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How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis | Key Concepts & Examples
Published on August 28, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.
A rhetorical analysis is a type of essay that looks at a text in terms of rhetoric. This means it is less concerned with what the author is saying than with how they say it: their goals, techniques, and appeals to the audience.
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Table of contents
Key concepts in rhetoric, analyzing the text, introducing your rhetorical analysis, the body: doing the analysis, concluding a rhetorical analysis, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about rhetorical analysis.
Rhetoric, the art of effective speaking and writing, is a subject that trains you to look at texts, arguments and speeches in terms of how they are designed to persuade the audience. This section introduces a few of the key concepts of this field.
Appeals: Logos, ethos, pathos
Appeals are how the author convinces their audience. Three central appeals are discussed in rhetoric, established by the philosopher Aristotle and sometimes called the rhetorical triangle: logos, ethos, and pathos.
Logos , or the logical appeal, refers to the use of reasoned argument to persuade. This is the dominant approach in academic writing , where arguments are built up using reasoning and evidence.
Ethos , or the ethical appeal, involves the author presenting themselves as an authority on their subject. For example, someone making a moral argument might highlight their own morally admirable behavior; someone speaking about a technical subject might present themselves as an expert by mentioning their qualifications.
Pathos , or the pathetic appeal, evokes the audience’s emotions. This might involve speaking in a passionate way, employing vivid imagery, or trying to provoke anger, sympathy, or any other emotional response in the audience.
These three appeals are all treated as integral parts of rhetoric, and a given author may combine all three of them to convince their audience.
Text and context
In rhetoric, a text is not necessarily a piece of writing (though it may be this). A text is whatever piece of communication you are analyzing. This could be, for example, a speech, an advertisement, or a satirical image.
In these cases, your analysis would focus on more than just language—you might look at visual or sonic elements of the text too.
The context is everything surrounding the text: Who is the author (or speaker, designer, etc.)? Who is their (intended or actual) audience? When and where was the text produced, and for what purpose?
Looking at the context can help to inform your rhetorical analysis. For example, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech has universal power, but the context of the civil rights movement is an important part of understanding why.
Claims, supports, and warrants
A piece of rhetoric is always making some sort of argument, whether it’s a very clearly defined and logical one (e.g. in a philosophy essay) or one that the reader has to infer (e.g. in a satirical article). These arguments are built up with claims, supports, and warrants.
A claim is the fact or idea the author wants to convince the reader of. An argument might center on a single claim, or be built up out of many. Claims are usually explicitly stated, but they may also just be implied in some kinds of text.
The author uses supports to back up each claim they make. These might range from hard evidence to emotional appeals—anything that is used to convince the reader to accept a claim.
The warrant is the logic or assumption that connects a support with a claim. Outside of quite formal argumentation, the warrant is often unstated—the author assumes their audience will understand the connection without it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still explore the implicit warrant in these cases.
For example, look at the following statement:
We can see a claim and a support here, but the warrant is implicit. Here, the warrant is the assumption that more likeable candidates would have inspired greater turnout. We might be more or less convinced by the argument depending on whether we think this is a fair assumption.
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Rhetorical analysis isn’t a matter of choosing concepts in advance and applying them to a text. Instead, it starts with looking at the text in detail and asking the appropriate questions about how it works:
- What is the author’s purpose?
- Do they focus closely on their key claims, or do they discuss various topics?
- What tone do they take—angry or sympathetic? Personal or authoritative? Formal or informal?
- Who seems to be the intended audience? Is this audience likely to be successfully reached and convinced?
- What kinds of evidence are presented?
By asking these questions, you’ll discover the various rhetorical devices the text uses. Don’t feel that you have to cram in every rhetorical term you know—focus on those that are most important to the text.
The following sections show how to write the different parts of a rhetorical analysis.
Like all essays, a rhetorical analysis begins with an introduction . The introduction tells readers what text you’ll be discussing, provides relevant background information, and presents your thesis statement .
Hover over different parts of the example below to see how an introduction works.
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is widely regarded as one of the most important pieces of oratory in American history. Delivered in 1963 to thousands of civil rights activists outside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the speech has come to symbolize the spirit of the civil rights movement and even to function as a major part of the American national myth. This rhetorical analysis argues that King’s assumption of the prophetic voice, amplified by the historic size of his audience, creates a powerful sense of ethos that has retained its inspirational power over the years.
The body of your rhetorical analysis is where you’ll tackle the text directly. It’s often divided into three paragraphs, although it may be more in a longer essay.
Each paragraph should focus on a different element of the text, and they should all contribute to your overall argument for your thesis statement.
Hover over the example to explore how a typical body paragraph is constructed.
King’s speech is infused with prophetic language throughout. Even before the famous “dream” part of the speech, King’s language consistently strikes a prophetic tone. He refers to the Lincoln Memorial as a “hallowed spot” and speaks of rising “from the dark and desolate valley of segregation” to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” The assumption of this prophetic voice constitutes the text’s strongest ethical appeal; after linking himself with political figures like Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King’s ethos adopts a distinctly religious tone, recalling Biblical prophets and preachers of change from across history. This adds significant force to his words; standing before an audience of hundreds of thousands, he states not just what the future should be, but what it will be: “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” This warning is almost apocalyptic in tone, though it concludes with the positive image of the “bright day of justice.” The power of King’s rhetoric thus stems not only from the pathos of his vision of a brighter future, but from the ethos of the prophetic voice he adopts in expressing this vision.
The conclusion of a rhetorical analysis wraps up the essay by restating the main argument and showing how it has been developed by your analysis. It may also try to link the text, and your analysis of it, with broader concerns.
Explore the example below to get a sense of the conclusion.
It is clear from this analysis that the effectiveness of King’s rhetoric stems less from the pathetic appeal of his utopian “dream” than it does from the ethos he carefully constructs to give force to his statements. By framing contemporary upheavals as part of a prophecy whose fulfillment will result in the better future he imagines, King ensures not only the effectiveness of his words in the moment but their continuing resonance today. Even if we have not yet achieved King’s dream, we cannot deny the role his words played in setting us on the path toward it.
If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!
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The goal of a rhetorical analysis is to explain the effect a piece of writing or oratory has on its audience, how successful it is, and the devices and appeals it uses to achieve its goals.
Unlike a standard argumentative essay , it’s less about taking a position on the arguments presented, and more about exploring how they are constructed.
The term “text” in a rhetorical analysis essay refers to whatever object you’re analyzing. It’s frequently a piece of writing or a speech, but it doesn’t have to be. For example, you could also treat an advertisement or political cartoon as a text.
Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, building up logical arguments . Ethos appeals to the speaker’s status or authority, making the audience more likely to trust them. Pathos appeals to the emotions, trying to make the audience feel angry or sympathetic, for example.
Collectively, these three appeals are sometimes called the rhetorical triangle . They are central to rhetorical analysis , though a piece of rhetoric might not necessarily use all of them.
In rhetorical analysis , a claim is something the author wants the audience to believe. A support is the evidence or appeal they use to convince the reader to believe the claim. A warrant is the (often implicit) assumption that links the support with the claim.
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What Is a Rhetorical Analysis and How to Write a Great One
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Helly Douglas](https://assets.prowritingaid.com/f/145420/500x500/5450973f12/headshot-author-helly-douglas.jpeg/m/)
By Helly Douglas
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Cover image for article](https://marketing.prowritingaid.com/rhetorical-analysis.png)
Do you have to write a rhetorical analysis essay? Fear not! We’re here to explain exactly what rhetorical analysis means, how you should structure your essay, and give you some essential “dos and don’ts.”
What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?
How do you write a rhetorical analysis, what are the three rhetorical strategies, what are the five rhetorical situations, how to plan a rhetorical analysis essay, creating a rhetorical analysis essay, examples of great rhetorical analysis essays, final thoughts.
A rhetorical analysis essay studies how writers and speakers have used words to influence their audience. Think less about the words the author has used and more about the techniques they employ, their goals, and the effect this has on the audience.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Image showing definitions](https://marketing.prowritingaid.com/definitions-rhetorical-analysis.png)
In your analysis essay, you break a piece of text (including cartoons, adverts, and speeches) into sections and explain how each part works to persuade, inform, or entertain. You’ll explore the effectiveness of the techniques used, how the argument has been constructed, and give examples from the text.
A strong rhetorical analysis evaluates a text rather than just describes the techniques used. You don’t include whether you personally agree or disagree with the argument.
Structure a rhetorical analysis in the same way as most other types of academic essays . You’ll have an introduction to present your thesis, a main body where you analyze the text, which then leads to a conclusion.
Think about how the writer (also known as a rhetor) considers the situation that frames their communication:
- Topic: the overall purpose of the rhetoric
- Audience: this includes primary, secondary, and tertiary audiences
- Purpose: there are often more than one to consider
- Context and culture: the wider situation within which the rhetoric is placed
Back in the 4th century BC, Aristotle was talking about how language can be used as a means of persuasion. He described three principal forms —Ethos, Logos, and Pathos—often referred to as the Rhetorical Triangle . These persuasive techniques are still used today.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Image showing rhetorical strategies](https://marketing.prowritingaid.com/rhetorical-strategies.png)
Rhetorical Strategy 1: Ethos
Are you more likely to buy a car from an established company that’s been an important part of your community for 50 years, or someone new who just started their business?
Reputation matters. Ethos explores how the character, disposition, and fundamental values of the author create appeal, along with their expertise and knowledge in the subject area.
Aristotle breaks ethos down into three further categories:
- Phronesis: skills and practical wisdom
- Arete: virtue
- Eunoia: goodwill towards the audience
Ethos-driven speeches and text rely on the reputation of the author. In your analysis, you can look at how the writer establishes ethos through both direct and indirect means.
Rhetorical Strategy 2: Pathos
Pathos-driven rhetoric hooks into our emotions. You’ll often see it used in advertisements, particularly by charities wanting you to donate money towards an appeal.
Common use of pathos includes:
- Vivid description so the reader can imagine themselves in the situation
- Personal stories to create feelings of empathy
- Emotional vocabulary that evokes a response
By using pathos to make the audience feel a particular emotion, the author can persuade them that the argument they’re making is compelling.
Rhetorical Strategy 3: Logos
Logos uses logic or reason. It’s commonly used in academic writing when arguments are created using evidence and reasoning rather than an emotional response. It’s constructed in a step-by-step approach that builds methodically to create a powerful effect upon the reader.
Rhetoric can use any one of these three techniques, but effective arguments often appeal to all three elements.
The rhetorical situation explains the circumstances behind and around a piece of rhetoric. It helps you think about why a text exists, its purpose, and how it’s carried out.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Image showing 5 rhetorical situations](https://marketing.prowritingaid.com/rhetorical-situations.png)
The rhetorical situations are:
- 1) Purpose: Why is this being written? (It could be trying to inform, persuade, instruct, or entertain.)
- 2) Audience: Which groups or individuals will read and take action (or have done so in the past)?
- 3) Genre: What type of writing is this?
- 4) Stance: What is the tone of the text? What position are they taking?
- 5) Media/Visuals: What means of communication are used?
Understanding and analyzing the rhetorical situation is essential for building a strong essay. Also think about any rhetoric restraints on the text, such as beliefs, attitudes, and traditions that could affect the author's decisions.
Before leaping into your essay, it’s worth taking time to explore the text at a deeper level and considering the rhetorical situations we looked at before. Throw away your assumptions and use these simple questions to help you unpick how and why the text is having an effect on the audience.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Image showing what to consider when planning a rhetorical essay](https://marketing.prowritingaid.com/planning-a-rhetorical-essay.jpg)
1: What is the Rhetorical Situation?
- Why is there a need or opportunity for persuasion?
- How do words and references help you identify the time and location?
- What are the rhetoric restraints?
- What historical occasions would lead to this text being created?
2: Who is the Author?
- How do they position themselves as an expert worth listening to?
- What is their ethos?
- Do they have a reputation that gives them authority?
- What is their intention?
- What values or customs do they have?
3: Who is it Written For?
- Who is the intended audience?
- How is this appealing to this particular audience?
- Who are the possible secondary and tertiary audiences?
4: What is the Central Idea?
- Can you summarize the key point of this rhetoric?
- What arguments are used?
- How has it developed a line of reasoning?
5: How is it Structured?
- What structure is used?
- How is the content arranged within the structure?
6: What Form is Used?
- Does this follow a specific literary genre?
- What type of style and tone is used, and why is this?
- Does the form used complement the content?
- What effect could this form have on the audience?
7: Is the Rhetoric Effective?
- Does the content fulfil the author’s intentions?
- Does the message effectively fit the audience, location, and time period?
Once you’ve fully explored the text, you’ll have a better understanding of the impact it’s having on the audience and feel more confident about writing your essay outline.
A great essay starts with an interesting topic. Choose carefully so you’re personally invested in the subject and familiar with it rather than just following trending topics. There are lots of great ideas on this blog post by My Perfect Words if you need some inspiration. Take some time to do background research to ensure your topic offers good analysis opportunities.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Image showing considerations for a rhetorical analysis topic](https://marketing.prowritingaid.com/rhetorical-analysis-topic.png)
Remember to check the information given to you by your professor so you follow their preferred style guidelines. This outline example gives you a general idea of a format to follow, but there will likely be specific requests about layout and content in your course handbook. It’s always worth asking your institution if you’re unsure.
Make notes for each section of your essay before you write. This makes it easy for you to write a well-structured text that flows naturally to a conclusion. You will develop each note into a paragraph. Look at this example by College Essay for useful ideas about the structure.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Image showing how to structure an essay](https://marketing.prowritingaid.com/essay-structure.jpg)
1: Introduction
This is a short, informative section that shows you understand the purpose of the text. It tempts the reader to find out more by mentioning what will come in the main body of your essay.
- Name the author of the text and the title of their work followed by the date in parentheses
- Use a verb to describe what the author does, e.g. “implies,” “asserts,” or “claims”
- Briefly summarize the text in your own words
- Mention the persuasive techniques used by the rhetor and its effect
Create a thesis statement to come at the end of your introduction.
After your introduction, move on to your critical analysis. This is the principal part of your essay.
- Explain the methods used by the author to inform, entertain, and/or persuade the audience using Aristotle's rhetorical triangle
- Use quotations to prove the statements you make
- Explain why the writer used this approach and how successful it is
- Consider how it makes the audience feel and react
Make each strategy a new paragraph rather than cramming them together, and always use proper citations. Check back to your course handbook if you’re unsure which citation style is preferred.
3: Conclusion
Your conclusion should summarize the points you’ve made in the main body of your essay. While you will draw the points together, this is not the place to introduce new information you’ve not previously mentioned.
Use your last sentence to share a powerful concluding statement that talks about the impact the text has on the audience(s) and wider society. How have its strategies helped to shape history?
Before You Submit
Poor spelling and grammatical errors ruin a great essay. Use ProWritingAid to check through your finished essay before you submit. It will pick up all the minor errors you’ve missed and help you give your essay a final polish. Look at this useful ProWritingAid webinar for further ideas to help you significantly improve your essays. Sign up for a free trial today and start editing your essays!
