Burcu Tuzcu

Professor Ferrara

English 101

9 November 2020

Rhetorical Analysis

Bill Gates main message in the TED Talk would be him making an attempt to inform and

educate his audience on how this deadly virus will form our future. Also, how the argument

communicated in the text are them talking about the challenges of reducing virus transmission

and his thoughts on reopening the entire country. The kinds of evidence the speaker uses to

persuade their audience is real life examples, cases numbers, and data used to prove that he

knows what he's talking about. As he’s speaking, he spoke in a way that makes him feel

comfortable and confident enough for the general audience to acknowledge. The speaker's

attitude is serious, and in some parts, he sounds a bit terrified because he wants to show that the

audience discerns the overall message in his argument. Bill Gates displays a formal speech

because he does not know the man and the audience on a personal level. He wants to sound

serious since it's an important matter that the world is dealing with right now.

Just about most of the video he performs tactics such as ethos, pathos, and logos to

persuade the target audience which would be me. In the text Gates reveals his true emotions and

value along with building trust with his viewers, he provides us with reasoning, logic, and proof.

The ways ethos is used is he represented himself by building trust with his audience and viewers

and showed us credibility and trustworthiness while speaking his own mind. All the way logos
were used in here is that he provided proof and a reason behind what he was saying. The facts

would be the cases of the deaths along with the cases worldwide. The numbers he was talking

about supports the message and convinces the audience that the virus is not going to disappear

anytime soon. I personally do not trust the author(s) because both of the guys are not doctors or

scientists that can help find a cure or treatment for corona. All they can do is teach others and tell

us how the pandemic will shape our future. All speakers’ main techniques would be to appear as

a person they would believe and trust in because you obviously wouldn’t want someone who lies

or be isn’t honest with them.

For my own part I do believe that the target audience finds this type of talk style

appealing, appropriate, and welcoming just because he puts this sort of method that makes me

wonder when the world will actually go back to normal due to the way he apprises his listeners.

Some may find this offensive to the audience in some way because he has no type of science,

health, or any type medical knowledge that I know that. The larger conversation; our community

might have prompted the author Bill Gates to create this text because he is successful American

business magnate and is an intelligent guy and he can actually influence a lot of people, he may

be the right person to talk about it since he’s well known.

Another reason people may have probably prompted the author to speak about this issue

was to notify us about best and the worst-case scenarios for the coronavirus in the months ahead.

There were many other surprises in the last couple months that we've learned about this virus that

really impact how we should respond to it such as how there wouldn’t be a vaccine for the

coronavirus for a long amount of time. Like everyone is telling us that it is very important to
wear a mask and social distance to avoid catching the deadly disease. Not only students are

watching this ted talk by Bill Gates, but his audience can also be educators, health care works,

professors’, and some people who work in education. The reason they may be watching would

be that some specific people might be interested in what his opinion is on the virus and what he

can maybe do to help others since he’s not a scientist or a doctor of any source.

I don’t really think the target audience would find this style inappropriate. Overall, Bill

Gates the speaker of his interesting ted talk showed me and his audience many kinds of evidence

he used to persuade his audience. The thing that motivated the author to create this video was to

inform his audience on the best and the worst-case scenarios for the coronavirus in the months

ahead. The author's purpose might be to address his thoughts on if the COVID-19 case numbers

are going to be increasing or decreasing in the upcoming months and is trying to raise awareness

to others. Hopefully you understood its purpose, message, and audience better this time since I

analyze the long text. I also identified many the tactics in this film such as ethos, pathos, and

logos just so he can convince the target audience.