Rhetorical Strategies

Which strategy is an appeal to emotion?

• Providing facts and graphs

• Including a personal anecdote

• Citing an expert's opinion

• Rebutting the opposition

In an argument, why might an author choose to concede a point to the opposition? [Choose all that apply.] Concede means to admit that something is true after first denying it.

• They know they have lost the argument.

• Conceding a point can help find common ground with an audience who favored the other side.

• They want to change sides.

• Acknowledging the opposition's valid points before offering a rebuttal builds credibility/ethos.

When a speaker or author uses statistics to support their argument, they're using an appeal to logic or reasoning. Why do you think this is effective?

True or false: A speaker is only effective if they appeal to their audience's emotions.

• True

• False

There are many things you should know about the audience you are trying to persuade. Name one and explain why it's important.

You want to convince your teacher to give you an extension on your assignment. Select the strategies that would likely be effective:

• You were sick and have a doctor's note, so you attach a copy to your email.

• You were out of town for a concert, so you tag her in your weekend post on Instagram.

• You decide it's better to just hand in a complete assignment late without explanation.

• You had a hard week personally, so you decide to speak with your teacher the day before the due date and ask for help developing a plan to complete the assignment.

As an author or a speaker, how do you decide which style would likely be most effective? What (or who) do you consider first?

True for False: Logical appeals are always the most effective.

• True

• False

You are speaking to a group of your peers about the importance of picking up trash and keeping the campus clean. What types of strategies do you think would be effective for your audience? Name 2 and explain.

The most effective rhetorical strategies appeal to (select all that apply):

• Appeals to Logic

• Appeals to Emotion

• Appeals to Credibility or Trustworthiness

• None of the above