Appeals in Action
"As a doctor who has treated thousands of patients with this condition, I can confidently say early testing saves lives."
Ethos
"We need cleaner oceans. We need cleaner air. We need a cleaner planet for the next generation."
Anaphora
"We gather today to honor those whose bravery reshaped the course of our nation."
Reverent
Clue:
A speech begins:
"As parents, we all worry about the world our children will inherit.”
Who is the intended audience?
Parents
The writer describes a CEO as “calculating,” “ruthless,” and “predatory.”
What kind of diction is this?
Negative, loaded diction
A charity ad shows a slow-motion clip of a child reaching out for help, while soft piano music plays.
Pathos
"Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."
Antithesis
"Oh sure, because that's exactly what we need—another meeting that solves absolutely nothing."
Sarcasm
Clue:
A newspaper column published two days after a major factory explosion argues that worker safety laws must be updated.
What is the context?
The aftermath of a factory explosion
"She ran. She fell. She refused to stay down."
What syntactical choice is the author making?
Short, telegraphic sentences for urgency and emphasis
"According to a five-year study from the National Institute of Health, rates of childhood asthma have doubled."
Logos
The author mentions “a modern-day Goliath of corporate greed” in an article about financial corruption.
Allusion
"The consequences of this negligence cannot be overstated; they threaten the very foundation of our society."
Grave or Serious
Clue:
An op-ed opens with:
"After twenty years as a public school teacher, I have watched countless students fall through the cracks of our testing system.”
What persona is the writer adopting?
A climate activist writes:
"The earth is weeping—its forests gasp beneath the weight of our apathy."
What kind of diction is this?
Personifying, emotional diction to evoke pathos
A speaker tells a story about her own struggle with poverty before arguing for increased education funding.
Personal Narrative (blending pathos with ethos)
"If we don't act now, the sun will go out, the oceans will boil, and every puppy will cry."
Hyperbole
"Perhaps… perhaps we acted too quickly. Perhaps the consequences weren’t fully clear."
Tentative
Clue:
A speaker tells a story of escaping food insecurity as a child to the local government officials in a town hall meeting.
What is the purpose?
To persuade the officials to intervene in the food insecurity crisis.
In a speech, the author writes a single sentence that runs nine lines long, filled with layered clauses describing every injustice faced by workers.
What rhetorical effect does this complex syntax create?
To overwhelm the audience with the magnitude of injustice through cumulative, complex syntax.
"You and I both know that our community deserves safer streets and better schools. This proposal is for all of us."
Ethos through shared values
"How could any responsible leader ignore these warnings?"
Rhetorical Question
"You must change your behavior. This carelessness is no longer acceptable—your choices affect everyone around you."
Cautionary or Didactic
Clue:
A 1968 speech delivered to a crowd of striking sanitation workers begins:
"My brothers, your courage in demanding fair treatment echoes the founding promises of this nation."
Identify 2 of the following: Context, Audience, Persona, or Purpose
Context: The 1968 Memphis sanitation workers’ strike.
Audience: Striking sanitation workers.
Persona: A civil rights leader standing in solidarity with laborers.
Purpose: To motivate and encourage them to continue fighting for fair treatment.
The paragraph begins with long, winding sentences full of descriptive imagery. Suddenly, the author ends the section with:
"Enough."
What combined syntactical and diction choice is being made?