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You’ll find countless examples of rhetorical analysis online, but they range widely in quality. Your institution may have example essays they can share with you to show you exactly what they’re looking for.
The following links should give you a good starting point if you’re looking for ideas:
Pearson Canada has a range of good examples. Look at how embedded quotations are used to prove the points being made. The end questions help you unpick how successful each essay is.
Excelsior College has an excellent sample essay complete with useful comments highlighting the techniques used.
Brighton Online has a selection of interesting essays to look at. In this specific example, consider how wider reading has deepened the exploration of the text.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Image showing tips when reading a sample essay](https://marketing.prowritingaid.com/tips-sample-essay.png)
Writing a rhetorical analysis essay can seem daunting, but spending significant time deeply analyzing the text before you write will make it far more achievable and result in a better-quality essay overall.
It can take some time to write a good essay. Aim to complete it well before the deadline so you don’t feel rushed. Use ProWritingAid’s comprehensive checks to find any errors and make changes to improve readability. Then you’ll be ready to submit your finished essay, knowing it’s as good as you can possibly make it.
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Helly Douglas
Helly Douglas is a UK writer and teacher, specialising in education, children, and parenting. She loves making the complex seem simple through blogs, articles, and curriculum content. You can check out her work at hellydouglas.com or connect on Twitter @hellydouglas. When she’s not writing, you will find her in a classroom, being a mum or battling against the wilderness of her garden—the garden is winning!
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How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay–Examples & Template
What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?
A rhetorical analysis essay is, as the name suggests, an analysis of someone else’s writing (or speech, or advert, or even cartoon) and how they use not only words but also rhetorical techniques to influence their audience in a certain way. A rhetorical analysis is less interested in what the author is saying and more in how they present it, what effect this has on their readers, whether they achieve their goals, and what approach they use to get there.
Its structure is similar to that of most essays: An Introduction presents your thesis, a Body analyzes the text you have chosen, breaks it down into sections and explains how arguments have been constructed and how each part persuades, informs, or entertains the reader, and a Conclusion section sums up your evaluation.
Note that your personal opinion on the matter is not relevant for your analysis and that you don’t state anywhere in your essay whether you agree or disagree with the stance the author takes.
In the following, we will define the key rhetorical concepts you need to write a good rhetorical analysis and give you some practical tips on where to start.
Key Rhetorical Concepts
Your goal when writing a rhetorical analysis is to think about and then carefully describe how the author has designed their text so that it has the intended effect on their audience. To do that, you need to consider a number of key rhetorical strategies: Rhetorical appeals (“Ethos”, “Logos”, and “Pathos”), context, as well as claims, supports, and warrants.
Ethos, Logos, and Pathos were introduced by Aristotle, way back in the 4th century BC, as the main ways in which language can be used to persuade an audience. They still represent the basis of any rhetorical analysis and are often referred to as the “rhetorical triangle”.
These and other rhetorical techniques can all be combined to create the intended effect, and your job as the one analyzing a text is to break the writer’s arguments down and identify the concepts they are based on.
Rhetorical Appeals
Rhetorical appeal #1: ethos.
Ethos refers to the reputation or authority of the writer regarding the topic of their essay or speech and to how they use this to appeal to their audience. Just like we are more likely to buy a product from a brand or vendor we have confidence in than one we don’t know or have reason to distrust, Ethos-driven texts or speeches rely on the reputation of the author to persuade the reader or listener. When you analyze an essay, you should therefore look at how the writer establishes Ethos through rhetorical devices.
Does the author present themselves as an authority on their subject? If so, how?
Do they highlight how impeccable their own behavior is to make a moral argument?
Do they present themselves as an expert by listing their qualifications or experience to convince the reader of their opinion on something?
Rhetorical appeal #2: Pathos
The purpose of Pathos-driven rhetoric is to appeal to the reader’s emotions. A common example of pathos as a rhetorical means is adverts by charities that try to make you donate money to a “good cause”. To evoke the intended emotions in the reader, an author may use passionate language, tell personal stories, and employ vivid imagery so that the reader can imagine themselves in a certain situation and feel empathy with or anger towards others.
Rhetorical appeal #3: Logos
Logos, the “logical” appeal, uses reason to persuade. Reason and logic, supported by data, evidence, clearly defined methodology, and well-constructed arguments, are what most academic writing is based on. Emotions, those of the researcher/writer as well as those of the reader, should stay out of such academic texts, as should anyone’s reputation, beliefs, or personal opinions.
Text and Context
To analyze a piece of writing, a speech, an advertisement, or even a satirical drawing, you need to look beyond the piece of communication and take the context in which it was created and/or published into account.
Who is the person who wrote the text/drew the cartoon/designed the ad..? What audience are they trying to reach? Where was the piece published and what was happening there around that time?
A political speech, for example, can be powerful even when read decades later, but the historical context surrounding it is an important aspect of the effect it was intended to have.
Claims, Supports, and Warrants
To make any kind of argument, a writer needs to put forward specific claims, support them with data or evidence or even a moral or emotional appeal, and connect the dots logically so that the reader can follow along and agree with the points made.
The connections between statements, so-called “warrants”, follow logical reasoning but are not always clearly stated—the author simply assumes the reader understands the underlying logic, whether they present it “explicitly” or “implicitly”. Implicit warrants are commonly used in advertisements where seemingly happy people use certain products, wear certain clothes, accessories, or perfumes, or live certain lifestyles – with the connotation that, first, the product/perfume/lifestyle is what makes that person happy and, second, the reader wants to be as happy as the person in the ad. Some warrants are never clearly stated, and your job when writing a rhetorical analysis essay is therefore to identify them and bring them to light, to evaluate their validity, their effect on the reader, and the use of such means by the writer/creator.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay bust of plato the philosopher, rhetorical analysis essay](https://ee-blog-cdn.wordvice.com/us/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/16231954/plato-bust.jpg)
What are the Five Rhetorical Situations?
A “rhetorical situation” refers to the circumstance behind a text or other piece of communication that arises from a given context. It explains why a rhetorical piece was created, what its purpose is, and how it was constructed to achieve its aims.
Rhetorical situations can be classified into the following five categories:
Why was a text written or a cartoon drawn? Does it want to inform someone? Instruct a certain audience? Entertain a specific group of people? | |
Who will read/see this (or read/saw it in the past) and be influenced by it/motivated to do something? | |
What type of writing/advertisement/communication is this? | |
What views does the piece represent? How do these views fit into the situation the writer was in at the time or the reader is in now? | |
What forms, means, and techniques does the piece use to communicate with its audience? |
Asking such questions when you analyze a text will help you identify all the aspects that play a role in the effect it has on its audience, and will allow you to evaluate whether it achieved its aims or where it may have failed to do so.
Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline
Analyzing someone else’s work can seem like a big task, but as with every assignment or writing endeavor, you can break it down into smaller, well-defined steps that give you a practical structure to follow.
To give you an example of how the different parts of your text may look when it’s finished, we will provide you with some excerpts from this rhetorical analysis essay example (which even includes helpful comments) published on the Online Writing Lab website of Excelsior University in Albany, NY. The text that this essay analyzes is this article on why one should or shouldn’t buy an Ipad. If you want more examples so that you can build your own rhetorical analysis template, have a look at this essay on Nabokov’s Lolita and the one provided here about the “Shitty First Drafts” chapter of Anne Lamott’s writing instruction book “Bird by Bird”.
Analyzing the Text
When writing a rhetorical analysis, you don’t choose the concepts or key points you think are relevant or want to address. Rather, you carefully read the text several times asking yourself questions like those listed in the last section on rhetorical situations to identify how the text “works” and how it was written to achieve that effect.
Start with focusing on the author : What do you think was their purpose for writing the text? Do they make one principal claim and then elaborate on that? Or do they discuss different topics?
Then look at what audience they are talking to: Do they want to make a group of people take some action? Vote for someone? Donate money to a good cause? Who are these people? Is the text reaching this specific audience? Why or why not?
What tone is the author using to address their audience? Are they trying to evoke sympathy? Stir up anger? Are they writing from a personal perspective? Are they painting themselves as an authority on the topic? Are they using academic or informal language?
How does the author support their claims ? What kind of evidence are they presenting? Are they providing explicit or implicit warrants? Are these warrants valid or problematic? Is the provided evidence convincing?
Asking yourself such questions will help you identify what rhetorical devices a text uses and how well they are put together to achieve a certain aim. Remember, your own opinion and whether you agree with the author are not the point of a rhetorical analysis essay – your task is simply to take the text apart and evaluate it.
If you are still confused about how to write a rhetorical analysis essay, just follow the steps outlined below to write the different parts of your rhetorical analysis: As every other essay, it consists of an Introduction , a Body (the actual analysis), and a Conclusion .
Rhetorical Analysis Introduction
The Introduction section briefly presents the topic of the essay you are analyzing, the author, their main claims, a short summary of the work by you, and your thesis statement .
Tell the reader what the text you are going to analyze represents (e.g., historically) or why it is relevant (e.g., because it has become some kind of reference for how something is done). Describe what the author claims, asserts, or implies and what techniques they use to make their argument and persuade their audience. Finish off with your thesis statement that prepares the reader for what you are going to present in the next section – do you think that the author’s assumptions/claims/arguments were presented in a logical/appealing/powerful way and reached their audience as intended?
Have a look at an excerpt from the sample essay linked above to see what a rhetorical analysis introduction can look like. See how it introduces the author and article , the context in which it originally appeared , the main claims the author makes , and how this first paragraph ends in a clear thesis statement that the essay will then elaborate on in the following Body section:
Cory Doctorow ’s article on BoingBoing is an older review of the iPad , one of Apple’s most famous products. At the time of this article, however, the iPad was simply the latest Apple product to hit the market and was not yet so popular. Doctorow’s entire career has been entrenched in and around technology. He got his start as a CD-ROM programmer and is now a successful blogger and author. He is currently the co-editor of the BoingBoing blog on which this article was posted. One of his main points in this article comes from Doctorow’s passionate advocacy of free digital media sharing. He argues that the iPad is just another way for established technology companies to control our technological freedom and creativity . In “ Why I Won’t Buy an iPad (and Think You Shouldn’t, Either) ” published on Boing Boing in April of 2010, Cory Doctorow successfully uses his experience with technology, facts about the company Apple, and appeals to consumer needs to convince potential iPad buyers that Apple and its products, specifically the iPad, limit the digital rights of those who use them by controlling and mainstreaming the content that can be used and created on the device .
Doing the Rhetorical Analysis
The main part of your analysis is the Body , where you dissect the text in detail. Explain what methods the author uses to inform, entertain, and/or persuade the audience. Use Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle and the other key concepts we introduced above. Use quotations from the essay to demonstrate what you mean. Work out why the writer used a certain approach and evaluate (and again, demonstrate using the text itself) how successful they were. Evaluate the effect of each rhetorical technique you identify on the audience and judge whether the effect is in line with the author’s intentions.
To make it easy for the reader to follow your thought process, divide this part of your essay into paragraphs that each focus on one strategy or one concept , and make sure they are all necessary and contribute to the development of your argument(s).
One paragraph of this section of your essay could, for example, look like this:
One example of Doctorow’s position is his comparison of Apple’s iStore to Wal-Mart. This is an appeal to the consumer’s logic—or an appeal to logos. Doctorow wants the reader to take his comparison and consider how an all-powerful corporation like the iStore will affect them. An iPad will only allow for apps and programs purchased through the iStore to be run on it; therefore, a customer must not only purchase an iPad but also any programs he or she wishes to use. Customers cannot create their own programs or modify the hardware in any way.
As you can see, the author of this sample essay identifies and then explains to the reader how Doctorow uses the concept of Logos to appeal to his readers – not just by pointing out that he does it but by dissecting how it is done.
Rhetorical Analysis Conclusion
The conclusion section of your analysis should restate your main arguments and emphasize once more whether you think the author achieved their goal. Note that this is not the place to introduce new information—only rely on the points you have discussed in the body of your essay. End with a statement that sums up the impact the text has on its audience and maybe society as a whole:
Overall, Doctorow makes a good argument about why there are potentially many better things to drop a great deal of money on instead of the iPad. He gives some valuable information and facts that consumers should take into consideration before going out to purchase the new device. He clearly uses rhetorical tools to help make his case, and, overall, he is effective as a writer, even if, ultimately, he was ineffective in convincing the world not to buy an iPad .
Frequently Asked Questions about Rhetorical Analysis Essays
What is a rhetorical analysis essay.
A rhetorical analysis dissects a text or another piece of communication to work out and explain how it impacts its audience, how successfully it achieves its aims, and what rhetorical devices it uses to do that.
While argumentative essays usually take a stance on a certain topic and argue for it, a rhetorical analysis identifies how someone else constructs their arguments and supports their claims.
What is the correct rhetorical analysis essay format?
Like most other essays, a rhetorical analysis contains an Introduction that presents the thesis statement, a Body that analyzes the piece of communication, explains how arguments have been constructed, and illustrates how each part persuades, informs, or entertains the reader, and a Conclusion section that summarizes the results of the analysis.
What is the “rhetorical triangle”?
The rhetorical triangle was introduced by Aristotle as the main ways in which language can be used to persuade an audience: Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, Ethos to the writer’s status or authority, and Pathos to the reader’s emotions. Logos, Ethos, and Pathos can all be combined to create the intended effect, and your job as the one analyzing a text is to break the writer’s arguments down and identify what specific concepts each is based on.
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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, crafting a solid thesis for ap lang rhetorical analysis.
Hey everyone, I'm having trouble coming up with a strong thesis statement for the rhetorical analysis essay in AP Lang. Any tips on how to create a clear and effective thesis that won't leave me rambling?
I understand that crafting a solid thesis statement can be a challenge, but it's an important part of your essay as it will guide your analysis and keep you focused. Here are some tips to help you create a clear and effective thesis for your AP Lang rhetorical analysis essay:
1. Identify the author's main argument: Begin by understanding the author's main point or claim. This should become the basis for your thesis, as you'll be discussing how the author constructs this argument using rhetorical strategies.
2. Analyze rhetorical strategies: Determine which rhetorical strategies the author uses, such as ethos, pathos, or logos, and consider how the strategies relate to the author's overall argument. You'll want to narrow down your focus to a few key strategies to avoid overloading your thesis with too much information.
3. Be concise and specific: An effective thesis statement should be clear and concise, while still providing enough information to guide your analysis. Try to summarize the author's main argument and the rhetorical strategies they use in a single sentence, if possible.
4. Use strong, active verbs: To ensure your thesis is clear and direct, use strong, active verbs that accurately describe the author's use of rhetorical strategies. For example, instead of saying "The author tries to persuade," you could write "The author effectively employs pathos to evoke empathy from the reader."
5. Review and revise: Don't be afraid to revise your thesis as you work on the analysis. It's common for your understanding of the text and its rhetorical strategies to evolve as you write, so make sure your thesis reflects your most current thoughts.
