What You Need to Know

Key Concept Diagram

A speech must immediately engage the audience: hooks include a rhetorical question, a striking statistic, a bold statement, or a brief anecdote

Rhetorical devices — ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic) — are the three classical modes of persuasion

Structural signposting ("Firstly…", "To conclude…") helps listeners follow the argument in real time without re-reading

Parallelism and rule of three create rhythm and emphasis, making key points more memorable for listeners

Key Vocabulary

Ethos

The rhetorical appeal to the speaker's credibility, character, or authority to establish trust with the audience

Pathos

The rhetorical appeal to the audience's emotions to create sympathy, outrage, or enthusiasm

Logos

The rhetorical appeal to logic and reason through evidence, statistics, and structured argument

Rule of three

A rhetorical pattern using three parallel items or phrases for emphasis and rhythm (e.g., "government of the people, by the people, for the people")

Knowledge Check

Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.

Question 1

A speaker opens with: "Imagine waking up and having no access to clean water. This is the daily reality for 2 billion people." Which technique is used?

Logos Ethos Rule of three Pathos combined with a statistic (logos)

Question 2

A student says: "As the school's water conservation officer, I have studied this issue for two years." Which appeal is this?

Ethos Logos Pathos Anaphora

Question 3

The phrase "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields" uses which two rhetorical devices?

Metaphor and rhyme Parallelism and anaphora Simile and hyperbole Alliteration and assonance

Writing & Delivering Speeches