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evidence purposefully; not only can well-chosen evidence illustrate or clarify an impor-
2
tant point and set a specific tone or mood, it also strengthens your reasoning and
credibility.
What evidence to present, how much is necessary, and how to present it are all
rhetorical choices guided by an understanding of the audience, especially their emotions
Argument
and values. For instance, a person speaking to a group of scientists will most likely need
facts and figures to persuade her audience, while one writing an essay for a local news-
paper might want to use an anecdote to grab the reader’s attention.

Types of Evidence

Evidence can come in many forms. Some types of evidence are more emotionally per-
suasive, while others are more factually authoritative. Like any other rhetorical choice,
the type of evidence used to support an argument depends on the rhetorical situation
and how you want to appeal to your audience. A good argument generally blends differ-
ent types of evidence to avoid having an argument that is either too hotly emotional or
coldly factual.

Personal Observations, Personal Experience, and Testimonies
Bringing in personal experience adds a human element and can be an effective way to
appeal to pathos. For example, if you are writing about whether you support increasing
funding for the arts in schools, you might describe your experience as a student. Or you
might use your personal observations — things you have seen but not necessarily
experienced yourself — to inform your argument. You might, for instance, use your per-
sonal observations about a nearby art museum as evidence. Testimony is also a pow-
erful form of evidence because it has an emotional component. While the term may
bring up a picture of a courtroom in your head, testimony is actually an expression of
how the writer — or someone the writer is citing — feels about a personal experience or
personal observation. You might use your perception of your cousin’s great experience
at a magnet school for the arts as evidence in your essay on that subject. Personal
experience, personal observations, and testimonies can make an abstract issue more
human, especially in the introduction and conclusion of an argument. While they can
interest readers and draw them in, these types of evidence can rarely stand alone as
support for an argument. Audiences typically need more than just your perspective to
be persuaded.

Anecdotes
Anecdotes are stories about other people that you’ve either observed, been told about,
or researched. You might, for instance, argue for more bike lanes in your community by
recalling a situation when you saw a cyclist trying to navigate traffic on a busy street.
Keep in mind, however, that, like personal experience, anecdotes can be persuasive, but
they rarely count as definitive evidence because experience is subjective.

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