The document discusses the three main rhetorical tools of ethos, logos, and pathos. Ethos refers to the credibility and expertise of the speaker or author. Logos involves using facts, statistics, examples, and evidence to support arguments. Pathos appeals to emotions through stories, humor, or tragic examples. These rhetorical devices are commonly used together and are found everywhere in advertisements, speeches, news media, and other forms of persuasion that people encounter daily.

1. Identifying the Rhetorical Tools of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos ENG 112 Instructor: Mona Marshall

2. What is Ethos? Ethos refers to the expertise and trustworthiness of the source. Does the author or the person talking to you in the advertisement sound credible? Does he or she sound like an expert? How can you tell? Often, you can tell because the person uses lots of Logos (facts and information), to back up his or her point.

4. The speaker knows someone who has experienced the topic

5. The speaker is able to cite experts in the field

6. The speaker sounds well-informed

7. The speaker is able to provide historical background

8. The speaker knows the latest facts and statistics available

9. The speaker knows the most current thinking on the topic

12. The actual historical or background information on the topic

13. The actual facts, statistics

14. The current trends or modes of thinking on the topic

16. What is Pathos? Pathos refers to the author’s or ad’s ability to pull at your heartstrings and/or entertain you. It is the tool we use to make people feel warm and fuzzy inside, remind them of fond memories, titillate them, bring them to tears, and even simply to make them laugh. Most of the best ads, speeches and writings out there have pathos in them.

18. a beer commercial that takes place at a party on a beach with dozens of girls in hot bikinis

19. a speech given by a mother who lost her son to a drunk driving accident

20. an ad that shows hamsters going for a joyride in a car

23. Read your shampoo bottle in the shower. Does it claim it has everything you could ever desire in a shampoo?

24. Listen to the news on your way in to work and school. What slant on the news are they taking? What do they want you to believe?

25. What is your instructor trying to make you believe?

26. What words of incentive does your boss give you to try to get you to do your best work?