What is an example of pathos?

What is an example of pathos?

• A. A speech convincing students to volunteer by explaining why it matters.
• B. A speaker tells a sad story to make the audience care.
• C. Colgate extra clean is recommended by the #1 dentist.
• D. The audience is asked to reflect on a difficult memory with no emotional impact.

Answer: (B)

Pathos is about appealing to the audience’s emotions to persuade. A speaker telling a sad story to make the audience care directly targets feelings like empathy and sorrow, which is exactly what pathos aims to do. The other options rely on different kinds of persuasion. An endorsement by a dentist taps authority (ethos) rather than emotion. Asking the audience to reflect on a difficult memory without emotional impact misses the emotional pull that pathos uses. Explaining why something matters leans more toward logical justification (logos) than toward stirring feelings.

Pathos is about appealing to the audience’s emotions to persuade. A speaker telling a sad story to make the audience care directly targets feelings like empathy and sorrow, which is exactly what pathos aims to do.

The other options rely on different kinds of persuasion. An endorsement by a dentist taps authority (ethos) rather than emotion. Asking the audience to reflect on a difficult memory without emotional impact misses the emotional pull that pathos uses. Explaining why something matters leans more toward logical justification (logos) than toward stirring feelings.