A good rhetorical argument persuades you to accept a belief or adopt a course of action. An argument focuses on logical appeals while persuasion incorporates ethical and emotional appeals. Credible authors-- or speakers-- should convince the audience of not only their knowledge and truthfulness but also their dependability and morality. Language is critical to show that the author has good intentions and has considered the needs and interests of the audience. See which words presidents have used in their inaugural addresses at SPEECHWARS: The words that make a nation.