Here's an example to help illustrate the process:
Original text: Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech
Thesis: In his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently employs rhetorical strategies such as allusion, repetition, and pathos to persuade his audience to strive for racial equality and work together towards a more just and unified society.
Remember that practice makes perfect, so don't be discouraged if your initial attempts aren't perfect. Keep working on crafting your thesis, and you'll get better with time!
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How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis
- Read the prompt closely to make sure you understand what you need to do within your essay. Generally, in a rhetorical analysis, your instructor wants you to determine why text is or isn’t effective in persuading the audience. However, you may not always be analyzing text—you may instead be asked to look at speech or an even an image. Sometimes the instructor will present you with the item you have to analyze, but other times you may have the opportunity of choosing your own item. Both situations have pros and cons. Is the prompt asking you to do a task like this? If so, it may be a rhetorical analysis. Check out this sample prompt here.
- Read the text closely. Annotate as you read in order to identify parts of the text that you found to be persuasive or that stood out. Those memorable moments are likely rhetorical devices or appeals. Additionally, try to understand the author’s thesis and organizational strategy as you read. Does the presentation of topics work? Are there any images used? Are any stories used? Are there jokes or word-play? Is the word choice crafted in an unusual way?
- Determine the purpose of the text you are evaluating. Because you are examining the effectiveness of a text, you first need to understand its aim in order to know if it is truly fulfilling its purpose. What is the author’s intention? What is the author trying to convey to the audience? Are they informing their audience? Entertaining their audience? Persuading their audience? Is that goal achieved?
- First, ask yourself, what is this text about and who would be motivated to read this text? For example, is it the text about updated baseball regulations? Then players, coaches, and sports enthusiasts would be interested.
- Where was this text published? What other materials does that source publish? Who generally reads the content that is published? Is it in a scholarly journal? A newspaper? A magazine? The publisher usually indicates something about the target audience.
- When and where was it published? What was happening at this location when the text was published? What issues were potential readers interested in?
- Who is the author? What makes them a credible source on this topic? What else have they written? Who generally reads their writings?
- How much background knowledge does the author present. Are they writing for content experts or a more general audience?
- In the text, are there any references or allusions the author makes? For example, are there references to shows, events, or trends from this generation or another generation?
- In order to prevent your writing from falling into summary, we suggest you use EMPHATIC ORDER, not Chronological Order, so you will NOT have an essay that mirrors the presentation of topics in the original text (For example, “First, the author presented this idea, and then this idea.”). Instead, organize your essay based on frequency or importance of the rhetorical devices used. (One powerful moment was the use of ethos at in the middle of the text . . . Another important element was the way anaphora was used at the end . . .) You can read more about organizational patterns here .
- Ethos: Are there any places in the text that made you want to trust the author? Does the author demonstrate their credibility or moral code?
- Pathos: Are there any places in the text that caused you to laugh or cringe? Was there any section that made you feel excited or sad?
- Kairos: Are there references to other events that are happening? What made this text relevant when it was published? How is the text “timely”?
- Obviously, logic is a crucial element of an argument. One way to check logic is to look for fallacies or specific flaws in the way logic is used. For example, circular reasoning and proof-by-too-few examples are common fallacies. Here’s some examples of poor logic .
- Rhetorical Devices: anaphora, anthesis, hyperbole, pleonasm, oxymoron, etc . Aside from the appeals, are there other rhetorical devices that convey the information in a specific way to elicit a response from the audience? Some of them may look familiar because they are also literary devices.
- Other Rhetorical Strategies or “Slanters”: euphemisms, down-players, and innuendo . These are some specific techniques used to subtly portray information in a positive or negative light to a target audience.
- Templates: The author uses ________, ________, and ______ to effectively persuade the audience on this topic.
- Example: Smith uses ethos, pathos, logos in his article “Updated Baseball Rules Strike Out” to persuade his readers that the new regulations in baseball hinder the game-play.
- Use the present tense when describing actions in the piece.
- Use the present tense when describing what the author does.
- Write the author’s name correctly . When you reference the author, write their first and last name the very first time you reference them. Use only the last name when referring to the author later in your paper.
- Use direct quotes from the text . Generally, it’s better to use the quotes than to paraphrase so your reader can see the exact form of rhetoric. Since you are talking about how a text is crafted, the reader needs to see the original text. Here’s some examples of integrating quotes .
- You must provide an explanation of each quote . What is the significance of the quote? What does it show or how does it demonstrate rhetoric?
- Make sure you cite your quotes correctly by using in-text citations. Check out this quick guide . If you have multiple works by the same author, you’ll need to include some extra information.
- Indicate titles correctly. Titles of larger works or containers (like books, plays, anthologies) are italicized . Shorter works within containers (like articles, chapters, poems, short stories) have “quotes” around them.
- Use strong verbs. Let’s avoid “is”, “are”, “has”, “does”, and maybe even move away from “says” and “states”. Check out the list of strong verbs for literary essays here.
- Use your professor’s office hours. Once you have a rough draft, go to your professor’s office hours and see if you’re on the right track. Don’t skip this step. Professors may look for different qualities in papers, and you need to know what they expect from you.
- Beware of the internet and Chat GPT. I know students will browse the internet as a way to get their own ideas flowing. Don’t do it! But, if you can’t resist this temptation, then keep track of each source you read and remember to cite it correctly if you use that idea or a very similar idea anywhere in your paper. Remember, your analysis is your opinion on how devices were used in this text; you don’t need to know what other people think about this text. Instead, learn the rhetorical appeals, devices, and strategies because they will help you approach the text from a critical perspective.
- Take full advantage of peer review or meet with a writing consultant. A reader can help you see the gaps in your argument or indicate where more explanation is needed. They can also help your analysis become more thorough by questioning your claims and adding their own perspectives on the quotes you use as evidence.
- Make sure you are conforming to rules of the format indicated by your instructor. Usually, composition instructors use MLA, but sometimes they use APA. Check out our style guides if you need more information.
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50 Verbs of Analysis for English Academic Essays
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Verbs of Analysis for English Academic Essays](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_lossless,ret_img,w_550,h_467/https://cisl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Study.Read_.Library.Student-1024x869.jpg)
Note: this list is for advanced English learners (CEFR level B2 or above). All definitions are from the Cambridge Dictionary online .
Definition: to have an influence on someone or something, or to cause a change in someone or something.
Example: Experts agree that coffee affects the body in ways we have not yet studied.
Definition: to increase the size or effect of something.
Example: It has been shown that this drug amplifies the side effects that were experienced by patients in previous trials.
Definition: to say that something is certainly true .
Example: Smith asserts that his findings are valid, despite criticism by colleagues.
Characterizes
Definition: Something that characterizes another thing is typical of it.
Example: His early paintings are characterized by a distinctive pattern of blue and yellow.
Definition: to say that something is true or is a fact , although you cannot prove it and other people might not believe it.
Example: Smith claims that the study is the first of its kind, and very different from the 2015 study he conducted.
Definition: to make something clear or easier to understand by giving more details or a simpler explanation .
Example: The professor clarified her statement with a later, more detailed, statement.
Definition: t o collect information from different places and arrange it in a book , report , or list .
Example: After compiling the data, the scientists authored a ten-page paper on their study and its findings.
Definition: to judge or decide something after thinking carefully about it.
Example: Doctor Jensen concluded that the drug wasn’t working, so he switched his patient to a new medicine.
Definition: to prove that a belief or an opinion that was previously not completely certain is true .
Example: This new data confirms the hypothesis many researchers had.
Definition: to join or be joined with something else .
Example: By including the criticisms of two researchers, Smith connects two seemingly different theories and illustrates a trend with writers of the Romanticism period.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Verbs of Analysis for English Academic Essays](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_lossless,ret_img,w_550,h_465/https://cisl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Student.Library.Study_.Read_.Book_.Class.jpg)
Differentiates
Definition: to show or find the difference between things that are compared .
Example: Smith differentiates between the two theories in paragraph 4 of the second part of the study.
Definition: to reduce or be reduced in s i ze or importance .
Example: The new findings do not diminish the findings of previous research; rather, it builds on it to present a more complicated theory about the effects of global warming.
Definition: to cause people to stop respecting someone or believing in an idea or person .
Example: The details about the improper research done by the institution discredits the institution’s newest research.
Definition: to show.
Example: Smith’s findings display the effects of global warming that have not yet been considered by other scientists.
Definition: to prove that something is not true .
Example: Scientists hope that this new research will disprove the myth that vaccines are harmful to children.
Distinguishes
Definition: to notice or understand the difference between two things, or to make one person or thing seem different from another.
Example: Our study seems similar to another one by Duke University: how can we distinguish ourselves and our research from this study?
Definition: to add more information to or explain something that you have said.
Example: In this new paper, Smith elaborates on theories she discussed in her 2012 book.
Definition: to represent a quality or an idea exactly .
Example: Shakespeare embodies English theater, but few can understand the antiquated (old) form of English that is used in the plays.
Definition: to copy something achieved by someone else and try to do it as well as they have.
Example: Although the study emulates some of the scientific methods used in previous research, it also offers some inventive new research methods.
Definition: to improve the quality , amount , or strength of something.
Example: The pharmaceutical company is looking for ways to enhance the effectiveness of its current drug for depression.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Verbs of Analysis for English Academic Essays](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_lossless,ret_img,w_550,h_367/https://cisl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Study.Read_.Library.Student-2-1024x683.jpg)
Definition: to make something necessary , or to involve something.
Example: The scientist’s study entails several different stages, which are detailed in the report.
Definition: to consider one thing to be the same as or equal to another thing.
Example: Findings from both studies equate; therefore, we can conclude that they are both accurate.
Establishes
Definition: to discover or get proof of something.
Example: The award establishes the main causes of global warming.
Definition: to make someone remember something or feel an emotion .
Example: The artist’s painting evokes the work of some of the painters from the early 1800s.
Definition: to show something.
Example: Some of the research study participants exhibit similar symptoms while taking the medicine.
Facilitates
Definition: to make something possible or easier .
Example: The equipment that facilitates the study is expensive and of high-quality.
Definition: the main or central point of something, especially of attention or interest .
Example: The author focuses on World War II, which is an era she hasn’t written about before.
Foreshadows
Definition: to act as a warning or sign of a future event .
Example: The sick bird at the beginning of the novel foreshadows the illness the main character develops later in the book.
Definition: to develop all the details of a plan for doing something.
Example: Two teams of scientists formulated the research methods for the study.
Definition: to cause something to exist .
Example: The study’s findings have generated many questions about this new species of frog in South America.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Verbs of Analysis for English Academic Essays](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_lossless,ret_img,w_550,h_367/https://cisl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/College.University.Class.Classroom.Teacher.Lecture.Professor-1024x683.jpg)
Definition: to attract attention to or emphasize something important .
Example: The author, Dr. Smith, highlights the need for further studies on the possible causes of cancer among farm workers.
Definition: to recognize a problem , need, fact , etc. and to show that it exists .
Example: Through this study, scientists were able to identify three of the main factors causing global warming.
Illustrates
Definition: to show the meaning or truth of something more clearly , especially by giving examples .
Example: Dr. Robin’s study illustrates the need for more research on the effects of this experimental drug.
Definition: to communicate an idea or feeling without saying it directly .
Example: The study implies that there are many outside factors (other than diet and exercise) which determine a person’s tendency to gain weight.
Incorporates
Definition: to include something as part of something larger .
Example: Dr. Smith incorporates research findings from 15 other studies in her well-researched paper.
Definition: to show, point , or make clear in another way.
Example: Overall, the study indicates that there is no real danger (other than a lack of sleep) to drinking three cups of coffee per day.
Definition: to form an opinion or guess that something is true because of the information that you have.
Example: From this study about a new medicine, we can infer that it will work similarly to other drugs that are currently being sold.
Definition: to tell someone about parti c ular facts .
Example: Dr. Smith informs the reader that there are some issues with this study: the oddly rainy weather in 2017 made it difficult for them to record the movements of the birds they were studying.
Definition: to suggest , without being direct , that something unpleasant is true .
Example: In addition to the reported conclusions, the study insinuates that there are many hidden dangers to driving while texting.
Definition: to combine two or more things in order to become more effective .
Example: The study about the popularity of social media integrates Facebook and Instagram hashtag use.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay Verbs of Analysis for English Academic Essays](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_lossless,ret_img,w_550,h_367/https://cisl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/WorkBusinessOfficeChartMeetingProfessionalTech-2-1024x682.jpg)
Definition: to not have or not have enough of something that is needed or wanted .
Example: What the study lacks, I believe, is a clear outline of the future research that is needed.
Legitimizes
Definition: to make something legal or acceptable .
Example: Although the study legitimizes the existence of global warming, some will continue to think it is a hoax.
Definition: to make a problem bigger or more important .
Example: In conclusion, the scientists determined that the new pharmaceutical actually magnifies some of the symptoms of anxiety.
Definition: something that a copy can be based on because it is an extremely good example of its type .
Example: The study models a similar one from 1973, which needed to be redone with modern equipment.
Definition: to cause something to have no effect .
Example: This negates previous findings that say that sulphur in wine gives people headaches.
Definition: to not give enough c a re or attention to people or things that are your responsibility .
Example: The study neglects to mention another study in 2015 that had very different findings.
Definition: to make something difficult to discover and understand .
Example: The problems with the equipment obscures the study.
Definition: a description of the main facts about something.
Example: Before describing the research methods, the researchers outline the need for a study on the effects of anti-anxiety medication on children.
Definition: to fail to notice or consider something or someone.
Example: I personally feel that the study overlooks something very important: the participants might have answered some of the questions incorrectly.
Definition: to happen at the same time as something else , or be similar or equal to something else .
Example: Although the study parallels the procedures of a 2010 study, it has very different findings.
Converse International School of Languages offers an English for Academic Purposes course for students interested in improving their academic English skills. Students may take this course, which is offered in the afternoon for 12 weeks, at both CISL San Diego and CISL San Francisco . EAP course graduates can go on to CISL’s Aca demic Year Abroad program, where students attend one semester at a California Community College. Through CISL’s University Pathway program, EAP graduates may also attend college or university at one of CISL’s Pathway Partners. See the list of 25+ partners on the CISL website . Contact CISL for more information.
Reference management. Clean and simple.
How to write a rhetorical analysis
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What is a rhetorical analysis?
What are the key concepts of a rhetorical analysis, rhetorical situation, claims, supports, and warrants.
- Step 1: Plan and prepare
- Step 2: Write your introduction
- Step 3: Write the body
- Step 4: Write your conclusion
Frequently Asked Questions about rhetorical analysis
Related articles.
Rhetoric is the art of persuasion and aims to study writers’ or speakers' techniques to inform, persuade, or motivate their audience. Thus, a rhetorical analysis aims to explore the goals and motivations of an author, the techniques they’ve used to reach their audience, and how successful these techniques were.
