Use of English PRO

The (0) CONCEPT (CONCEIVE) of 'rhetoric', or effective public speaking, dates back thousands of years. The underlying (1) ............ (ASSUME) behind rhetoric is that how you present an argument can greatly influence whether people are persuaded by you or not. There is (2) ............ (DOUBT) plenty of evidence to support this idea — it's practically (3) ............ (THINK), for example, for a successful politician to be a poor communicator — but is it just a question of style winning over substance? Certainly, it is often said of politicians that they talk complete (4) ............ (SENSE) but what they say they say with such (5) ............ (CONVINCE) that we tend to believe them, at least when they're in opposition. On the other hand, (6) ............ (WISE) and knowledge are of little value if you cannot communicate them effectively to your peers or to the next generation. It is the combination of clear (7) ............ (REASON), sound (8) ............ (JUDGE) and effective presentation and communication skills that defines true rhetoric. A true rhetorician should always come across as knowledgeable, and never as opinionated or ignorant.