Persuasive writing has to sway your reader intellectually and emotionally. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle divided persuasion into three categories of appeals called ethos, pathos, and logos.
By appealing to credibility, writers make their claims more believable. The writer builds on his or her ethos by writing with clarity. The writer will be more credible if there are no errors in the writing, as well as no errors in the subject matter.
By appealing to logic, writers persuade. A successful appeal to logos requires tangible evidence, e.g., a quote from a reliable source. The writer appeals to the rationality of the audience.
By appealing to emotions, writers persuade. This is possibly the most important of the appeals. If you judge a mood, or correctly address feelings about the subject, you can win over an audience.
Most persuasive writing techniques use all three appeals.
Writers Write tip: Be credible, be logical and appeal to your reader's emotions.
Join Writers Write for The Plain Language Programme. Email az.oc.etirwsretirw@swen for details.