This will generally involve analyzing a specific text and considering the following aspects to connect the rhetorical situation to the text:
- Does the author successfully support the thesis or claims made in the text? Here, you’ll analyze whether the author holds to their argument consistently throughout the text or whether they wander off-topic at some point.
- Does the author use evidence effectively considering the text’s intended audience? Here, you’ll consider the evidence used by the author to support their claims and whether the evidence resonates with the intended audience.
- What rhetorical strategies the author uses to achieve their goals. Here, you’ll consider the word choices by the author and whether these word choices align with their agenda for the text.
- The tone of the piece. Here, you’ll consider the tone used by the author in writing the piece by looking at specific words and aspects that set the tone.
- Whether the author is objective or trying to convince the audience of a particular viewpoint. When it comes to objectivity, you’ll consider whether the author is objective or holds a particular viewpoint they want to convince the audience of. If they are, you’ll also consider whether their persuasion interferes with how the text is read and understood.
- Does the author correctly identify the intended audience? It’s important to consider whether the author correctly writes the text for the intended audience and what assumptions the author makes about the audience.
- Does the text make sense? Here, you’ll consider whether the author effectively reasons, based on the evidence, to arrive at the text’s conclusion.
- Does the author try to appeal to the audience’s emotions? You’ll need to consider whether the author uses any words, ideas, or techniques to appeal to the audience’s emotions.
- Can the author be believed? Finally, you’ll consider whether the audience will accept the arguments and ideas of the author and why.
Summing up, unlike summaries that focus on what an author said, a rhetorical analysis focuses on how it’s said, and it doesn’t rely on an analysis of whether the author was right or wrong but rather how they made their case to arrive at their conclusions.
Although rhetorical analysis is most used by academics as part of scholarly work, it can be used to analyze any text including speeches, novels, television shows or films, advertisements, or cartoons.
Now that we’ve seen what rhetorical analysis is, let’s consider some of its key concepts .
Any rhetorical analysis starts with the rhetorical situation which identifies the relationships between the different elements of the text. These elements include the audience, author or writer, the author’s purpose, the delivery method or medium, and the content:
- Audience: The audience is simply the readers of a specific piece of text or content or printed material. For speeches or other mediums like film and video, the audience would be the listeners or viewers. Depending on the specific piece of text or the author’s perception, the audience might be real, imagined, or invoked. With a real audience, the author writes to the people actually reading or listening to the content while, for an imaginary audience, the author writes to an audience they imagine would read the content. Similarly, for an invoked audience, the author writes explicitly to a specific audience.
- Author or writer: The author or writer, also commonly referred to as the rhetor in the context of rhetorical analysis, is the person or the group of persons who authored the text or content.
- The author’s purpose: The author’s purpose is the author’s reason for communicating to the audience. In other words, the author’s purpose encompasses what the author expects or intends to achieve with the text or content.
- Alphabetic text includes essays, editorials, articles, speeches, and other written pieces.
- Imaging includes website and magazine advertisements, TV commercials, and the like.
- Audio includes speeches, website advertisements, radio or tv commercials, or podcasts.
- Context: The context of the text or content considers the time, place, and circumstances surrounding the delivery of the text to its audience. With respect to context, it might often also be helpful to analyze the text in a different context to determine its impact on a different audience and in different circumstances.
An author will use claims, supports, and warrants to build the case around their argument, irrespective of whether the argument is logical and clearly defined or needs to be inferred by the audience:
- Claim: The claim is the main idea or opinion of an argument that the author must prove to the intended audience. In other words, the claim is the fact or facts the author wants to convince the audience of. Claims are usually explicitly stated but can, depending on the specific piece of content or text, be implied from the content. Although these claims could be anything and an argument may be based on a single or several claims, the key is that these claims should be debatable.
- Support: The supports are used by the author to back up the claims they make in their argument. These supports can include anything from fact-based, objective evidence to subjective emotional appeals and personal experiences used by the author to convince the audience of a specific claim. Either way, the stronger and more reliable the supports, the more likely the audience will be to accept the claim.
- Warrant: The warrants are the logic and assumptions that connect the supports to the claims. In other words, they’re the assumptions that make the initial claim possible. The warrant is often unstated, and the author assumes that the audience will be able to understand the connection between the claims and supports. In turn, this is based on the author’s assumption that they share a set of values and beliefs with the audience that will make them understand the connection mentioned above. Conversely, if the audience doesn’t share these beliefs and values with the author, the argument will not be that effective.
Appeals are used by authors to convince their audience and, as such, are an integral part of the rhetoric and are often referred to as the rhetorical triangle. As a result, an author may combine all three appeals to convince their audience:
- Ethos: Ethos represents the authority or credibility of the author. To be successful, the author needs to convince the audience of their authority or credibility through the language and delivery techniques they use. This will, for example, be the case where an author writing on a technical subject positions themselves as an expert or authority by referring to their qualifications or experience.
- Logos: Logos refers to the reasoned argument the author uses to persuade their audience. In other words, it refers to the reasons or evidence the author proffers in substantiation of their claims and can include facts, statistics, and other forms of evidence. For this reason, logos is also the dominant approach in academic writing where authors present and build up arguments using reasoning and evidence.
- Pathos: Through pathos, also referred to as the pathetic appeal, the author attempts to evoke the audience’s emotions through the use of, for instance, passionate language, vivid imagery, anger, sympathy, or any other emotional response.
To write a rhetorical analysis, you need to follow the steps below:
With a rhetorical analysis, you don’t choose concepts in advance and apply them to a specific text or piece of content. Rather, you’ll have to analyze the text to identify the separate components and plan and prepare your analysis accordingly.
Here, it might be helpful to use the SOAPSTone technique to identify the components of the work. SOAPSTone is a common acronym in analysis and represents the:
- Speaker . Here, you’ll identify the author or the narrator delivering the content to the audience.
- Occasion . With the occasion, you’ll identify when and where the story takes place and what the surrounding context is.
- Audience . Here, you’ll identify who the audience or intended audience is.
- Purpose . With the purpose, you’ll need to identify the reason behind the text or what the author wants to achieve with their writing.
- Subject . You’ll also need to identify the subject matter or topic of the text.
- Tone . The tone identifies the author’s feelings towards the subject matter or topic.
Apart from gathering the information and analyzing the components mentioned above, you’ll also need to examine the appeals the author uses in writing the text and attempting to persuade the audience of their argument. Moreover, you’ll need to identify elements like word choice, word order, repetition, analogies, and imagery the writer uses to get a reaction from the audience.
Once you’ve gathered the information and examined the appeals and strategies used by the author as mentioned above, you’ll need to answer some questions relating to the information you’ve collected from the text. The answers to these questions will help you determine the reasons for the choices the author made and how well these choices support the overall argument.
Here, some of the questions you’ll ask include:
- What was the author’s intention?
- Who was the intended audience?
- What is the author’s argument?
- What strategies does the author use to build their argument and why do they use those strategies?
- What appeals the author uses to convince and persuade the audience?
- What effect the text has on the audience?
Keep in mind that these are just some of the questions you’ll ask, and depending on the specific text, there might be others.
Once you’ve done your preparation, you can start writing the rhetorical analysis. It will start off with an introduction which is a clear and concise paragraph that shows you understand the purpose of the text and gives more information about the author and the relevance of the text.
The introduction also summarizes the text and the main ideas you’ll discuss in your analysis. Most importantly, however, is your thesis statement . This statement should be one sentence at the end of the introduction that summarizes your argument and tempts your audience to read on and find out more about it.
After your introduction, you can proceed with the body of your analysis. Here, you’ll write at least three paragraphs that explain the strategies and techniques used by the author to convince and persuade the audience, the reasons why the writer used this approach, and why it’s either successful or unsuccessful.
You can structure the body of your analysis in several ways. For example, you can deal with every strategy the author uses in a new paragraph, but you can also structure the body around the specific appeals the author used or chronologically.
No matter how you structure the body and your paragraphs, it’s important to remember that you support each one of your arguments with facts, data, examples, or quotes and that, at the end of every paragraph, you tie the topic back to your original thesis.
Finally, you’ll write the conclusion of your rhetorical analysis. Here, you’ll repeat your thesis statement and summarize the points you’ve made in the body of your analysis. Ultimately, the goal of the conclusion is to pull the points of your analysis together so you should be careful to not raise any new issues in your conclusion.
After you’ve finished your conclusion, you’ll end your analysis with a powerful concluding statement of why your argument matters and an invitation to conduct more research if needed.
A rhetorical analysis aims to explore the goals and motivations of an author, the techniques they’ve used to reach their audience, and how successful these techniques were. Although rhetorical analysis is most used by academics as part of scholarly work, it can be used to analyze any text including speeches, novels, television shows or films, advertisements, or cartoons.
The steps to write a rhetorical analysis include:
Your rhetorical analysis introduction is a clear and concise paragraph that shows you understand the purpose of the text and gives more information about the author and the relevance of the text. The introduction also summarizes the text and the main ideas you’ll discuss in your analysis.
Ethos represents the authority or credibility of the author. To be successful, the author needs to convince the audience of their authority or credibility through the language and delivery techniques they use. This will, for example, be the case where an author writing on a technical subject positions themselves as an expert or authority by referring to their qualifications or experience.
Appeals are used by authors to convince their audience and, as such, are an integral part of the rhetoric and are often referred to as the rhetorical triangle. The 3 types of appeals are ethos, logos, and pathos.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay](https://cdn.paperpile.com/guides/img/predatory-journal-illustr-400x400.png)
AP ® Lang teachers: looking to help your students improve their rhetorical analysis essays?
Coach Hall Writes
clear, concise rhetorical analysis instruction.
How to Write Commentary for Rhetorical Analysis
February 4, 2022 by Beth Hall
Wondering how to write commentary for rhetorical analysis? When writing a rhetorical analysis essay, having well thought out and strong commentary will make a significant difference in your writing.
So, what exactly is commentary? And how can you deliver high-quality commentary in your rhetorical analysis?
Commentary is your analysis and interpretation of the passage. Commentary explains how the evidence you present in the body paragraph proves your thesis. For more information about what commentary is, click here .
Your body paragraphs in your rhetorical analysis will consist of a topic sentence, analysis, and commentary. Many students think evidence is the most important piece, and while evidence is certainly important, commentary is paramount because it is what contains your argument and analysis. You can think of your evidence as answering the “what” and commentary answering the “how” or “why.”
In order to effectively write commentary in your body paragraphs, you need to have an understanding of the rhetorical situation. The rhetorical situation includes the following elements: the writer or speaker, the audience, the (historical) context, the exigence (ie. what prompted the writer to write), the purpose, and the message or argument.
The rhetorical situation is key to your commentary because it is what you are analyzing. Your commentary should address why the rhetorical choice the author is making is important to the rhetorical situation. (You can learn more about the rhetorical situation by reading this blog.)
How to Develop Your Commentary
Many students don’t develop their commentary enough because they aren’t sure what to say, or they feel they are running out of time.
When writing a rhetorical analysis essay, be sure to include precise verbs to convey what the writer is “doing.”
Here’s a list of rhetorically accurate verbs:
- Acknowledges
Once you’ve made a claim about what the writing is “doing” (the rhetorical choice they are making,) then you need to explain the significance of that choice. Why is the writer “doing” that? This is commentary.
Here are some verbs that can help you generate commentary:
- demonstrates
- illustrates
- underscores
The step to knowing how to write commentary for rhetorical analysis is knowing the right kinds of questions to ask. When you are addressing the rhetorical situation, you want to do more than scratch the surface level. Let’s look at examining the writer or speaker, for example. You may ask some of the following questions to help you create commentary about the rhetorical choice you are analyzing:
- What are the speaker’s qualifications?
- What does the choice reveal about the speaker’s beliefs/values/needs?
- What do the choices reveal about the speaker’s relationship with the audience?
If you want more questions to guide you on analyzing the rhetorical situation, check out this blog.
How do I write a body paragraph with commentary?
Now that you know the parts that make up the commentary, and you understand how to examine the rhetorical situation, let’s put it all together. Let’s look at an excerpt of a body paragraph, and notice how commentary is used.
Albright references recent political examples in which countries could have settled but chose the more arduous path instead. By noting that America “must choose to turn inward” or “seize opportunities,” Albright suggests the value of making challenging, sometimes “trailblazing” decisions as opposed to selecting the easier, more isolating path . While this comment also serves as affirmation of President Clinton’s leadership and thus a subtle reminder of Albright’s credentials as Secretary of State , the contrast between “turning inward” and “seizing opportunities” introduces Albright’s message of perseverance.
In just this small excerpt, you can see how different elements (underlined) of the rhetorical situation are being addressed. When you are writing your own body paragraphs, it may be helpful to color-code the different elements of the rhetorical situation and identify them in your writing. This will help you check to make sure most of the elements are present.
How do you fix limited commentary?
If you find yourself writing with cliches, idioms, vague wording, or sentences that don’t directly address the rhetorical situation, you are likely writing limited commentary. You want each sentence to address your specific passage, so aim to create specific, clear analysis.
Here is what your writing may look like if you have limited commentary:
- You use phrases like “the author uses diction”
- You use cliches like “opens the reader’s eyes”
- You use idioms like “touches the audience’s heart”
This type of writing is common and also fixable. Once you’ve identified these mistakes in your writing, you want to work on changing them.
First, you can fix phrases such as “the author uses” by strengthening your word choice. You want to add a descriptor or adjective in front of the item you are referring to, such as diction. This might mean changing “diction” to “patriotic diction.” Then, analyze why the author uses this rhetorical choice.
Second, you want to avoid cliches. Try rewording the cliche. Instead of “opens the reader’s eyes” try “forces the reader to consider.” This makes our language more precise and helps you expand your commentary.
Lastly, you want to stay away from idioms. These prepackaged expressions don’t tell the reader the why and the how behind the author’s writing choices. Instead of saying “touches the audience’s heart” try to identify what the writer is doing to evoke that emotional response. Specify which emotion the audience is experiencing and why the writer wants to elicit such an emotion.
Now that you know how to write commentary for rhetorical analysis, go rock your next AP® Lang essay!
DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with The College Board. The advice and opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.
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Rhetorical Analysis Sentence Starters: Easy and Effective!
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November 2, 2020 // by Lindsay Ann // 3 Comments
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Are you assigning a rhetorical analysis essay ? Why not try having students use rhetorical analysis sentence starters?
But, you might say, then students aren’t using their own words.
When someone says this, I think of that tear-jerky ending scene from Finding Forrester when William Forrester comes out of seclusion to defend his friend, Jamal Wallace, who is being accused of plagiarizing Forrester’s words. “I helped him to find his own words by starting with some of mine,” he says.
This is exactly what sentence starters for rhetorical analysis can do.
We give students some of our own words to move them toward more sophisticated analysis.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay rhetorical-analysis-sentence-starters](https://lindsayannlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/rhetorical-analysis-sentence-starters-1.png)
This is also an easy way to differentiate for students who may struggle with writing a rhetorical analysis essay. These stems will nudge students to talk about ethos, pathos, and logos , as well as SOAPStone and rhetorical devices.
