Persuasive Techniques in Writing

It's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of persuasive techniques out there. There are many ways to convince an audience of your argument. Whether it's a persuasive essay, an email to a coworker, or a letter to your landlord, the goal is always the same: get the other person to agree with you. The three techniques that you need to know are logos, ethos, and pathos.

Logos is the appeal to logic, and it's the most effective type of persuasion. Logos uses reason and logic to persuade someone to agree with you. For example, if you use facts or statistics to back up your argument, then you are using logos.

Ethos is the appeal to character, which means that it is trying to convince someone that you are trustworthy and credible. To persuade your audience, use credible sources. Credibility is key to persuasion. If you want your audience to take you seriously, they have to believe that what you're saying is true. That's why it's important to use credible sources when building your argument. If you're trying to convince someone that a certain brand of sneakers is better than another, for example, then it would be helpful if you could find an article from a reputable sports news site that said so.

Pathos is the appeal to emotion; it is trying to convince someone by appealing to their feelings and emotions. It uses stories, anecdotes, and other emotional appeals to move people to action. For example, if you want someone to donate money toward a charity because they'll feel bad if they don't, then this would be pathos (you're trying to get them emotional).