Question

read this excerpt from common sense.

it is not in the power of britain to do this continent justice. . . . to be always running three or four thousand miles with a tale or a petition, waiting four or five months for an answer, which when obtained requires five or six more to explain it in, will in a few years be looked upon as folly and childishness — there was a time when it was proper, and there is a proper time for it to cease.

which of the following best describes the rhetorical appeals being used?

a. mostly pathos; no logos or ethos
b. a mixture of ethos and pathos
c. mostly ethos; no pathos or logos
d. a mixture of pathos and logos

Explanation:

1. Logos: The excerpt uses concrete, logical details (distance: 3-4 thousand miles, time frames: 4-5 months for an answer, 5-6 more to explain it) to argue that relying on Britain is impractical and inefficient. This is an appeal to logic and reason.
2. Pathos: Phrases like "folly and childishness" frame the current relationship in a negative, emotionally charged way, aiming to evoke frustration and a desire for change in the reader. This is an appeal to emotion.
3. Ethos: There is no appeal to the speaker's credibility, authority, or shared values/ethics present in this excerpt.

Combined, the passage uses a mix of logos and pathos.

Answer:

D. A mixture of pathos and logos