25 Rhetorical Analysis Sentence Starters
It’s important to teach students to use these stems, but as a springboard to further analysis.
This means that students should not simply complete the sentence, filling in the blanks (…) and moving on. They must unpack the move the author is making in order to connect it to their focus for rhetorical analysis.
After the starter sentence, it will be necessary for students to dig into “why” the author made that particular choice and “how” it shows purpose, tone, message, etc. For this, students will need to use basic text analysis skills as they unpack words and sections of the text to discuss on a deeper level.
- The writer/author/speaker describes … in order to highlight…
- The writer/author/speaker inspires a sense of … by …
- The writer/author/speaker reminds the audience of … because …
- The purpose of the writer/author/speaker is demonstrated through the organizational pattern of …
- The repetition of … allows the reader to infer …
- Unpacking this word a bit further allows the reader to understand …
- Pursuing a deeper understanding of this topic, the writer/author/speaker reasons …
- The writer/author/speaker allows the reader to connect … and … through use of … device.
- The writer/author/speaker’s credibility is clear when …
- The use of … contributes to the writer/author/speaker’s tone because…
- It is important to notice that the writer/author/speaker’s tone shifts when … because …
- … and … are loaded words used by the writer/author/speaker because they make the audience feel …
- The writer/author/speaker’s use of collective pronouns implies…
- Because the writer/author/speaker alludes to … , the listener realizes …
- Organizationally, the opening and closing of this text are important and connected to each other in the way that they…
- The imagery/description of the … creates …
- It is clear that the writer/author/speaker knows his or her audience, because s/he appeals to its sense of …
- The author’s … reasoning allows the audience to …
- … appeals to the audience by …
- … shifts the audience’s perspective by …
- The argument is developed by the writer/author/speaker’s use of …
- The occasion / context shapes the speaker’s message. We see this in …
- The writer/author/speaker inspires a sense of … through use of …
- The overall message becomes clear when …
- To unpack this device even further …
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay rhetorical-analysis-sentence-starters](https://lindsayannlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/sentence-stems-for-writing-rhetorical-analysis-410x1024.jpg)
Action Verbs for Rhetorical Analysis
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay](https://lindsayannlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/rhetorical-analysis-sentence-starters-2-1-683x1024.png)
In addition to the rhetorical analysis sentence starters above, I would suggest dreaming up your own for students to use (or having students come up with them). Every sentence starter needs an action verb. Here’s a list to get you started!
- Takes a Stand
- Demonstrates
- Establishes
- Alludes to
- Contributes to
- Joins Together
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay rhetorical-analysis-sentence-starters](https://lindsayannlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/rhetorical-analysis-sentence-starters.jpg)
Thank you so much for allowing me to share some of my favorite rhetorical analysis sentence starters with you! I love hearing from my readers. If you have a question or a thought to share, please leave a comment and I’ll respond as soon as I’m able.
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About Lindsay Ann
Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 19 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.
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Reader Interactions
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April 8, 2023 at 12:43 pm
Lindsay, thank you so much for these tools to support students writing rhetorical analyses. These are really exceptional and student friendly supports.
[…] for writing thesis statements, teaching show don’t tell and connotation in literature, and rhetorical analysis… I […]
[…] For rhetorical appeals–logos, ethos, and pathos–students need to consider closely how they can touch the heads and hearts of their readers. […]
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Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline: Examples & Strategies
Rhetorical analysis is never a simple task. This essay type requires you to analyze rhetorical devices in a text and review them from different perspectives. Such an assignment can be a part of an AP Lang exam or a college home task. Either way, you will need a solid outline to succeed with your writing. And we can help you nail it.
In this article by our custom-writing team, you will find:
- the structure of a rhetorical analysis essay;
- a detailed guide and tips for writing a rhetorical essay outline;
- an example and a template for you to download.
- 📚 Rhetorical Analysis Structure
Introduction
- Body Paragraphs
- 📑 Example Outline & Template
🔍 References
📚 structure of a rhetorical analysis essay: pre-writing.
The first thing you need to know before you start working on your essay is that the analysis in your paper is strictly rhetorical. In other words, you don’t need to discuss what the author is saying. Instead, it’s a take on how the author says it.
And to understand “how,” you need to find rhetorical appeals. An appeal is a technique that the author uses to convince the reader. The main ones are logos, ethos, and pathos.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay The picture shows the rhetorical triangle: ethos, pathos, logos.](https://custom-writing.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/rhetorical-1-1024x672.jpg)
The whole analysis is structured around them and divided into 3 parts: appeals in the text’s introduction, in the body paragraphs, and in its conclusion.
Remember that it’s essential to structure your essay in chronological order. To put it simply, it’s better not to describe the appeals from the conclusion before the ones in the introduction. Follow the structure of the text you’re analyzing, and you’ll nail it.
Rhetorical Analysis Triangle
We’ve already mentioned ethos, pathos, and logos. The rhetorical triangle is another name for these 3 main appeals. Let’s examine them in more detail:
Logos is the appeal of logic. It includes the usage of argumentation, citing statistics, and referring to facts. You will see a lot of logos in academic writing. | |
Ethos (also known as the ethical appeal) aims to convince the reader by taking the authority high ground. For example, authors may demonstrate how skillful or knowledgeable they are in the discussed field to make their claims more impressive. | |
The pathos appeals to the reader’s emotions. You can do it by revealing a shocking fact or delivering inspirational statements. Inducing anger, pity, or any other positive or negative emotion counts as pathos. |
In your essay, it’s best to mention all 3 appeals. It’s also necessary to measure their effectiveness and give examples. A good strategy is to find the appeals in the text, underline them, and analyze them before writing the outline.
Each appeal can be characterized by the following:
- Diction. Diction is the words that the author uses to describe the idea. When analyzing diction, you want to find words that stand out in the text.
- Syntax. Simply put, syntax is the order of words used by the author. You can also look at the sentence length as a part of the syntax.
- Punctuation. This characteristic is all about the usage of punctuation marks. Aside from commas, it’s good to pay attention to colons and dashes. Authors can use them to focus the audience’s attention on something or create a dramatic disjunction.
- Tone. It’s the author’s attitude towards the discussed idea. The tone is a combination of diction, syntax, and punctuation. For example, you can tell if the author is interested or not by evaluating the length of sentences.
Remember that all 3 appeals are artistic proofs, and you shouldn’t confuse them with factual evidence. The difference between them lies in the amount of effort:
- Citing factual evidence requires no skill. You create proof just by mentioning the fact.
- In the case of artistic proof , you must use your knowledge of rhetoric to create it.
SOAPS: Rhetorical Analysis
SOAPS is a helpful technique for conducting a rhetorical analysis. It’s fairly popular and is recommended for AP tests. SOAPS stands for:
ubject | What is the idea of the text? |
ccasion | What prompted the author to write the text? |
udience | Who would find the text interesting? Who is it created for? |
urpose | Why did the author write it? |
peaker’s characteristics | What is the author’s personality? What do they believe? |
Answering the questions above will make it easy for you to find the necessary appeals.
✍️ How to Write an Outline for a Rhetorical Analysis Essay
Now that you’ve found the appeals and analyzed them, it’s time to write the outline. We will explain it part by part, starting with the introduction.
How to Write an Introduction for a Rhetorical Analysis Essay
In a rhetorical analysis, the introduction is different from that of a regular essay. It covers all the necessary information about the author of the text:
- Name (or names, if there are several authors.)
- Genre and title of the reviewed work.
The author claims that cats are better pets than dogs.
- The target audience that the writer is aiming at.
- The context in which the text was produced, e.g. a specific event.
![strong verbs for rhetorical analysis essay The picture shows the components of an introduction for a rhetorical analysis essay.](https://custom-writing.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/rhetorical-2-1024x449.jpg)
Aside from that, a rhetorical essay introduction should include a hook and a thesis statement. Want to know how to write them? Keep reading!
How to Write a Hook for a Rhetorical Analysis Essay
A hook is a sentence that grabs the reader’s attention. You can do it by presenting an interesting fact about the author. You may also use an inspiring or amusing quote. Make sure your hook is connected with the text you are writing about.
For example, if you’re analyzing MLK’s I Have a Dream speech, you can hook the reader with the following sentence:
Martin Luther King is widely considered the most famous speaker in history.
Our article on hooks in writing can provide you with e great ideas.
Thesis Statement for Rhetorical Analysis Essay
In a rhetorical analysis essay, you don’t need to create a thesis statement in the usual sense. Instead, you describe the main point made by the author using a rhetorically accurate verb (such as “claims” or “asserts”) followed by a “that” clause.
For example, your thesis can focus on the techniques that the author uses to convince the audience. If we look at the I Have a Dream speech, we will notice several stylistic elements:
MLK describes the poor financial state of the black community as a “Lonely island of poverty.” | |
King repeats the famous phrase “I have a dream” several times during the speech. | |
The speaker refers to the members of the Civil Rights Movement as “my people.” |
It’s not a complete list, but that’s enough to form a decent thesis.
We also need to mention the ideas behind the speech. The main idea is, obviously, equality. So, we’ll put it in our thesis as well. As a result, we have something like this:
Through the skillful usage of metaphor, repetition, and symbolism Martin Luther King effectively fills his audience’s hearts with the idea of unity and equality.
Rhetorical Analysis Body Paragraphs
If you are writing a generic 5-paragraph essay, you can divide your essay’s body into 3 parts:
- A paragraph about appeals in the text introduction.
- A section about rhetorical devices in the text’s body.
- A paragraph about rhetorical devices in the text’s conclusion.
Sometimes there is no distinct structure in a text. If that’s the case, just analyze the appeals in chronological order. You can also split the analysis based on the type of appeals. For example:
- A paragraph about emotional appeals.
- A section about logical appeals.
- A paragraph about ethical appeals.
Each of your essay’s body paragraphs should have 3 key elements:
- Topic sentence that shows what appeal you will discuss in the section.
- Examples that illustrate the rhetorical device you want to showcase.
- Your take on the effectiveness of the given device.
It’s good to remember that every appeal you talk about needs an example. If you can illustrate your claim about a strategy with more examples, then go for it. The more examples, the better.
Good Transition Words for Rhetorical Analysis Essay
Transition words allow you to follow up one idea with another. They also help build connections between paragraphs. Choosing correct transition words depends on the strategy you use. If you want to build a sequence of a cause and its effect, you will need words like “thus” or “hence.” If you’re going to clarify something, you should use a different set of words.
Here’s a list of helpful transition words suitable in different contexts:
For example, to illustrate, in particular, for instance. | |
Actually, furthermore, also, besides, moreover, further, again, indeed. | |
Above all, undoubtedly, obviously, indeed, especially, surely. | |
Therefore, as a consequence, for this reason, accordingly, as a result, thus, consequently. |
Rhetorical Analysis Verbs to Use
A rhetorical analysis essay is a serious work that often touches on complex topics. Regular verbs like “tells us” or “shows” don’t always fit it. To make your paper more inclusive and precise, consider using strong verbs .
Strong verbs (or power verbs) are typically used when talking about the author. That includes their strategies, attitude, personality, or ideas.
For example, instead of “the author says,” you can use “suggests” or “clarifies,” depending on the context.
Some other rhetorically accurate verbs include:
- Sheds light
You don’t have to use strong verbs only. If you feel like “says” suits your point better than any strong verb, feel free to use it.
Rhetorical Analysis Essay Conclusion
The conclusion is the ending of your paper. It sums your essay up and underlines the points you’ve made in the body paragraphs. A good conclusion should accomplish several things:
- Paraphrasing the thesis . You shouldn’t just rewrite the thesis from the introduction. The restatement is usually used to demonstrate a deeper understanding of your point.
- A summary of the body paragraphs . Again, simple repetition is not enough. We need to link the points to our thesis and underline the importance of our statements.
- Final thoughts . A powerful epilogue will leave a good impression about your work.
Make sure to avoid including any new ideas or statements. The conclusion is exclusively for summarizing. If you found yourself putting a new assertion in the ending, it’s probably a good idea to restructure your body paragraphs.
📑 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example Outline & Template
To make the writing process even easier for you, we will show you what an outline for your essay can look like. As an example, we will outline a rhetorical analysis of MLK’s I Have a Dream speech. We are going to structure it according to the appeals.
Have a look:
- Hook . An interesting fact about the MLK or his quote. An emotional start about the importance and the lasting legacy of the speech will also work.
- The speaker’s name, occupation, and years of life.
- The context in which the subject of our essay was produced.
- The speech’s target audience.
- Thesis statement . Point out the appeals you are going to write about. Describe their impact on the author’s general argumentation.
Body paragraphs
- Underline the often use of metaphor. Set “lonely island of poverty” and “ocean of material prosperity” as examples.
- Talk about the usage of repetition. Use the constant repetition of “I have a dream…” as an illustration.
- Demonstrate the use of logos. Mention King citing President Lincoln as an authority for his argumentation.
- Showcase the ethos of the speech. Notice that MLK’s Civil Rights Movement logic correlates with social ethics at the time.
- Comparing segregation to a “bad check.”
- Referring to the Civil Rights Movement as “my people.”
- Comparing the acquisition of equality to “cashing a check.”
- Restate the thesis. Demonstrate a deeper understanding of the point made in the introduction.
- Summary of the body paragraphs. Connect them to the thesis statement. Give a final take on King’s rhetorical strategies and evaluate their effectiveness.
- Closing thought. Finish by stating the primary goal of your analysis.
Alternatively, you can structure your essay in chronological order. Below you’ll find a template you can use for this type of rhetorical analysis. Simply download the PDF file below and fill in the blanks.
Rhetorical Analysis Outline Template
(your essay’s title)
Introduction.
The speaker/author is (state the author’s name.) The purpose of the text is to (state the text’s purpose.) The text is intended for (describe the text’s intended audience.)
Check out the rhetorical analysis samples below to get some ideas for your paper.
- Greta Thunberg’s Speech: Rhetorical Analysis
- Rhetorical Analysis: “In Defense of the ‘Impractical’ English Major” by C. Gregoire and “Top 10 Reasons You’re Not Wasting Your Time as an English Major” by S. Reeves
- Steve Jobs’ Commencement Speech Rhetorical Analysis
- The Speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” by Martin Luther King, Jr: Rhetorical Analysis
- Rhetorical Analysis Through Lyrics: “The Times They Are A-Changing” and “The Wind of Change”
- Roiphe’s Confessions of a Female Chauvinist Sow: Rhetorical Analysis
- “Snack Attack”: Rhetorical Analysis
- Rhetorical Analysis of “Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff
Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics
- Analyze rhetorical appeals of a Hallmark’s commercial
- Rhetorical devices and the atmosphere of Hamlet’s To Be or Not to Be monologue
- The author’s argument in Us film
- Compare pathos, ethos, and logos in two advertisements
- Google Analytics: rhetorical analysis
- The background and the audience of the Gillette commercial short film
- Rhetorical analysis of capitalism and socialism
- What makes John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address iconic?
