AIW: Lesson - Supporting Evidence

Image: Illustration of three hands, holding each other's wrists in support.Supporting Evidence

As stated earlier in this module, argument is a part of persuasion; once you have an effective thesis statement, you need to think about how you will support it and ultimately persuade your audience. Support for an argument can come in many different forms: expert testimony, statistics, and anecdotal evidence just to name a few. When attempting to persuade an audience, it is helpful to think of the rhetorical triangle.

The Rhetorical Triangle: Logos, Ethos, and Pathos

Image: a portrait bust of the philosopher Aristotle.The Greek philosopher Aristotle shaped the way we discuss argumentation and rhetoric to this day. Aristotle was a master organizer and loved to create categories into which concepts could be organized. He was particularly interested in what made an argument appealing to the audience. He noted that some speakers would appeal to the emotions of the mob; others would offer logical solutions. The three main categories of appeals that he identified are logos, pathos, and ethos. Together, these three classical appeals make up the rhetorical triangle.

Video Lesson

 Please view the following video to learn more about these appeals and how to spot them in advertisements.

Practice Activity

Below you will find various examples of the classical appeals. Correctly label them as logos, ethos, or pathos.

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