Rhetorical Appeals Worksheet

Rhetorical Appeals: Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Read each question carefully and provide thoughtful answers. This worksheet will assess your understanding of rhetorical appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos.

1. Which rhetorical appeal relies on the credibility or authority of the speaker or writer?

2. An advertisement showing sad, hungry children to encourage donations is primarily using which rhetorical appeal?

3. When a speaker uses facts, statistics, and logical reasoning to persuade an audience, they are primarily appealing to  .

4. The three main rhetorical appeals, as identified by Aristotle, are ethos, pathos, and  .

5. Read the following excerpt and identify the rhetorical appeal being used. Explain your reasoning.

"As a doctor with twenty years of experience in pediatric medicine, I can assure you that this vaccine is safe and effective for your children."

6. Describe a scenario where a speaker might effectively use pathos to persuade an audience. Be specific.

7. A strong argument uses only one type of rhetorical appeal to be most effective.

8. Analyze the following short passage. Identify and explain how ethos, pathos, and/or logos are used to persuade the reader. If an appeal is not present, explain why its absence might be significant.

Passage: "The recent surge in ocean plastic pollution is directly linked to a 20% increase in manufacturing of single-use plastics over the last five years. Our planet's delicate ecosystems are being choked by this waste, threatening marine life and ultimately impacting human health. Join us in signing this petition to demand stricter regulations on plastic production and consumption. Our future, and the future of our oceans, depends on it."