- The significance of the historical parallel in Susan B. Anthony’s speech
- Sarcasm and skepticism in Shikha Dalmia’s article
- Rhetorical analysis of political debates between Biden, Harris, and Booker
- What makes Letter From Birmingham Jail powerful?
- Problems of the modern education in Moore’s Idiot Nation and Gatto’s Against School
- Rhetorical techniques in Learning to Read and Write by Frederick Douglass
- Compare and contrast Antigone and Creon
- The word framing of Michelle Obama’s TED speech
- James Q. Wilson’s arguments on gun ownership laws
- Analyze ethos, pathos, and logos in a video advertisement
- What makes the 2005 speech by Steve Jobs remarkable?
- How does Jenna Berko convince readers in her essay?
- Successful persuasion in the film Henry V
- Margaret Fuller and Frederick Douglass: a rhetorical comparison
- Characters, setting, and emotions in Of Mice and Men
- Web blogs rhetorical analysis
- Rhetorical devices in Barbara Holland’s collection of thoughts
- Conduct a rhetorical analysis of Louis C. K.’s Shameless
- What makes Claire Giordano’s essay convincing?
- Biblical allusions in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas
- Ali Siddiq’s ‘Prison Riot’ standup: a rhetorical analysis
- Presentation of interracial romance in Get Out movie
- Rhetoric Instruments in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States
- How does Barack Obama try to change reality with his speech?
- Target and purpose of L’Oreal EverCrème advertisement
- Perform a rhetorical analysis of Pop Can: Popular Culture in Canada
- The Myth of the Charioteer by Plato : rhetorical devices
- Rhetorical goals of the authors of African-American history articles
- The effectiveness of the Michelin advertising campaign
- Rhetorical analysis of the Double Cola Company’s image
- Compare the use of argument in Lincoln’s and Dickinson’s works
- Rhetoric analysis of anti-communist and anti-Islam promotion
We hope this article helped you with your assignment. Make sure to tell us what part helped you the most in the comments. And good luck with your studies!
Further reading:
- How to Write a Reflection Paper: Example & Tips
- How to Write a Narrative Essay Outline: Template & Examples
- What Is a Discourse Analysis Essay: Example & Guide
- How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay: Examples & Outline
- How to Write a Precis: Definition, Guide, & Examples
- How to Write a Process Analysis Essay: Examples & Outline
🤔 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline FAQs
According to SOAPS, the main 5 elements of a rhetorical analysis are:
1. Subject, or the author’s ideas. 2. Occasion, or the text’s background. 3. Audience, or the people who would find the text interesting. 4. Purpose, or the reasoning behind the writing. 5. Speaker’s characteristics, or the author’s personal beliefs.
1. Logos— the appeal to logic. It includes argumentation, statistics, and facts. 2. Ethos— the ethical appeal. Ethos appeal to the morality and ethical norms of the target audience. 3. Pathos —the appeal to the reader’s emotions. 4. Kairos— the time of the argument.
Every rhetorical analysis ends with a conclusion. A good conclusion should:
1. Restate the thesis. 2. Summarize the points and strategies described in the body paragraphs. 3. End with concluding thoughts on the analysis.
A thesis for a rhetorical analysis is a bit different from the usual one. It needs to include the author’s appeals and the main point the author is trying to make. Like any other thesis, it must structure the further analysis and be connected to every paragraph.
Kairos is the timeliness of the argument. It is the appeal of the right time. The usage of kairos usually means that the author’s text is relevant for a certain period of time only.
- Rhetorical Analysis: Miami University
- Rhetorical Analysis Essay: Formatting: California State University, East Bay
- The Rhetorical Triangle: Understanding and Using Logos, Ethos, and Pathos: Louisiana State University
- The Rhetorical Triangle: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- General Notes on Rhetorical Analysis: Deer Valley Unified School District
- SOAPS: Rhetorical Analysis of a Reading Source: Kent Campus
- How To Write a Rhetorical Analysis in 8 Simple Steps: Indeed
- Rhetorical Analysis: Texas A&M University
- Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statements: Virginia Wesleyan University
- What Are Logos, Ethos, Pathos, and Kairos?: University of Louisville
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Extremely helpful. Gave me wonderful definitions of Pathos,Lagos and Ethos.Broke down how to use these points to write my analysis. Thank you
- Arts & Humanities
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS: POWER VERBS
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Rhetorical Analysis Sample Essay
Harriet Clark
Ms. Rebecca Winter
13 Feb. 2015
Not Quite a Clean Sweep: Rhetorical Strategies in
Grose's "Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier”
A woman’s work is never done: many American women grow up with this saying and feel it to be true. 1 One such woman, author Jessica Grose, wrote “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier,” published in 2013 in the New Republic, 2 and she argues that while the men recently started taking on more of the childcare and cooking, cleaning still falls unfairly on women. 3 Grose begins building her credibility with personal facts and reputable sources, citing convincing facts and statistics, and successfully employing emotional appeals; however, toward the end of the article, her attempts to appeal to readers’ emotions weaken her credibility and ultimately, her argument. 4
In her article, Grose first sets the stage by describing a specific scenario of house-cleaning with her husband after being shut in during Hurricane Sandy, and then she outlines the uneven distribution of cleaning work in her marriage and draws a comparison to the larger feminist issue of who does the cleaning in a relationship. Grose continues by discussing some of the reasons that men do not contribute to cleaning: the praise for a clean house goes to the woman; advertising and media praise men’s cooking and childcare, but not cleaning; and lastly, it is just not fun. Possible solutions to the problem, Grose suggests, include making a chart of who does which chores, dividing up tasks based on skill and ability, accepting a dirtier home, and making cleaning more fun with gadgets. 5
Throughout her piece, Grose uses many strong sources that strengthen her credibility and appeal to ethos, as well as build her argument. 6 These sources include, “sociologists Judith Treas and Tsui-o Tai,” “a 2008 study from the University of New Hampshire,” and “P&G North America Fabric Care Brand Manager, Matthew Krehbiel” (qtd. in Grose). 7 Citing these sources boosts Grose’s credibility by showing that she has done her homework and has provided facts and statistics, as well as expert opinions to support her claim. She also uses personal examples from her own home life to introduce and support the issue, which shows that she has a personal stake in and first-hand experience with the problem. 8
Adding to her ethos appeals, Grose uses strong appeals to logos, with many facts and statistics and logical progressions of ideas. 9 She points out facts about her marriage and the distribution of household chores: “My husband and I both work. We split midnight baby feedings ...but ... he will admit that he’s never cleaned the bathroom, that I do the dishes nine times out of ten, and that he barely knows how the washer and dryer work in the apartment we’ve lived in for over eight months.” 10 These facts introduce and support the idea that Grose does more household chores than her husband. Grose continues with many statistics:
[A]bout 55 percent of American mothers employed full time do some housework on an average day, while only 18 percent of employed fathers do. ... [W]orking women with children are still doing a week and a half more of “second shift” work each year than their male partners. ... Even in the famously gender-neutral Sweden, women do 45 minutes more housework a day than their male partners. 11
These statistics are a few of many that logically support her claim that it is a substantial and real problem that men do not do their fair share of the chores. The details and numbers build an appeal to logos and impress upon the reader that this is a problem worth discussing. 12
Along with strong logos appeals, Grose effectively makes appeals to pathos in the beginning and middle sections. 13 Her introduction is full of emotionally-charged words and phrases that create a sympathetic image; Grose notes that she “was eight months pregnant” and her husband found it difficult to “fight with a massively pregnant person.” 14 The image she evokes of the challenges and vulnerabilities of being so pregnant, as well as the high emotions a woman feels at that time effectively introduce the argument and its seriousness. Her goal is to make the reader feel sympathy for her. Adding to this idea are words and phrases such as, “insisted,” “argued,” “not fun,” “sucks” “headachey,” “be judged,” “be shunned” (Grose). All of these words evoke negative emotions about cleaning, which makes the reader sympathize with women who feel “judged” and shunned”—very negative feelings. Another feeling Grose reinforces with her word choice is the concept of fairness: “fair share,” “a week and a half more of ‘second shift’ work,” “more housework,” “more gendered and less frequent.” These words help establish the unfairness that exists when women do all of the cleaning, and they are an appeal to pathos, or the readers’ feelings of frustration and anger with injustice. 15
However, the end of the article lacks the same level of effectiveness in the appeals to ethos. 16 For example, Grose notes that when men do housework, they are considered to be “’enacting “small instances of gender heroism,” or ‘SIGH’s’—which, barf.” 17 The usage of the word “barf” is jarring to the reader; unprofessional and immature, it is a shift from the researched, intelligent voice she has established and the reader is less likely to take the author seriously. This damages the strength of her credibility and her argument. 18
Additionally, her last statement in the article refers to her husband in a way that weakens the argument. 19 While returning to the introduction’s hook in the conclusion is a frequently-used strategy, Grose chooses to return to her discussion of her husband in a humorous way: Grose discusses solutions, and says there is “a huge, untapped market ... for toilet-scrubbing iPods. I bet my husband would buy one.” 20 Returning to her own marriage and husband is an appeal to ethos or personal credibility, and while that works well in the introduction, in the conclusion, it lacks the strength and seriousness that the topic deserves and was given earlier in the article. 21
Though Grose begins the essay by effectively persuading her readers of the unfair distribution of home-maintenance cleaning labor, she loses her power in the end, where she most needs to drive home her argument. Readers can see the problem exists in both her marriage and throughout the world; however, her shift to humor and sarcasm makes the reader not take the problem as seriously in the end. 22 Grose could have more seriously driven home the point that a woman’s work could be done: by a man. 23
Works Cited
Grose, Jessica. “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier.” New Republic. The New Republic, 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
- Article author's claim or purpose
- Summary of the article's main point in the second paragraph (could also be in the introduction)
- Third paragraph begins with a transition and topic sentence that reflects the first topic in the thesis
- Quotes illustrate how the author uses appeals to ethos
- Analysis explains how the quotes show the effective use of ethos as noted in the thesis
- Transition and topic sentence about the second point from the thesis
- Quote that illustrates appeals to logos
- Analysis explains how the quotes show the effective use of logos, as noted in the thesis
- Transition and topic sentence about the third point from the thesis
- Quotes that illustrate appeals to pathos
- Analysis explains how the quotes show the effective use of pathos, as noted in the thesis
- Transition and topic sentence about fourth point from the thesis
- Quote illustrates how the author uses appeal to ethos
- Analysis explains how quote supports thesis
- Transition and topic sentence about fourth point from thesis
- Conclusion returns to the ideas in the thesis and further develops them
- Last sentence returns to the hook in the introduction
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Rhetorically Precise Verbs
What is a rhetorically precise verb? A rhetorically precise verb describes the nature of the rhetoric used.
A lot Very Many Things Lots Stuff Ways Really Absolutely Amazing Awesome Interesting Bad Great Definitely Extremely Nice Wonderful Good |
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Thesis Statement for Rhetorical Analysis
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Rhetorical analysis is a nuanced and insightful approach to examining the strategies and techniques employed by authors to convey their messages effectively. Crafting a well-defined thesis statements is the cornerstone of a successful rhetorical analysis essay. This essay will explore effective thesis statement examples, provide guidance on how to formulate them, and offer valuable tips to enhance the overall quality of your rhetorical analysis. Through a detailed examination of various texts, we will uncover the art of dissecting persuasion and rhetoric.
What is a Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement? – Definition
A rhetorical analysis thesis statement is a concise and focused assertion that encapsulates the main argument or interpretation you intend to explore in your rhetorical analysis essay. It serves as a roadmap for your readers, outlining the key elements you will examine within the text, such as the author’s use of rhetorical devices, persuasive techniques, and overall effectiveness in conveying their message.
What is Thesis Statement Example for Rhetorical Analysis?
“In his compelling speech, Martin Luther King Jr. strategically employs poignant metaphors, rhythmic cadence, and passionate appeals to justice, effectively galvanizing the Civil Rights Movement and compelling societal change.”
This good thesis statement highlights the specific rhetorical elements (metaphors, cadence, appeals) that will be discussed in the analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech and emphasizes the impact on social progress.
100 Thesis Statement Examples for Rhetorical Analysis
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- “Through her use of vivid imagery, Maya Angelou masterfully conveys the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity in her poem ‘Still I Rise.'”
- “Through the skillful integration of statistics, personal anecdotes, and emotionally charged language, the documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ persuasively conveys the urgency of addressing climate change.”
- “By juxtaposing contrasting viewpoints and utilizing irony, George Orwell incisively critiques the manipulation of language for political control in his novel ‘1984.’”
- “In his letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. employs rhetorical appeals and historical references to compellingly advocate for nonviolent protest as a means of achieving justice.”
- “Through a combination of humor, satire, and logical reasoning, Jonathan Swift provocatively critiques British colonialism and social inequities in ‘A Modest Proposal.'”
- “Gloria Steinem employs a combination of personal anecdotes, inclusive language, and impassioned appeals to justice to galvanize the feminist movement in her essay ‘If Men Could Menstruate.'”
- “In his inaugural address, John F. Kennedy strategically employs pathos, ethos, and anaphora to inspire national unity and commitment to global progress.”
- “Through the manipulation of tone, diction, and rhetorical questions, Frederick Douglass powerfully exposes the inherent contradictions of slavery in his narrative.”
- “By utilizing allegory, biblical allusions, and emotional appeals, John Bunyan navigates complex spiritual themes and personal struggles in his work ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress.'”
- “Through the strategic use of anecdotes, historical references, and logical reasoning, Malala Yousafzai compellingly advocates for girls’ education rights in her speech to the United Nations.”
- “By intertwining personal narrative with universal themes, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie highlights the importance of diverse storytelling and challenges cultural stereotypes in her TED Talk ‘We Should All Be Feminists.'”
- “Through the use of allegory, symbolism, and metaphors, Nathaniel Hawthorne explores the consequences of hidden sin and guilt in his novel ‘The Scarlet Letter.'”
- “Utilizing juxtaposition, emotional anecdotes, and appeals to morality, Rachel Carson eloquently critiques the adverse effects of pesticide use on the environment in ‘Silent Spring.'”
- “In his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, Martin Luther King Jr. employs repetition, allusion, and emotive language to inspire a nation towards racial harmony and equality.”
- “Through a fusion of personal reflections, historical context, and persuasive arguments, Elizabeth Cady Stanton champions women’s suffrage in her speech ‘The Solitude of Self.'”
- “By blending irony, satire, and rhetorical questions, Mark Twain critiques societal hypocrisy and human nature in his novel ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.'”
- “Utilizing a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos, Ronald Reagan articulates his vision for a united America and small government in his speech ‘A Time for Choosing.'”
- “Through vivid sensory descriptions, emotional appeals, and allegory, F. Scott Fitzgerald critiques the American Dream and the decadence of the Jazz Age in ‘The Great Gatsby.'”
- “By employing allegorical characters, vivid imagery, and emotional appeals, George Orwell satirizes totalitarian regimes and political propaganda in ‘Animal Farm.'”
