likely to be true.
Example:
Every cat I've seen has a tail.
Therefore, all cats have tails.
In this example, the conclusion is based on observations of
specific cats, but it's not guaranteed to be true for every
single cat in existence.
DEDUCTIVE REASONING
Deductive reasoning starts with a general premise or
statement and uses it to reach a specific, logically certain
conclusion
. emotions while presenting a rational case.
If the premises are true and the logic is valid, the
conclusion must also be true
. Demonstrate your expertise, credibility, and
Example:
•All humans are mortal. (General premise)
•Socrates is a human. (Specific premise)
Therefore, Socrates is mortal. (Certain conclusion)
In this example, if the premises are true (which they
are in this case), the conclusion must be true as well.
A syllogism can lead to incorrect conclusions if one of
the premises isn’t true, as in the following example:
• All presidents have lived in the White House. (Major
premise)
• George Washington was president. (Minor premise)
• George Washington lived in the White House.
(Conclusion)
In the previous example, the major premise was untrue,
since John Adams, our second president, was the first
president to live in the White House. This causes the
conclusion to be false.
Here's a step-by-step thought process to enhance your
persuasion and argumentation skills:
1. Understand Your Audience
Analyze your audience's demographics, beliefs, values,
and interests to tailor your arguments to resonate with
them.
2. Define Your Objective
Clearly outline your goal for persuading or arguing—
whether it's changing someone's opinion, encouraging
action, or fostering understanding.
3. Research and Gather Evidence
Conduct thorough research to support your claims and
arguments. Collect credible data, statistics, anecdotes,
and expert opinions that reinforce your position.
4. Identify Your Main Points
Determine the key points you want to convey and the
order in which they should be presented to create a
logical and compelling argument.
5. Construct a Strong Argument
Develop a clear and concise thesis statement
that encapsulates your main argument. Support
this thesis with well- structured points and evidence..
6. Address Counterarguments
Anticipate possible objections and counterarguments.
Address them directly, showing why your position remains
valid despite opposing views.
7. Appeal to Emotions and Logic
Combine emotional appeals (pathos) with logical
reasoning (logos) to create a persuasive and
well-rounded argument. Appeal to your audience's
8. Establish Credibility and Authority
trustworthiness in the subject matter to enhance your
persuasive influence.
9. Use Clear and Engaging Language
Craft your argument using language that is easy to
understand, engaging, and impactful. Use powerful and
descriptive words to convey your message effectively.
10. Employ Rhetorical Devices
Use rhetorical tools such as repetition, analogy,
metaphors, and rhetorical questions to make your
argument more persuasive and memorable.
11. Practice Active Listening
Listen carefully to the concerns and perspectives of
others. Show empathy and understanding, as this will
help you address their needs and concerns in your
argument.
12. Deliver a Strong Closing
Summarize your key points and restate your thesis in a
compelling manner to leave a lasting impression and
reinforce your argument.
They have appeared on social media. They have been
mentioned in movie dialogue. In fact, you've probably
already used them.
FALLACIES
A logical fallacy is an argument that can be disproven
through reasoning. This is different from a subjective
argument or one that can be disproven with facts; for a
position to be a logical fallacy, it must be logically flawed
or deceptive in some way.
The history of logical fallacies
Logical fallacies was first recognized and cataloged as
such in the Nyāya-Sūtras, the foundational text of the
Nyāya school of Hindu philosophy.
This text, written somewhere between the 6th century
BCE and the 2nd century CE and attributed to Akṣapāda
Gautama, identified five distinct ways that an argument
could be logically flawed.

