TL;DR:
Persuasion rests on three appeals: credibility (ethos), emotion (pathos) and reasoning (logos).
Start from your audience: what do they care about and what might they doubt?
A speech is heard once, so use a clear structure, short sentences and repetition of the key line.
You have two minutes to convince your class that the school should add a composting bin to the cafeteria. A reader can reread a hard paragraph. A listener cannot. That one difference changes how you write: you need a structure people can follow by ear, a few strong reasons, and a reason for them to trust you.
Start with the audience
Before drafting, answer three questions. Who is listening? What do they already believe about this? What would stop them from agreeing? Your classmates may care about cost, effort and whether it will smell. A speech to the principal might focus on budget and rules. The same claim needs different reasons for different listeners.
The three appeals
More than two thousand years ago, Aristotle described three ways a speaker persuades. They are still the clearest checklist.
Ethos is credibility: why should the audience trust you? You show it through fairness, honesty and knowledge, or by saying what you did to learn the topic.
Pathos is emotion: why should they care? You show it with a concrete picture, a short story or a value they share.
Logos is logic: why is it true? You show it with reasons, evidence and clear cause and effect.
Strong speeches use all three. A speech with only emotion feels manipulative. A speech with only facts can feel cold and forgettable.
Worked example: ethos, pathos and logos in a two-minute speech
Say you speak at about 130 words per minute, a comfortable pace for many speakers. That is an assumption to test by timing yourself. At that pace, two minutes is 130 × 2 = 260 words. Here is a plan with the number of words each section might get.
Part | Appeal | Content | Words |
|---|---|---|---|
Opening | Pathos | A picture: every lunch, trays of food scraps go into the trash. | 35 |
Claim | Logos | We should add a compost bin to the cafeteria this term. | 20 |
Reason 1 | Logos | Food scraps in a landfill are waste, while a compost bin turns them into soil for the school garden. | 60 |
Reason 2 | Ethos | I spent a week counting scraps after lunch, and I spoke to the custodian about who would empty a bin. | 60 |
Objection | Logos | Some will say it will smell. A sealed bin emptied each day addresses that. | 45 |
Close | Pathos | Next lunch, picture the same tray going somewhere useful. Vote yes. | 40 |
Check the total: 35 + 20 + 60 + 60 + 45 + 40 = 260 words, which fits two minutes at the assumed pace. If your timed run takes longer, cut words from reason 1 first, not from the opening or close, because those two parts are the ones listeners remember.
A short excerpt of how the ethos part could sound: "Last week I stood by the cafeteria bins after lunch and counted how many trays went in with food still on them. I also asked our custodian who could empty a compost bin. I am not guessing: I looked." The second and third sentences are what build trust, because the listener hears that you checked.
Structure that works by ear
Hook in the first sentence: a picture, a question or a surprising fact you can back up.
Claim stated plainly, once, early.
Two or three reasons, each signposted ("The first reason...").
An answer to the strongest objection. It shows you took the other side seriously.
A close that returns to the hook and asks for a specific action.
Delivery tips
Write for the ear: short sentences, plain words, and repeat the key line two or three times.
Practise aloud, standing up, with a timer. Reading in your head hides problems.
Pause after the key lines. Silence gives them weight.
Look at people, not the paper. Use notes with key words rather than the whole script.
Slow down when nervous. Most beginners speed up.
Tip: Record yourself on a phone and listen once with only the audio. Where you hear fillers like "um", or where you speed up, mark the script and practise those lines again.
Using repetition and contrast on purpose
Listeners cannot see your paragraphs, so you mark the structure with sound. Repeat a short phrase at key moments, such as "Not a big change. A small one." Use contrast to show what is at stake: "Today the scraps go in the trash. Tomorrow they could go in the garden." Use groups of three, since three items feel complete when spoken.
Do not overdo these. One or two repeated lines are memorable. Ten feel like a performance. Read your script aloud and keep only the devices that sound natural coming out of your mouth.
Fair persuasion
Persuading is not tricking. Do not invent facts, exaggerate, or attack the people who disagree. Audiences notice, and an unfair speech damages your ethos. Present the other side in its strongest form before you answer it.
Your plan for this week
Choose a claim you care about and plan it in the table above, with a word count for each part. Write it out, time it, and trim. DuckyHelper can act as a listener while you practise out loud, asking you what your strongest reason is, but the argument and the delivery need to be yours.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a persuasive speech be?
As long as your assignment asks. Plan around the time limit rather than a word count, and test by timing yourself aloud.
What if I get nervous?
Practise until the opening is automatic, because a strong first minute settles most nerves. Slow, deep breaths and a pause before you begin help too.
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