Rhetorical Devices Project
1st Period Group 4
Testimonials
Examples of Testimonials
It is easy to show an example of a testimonial. They are everywhere, especially on television. People can give testimonials such as those who have used Pro Activ acne remover, as well as Clearasil. This is when people show before and after results of a product and show how the effects have helped them. This is also done in many weight loss commercials, showing people who have lost significant amounts of weight. Many testimonials can be found in infomercials late at night as well.
Logical Appeal
Definition of Logical Appeal
Definition of Incorrect premise
Examples of Incorrect Premise
For example, consider this syllogism, which involves an obvious false premise:
- If the streets are wet, it has rained recently. (premise)
- The streets are wet. (premise)
- Therefore it has rained recently. (conclusion)
This argument is logically valid, but quite demonstrably unsound, because its first premise is false – one could hose down the streets, a street cleaner could have passed, or the local river could have flooded, etc. A simple logical analysis will not reveal the error in this argument, since that analysis must accept the truth of the argument's premises. For this reason, an argument based on false premises can be much more difficult to refute, or even discuss, than one featuring a normal logical error, as the truth of its premises must be established to the satisfaction of all parties.