The goal of argumentative writing is to persuade your audience that your ideas are valid, or more valid than someone else's. The Greek philosopher Aristotle divided the means of persuasion, appeals, into three categories--Ethos, Pathos, Logos.

Ethos or ethical appeal, means convincing by the character of the author. We tend to believe people whom we respect.

One of the central problems of argumentation is to project an impression to the reader that you are someone worth listening to, in other words making yourself as author into an authority on the subject of the paper, as well as someone who is likable and worthy of respect.

Pathos means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions. We can look at texts ranging from classic essays to contemporary advertisements to see how pathos, emotional appeals, are used to persuade.

Language choice affects the audience's emotional response, and emotional appeal can effectively be used to enhance an argument.

Logos means persuading by the use of reasoning. Includes deductive and inductive reasoning. Giving reasons is the heart of argumentation. Learn about the common logical fallacies to help you evaluate the validity of an argument.