SAT写作 修辞手法总结

SAT Essay Glossary

The SAT Essay will ask you how an author uses evidence, reasoning, and stylistic or persuasive elements to craft an argument. How can you quickly determine which of these elements the writer is using, and exactly what they are? This

glossary will help you get started!

Ethos/Pathos/Logos

Back in the day, Aristotle identified three primary forms of persuasion: Appeals to Ethics (Ethos), Appeals to Emotion (Pathos), and Appeals to Logic

(Logos).

Appeals to Ethos are intended to establish a person's professional credibility or qualifications to make a particular argument. Through a claim to knowledge and relevant experience, this method of persuasion emphasizes the ethical or moral character and stature of the person who is providing information. If the speaker or writer wants to provide extra credibility, they can bring in a trusted source to bolster their argument.

Examples of Ethos:

•Now, since I am a preacher by calling, I suppose it is not surprising that I have seven major reasons for bringing Vietnam into the field of my moral vision.” -

Martin Luther King, Jr.

•“I’ve lived in this apartment community for over 20 years and have loved my time here. I’ve never once made a complaint . . . until now.”

•“With two terms as Governor of Missouri under his belt and a decades-long senate career, Mr. Gonzalez is eminently qualified to become President.”

•“As a whale watcher, I see firsthand on a daily basis just how important our local ecosystems are to the survival of marine life.”

•“According to Bartelby Higginbotham, the world’s foremost authority on Daylight Saving Time, ‘springing forward’ results in 147 extra hours of productivity per

year.”

Appeals to Logos are intended to speak directly to the audience’s sense of

reason or logic. These arguments “just make sense.”

Examples of Logos:

•“In the 100 people we surveyed in the blind taste test, 95 participants preferred Joy Soda over Fizzy Pop. Since they are priced the same, we should obviously serve Joy in our restaurants.”

•“In the last 25 years, the city of Mainville has not had a single reported crime, making it the safest city in the world.”

•“With a dismally low audience size, this spinoff TV show is nowhere near as good as the original.”

•“The right to free speech is not only included in the First Amendment, but is a basic human right. Those protesters should have no problem rallying on the courthouse steps.”

•“We all need water to survive. In light of this fact and the recent drought, shouldn’t more local governments be taking clear action to reduce water waste?”

Appeals to Pathos are intended to evoke an emotional response in the audience, such as fear, anger, or nostalgia/sentimentality.

Examples of Pathos:

•“How can we trust him to uphold our interests in Congress? He was born into a wealthy family and never had to work for a living. He doesn’t understand what it’s like to be the little guy!”

•“Speeding cars are a huge danger to our children, our pets, and our community in general. That’s why I’m proposing we install 10 speed bumps on five of our major streets.”