A great article with strong ethos: West Virginia's promise was broken from the very start

I read a great article in the DA about the PROMISE scholarship. As a recipient, I care a lot about the PROMISE. However, I'm glad that I graduate this May because of the always-changing requirements and suggested caps.

The writer of this article, West Virginia's promise was broken from the very start, definitely knows how to develop ethos by providing facts, describing previous experiences, word size, and qualifiers.

First, word size, or rather specific financial words, such as "fiscally conservative" and subsidy" appeals to the reader. The writer shows that they do not underestimate the reader.

The writer next uses two techniques to show good sense: the facts throughout the article and the absence of qualifiers. The disadvantages are clear in this article. When the "cost of the PROMISE Scholarship Fund, which, by 2011, will purportedly grow to some $46,200,00" exceeds so much, the high number is astonishing. Also, although the scholarship is supposed to encourage residents to stay in state, "evidence shows that a whopping 97 percent of PROMISE graduates would have attended college without the subsidy, while 71 percent would have attended college in West Virginia." The author concludes by acknowledging "The stated purpose of the PROMISE is to be a “merit-based scholarship program designed to keep qualified students in West Virginia by making college affordable,”" although people who can afford college still receive the scholarship. Then, the absence of qualifiers creates a definite, these-are-the-facts type of ethos. Using statistics instead of qualifiers is a great way to appeal to a readers good sense. For example, instead of saying most PROMISE recipients would have attended college anyway, the writer uses the statistic 97% of scholars. The writer has clearly done their homework and provides solutions for the state although they are a direct beneficiary.

Finally, the writer can obviously relate to these PROMISE related issues because he or she is a recipient. I would not write about ways in which scholarship money can be better distributed when I am a recipient of that scholarship if I were not linked to a good cause.

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How do they convince you that they are intelligent and well informed?
Tactics for good character?
Goodwill towards readers?

ethos: attempts to persuade the audience through appeals to the rhetor's character.
good sense: knowledge about the subject; thought carefully about the issue
good will: relationship to the audience; don't talk over their heads
good morals: linked to a good cause.
Describe previous experiences with the topic
Provide relevant facts, data, testimony
1st, 2nd, 3rd person creates different distance
word size
qualifiers
voice