- “Through the strategic use of anecdotes, expert opinions, and logical reasoning, Atul Gawande advocates for open discussions about end-of-life care in his essay ‘Letting Go.'”
- “Combining anecdotes, historical references, and emotional appeals, Patrick Henry passionately advocates for colonial independence and unity in his speech ‘Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.'”
- “By utilizing repetition, parallelism, and emotional appeals, Sojourner Truth powerfully challenges gender and racial prejudices in her speech ‘Ain’t I a Woman?'”
- “Through allegory, anthropomorphism, and emotional appeals, George Orwell critiques authoritarianism and the corruption of power in his novella ‘Animal Farm.'”
- “Utilizing vivid imagery, allegory, and emotional appeals, Langston Hughes critiques the deferred dreams of African Americans in his poem ‘Harlem.'”
- “By weaving personal anecdotes, expert opinions, and rhetorical questions, Jill Bolte Taylor explores the complexities of human brain function and recovery in her TED Talk ‘My Stroke of Insight.'”
- “Through the use of allegory, religious imagery, and emotional appeals, John Bunyan’s ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ explores the spiritual journey and personal salvation.”
- “Utilizing humor, satire, and logical reasoning, Voltaire critiques religious dogma, social inequality, and human folly in his novella ‘Candide.'”
- “By incorporating historical references, logical appeals, and emotional anecdotes, Abraham Lincoln persuades for the preservation of the Union and the end of slavery in his Gettysburg Address.”
- “Through the combination of personal experiences, emotional appeals, and vivid language, Anne Frank’s diary captures the human spirit’s resilience amidst the horrors of the Holocaust.”
- “Utilizing allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ delves into the inherent conflict between civilization and primal instincts.”
- “By employing irony, sarcasm, and logical reasoning, Jonathan Swift criticizes British colonial exploitation and economic policies in his essay ‘A Modest Proposal.'”
- “Through the strategic use of metaphors, repetition, and emotional appeals, Emily Dickinson’s poetry explores themes of mortality, nature, and human emotions.”
- “Utilizing rhetorical questions, emotional appeals, and vivid imagery, Martin Luther King Jr. addresses the issue of racial segregation and inequality in his ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail.'”
- “By incorporating historical anecdotes, expert opinions, and emotional appeals, Susan B. Anthony advocates for women’s suffrage in her speech ‘On Women’s Right to Vote.'”
- “Through allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, Franz Kafka explores the absurdity and alienation of modern life in his novella ‘The Metamorphosis.'”
- “Utilizing logical appeals, emotional anecdotes, and expert opinions, Michael Pollan challenges the industrial food system and advocates for healthier eating habits in ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma.'”
- “By blending satire, humor, and emotional appeals, Oscar Wilde critiques the shallow values of Victorian society in his play ‘The Importance of Being Earnest.'”
- “Through the use of dialogue, rhetorical questions, and logical reasoning, Plato’s ‘Apology’ presents Socrates’ defense of his philosophical beliefs and principles.”
- “Utilizing metaphors, emotional appeals, and expert opinions, Maya Angelou’s poetry reflects the struggles and triumphs of the African American experience in ‘Caged Bird.'”
- “By incorporating historical context, emotional appeals, and rhetorical devices, Patrick Henry’s ‘Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death’ speech galvanizes colonial resistance against British oppression.”
- “Through allegory, vivid imagery, and emotional appeals, Yann Martel’s ‘Life of Pi’ explores the journey of faith and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.”
- “Utilizing emotional anecdotes, rhetorical questions, and vivid descriptions, Elie Wiesel’s ‘Night’ vividly conveys the horrors of the Holocaust and the endurance of human hope.”
- “By blending personal reflections, expert opinions, and logical appeals, Sheryl Sandberg’s ‘Lean In’ advocates for women’s empowerment and equal opportunities in the workplace.”
- “Through the use of allegory, emotional appeals, and vivid language, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ critiques the cyclical nature of history and human experience.”
- “Utilizing rhetorical devices, emotional anecdotes, and logical appeals, Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement address emphasizes the value of following one’s passion and intuition.”
- “By incorporating allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ examines racial prejudice and moral growth in the American South.”
- “Through the strategic use of historical references, logical appeals, and emotional anecdotes, Thomas Paine’s ‘Common Sense’ advocates for American independence from British rule.”
- “Utilizing metaphors, emotional appeals, and vivid descriptions, Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry delves into the dark recesses of the human mind and explores themes of death and despair.”
- “By blending personal experiences, emotional appeals, and logical reasoning, Helen Keller’s essay ‘Three Days to See’ explores the value of appreciating the world’s beauty.”
- “Through the use of allegory, emotional appeals, and vivid imagery, Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ critiques the dehumanizing effects of technological advancements and consumerism.”
- “Utilizing rhetorical questions, emotional anecdotes, and expert opinions, Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ examines themes of gender oppression and societal control.”
- “By incorporating historical context, emotional appeals, and logical reasoning, Frederick Douglass’ narrative reveals the brutality of slavery and the power of literacy in gaining freedom.”
- “Through allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, Aesop’s fables convey moral lessons and insights into human behavior through the experiences of animals.”
- “Utilizing irony, satire, and logical appeals, George Bernard Shaw’s play ‘Pygmalion’ critiques class distinctions and the impact of education on social mobility.”
- “By blending emotional anecdotes, rhetorical appeals, and vivid descriptions, Anne Bradstreet’s poetry expresses themes of faith, love, and the challenges of colonial life.”
- “Through allegory, religious references, and emotional appeals, John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ explores the nature of good and evil, freedom, and the fall of humanity.”
- “Utilizing rhetorical questions, expert opinions, and emotional appeals, Richard Dawkins’ ‘The God Delusion’ critiques religious beliefs and advocates for atheism and science.”
- “By incorporating historical context, logical appeals, and emotional anecdotes, Thomas Jefferson’s ‘Declaration of Independence’ justifies colonial separation from Britain.”
- “Through allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, Ray Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451’ examines the consequences of censorship and the importance of critical thinking.”
- “Utilizing rhetoric, emotional appeals, and historical references, Winston Churchill’s ‘We Shall Fight on the Beaches’ speech inspires resilience and determination during World War II.”
- “Through allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, William Blake’s ‘The Tyger’ explores the nature of creation, innocence, and experience.”
- “Utilizing rhetorical questions, logical appeals, and emotional anecdotes, Gloria Anzaldúa’s ‘How to Tame a Wild Tongue’ reflects on language, identity, and cultural assimilation.”
- “By incorporating historical context, emotional appeals, and rhetorical devices, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ‘Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation’ rallies the American people after the attack.”
- “Through allegory, metaphors, and emotional appeals, Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ challenges the conventions of reality and explores the absurdity of life.”
- “Utilizing rhetorical questions, expert opinions, and emotional appeals, Naomi Klein’s ‘No Logo’ critiques consumer culture, branding, and the power of multinational corporations.”
- “By incorporating historical references, emotional anecdotes, and logical appeals, Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Quit India’ speech calls for nonviolent resistance against British colonial rule.”
- “Through allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, Ralph Ellison’s ‘Invisible Man’ examines the invisibility and marginalization of African Americans in society.”
- “Utilizing irony, humor, and emotional appeals, Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ reflects on the horrors of war and the complexities of time.”
- “By blending personal reflections, emotional appeals, and logical reasoning, J.K. Rowling’s Harvard commencement address explores the benefits of failure and imagination.”
- “Through the use of allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, Herman Melville’s ‘Moby-Dick’ delves into themes of obsession, fate, and the power of nature.”
- “Utilizing rhetorical questions, expert opinions, and emotional appeals, bell hooks’ ‘Feminism Is for Everybody’ advocates for a more inclusive and intersectional feminist movement.”
- “By incorporating historical context, logical appeals, and emotional anecdotes, Nelson Mandela’s ‘I Am Prepared to Die’ speech defends his anti-apartheid activism.”
- “Through allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ critiques gender roles and the treatment of mental illness.”
- “Utilizing irony, satire, and emotional appeals, Joseph Heller’s ‘Catch-22’ exposes the absurdity and disillusionment of war and bureaucracy.”
- “By blending personal anecdotes, rhetorical questions, and emotional appeals, Audre Lorde’s ‘The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House’ critiques white feminism.”
- “Through allegory, metaphors, and emotional appeals, George Orwell’s ‘Shooting an Elephant’ explores the complexities of colonialism and the abuse of power.”
- “Utilizing rhetorical questions, logical appeals, and emotional anecdotes, Harvey Milk’s ‘Hope Speech’ advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and social acceptance.”
- “By incorporating historical references, emotional appeals, and rhetorical devices, Frederick Douglass’ ‘What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?’ speech challenges American hypocrisy.”
- “Through allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, Franz Kafka’s ‘The Trial’ examines themes of absurdity, alienation, and the elusive nature of justice.”
- “Utilizing humor, satire, and emotional appeals, Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ critiques patriarchal control and the erosion of women’s rights.”
- “By weaving personal reflections, emotional appeals, and logical reasoning, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ ‘Between the World and Me’ explores the realities of racism and its impact on black bodies.”
- “Utilizing rhetorical questions, historical references, and emotional appeals, Patrick Henry’s ‘Speech to the Virginia Convention’ galvanizes colonial resistance against British oppression.”
- “Through allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, Haruki Murakami’s ‘Kafka on the Shore’ delves into themes of identity, destiny, and the blurred lines between reality and fantasy.”
- “By blending personal experiences, expert opinions, and emotional appeals, Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’ reflects on identity, leadership, and the power of storytelling.”
- “Utilizing irony, satire, and logical appeals, Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ critiques the dehumanizing effects of a society driven by pleasure and conformity.”
- “Through allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, John Steinbeck’s ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ explores themes of poverty, injustice, and the human struggle for dignity.”
- “By incorporating historical context, emotional appeals, and rhetorical devices, Sojourner Truth’s ‘Ain’t I a Woman?’ speech challenges gender and racial prejudices.”
- “Utilizing rhetorical questions, expert opinions, and emotional anecdotes, Ken Robinson’s TED Talk ‘Do Schools Kill Creativity?’ critiques the modern education system.”
- “Through allegory, metaphors, and emotional appeals, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ examines themes of love, time, and the human condition.”
- “By blending personal reflections, emotional appeals, and logical reasoning, Malala Yousafzai’s ‘I Am Malala’ recounts her fight for education and women’s rights.”
- “Utilizing satire, humor, and emotional appeals, George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ allegorically criticizes the abuse of power and the corrupting influence of totalitarianism.”
- “Through allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, E.B. White’s ‘Charlotte’s Web’ explores themes of friendship, mortality, and the circle of life.”
- “By incorporating historical references, emotional anecdotes, and logical appeals, Susan Sontag’s ‘Notes on ‘Camp” explores the aesthetics of extravagance and artifice.”
- “Utilizing rhetorical questions, expert opinions, and emotional appeals, Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s ‘Declaration of Sentiments’ advocates for women’s rights and suffrage.”
- “Through allegory, imagery, and emotional appeals, J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ delves into themes of heroism, friendship, and the battle between good and evil.”
- “By blending personal experiences, emotional appeals, and logical reasoning, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s ‘The Perimeter of Ignorance’ lecture explores the frontiers of scientific knowledge.”
- “Utilizing irony, satire, and emotional appeals, Mark Twain’s ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ critiques societal norms and presents a humorous coming-of-age story.”
- “Through allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, Margaret Atwood’s ‘Alias Grace’ examines themes of memory, identity, and the manipulation of truth.”
- “By incorporating historical context, emotional appeals, and rhetorical devices, Abraham Lincoln’s ‘Second Inaugural Address’ reflects on the complexities of reconciliation after the Civil War.”
- “Utilizing rhetorical questions, expert opinions, and emotional appeals, Naomi Wolf’s ‘The Beauty Myth’ critiques societal standards of beauty and their impact on women.”
Your thesis statement should reflect the unique aspects of the text you’re analyzing and provide a clear roadmap for your analysis.
Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement Example for Essay
Crafting a powerful rhetorical analysis thesis statement for personal essay sets the stage for dissecting the art of persuasion within a given text. It succinctly outlines the author’s techniques, persuasive strategies, and the intended impact on the audience, offering a roadmap for an in-depth exploration of rhetoric’s nuances.
- “Through skillful use of metaphors, emotive language, and compelling anecdotes, Jane Doe effectively challenges societal beauty standards in her essay ‘Mirror, Mirror.'”
- “By dissecting persuasive appeals, rhetorical devices, and tone shifts, John Smith uncovers the manipulation of emotion and logic in his analysis of the political speech ‘A Nation United.'”
- “In analyzing Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, this essay explores how he employs repetition, powerful imagery, and moral appeals to inspire societal change.”
- “Examining the persuasive strategies in ‘The Power of Vulnerability’ TED Talk, this analysis demonstrates how Brené Brown combines personal stories, humor, and audience engagement.”
- “Through a close examination of tone, diction, and narrative structure, this essay explores the emotional impact of J.K. Rowling’s ‘The Casual Vacancy’ on its readers.”
- “By evaluating rhetorical devices, historical context, and the speaker’s credibility, this analysis dissects Winston Churchill’s ‘Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat’ speech during World War II.”
- “Analyzing the ‘Blackfish’ documentary, this essay delves into the manipulation of emotional appeals, expert testimonies, and visual storytelling to advocate for animal rights.”
- “This analysis of Maya Angelou’s poem ‘Phenomenal Woman’ uncovers how she uses rhythm, repetition, and empowering language to celebrate female strength and allure.”
- “Through the exploration of rhetorical devices, irony, and emotional appeals, this essay dissects Mark Antony’s funeral oration in Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar.'”
- “Examining Barack Obama’s ‘A More Perfect Union’ speech, this analysis illustrates how he combines personal history, logical reasoning, and rhetorical questions to address race in America.”
Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement Example for College
In college-level rhetorical analysis, the thesis statement for college essay acts as a compass guiding readers through the intricacies of persuasive techniques. This critical element encapsulates the main focus of the essay, from analyzing rhetorical devices to uncovering underlying themes, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of communication strategies.
- “By scrutinizing the strategic use of anecdotes, historical context, and logical appeals, this college-level analysis dissects Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.”
- “Analyzing the ‘TED Talk’ genre, this essay explores how speakers employ rhetorical strategies, visual aids, and audience engagement to convey complex ideas effectively.”
- “This college-level analysis of Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ examines the symbolism, dystopian elements, and social commentary through a rhetorical lens.”
- “Evaluating the persuasive techniques in President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ‘Day of Infamy’ speech, this analysis highlights his use of rhetorical questions, historical references, and emotional appeals.”
- “Through an examination of metaphors, emotional appeals, and logical reasoning, this analysis dissects Frederick Douglass’ ‘Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.'”
- “Analyzing J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit,’ this essay explores how Tolkien employs allegory, symbolism, and vivid descriptions to convey universal themes of heroism and growth.”
