1.5 Persuasive Formal Writing

The key to a good formal writing piece is to form a rhetorical triangle. To do this, you must incorporate techniques of persuasion. This includes ethos, pathos, and logos in your writing.

Pathos (emotions and values)

When you feel like you understand a situation because you've been through it, this is pathos. Pathos can be expressed in ways such as gestures, words, or pictures. 

Pathos in oral form is useful in arguments to convince others that your point is valid and carries the truth. 

In written form, pathos is used as a literary device. 

Main techniques: 

- stories

- quotes of inspiration

- vivid language

Example:

" If we don't evacuate out of this building soon, we're all going to die!"

Ethos (credibility and ethics)

By showing that one is credible and/or ethical, leads to the gain of trust and respect from the audience. This causes appeal to the audience that is helpful in terms of persuasion.

The use of ethos in written form can assure the audience understands, making the work more reliable and credible.

The use of ethos in oral form can be used as a rhetorical way, which is helpful in debates or arguments. Ethos is used to back up the speaker. 
Main Techniques:

- Personal branding

- confidence in delivery

- acknowledging credible sources

Example: 

"As a nurse, I am qualified to tell you that this is the best treatment for you"  

Logos (logic, proof and reason)

A sentence that incorporates two or more sentences that is joined by conjuctions, however, at least one sentence needs to be complex. 

Main techniques:

- Structure of speech 

- References to studies, data, cases, etc. 

- Comparisons, analogies, metaphors

Example: 

"The data is very clear; it states that the business is in it's growth stage"