What are Rhetorical Devices?
Beyond a well-structured PEEL paragraph, skilled writers use specific techniques to make their arguments more compelling. These are called rhetorical devices. Over 2,000 years ago, the Greek philosopher Aristotle identified three primary modes of persuasion that are still incredibly relevant today: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. Understanding these three "artistic proofs" allows you to both analyse persuasive texts more deeply and to make your own writing far more effective.
The Three Artistic Proofs
ETHOS (Appeal to Authority & Credibility)
This is about building trust with your audience. An author uses Ethos to convince the reader that they are a credible, trustworthy, and knowledgeable source. This makes the audience more likely to believe their argument.
How it's done: Citing experts, using professional language, highlighting relevant personal experience, showing fairness and respect for opposing views.
Example: "As a marine biologist with 20 years of experience studying the Hauraki Gulf, I can attest to the devastating impact of overfishing."
PATHOS (Appeal to Emotion)
This is about connecting with the reader's emotions. An author uses Pathos to evoke feelings like anger, sympathy, joy, or fear to make the audience feel personally connected to the issue.
How it's done: Using vivid, emotionally charged language; telling personal stories (anecdotes); using figurative language like metaphors.
Example: "Imagine the heartbreak of a family forced from their home, their belongings packed into a single suitcase, all because of a landlord's greedy rent increase."
LOGOS (Appeal to Logic & Reason)
This is about appealing to the audience's intellect. An author uses Logos to present a logical, well-reasoned argument based on facts and evidence.
How it's done: Presenting facts and statistics, using if/then statements, citing research, creating a clear, structured argument (like PEEL).
Example: "The data is undeniable: over the past five years, communities that invested in youth programmes saw a 40% reduction in petty crime."
Deconstruction & Application
1. Deconstruction: Read the sentences below and identify the primary rhetorical appeal being used (Ethos, Pathos, or Logos).
"Every year, thousands of helpless kittens are abandoned on the street. Can you really turn your back on a shivering, hungry animal in need?"
Appeal: ____________________
"A survey of 1,500 New Zealand employees showed that 82% favoured a four-day work week, indicating a clear preference for a better work-life balance."
Appeal: ____________________
2. Application: Your task is to write three separate sentences to persuade your principal to build a new school library. Write one sentence for each appeal.
Ethos:
Pathos:
Logos:
Self-Assessment & Challenge
Success Criteria Checklist
- I have written three separate sentences.
- One sentence clearly appeals to Ethos (credibility/trust).
- One sentence clearly appeals to Pathos (emotion).
- One sentence clearly appeals to Logos (logic/facts).
Challenge Task 🚀
Combine all three appeals into a single, powerful paragraph to persuade your principal to build a new library. Try to start with Ethos, build with Logos, and end with Pathos for maximum impact.
Curriculum alignment
- Language Studies — Knowledge: Crafting Texts — Persuasive texts (Phase 4): - Persuasive texts aim to convince the reader to agree with a point of view, take an action, or adopt a belief, drawing on emotion…
- Language Studies — Practices: Persuasive texts aim to convince the reader to agree with a particular point of view, take an action, or adopt a certain belief; they use a combination of emotional appeal (pa…
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions
Students will engage with this resource to develop literacy, critical thinking, and writing skills, with connections to Te Ao Māori and real-world New Zealand contexts.
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ Students can apply the key skill or concept from this resource in their own writing or analysis.
- ✅ Students can explain the learning using their own words and connect it to a real-world context.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Scaffold: Provide sentence starters, graphic organisers, and entry-level tasks. Offer extension challenges for capable learners to address a range of readiness levels.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key vocabulary before the lesson. Provide bilingual glossaries and allow first-language drafting.
Inclusion: Neurodiverse learners benefit from chunked instructions and visual supports. Ensure accessible formats throughout.
Te ao Māori enriches this learning area. Whakapapa (thinking in relationships), tikanga (purposeful protocols), and manaakitanga (caring for all learners) are frameworks that apply as much to literacy and writing as to any other domain. Centre these alongside Western frameworks to honour the full range of students' knowledge systems.