Pathos

There should be no excuse for completely boring writing of any kind.

You may not like to read this now, since you know I’ll expect you to revise carefully and make your paper interesting, but think about the text books you have to read and the way you struggle to stay awake through some of those chapters. Do you ever wish they were more interesting? What about your research for your paper?

This is one reason that children's non-fiction can be such an excellent source for information. If the writing isn't clear and interesting, it doesn't get published for children. Adults don't always enjoy this luxury.

Pathos refers to how interesting you make your paper. You can do this by:

• Making your writing clear and easy to follow. Failure to write carefully is the most common reason for poor pathos.
• Applying the paper’s ideas to your audience. Help them see why your topic should matter to them.
• Using skills like rhythm, values, concrete details, contrast, and metaphors.
• Using action verbs instead of Be verbs.