ABSTRACT
Do you like to barter at a garage sale, argue a political point with a friend, or watch courtroom drama on television? If not, maybe you like to examine the pros and cons of an item on Amazon before you click the purchase bottom, brainstorm reasons you should consider a particular professional career, or maybe even give your parents reasons to help pay for your graduate school education. If so, you might really enjoy exploring the topic of persuasion.
In this chapter, you’ll be examining the subject of persuasive speaking. Persuasion is defined, and the three purposes for persuasion are explained. Aristotle’s three persuasive proofs of ethos, logos, and pathos are discussed as they pertain to persuasive speaking. And various persuasive speech structures are presented to accommodate different audiences, and a sample persuasive speech outline is provided. The chapter ends with guidelines on presenting special-occasion speeches in the future.
