Pathos, Ethos and Logos

Pathos is a Greek word meaning 'suffering'. The words 'empathy' and 'pathetic' are derived from it. In persuasive writing, Pathos is used to appeal to the reader's emotions using stories, language and tone. Eg, saying that your friends would be disappointed if you couldn't use the car.

Ethos is the origin for the word 'Ethical', and is the Greek word for 'character'. Ethos is used in persuasive writing to make the author sound like an expert, stating their title and accomplishments, among other things, to make them sound professional. Eg, saying that you're the moral compass or impulse control for your friends and need to be there in case they do something dumb.

Logos is the Greek word that created the word 'logic', and it means the same thing in Greek. Logos is used to provide facts and logic to strengthen one's argument and use historical and literal analogies as well as theoretical language to make their argument even more effective. Eg, stating facts about why you should be allowed to use the car and convince them.

What are we doing?
We are studying persuasive writing.
Why are we doing it?
To help us with our school work and even real life situations where we may need to argue our point across.
What questions do I have?
None at the moment.

Critical Literacy - Salvation Army Pamphlet

Missing text on the right: 'A survey last year showed that almost
20% of of Kiwis confessed to skipping meals on occasion due
to not having enough money.'

What does the author of the text want us to know?
They want us to know the consequences of living in poverty and how the reader can help.

What kinds of social realities does the text portray?
It shows how some New Zealanders don't even make enough money to live on, leading to poverty.

Who is real in the text?
The girl in the middle, as well as all the people included in the statistics.