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Ethos and Coping with Stress

Ethos refers to one of the approaches to formulating convincing arguments based on an author or speaker’s credibility and reputation as an authority in the given field. At times it encompasses the ability of an author to project themselves as an authority worth listening to or believing on a given subject matter. In order for an article to make for convincing reading

Coping with Stress

Ethos in this article is conveyed through the tone taken by the author, who right from the start conveys a sense of authority and knowledge in the subject matter being discussed. The author begins first by providing a detailed introduction of stress. This is followed by an organized description of the symptoms that usually accompany stress and recommendations on how to deal with stress, as a counselor, parent, educator or individual. The manner with which the author presents the information not only makes the article convincing, but it also makes him come across as an authority within the field of psychology. Simply from reading the article, the reader can be convinced of the author’s credentials and the article’s relevance and validity. Ethos is used effectively in the article, because at no point is the reader in doubt that the article is providing factual information. This indicates that ethos has been used effectively and the author’s authority on the subject is unquestionable. The use of third person within the article also eliminates any doubts as to the author’s degree of certainty in the information provided.

How Plagiarism Occurs

In this article, the author projects an air of authority that the reader senses stems from the author’s many years (20). Further, the fact that the author is a tutor, means that he/she has numerous experience in matters regarding plagiarism, which puts him/her in the perfect position to describe how plagiarism occurs. Not only does the author clearly outline what plagiarism is, but he/she also goes ahead and outlines how it occurs based on experience. On the basis of the fact that the author has already made it clear that he/she has been a tutor for many years, the arguments put forth over how plagiarism occurs are very convincing, as it is easy for the reader to believe that indeed whatever the author is describing, is something he/she has encountered on numerous occasions. Ethos has been used effectively in this article, through establishing and conveying the author as an authority in the field in question, making the arguments presented quite convincing.

Why Calorie Counting is an Eating Disorder

The article is not very convincing, while the use of ethos within it is also quite questionable. Even the manner with which the author starts the article leaves a lot more questions than answers regarding not just the author’s authority over the matter, but also the message itself. The use of phrases such as “I think so” and “she expresses it more eloquently than I ever could” do not inspire confidence in the author and the message carried by the article. Not only does the author fail to inspire confidence in his/her authority on the subject under discussion, but he/she also fails to inspire confidence in the message itself. The article does not come across as factual, but simply an expression of the author’s personal opinion not backed by empirical evidence. Ethos is not effectively used in the writing of this article.

Works Cited

CDC. Coping with Stress. Web.

Diet Doctor. Why Calorie Counting is an Eating Disorder. Web.

“How Plagiarism Occurs.” Web.