Grade: Grade 7 Subject: SAT/ACT Skills Unit: Reading Craft Lesson: 4 of 6 SAT: Craft+Structure ACT: Reading

Rhetorical Devices

Recognize techniques authors use to persuade and engage readers.

Learn

Common Rhetorical Devices

  • Ethos: Appeal to credibility or ethics
  • Pathos: Appeal to emotions
  • Logos: Appeal to logic and reason
  • Repetition: Repeating words or phrases for emphasis
  • Rhetorical question: Question asked for effect, not a real answer
  • Analogy: Comparison to explain a complex idea

Practice

Question 1: "As a doctor with 30 years of experience, I can tell you this treatment works." What appeal is this?

Answer

Ethos - appeal to credibility. The speaker uses their expertise to build trust.

Question 2: "Imagine the joy on a child's face when they receive their first book." What appeal is this?

Answer

Pathos - appeal to emotions. It asks readers to imagine and feel something.

Question 3: "Studies show that 90% of students improved with this method." What appeal is this?

Answer

Logos - appeal to logic. It uses statistics and evidence.

Question 4: "I have a dream... I have a dream..." Why did MLK use repetition?

Answer

Repetition emphasizes the key message and makes it memorable and powerful.

Question 5: "Who among us has never made a mistake?" What device is this?

Answer

Rhetorical question - asked for effect, expecting agreement rather than an answer.

Question 6: "Learning a language is like building a house - you need a strong foundation first." What device is this?

Answer

Analogy - comparing language learning to house building to explain the concept.

Question 7: "Think of the homeless families sleeping in the cold tonight." What appeal is this?

Answer

Pathos - appeals to readers' emotions of sympathy and concern.

Question 8: Why might an author use a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos?

Answer

Different readers are persuaded by different appeals. Using all three makes the argument more convincing to a wider audience.

Question 9: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields..." What device is used?

Answer

Repetition (of "we shall fight") and parallel structure create a powerful, memorable effect.

Question 10: An advertisement shows a celebrity using a product. What appeal is this?

Answer

Ethos - the celebrity's fame and credibility are used to persuade people to trust the product.