Appeals in a Speech

In practice

This worked example is constructed for this course. A student government candidate addresses classmates: "I have worked in the dining hall for two years, so I know how long the lines get at noon. Last week, a friend of mine skipped lunch three days in a row because she could not wait and still make her lab. A survey of two hundred students found that most had skipped a meal because of lines. If you elect me, I will push for a second serving station before midterms." Analyze it in order. First, ethos: the speaker's two years of work in the dining hall establish firsthand knowledge, which makes the audience trust the description of the problem. Second, pathos: the story of a friend skipping lunch makes the problem personal and sympathetic, and classmates may recognize themselves in it. Third, logos: the survey of two hundred students moves the claim from one story to a pattern, answering the objection that the friend's case is unusual. Fourth, kairos: the promise to act before midterms ties the proposal to a moment when students feel the time pressure most. Fifth, structure: the speech moves from credibility to story to data to proposal, building trust before asking for votes. Overall, the appeals reinforce one another, so the short speech is persuasive for its audience, though a skeptic might ask whether a second station is affordable.