Explain the difference between logos, pathos, and ethos.

Logos appeals to logic and reason using facts and evidence. Pathos appeals to emotions. Ethos establishes the writer's credibility and trustworthiness.

Give an example of a situation where an appeal to ethos might be ineffective, even if the writer has impressive credentials.

If the writer's credentials are not relevant to the topic at hand, the appeal to ethos will be weak or unconvincing.

Author's Purpose in Complex Texts

11th Grade•55 minutes

Learning Objective

I can determine an author's purpose in complex texts and analyze how that purpose influences their writing choices.

Key Concepts

A writer's purpose includes what they are trying to accomplish, who their audience is, and the context in which they are writing.

Aristotle identified three strategic appeals or artistic proofs, which include logos, pathos, and ethos.

Ethos appeals build trust in the writer, logos appeals aim for the audience's sense of reason, and pathos appeals focus on emotions.

Practice Questions

This lesson includes 12 practice questions to reinforce learning.

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1. According to the video, what are the three components of an author's purpose?

2. The video mentions that analyzing the purpose of a text can be a process of trial and error. Explain why this is the case.

3. What are Aristotle's three artistic appeals, and how do they help in understanding an author's purpose?

...and 9 more questions

Educational Video

Introducing Purpose and Strategies | Rhetoric & Composition | Study Hall

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Learning Objective

Key Concepts

Practice Questions

Educational Video

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