- “This college-level analysis of Maya Angelou’s ‘Still I Rise’ dissects how she uses repetition, metaphor, and uplifting language to empower and inspire marginalized voices.”
- “Evaluating the persuasive techniques in Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming,’ this analysis illustrates how she combines personal narratives, emotional appeals, and relatable anecdotes to connect with readers.”
- “Through a rhetorical analysis of George Orwell’s ‘1984,’ this essay explores how he uses dystopian elements, propaganda, and language manipulation to critique totalitarianism.”
- “Analyzing Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement address, this essay delves into how he employs personal stories, rhetorical questions, and aspirational language to inspire graduates.”
Strong Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement Example
A robust rhetorical analysis strong thesis statement serves as a cornerstone for rigorous exploration. It not only identifies the core rhetorical strategies but also unveils their profound impact on shaping perceptions, opinions, and societal discourse, emphasizing the author’s skill in effectively manipulating language and emotion.
- “Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ masterfully combines logical appeals, emotional anecdotes, and historical references to advocate for civil rights.”
- “Through the strategic use of pathos, ethos, and logos, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ compellingly challenges gender stereotypes and inequality.”
- “In ‘The Great Gatsby,’ F. Scott Fitzgerald employs vivid imagery, symbolism, and dramatic irony to critique the American Dream’s corruption and superficiality.”
- “By blending allegory, emotional appeals, and vivid language, Yann Martel’s ‘Life of Pi’ artfully explores the human spirit’s resilience and the complexities of faith.”
- “Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ uses allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals to navigate themes of racial prejudice, moral growth, and societal justice.”
- “Through the manipulation of tone, diction, and rhetorical questions, George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ satirically critiques the abuse of power and the dangers of totalitarianism.”
- “In his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, Martin Luther King Jr. strategically employs repetition, allusion, and emotional appeals to inspire racial unity and equality.”
- “Gloria Anzaldúa’s ‘How to Tame a Wild Tongue’ combines rhetorical questions, historical context, and emotional anecdotes to explore the challenges of linguistic assimilation.”
- “Through the use of vivid imagery, emotive language, and allegory, William Blake’s ‘The Tyger’ delves into the complexities of creation, innocence, and experience.”
- “By intertwining allegory, symbolism, and emotional appeals, John Bunyan’s ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ explores themes of spiritual journey and redemption.”
Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement Example for History
Within historical context, a rhetorical analysis thesis statement provides a lens through which to examine how persuasive methods have influenced significant events. By scrutinizing the techniques used, this statement illuminates how rhetoric has played a role in shaping historical narratives, ideologies, and even shaping collective memory.
- “Analyzing Winston Churchill’s ‘Their Finest Hour’ speech, this historical analysis dissects his use of rhetoric to inspire resilience and unity during World War II.”
- “Evaluating Patrick Henry’s ‘Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death’ speech, this historical analysis explores how he strategically employed emotional appeals and historical references to advocate for colonial independence.”
- “By examining the rhetoric of Frederick Douglass’ ‘What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?’ speech, this historical analysis uncovers how he used personal anecdotes and logical appeals to critique American hypocrisy.”
- “This historical analysis of Sojourner Truth’s ‘Ain’t I a Woman?’ speech explores her use of rhetorical questions and emotional appeals to challenge gender and racial prejudices of her time.”
- “Through the exploration of Abraham Lincoln’s ‘Second Inaugural Address,’ this historical analysis delves into how he employed biblical references, emotional appeals, and rhetorical devices to address post-Civil War reconciliation.”
- “Analyzing Susan B. Anthony’s ‘Declaration of Sentiments,’ this historical analysis dissects how she utilized rhetorical strategies to advocate for women’s rights and suffrage in the 19th century.”
- “By examining the persuasive techniques in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ‘Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation,’ this historical analysis highlights how he combined emotional appeals, historical context, and logical reasoning to rally the nation after the attack.”
- “Evaluating Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech through a historical lens, this analysis illustrates how he employed references to history, biblical allusions, and emotional appeals to advocate for racial equality.”
- “Through the exploration of Gandhi’s ‘Quit India’ speech, this historical analysis uncovers how he used rhetoric to inspire nonviolent resistance against British colonial rule during India’s struggle for independence.”
- “Analyzing the persuasive techniques in Ronald Reagan’s ‘Tear Down This Wall’ speech, this historical analysis delves into how he employed rhetorical strategies to advocate for the end of the Berlin Wall and Cold War tensions.”
How do you write a rhetorical analysis thesis statement? – Step by Step Guide
Crafting a compelling rhetorical analysis final thesis statement requires a systematic approach to distill the core elements of the text’s persuasive strategies. Follow these steps to create an effective thesis statement for your rhetorical analysis essay:
- Understand the Text: Read the text thoroughly to grasp its message, context, and the author’s intent. Identify the rhetorical techniques, such as ethos, pathos, logos, and various stylistic devices used to influence the audience.
- Identify the Core Strategies: Determine the main persuasive strategies employed by the author, such as the use of metaphors, anecdotes, rhetorical questions, appeals to authority, tone shifts, and more.
- Analyze the Impact: Assess how these strategies contribute to the overall effectiveness of the message. Consider how they evoke emotions, create credibility, enhance logic, or provoke thought.
- Narrow Down Your Focus: Choose specific aspects of the text’s rhetoric that you’ll analyze in detail. Your thesis statement should highlight the main techniques you’ll discuss in your essay.
- Frame Your Assertion: Formulate a concise thesis statement that encapsulates your interpretation of the author’s message and the techniques used. It should provide insight into how the techniques contribute to the text’s persuasiveness.
- Make it Specific: Ensure your thesis statement is precise and focused, avoiding vague or generic claims. Mention the specific rhetorical techniques and their impact on the audience.
- Draft and Revise: Write a preliminary thesis statement and refine it through revisions. Ensure it reflects the text’s core themes and the analytical direction you plan to take.
- Test for Clarity: Share your thesis statement with peers or mentors to gauge its clarity and effectiveness in conveying your intended analysis.
- Check for Alignment: Confirm that your thesis statement accurately aligns with the analysis you present in your essay’s body paragraphs.
- Refine as Needed: If your analysis evolves as you write, be open to refining your thesis statement to better capture your insights.
Does a rhetorical analysis need a thesis statement?
Yes, a rhetorical analysis essay should definitely have a clear and concise thesis statement . The thesis statement is the foundation of your essay; it guides your analysis, gives direction to your essay, and informs your readers about the central focus of your analysis. A well-crafted thesis statement articulates the author’s main persuasive strategies, the techniques used, and their intended impact on the audience.
A strong thesis statement serves as a roadmap for both you and your readers, ensuring that your analysis is focused and well-structured. Without a thesis statement, your essay may lack coherence and direction, making it challenging for your readers to follow your analytical journey. Therefore, incorporating a thesis statement in your rhetorical analysis essay is essential for a clear and effective presentation of your insights.
Tips for Writing a Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement
Creating an effective thesis statement for a rhetorical analysis requires precision and insight. Here are some tips to consider:
- Be Specific: Clearly identify the rhetorical techniques you will analyze, such as imagery, metaphors, tone, or appeals. This specificity sets the tone for your essay.
- Highlight Impact: Address how the identified techniques contribute to the author’s persuasiveness. Explain how they engage emotions, logic, or credibility.
- Avoid Simple Summaries: Your thesis should go beyond summarizing the text; instead, focus on the techniques and their persuasive function.
- Capture Complexity: Reflect the nuanced relationship between techniques and their combined impact on the audience’s interpretation.
- Tailor to Audience: Consider the context of your essay. Adapt your thesis statement to the intended audience and their familiarity with the text.
- Draft and Revise: Create a working thesis, then refine it as you analyze the text further and gain deeper insights.
- Use Strong Language: Employ confident and assertive language to showcase your analytical approach.
- Stay Objective: Maintain an objective tone in your thesis statement, focusing on the author’s techniques rather than expressing your personal opinions.
- Parallel Structure: Consider using parallel structure to list the techniques you’ll analyze, ensuring clarity and consistency.
- Connect to Argument: Ensure your thesis sets up your main argument or interpretation about the author’s overall effectiveness in persuasion.
Remember, a well-crafted thesis statement sets the tone for your entire essay and guides your analysis. Take the time to refine it, and it will serve as a valuable roadmap for both you and your readers. In addition, you should review our thesis statement persuasive essay .
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COMMENTS
ly accurate verbs (RAVs) are verbs that describe moves made by a writer/speaker. They allow you to w. Category. Verb. Meaning. RAVS to use to discuss a speaker bringing something up. pose. to set forth or offer for attention or consideration. RAVS to use to discuss a speaker bringing something up. introduce.
Strong vs. Weak Verbs To help you move away from summary and toward ANALYSIS, you need to begin to incorporate strong verbs into your writing when discussing the writer's rhetorical choices. Below is a list of verbs that are considered weak because they imply summary and a list of verbs that are considered strong because they imply analysis.
A rhetorical analysis is a type of essay that looks at a text in terms of rhetoric. This means it is less concerned with what the author is saying than with how they say it: their goals, techniques, and appeals to the audience. A rhetorical analysis is structured similarly to other essays: an introduction presenting the thesis, a body analyzing ...
Name the author of the text and the title of their work followed by the date in parentheses. Use a verb to describe what the author does, e.g. "implies," "asserts," or "claims". Briefly summarize the text in your own words. Mention the persuasive techniques used by the rhetor and its effect.
Powerful Verbs for Weaving Ideas in Essays The following verbs are helpful as a means of showing how an example or quote in literature Supports an idea or interpretation. Example + Verb + Explanation or Significance (CD) (CM) You may use the above in a sentence as a general formula that may need modified to fit each situation. verb
Power Verbs. Summarizing, rather than analyzing, is one of the chief pitfalls of AP rhetorical analysis. Bland verbs, such as says or relates or use/utilize, tend to lead the reader into writing a summary unintentionally. Powerful verbs and verb phrases, when used correctly, will make your writing more analytical and incisive. Summarizing ...
Rhetorical appeal #2: Pathos. The purpose of Pathos-driven rhetoric is to appeal to the reader's emotions. A common example of pathos as a rhetorical means is adverts by charities that try to make you donate money to a "good cause". To evoke the intended emotions in the reader, an author may use passionate language, tell personal stories ...
writer's position/issue, or explaining the issue. Instead, you are analyzing how the writer i. s in Creating a Rhetorical AnalysisPa. 1: AnalyzePick your text and read it thoroughly. Determine the speaker, audience, purpose, & genre.The spea. er refers to the first and last name of the writer. If the writer has credentials that len.
5. State your thesis. Now that you've completed your analysis of the material, try to summarize it into one clear, concise thesis statement that will form the foundation of your essay. Your thesis statement should summarize: 1) the argument or purpose of the speaker; 2) the methods the speaker uses; and 3) the effectiveness of those methods ...
Here are some tips to help you create a clear and effective thesis for your AP Lang rhetorical analysis essay: 1. Identify the author's main argument: Begin by understanding the author's main point or claim. This should become the basis for your thesis, as you'll be discussing how the author constructs this argument using rhetorical strategies.
Use strong verbs. Let's avoid "is", "are", "has", "does", and maybe even move away from "says" and "states". Check out the list of strong verbs for literary essays here. Use your professor's office hours. Once you have a rough draft, go to your professor's office hours and see if you're on the right track.
Differentiates. Definition: to show or find the difference between things that are compared. Example: Smith differentiates between the two theories in paragraph 4 of the second part of the study. Diminishes. Definition: to reduce or be reduced in s i ze or importance. Example: The new findings do not diminish the findings of previous research; rather, it builds on it to present a more ...
To write a rhetorical analysis, you need to follow the steps below: Step 1: Plan and prepare. With a rhetorical analysis, you don't choose concepts in advance and apply them to a specific text or piece of content. Rather, you'll have to analyze the text to identify the separate components and plan and prepare your analysis accordingly.
Powerful Verbs for Weaving Ideas in Essays The following verbs are helpful as a means of showing how an example or quote in literature Supports an idea or interpretation. Example + Verb + Explanation or Significance (CD) (CM) You may use the above in a sentence as a general formula that may need modified to fit each situation. verb
In order to effectively write commentary in your body paragraphs, you need to have an understanding of the rhetorical situation. The rhetorical situation includes the following elements: the writer or speaker, the audience, the (historical) context, the exigence (ie. what prompted the writer to write), the purpose, and the message or argument.
This is exactly what sentence starters for rhetorical analysis can do. We give students some of our own words to move them toward more sophisticated analysis. This is also an easy way to differentiate for students who may struggle with writing a rhetorical analysis essay. These stems will nudge students to talk about ethos, pathos, and logos ...
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS: POWER VERBS. (Adapted from list compiled by M. Lee, Woodward Academy and V. Stevenson, Patrick Henry High, 2005) Summarizing, rather than analyzing, is one of the chief pitfalls of AP rhetorical analysis. Bland verbs, such as uses, says, and relates, lead the writer into summary. Specific, powerful verbs and verb phrases ...
D:\My Documents\Orlando Teacher docs\AP LANG and COMP\2 Close Reading The Art and Craft of Analysis Analyzing DICTION Diction is simply the words the writer chooses to convey a particular meaning. When analyzing diction, look for specific words or short phrases that seem stronger than the others (ex. Bragg's use of slingshot instead of travel). ...
A rhetorical analysis essay is a serious work that often touches on complex topics. Regular verbs like "tells us" or "shows" don't always fit it. To make your paper more inclusive and precise, consider using strong verbs. Strong verbs (or power verbs) are typically used when talking about the author.
rhetorical analysis. Bland verbs, such as uses, says, and relates, lead the. writer into summary. Specific, powerful verbs and verb phrases make. your writing more analytical and incisive when composing a rhetorical. analysis (sophisticated, close read) of any text. Suggests.
Rhetorical Analysis Sample Essay. Harriet Clark. Ms. Rebecca Winter. CWC 101. 13 Feb. 2015. Not Quite a Clean Sweep: Rhetorical Strategies in. Grose's "Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier". A woman's work is never done: many American women grow up with this saying and feel it to be true. 1 One such woman, author Jessica Grose, wrote ...
A strong thesis statement for a rhetorical analysis is NOT… A simple statement of your topic A broad statement A statement of facts or statistics A summary of the author's essay you are analyzing A statement of what you're going to do in the essay Examples of weak rhetorical analysis thesis statements:
Rhetorically Precise Verbs. Sample Responses. AP Exam Rubrics. 2017 FRQ 2 (Boothe-Luce) Student Samples. 2022 FRQ 2 (Sotomayor) Student Samples. etc. Sub Plans - 12.8.2023. Sub Plans - 10.16.2023. Intellectual Devotional. Bias & Archetypes. 8 Villain Archetypes; 12 Literary Archetypes; Bias Chart.
A rhetorical analysis thesis statement is a concise and focused assertion that encapsulates the main argument or interpretation you intend to explore in your rhetorical analysis essay. It serves as a roadmap for your readers, outlining the key elements you will examine within the text, such as the author's use of rhetorical devices ...