Persuasive Strategies

Adapted by
Dr. Nagwa Soliman
Aristotle & Rhetoric Writing
• Aristotle a famous Greek philosopher,
wrote a book entitled, “The Art of Rhetoric”
identifying the three methods of rhetoric
(persuasion) :Ethos, Pathos and Logos.
 The Art of Persuasion
The successful writer uses SOME or All of these
methods:
• Argument
• Big names
• Logos
• Pathos
• Ethos
• Research
• Rhetorical questions
 State your argument.

Example: Community service

should be a requirement for
college graduation in Egypt.
 Big Names
Important people or experts can
make your argument seem more
convincing.
Example:“It's a most distressing
affliction to have a sentimental heart
and a skeptical mind.” Naguib
Mahfouz
 Logos
Facts, numbers, Statistics and
information can be very
convincing.
On October 6 th, 1973,
the Egyptian Armed
Forces mounted a
surprise attack against
the Israeli army
stationed in Sinai and
the Golan Heights.
 Logical Devices
• Deduction
• Induction
Deductive Methods:
Principle----Application----Conclusion

Example:
• General principle: Men and women are
equal.
• Specific application: Men are subject to
military service.
• Conclusion: Therefore women should be
subject to military service.
 Inductive Reasoning

Induction is the drawing of a reliable

inference from a set of examples:
• Example:
- Examples of handguns causing accidents
- Examples of handguns used to commit
crimes
- Conc.: Handguns should be banned.
 Pathos
Getting people to feel happy, sad,
or angry can help your argument.
Example: Your
donation might just
get this puppy off
the street and into
a good home.
 Pathos: Cont.
• Both words and pictures can achieve this
appeal. In this picture, Haitian children are
collecting water. Children and adults spend
all day digging for water because most of
Haiti does not have access to water.
Common Emotional Appeals
• Diction : Choice of words e.g. words that
stir you up, fill you with anger or hope .
• Imagery : Figurative Language e.g. words
that make pictures in your head
• Syntax : Word order
 Ethos
• Display of the writer’s character,
credibility, trustworthiness (ethical)
• Attempt to gain the respect of the
audience
• Appeal to shared values—i.e., says
“I’m one of you.”
 Ethos
If people believe and trust in you, you are
more likely to persuade them.

Example 1: When a trusted doctor gives you

advice, you believe him because he knows
what s/he is talking about.

Example 2: When a judge comments on legal

precedent, audience listen because he is
expected to be knowledgeable about past legal
cases.
 Common Ethical Appeals
• Levels of diction: how a writer/speaker
chooses words to address a particular
audience
• Citing authorities (e.g., Einstein)
• Appearing knowledgeable, balanced,
objective, humble, unbiased
• Alluding to cultural, religious, literary
values held by the audience
 Research
Using reliable research can help
your argument seem convincing.
Example: A recent study found that
students who watch TV during the
week do not do not perform well in
school (Adams 2010).
 Other Persuasive Strategies
1. Analogies: Support and clarify the
argument but they cannot be considered
evidence.
• Example:"Writing a book of poetry is like
dropping a rose petal down the Grand
Canyon and waiting for the echo."
(Don Marquis)
 Persuasive Strategies: Cont.
2. Satire: satirical writers, seeking to persuade by
means of ridicule, use verbal irony (contrast
between what is said and what is meant).
Example: When Ali says Kamal is an honorable
man, he means his hearers to think that Kamal is
dishonorable.
3. Sarcasm: “You are a great man” as said to some
one who refuses to help the speaker.
One of the most straightforward ways to evaluate any piece of
writing is to examine how effectively the author has used these
three means of influencing the audience:
Logic Pathos Ethos
• Does the article • Does the writer make • Is the writer balanced?
address our logic? a skilled use of • Well-informed?
• Are the facts used emotional appeal? • Prejudiced?
well chosen? • Does the writer use • Fair?
• Are the author’s emotive language?
inferences justified
by the facts?
• Are the author’s
assumptions
justifiable?
• Is the piece well
organised?
• Is its purpose clear?
 References
• Persuasive Strategies: Writing with authority ReadWriteThink.org
• Rhetoric The Art of Persuasion
• Understanding Writing: The Rhetoric Situation Purdue University
Online Writing Lab