Greek philosopher Aristotle, identified thirteen fallacies,
divided into verbal and material fallacies, in his work
Sophistical Refutations. A verbal fallacy is one where the
language used is ambiguous or incorrect, and a
material fallacy is an argument that involves faulty or
flawed reasoning.
1. Ad hominem
An ad hominem fallacy is one that attempts to invalidate
an opponent's position based on a personal trait or fact
about the opponent rather than through logic.
Example:
Katherine is a bad choice for mayor because she didn't
grow up in this town.
Example:
Barbara: We should review these data sets again just to
be sure they're accurate.
Tim: I figured you would suggest that since you're a bit
slow when it comes to math.
2. Red herring
A red herring is an attempt to shift focus from the debate
at hand by introducing an irrelevant point.
Example: Losing a tooth can be scary, but have you heard
about the Tooth Fairy?
3. Straw man
A straw man argument is one that argues against a
hyperbolic, inaccurate version of the opposition rather
than their actual argument.
For example, if someone argues that we should reduce
our military spending. and another person responds by
saying that they want to leave the country defenseless,
they are creating a straw man argument.
The original argument was not that we should leave the
country defenseless, but rather that we should reduce
military spending
4. Equivocation
An equivocation is a statement crafted to mislead or
confuse readers or listeners by using multiple meanings
or interpretations of a word or simply through unclear
phrasing.
For example, consider the following argument: "A feather
is light. What is light cannot be dark. Therefore, a feather
cannot be dark." Here, the word "light" is used in two
different senses; one meaning "not heavy and the other
meaning "bright. This leads to a false conclusion that a
feather cannot be dark.
5. Slippery slope
With a slippery slope fallacy, the arguer claims a specific
series of events will follow one starting point, typically with
no supporting evidence for this chain of events.
For example, if someone argues that we should not allow
people to own guns, and another person responds by
saying that this will lead to the government taking away all
of our rights, they are committing the slippery slope
fallacy.
The original argument was not that the government
should take away all of our rights, but rather that people
should not be allowed to own guns!
6. Hasty generalization
A hasty generalization is a statement made after
considering just one or a few examples rather than relying
on more extensive research to back up the claim. It's
important to keep in mind that what constitutes sufficient
research depends on the issue at hand and the statement
being made about it.
For example, if someone argues that all dogs are friendly
based on their experience with their own dog, they are
committing the hasty generalization fallacy.
This is because their sample size is too small and not
representative of all dogs
7. Appeal to authority
In an appeal to authority, the arguer claims an authority
figure's expertise to support a claim despite this expertise
being irrelevant or overstated.
For example, if someone argues that a particular medical
treatment is effective because a celebrity endorses it, they
are committing the appeal to authority fallacy.
The celebrity may not have any expertise in the medical
field, and their endorsement does not provide any
evidence to support the effectiveness of the treatment
8. False dilemma
A false dilemma, also known as a false dichotomy, claims
there are only two options in a given situation. Often,
these two options are extreme opposites of each other,
failing to acknowledge beat other, more reasonable,
options exist.
For example, when a person arques that we must either
choose between capitalism or socialism, ignoring the fact
that there are other economic systems that exist
9. Bandwagon fallacy
With the bandwagon fallacy, the arguer claims that a
certain action is the right thing to do because it's popular.
Example: Of course it's fine to wait until the last minute to
write your paper. Everybody does it!
For example, if someone argues that a particular political
candidate is the best choice because they are leading in
the polls, they are committing the bandwagon fallacy.
The fact that many people support the candidate does not
necessarily mean that they are the best choice
10. Appeal to ignorance
An appeal to ignorance is a claim that something must be
true because it hasn't been proven false. It can also be a
claim that something must be false because it hasn't been
proven true. This is also known as the burden of proof
fallacy.
For example,
- There is no proof that God exists; therefore, God
does not exist.
- Science has not proven time travel is possible,
which means it is not.
- Since there is no evidence of the man's
innocence, he must be guilty.
The most effective way to avoid using logical fallacies
in your work is to carefully think through every
argument you make, tracing your mental steps to
ensure that each can be supported with facts and
doesn’t contradict other statements you’ve made in
your work.
ETHICAL PERSUASION AND
PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES
Informative vs. Persuasive
Informative Communication
• Gives information about a topic
• Includes all types of communication that aim to
obtain, provide, and disseminate information
Persuasive Communication
• Used to convince people to change their attitude or
behavior; revise their opinions, ideas, or beliefs; or
implement an action
• Entails sound arguments— contains assumption,
evidence, and explanation (Uychoco & Santos, 2018)
• Example: Editorial writing
Persuasion
A means of convincing people:
• to buy a certain product
• to believe something or act in a certain way
• to agree with a point of view
Ethical Persuasion
• concerns on the moral principles associated with a
speaker's use of persuasion to influence an audience's
beliefs, attitudes, intentions, motivations, or behaviors
• concerned with a person's ability to resist the temptation
of helping themselves by harming others
• What to avoid: manipulation, deception, intentional
bias, bribery, and even coercion
Eleven Points for Speaking Ethically
1. Do not use false, fabricated, misrepresented, distorted,
or irrelevant evidence to support arguments or claims.
2. Do not intentionally use specious, unsupported, or
illogical reasoning.
3. Do not represent yourself as informed or as an “expert”
on a subject when you are not.
4. Do not use irrelevant appeals to divert attention from
the issue at hand. Among appeals that commonly serve
such a purpose are: “Smear” attacks on an opponent’s
character; appeals to hatred and bigotry; derogatory
insinuations—innuendos; God and Devil terms that cause
intense but unreflective positive or negative reactions.
5. Do not ask your audience to link your idea or proposal
to emotion-laden values, motives, or goals to which it
actually is not related.
6. Do not deceive your audience by concealing your real
purpose, by concealing self-interest, by concealing the
group you represent, or by concealing your position as an
advocate of a viewpoint.
7. Do not distort, hide, or misrepresent the number,
scope, intensity, or undesirable features of consequences
or effects.
8. Do not use “emotional appeals” that lack a supporting
basis of evidence or reasoning, or that would not be
accepted if the audience had time and opportunity to
examine the subject themselves.
9. Do not oversimplify complex, gradation-laden situations
into simplistic, two-valued, either/or, polar views or
choices.
10. Do not pretend certainty where tentativeness and
degrees of probability would be more accurate.
11. Do not advocate something in which you do not
believe yourself.
Persuasive Techniques
• are strategies communicators use, whether in writing or
speaking
• are used to influence or convince the target audience
to: think, believe, or act in the way communicators want
their audience to believe, think, or act
• are very helpful in driving a point home and getting the
desired effect
21 Persuasive Techniques
1) Emotive words – words that stir up emotions
Example: “In some places across the country, you can
see people agonizing from poverty. The locals are living
without food nor shelter to live in. That’s why giving
something of what we have no matter how small or big it
may be would mean a lot to them.”
2) Rhetorical questions – questions that the reader
answers in his mind
Example: “Who wouldn’t want to progress to live in
comfort?”
3) Contradictory statement – a statement that
contradicts or overturns a previous statement
Example: “I must be cruel to be kind.” – Hamlet
4) Power of 3 – they come in threes used in
sequence-nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and the like
Example: “Stop. Look. Listen.”
“Government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
5) Personal pronouns – using first-person and
second-person pronouns like “we,” “us,” and “you” to
make the writing more engaging
Example: People like you and me don't want to see this
happen.
6) Humor – a witty and amusing expression of a
viewpoint
Example: “She is returning the dress she purchased Example: “Yes, we can.” or “I want this. Not that. Right
because she is experiencing post-traumatic dress now.”
syndrome.”
18) Shock tactics – words and phrases that have
7) Evoke sympathies – make the reader feel sorry for powerful
something or someone associations or connotations

