VV064 Week 5
Logos, pathos, ethos
1) Label the following sentences as pathos, logos, and ethos:
a) A child is shown covered in bug bites after using an inferior bug spray.
b) Tiger Woods endorses Nike.
c) Sprite Zero is 100% sugar-free.
d) A 32-oz. bottle of Tide holds enough to wash 32 loads.
e) A commercial shows an image of a happy couple riding in a Corvette.
f) Cardiologists recommend Ecotrin more than any other brand of aspirin.
g) Advil Liqui-Gels provide up to 8 hours of continuous pain relief.
h) Miley Cyrus appears in Oreo advertisements.
i) People who need more energy drink Red Bull Energy Drink.
j) A magazine ad shows people smiling while smoking cigarettes
2) The following is a speech delivered by the President George W. Bush on September 14, 2001 in New
York devastated by the 9/11 attacks. Before the speech, he climbed atop a small pile of rubble, got
hold of a bullhorn (i.e. a megaphone) and put his arm around a fire fighter. Analyze the speech and
focus on logos, pathos and ethos.
CROWD: U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. I want you all to know --
Q: Can't hear you.
THE PRESIDENT: I can't talk any louder. (Laughter) I want you all to know that America today -- that
America today is on bended knee in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, for the workers
who work here, for the families who mourn. This nation stands with the good people of New York
City, and New Jersey and Connecticut, as we mourn the loss of thousands of our citizens.
Q: I can't hear you.
THE PRESIDENT: I can hear you. (Applause) I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you.
(Applause) And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon. (Applause)
CROWD: U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
THE PRESIDENT: The nation sends its love and compassion to everybody who is here. Thank you for
your hard work. Thank you for making the nation proud. And may God bless America. (Applause)
CROWD: U.S.A.! U.S.A.! (The President waves small American flag.) (Applause)
VV064 Week 5
Working with Text – Paragraphs and Structure
Argument – “To seek to persuade other people of your stance on your subject.”
1) In an argument essay, the main argument is usually stated in the introduction. Each body
paragraph then contains an argument with supporting arguments, evidence, explanation, and
evaluation. Look at the three possible structures for a body paragraph of an argument essay. Work
in pairs and discuss which structure seems most logical to you. Give reasons.
(adapted from De Chazal, Edward and Sam McCarter. Oxford EAP: A Course in English for Academic Purposes. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2012.)
Structure A Structure B Structure C
- Supporting argument 1
Evidence and explanation against
- Supporting argument 1
Evidence and explanation for
- Supporting argument 1
Evidence and explanation against
- Supporting argument 2
Evidence and explanation for
- Supporting argument 2
Evidence and explanation against
- Supporting arguments 2 and 3
Evidence and explanation for
- Evaluation in favor of
supporting argument 2
- Supporting argument 3
Evidence and explanation against
- Evaluation in favor of
supporting arguments 2 and 3
- Evaluation in favor of
supporting argument 1
2) Look at the following outline of a body paragraph. Work in groups and discuss whether you
agree with the way the arguments, evidence, and explanation are synthesized or combined in the
outline. Give reasons and examples
- Support argument 1 – giving vouchers to encourage people to buy healthy food
- Evidence and explanation against – financial approach: incentive / what is to stop people
selling vouchers for less money? / buy more healthy foods / short-term solution / wasteful
initiative
- Supporting argument 2 – encouraging engagement with local people through groups and
community action
- Evidence and explanation for – group action to improve conditions / individuals follow /
people with different experts / responsibility for own actions / growing own food / long-term
behavior change
- Evaluation in favor of 2 – long-term behavior change
3) Read the introduction and body paragraph 1 of an essay. Answer the questions below.
Introduction
The world we live in is suffering from the consequences of our lifestyles, which are becoming
essentially more selfish. This phenomenon is not restricted to any one country or region of the world.
For the purposes of this essay, lifestyle is defined as the way in which a person or a community, or
group of people, lives and works, and includes not just diet and exercise, but also living conditions,
general consumption, financial and social behavior; in fact, every action that is involved in an
individual’s life. A considerable amount of research has been done into persuading people to adapt
VV064 Week 5
their lives and lead more responsible lifestyles and there is a wealth of literature as to strategies to
engage communities to do so. This essay argues that the most effective way to involve people in
making decisions about their lives is not through financial inducement or penalties, but through
strategies that engage not just individuals but also communities and families in taking responsibility
for their actions.
Body paragraph 1
A recent government initiative in the UK suggests giving individuals £50 vouchers to buy healthy
goods at participating outlets. This is perhaps a waste of public money. Harrison (2010, p. 025) claims
that this is not an effective use of public funds, as it is open to abuse. For example, supposing people
want cash rather than vouchers. The vouchers can be sold for less than their full value. Further, if the
value of eating healthily is not understood, then giving out vouchers is hardly likely to have any
lasting effect. Johnson (2001, pp. 126-7) criticizes such schemes for their focus on short-termism and
not dealing with the issue. Perhaps, as Gonzalez and Parker (2003, p.074) propose, a better option
would be community involvement, not just individual involvement. If the people around an individual
or group like a family or community take action to improve their conditions, an individual is then
more likely to follow, as Cooper (2007, p.204) points out. Let us imagine people in a community are
invited to a local meeting with various experts on changing behavior. They can be shown how to take
responsibility for their own behavior, through perhaps growing their own healthy food communally
with children and adults being involved. With proper encouragement and support, this strategy is
much morel likely to lead to long-term behavior change than the distribution of vouchers.
1) Identify the thesis statement in the introduction.
2) Is the writer arguing for or against financial incentives?
3) Does the thesis statement present the writer’s stance regarding the overall argument clearly
and effectively? Give evidence.
4) Identify the approaches the writer uses in their argument in body paragraph 1. Match them
to the list in exercise 1.
5) Identify and describe in your own words the evidence and explanation for each approach.
4) Evaluate the introduction and body paragraph 1 of the essay above using the questions below.
1) Does the writer state their main argument and summarize the different ideas well?
2) Is the statement of the overall argument clear? Give evidence.
3) How clear are the supporting arguments in body paragraph 1? Give evidence.
4) How is the main argument linked with the thesis statement?
5) Do you agree with the writer’s main argument? Are you persuaded by the argument? Give
reasons.