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Here is an explanation we think will help with identifying and analyzing logos, ethos, pathos, and kairos.

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Logos is often called a logical appeal or an appeal to reason and frequently uses data to support a claim.

For example, "Approximately 117 million adults in the US have preventable chronic illnesses linked to poor diet."

Ethos appeals to either character or credibility. For example, when you use a counterargument to show an opposing side to an issue before explaining why your thesis is still correct, you use ethos.

Pathos focuses attention on the values and beliefs of the intended audience, on their capacity for empathy often by using an imaginable (or true) story to exemplify logical appeals. For example, when you write about a person who was sentenced to death and they later discover that the person was innocent, you appeal to the audience's ability to empathize.

Kairos is Greek for "right time" or "opportunity" and refers to the timeliness of an argument. For example, you might write about the need for donations to food banks after a national or local disaster such as a hurricane or another serious weather event. The "time is right" for people to donate when a life-threatening event has occurred.