Persuasive language
Persuade ethically and effectively: appeal to logic, credibility and emotion; use framing, social proof and strong calls to action.
In this lesson you will
- Use logos, ethos and pathos
- Frame benefits for your audience
- Write and speak with persuasive calls to action
Learn
Logos (logic): evidence, data, cause and effect: Switching would cut costs by 30% within a year. Ethos (credibility): experience, expertise, shared values: Having worked in this sector for 15 years… Pathos (emotion): stories, vivid images, values: Imagine a child who…
Framing for the audience: talk about their benefits: you’ll save…, your team will…. Social proof: Over 2,000 schools already use… Loss framing can be powerful: Every month we delay costs us…
Calls to action: specific, easy, urgent: Sign up today — it takes two minutes. Let’s approve the pilot this week.
Ethics: persuasion should be honest. Don’t exaggerate data, invent urgency, or exploit fear. Credibility, once lost, is hard to rebuild.
Examples
- Logos: Schools that adopted the scheme saw attendance rise by 12%.
- Ethos: As a nurse for twenty years, I’ve seen the impact first-hand.
- Pathos: Picture a patient waiting six hours alone in a corridor.
- Call to action: Join us on Saturday — bring a friend.
Vocabulary
logos
persuasion through logic
ethos
persuasion through credibility
pathos
persuasion through emotion
social proof
showing that others already do/accept something
call to action
a direct request to act
Practice
“As a doctor with 20 years’ experience…” appeals to…
Speaking
Persuade your audience to support a local cause in 90 seconds, using logos, ethos and pathos, and end with a clear call to action.
Writing
Write a persuasive appeal (180–220 words) for a charity or community project, using all three appeals, audience benefits and a strong ethical call to action.
Lesson quiz
Pathos is an appeal to…
Review
Key points
- Logos, ethos, pathos.
- Audience benefits, social proof, loss framing.
- Specific, urgent calls to action.
- Persuade ethically.
What you learned
- ✓ I persuade effectively.
- ✓ I balance logic, credibility and emotion.
- ✓ I persuade ethically.