Example: “Leon was only six years old when he was
brutally beaten to death.”
8) Hyperbole – intentional exaggeration for emphasis
Example: “If we agree to remove regulation on gun
control, soon enough my 3- year-old will be able to own
one!”
9) Repetition (of keywords and phrases) – deliberate
use of the same word or phrase more than once for
emphasis
Example: “Walking into the zoo compound, we could hear
the crying and wailing of trapped animals. The stench of
stale feces was almost unbearable.”
19) Parallel structure – expressing ideas in the same
grammatical structure
Example: “I like to jog, bake, paint, and watching movies.”
vs. “I like to jog, bake, paint, and watch movies”
20) Local color – a historical or geographical reference to
cause the writer to identify with the reader

Example: We need to take action now. We need to move Example: “The Greeks have learned from the Roman’s
forward now. If we don’t, nothing will change. Our now is excesses which caused the fall of their empire.”
yesterday’s someday.
21) Fragments – deliberate use of incomplete sentences
10) Catchy phrase – distinctiveness or eccentric word or for style and impact (used by seasoned writers)
phrase to attract attention and easy recall
Example: “Community Credit Union has been called many
Example: “We’ve got it all for you!” – SM Malls things over the years. Forward-thinking. Eco-Friendly.
Convenient.”
11) Figures of speech – figurative language like similes
and metaphors to add color to the writing and awaken the
Imagination

Example: “Her eyes were like deep wells.” (Simile)

“Australia is a fabric woven of many colors.” (Metaphor)

12) Anecdote – short story to illustrate a point

Example: “Recently a colleague of mine experienced this

dilemma first-hand.”

13) Play on the reader’s guilt – make the reader feel

bad about something

Example: “Look him in the eyes and tell him you’d never
waste any grain of rice ever again.” (Him refers to starving
children in Africa)

14) Imagery – vivid words to create a picture in the mind

(5 senses)

Example: “The concert was so loud that her ears rang for
days afterward.”

15) Quotation – inspirational and wise sayings to support

a point

Example: Sir Winston Churchill once said, "A pessimist

sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees
the opportunity in every difficulty.”

16) Statistics – factual data like numbers used in a

persuasive way

Example: “According to the survey presented by XYZ

statistics, 90% are... ”

17) Short sentences – intended to create punch, grab

attention, and signal completion