How does rhetorical language persuade a reader

All three are also necessary for communication through writing to take place. For example, if the writer is taken out of this equation, the text will not be created. Similarly, eliminating the text itself will leave the reader and writer, but without any means of conveying ideas between them, and so on. As we see in this example with Fred and Mildred, Fred offers to pay.

In his work Rhetoric , Aristotle writes that the three appeals must be used together in every piece of persuasive discourse. An argument based on the appeal to logic or emotions alone will not be an effective one. Understanding how logos, pathos, and ethos should work together is very important for writers who use research. Often, research writing assignments are written in a way that seem to emphasize logical proofs over emotional or ethical ones.

Such logical proofs in research papers typically consist of factual information, statistics, examples, and other similar evidence. According to this view, writers of academic papers need to be unbiased and objective, and using logical proofs will help them to be that way. Because of this emphasis on logical proofs, writers may be less familiar with the kinds of pathetic and ethical proofs available.

Pathetic appeals, or appeals to emotions of the audience were considered by ancient rhetoricians as important as logical proofs. Yet, writers are sometimes not easily convinced to use pathetic appeals in their writing. According to Corbett, many of us think that there may be something wrong about using emotions in argument.

But pathetic proofs are not only admissible in argument, but necessary The most basic way of evoking appropriate emotional responses in an audience, according to Corbett, is the use of vivid descriptions Using ethical appeals, or appeals based on the character of the writer, involves establishing and maintaining your credibility in the eyes of your readers.

In other words, writers must think about how they are presenting themselves to their audience. Consider all the times when your decision about the merits of a given argument was affected by the person or people making the argument. For example, when watching television news, are you predisposed against certain cable networks and more inclined towards others because you trust them more?

So, how can a writer establish a credible persona for his or her audience? One way to do that is through external research. Conducting research and using factual proofs logos is effective, but it also shows readers that the author has done homework and knows about the topic.

This knowledge, the sense of authority, helps writers be more effective. The logical, pathetic, and ethical appeals work in a dynamic combination with one another. It is sometimes hard to separate one kind of proof from another and the methods by which the writer achieved the desired rhetorical effect.

For example, if a writer uses data, which are likely to cause readers to be emotional, the data can enhance the pathetic aspect of the argument. The key to using the three appeals, is to use them in combination with each other, and in moderation. It is impossible to construct a successful argument by relying too much on one or two appeals while neglecting the others. For example, another Greek philosopher and rhetorician Plato saw rhetoric as a means of discovering the truth, including personal truth, through dialog and discussion.

According to Plato, rhetoric can be directed outward at readers or listeners , or inward at the writer him or herself. In the latter case, the purpose of rhetoric is to help the author discover something important about his or her own experience and life.

The third major rhetorical school of Ancient Greece whose views have profoundly influenced our understanding of rhetoric were the Sophists. The Sophists were teachers of rhetoric for hire. The primary goal of their activities was to teach skills and strategies for effective speaking and writing. Many Sophists claimed that they could make anyone into an effective rhetorician. In their most extreme variety, Sophistic rhetoric claims that virtually anything could be proven if the rhetorician has the right skills.

The legacy of Sophistic rhetoric is controversial. Some scholars, including Plato himself, have accused the Sophists of bending ethical standards in order to achieve their goals, while others have praised them for promoting democracy and civic participation through argumentative discourse.

What do these various definitions of rhetoric have to do with research writing? Or, perhaps you did not understand very well whom your writing was supposed to appeal to.

It is hard to commit to purposeless writing done for no one in particular. Purpose Good writing always serves a purpose. Post hoc ergo propter hoc: This is a conclusion that assumes that if 'A' occurred after 'B' then 'B' must have caused 'A.

In this example the author assumes that if one event chronologically follows another the first event must have caused the second. But the illness could have been caused by the burrito the night before, a flu bug that had been working on the body for days, or a chemical spill across campus.

There is no reason, without more evidence, to assume the water caused the person to be sick. Genetic Fallacy: A conclusion is based on an argument that the origins of a person, idea, institute, or theory determine its character, nature, or worth. In this example the author is equating the character of a car with the character of the people who built the car.

Begging the Claim: The conclusion that the writer should prove is validated within the claim. Arguing that coal pollutes the earth and thus should be banned would be logical. But the very conclusion that should be proved, that coal causes enough pollution to warrant banning its use, is already assumed in the claim by referring to it as "filthy and polluting.

Circular Argument: This restates the argument rather than actually proving it. In this example the conclusion that Bush is a "good communicator" and the evidence used to prove it "he speaks effectively" are basically the same idea.

Specific evidence such as using everyday language, breaking down complex problems, or illustrating his points with humorous stories would be needed to prove either half of the sentence. In this example where two choices are presented as the only options, yet the author ignores a range of choices in between such as developing cleaner technology, car sharing systems for necessities and emergencies, or better community planning to discourage daily driving.

Ad hominem: This is an attack on the character of a person rather than their opinions or arguments. In this example the author doesn't even name particular strategies Green Peace has suggested, much less evaluate those strategies on their merits. Instead, the author attacks the characters of the individuals in the group. Ad populum: This is an emotional appeal that speaks to positive such as patriotism, religion, democracy or negative such as terrorism or fascism concepts rather than the real issue at hand.

In this example the author equates being a "true American," a concept that people want to be associated with, particularly in a time of war, with allowing people to buy any vehicle they want even though there is no inherent connection between the two. Red Herring: This is a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by avoiding opposing arguments rather than addressing them.

In this example the author switches the discussion away from the safety of the food and talks instead about an economic issue, the livelihood of those catching fish. While one issue may effect the other, it does not mean we should ignore possible safety issues because of possible economic consequences to a few individuals.

The Modes of Persuasion The study of rhetoric dates back to ancient Greece. Ethos appeals to the character of the writer or speaker-stating that his or her background, credentials, or experience should convince you of the accuracy of the argument.

Logos appeals to logic or reason-often citing facts, figures, and statistics. Pathos appeals to emotion, empathetic responses, or shared moral values. Rhetoric in Literature Throughout history, writers have used rhetoric to capture a reader's attention while communicating important ideas about the subject at hand.

Examples of rhetoric in literature include: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift uses satire as a form of rhetoric. He mocks the heartlessness of the Irish government by suggesting people begin eating poor children for meat: "I am assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London; that a young healthy child, well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food; whether stewed, roasted, baked or boiled, and I make no doubt, that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or ragout.

Ernest Hemingway's After the Storm uses polysyndeton to make the reader feel the character's anxiety: "I said, "Who killed him? In The Catcher in the Rye, J. Salinger uses this when he writes: "It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain. The repetition of parallel sentence structures forces the reader to more deeply contemplate the time period that is being described: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.

Harlem by Langston Hughes makes excellent use of the rhetorical question: "What happens to a dream deferred? Political Rhetoric Rhetoric has long been associated with political discourse since the ancient Greeks viewed public political participation as a valuable part of a civilized society. Examples of political rhetoric include: Political speeches often use rhetoric to evoke emotional responses in the audience.

One famous example would be Martin Luther King, Jr. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.

It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.