Rhetoric notes

Reading Skill:

Rhetoric

The Basics about Rhetoric

What is it?

The study of effective use of
language, often to persuade,
through an author’s use of
organizational patterns and
strategies

Aka - how an author persuades you to believe something

Yes, but what does it do?

Rhetoric is a tool for writers that
enables them to convince their
readers/listeners about their point of view.

Where can we find it?
Rhetoric is everywhere! But, we often see it in political speeches.

Advertisers:

Advertisers also give their ads a touch of rhetoric to
increase their sales by convincing people that their
product is better tha other products in the market.

Example: A girl, after shampooing her hair, says, “I can’t
stop touching my hair.” (This is an attempt to entice
consumers to have soft and shiny hair like her.)

Important

Terminology

Parts of an argument

Argument: writing
that expresses a
position on an issue
or problem with
support including
reasons as evidence

Claim: writer’s
position on an issue
or problem

Support: any
material that serves
to prove the claim
(also referred to as
the defense of a
claim)

Support can take many forms in an argument.

■

Statistics

■

Examples

■

Facts

■

Narratives/anecdotes

■

Expert opinions

■

Observations/personal experiences

Additional parts of an argument

Assumptions:
opinions or beliefs
that are taken for
granted

Opposing
viewpoints:
objections tothe
writer’s claims

Counterargument:
arguments made to
oppose (counter) the
opposing viewpoints

More terms that pop up when analyzing rhetoric:

Bias: the subtle presence of
a positive or negative
approach to a topic

Perspective: a person’s
point of view or personal
history that may influence
his personal beliefs

Example Argument

​highlight the sentences and label the skills in your notes:
yellow-claim

green-opposing viewpoint

blue-support

orange-counterargument

purple-call to action

The
Rhetorical
Triangle

Ethos, pathos, and logos are three major tools that a writer
can use to help persuade people.

Ethos = credibility

1

“

Convinces an audience of the author’s

character or reputation.

An author would use ethos to show his

audience that he is a source worth listening

to.

Example of Ethos

My three decades of experience in the public service, my
tireles commitment to the people of this community, and
my willingness to reach across the aisle and cooperate with
the opposition, make me the ideal candidate for your
mayor.

​Highlight the key ehtos phrases in your notes.

Pathos = emotion

2

“

Persuades an audience by appealing to their

emotions. An author would use pathos to
make an audience feel what the author
wants them to feel. This may prompt the

audience to action.

Example of Pathos

They’ve worked against everything we’ve worked so
hard to build, and they don’t care who gets hurt in the
process. Make no mistake, they’re the enemy, and they
won’t stop until we’re all destroyed.

​Highlight the key phrases that create pathos.

Logos

3

“

Convinces an audience by using logic or
reason. The author could cite facts and

statistics, historical and literal analogies,

and certain authorities on a subject.

Two types of logic: deductive and inductive reasoning:

Deductive Reasoning: taking
a generalization and
applying it to specific
examples

Example: All men are
mortal. (generalization) Joe
is a man. Therefore,Joe is
mortal. (specific example)

​Highlight the generalizaiton in your notes.
Underline the specific example(s).

Inductive Reasoning:
Moving from observations
and examples to a broad
generalization

Example: This cat is black.
The cat is black. A third cat
is black. (observations/
examples) Therefore, all
cats are black.
(generalization)

​​Highlight the generalizaiton in your notes.
Underline the specific example(s).