RHET 1320 Academic Writing and Research

Major Assignment
Ms. Richard
Rhetorical Analysis

Overview
A rhetorical analysis examines and explains how an author attempts to influence an audience. It uses specific
evidence from the text to determine how it persuades its readershow it employs the rhetorical appeals in a
fitting response to reach an audience. For this assignment, you will analyze a piece of writing using your
knowledge of genre, audience, purpose and the three rhetorical appeals: logos, ethos, and pathos.
This assignment meets our learning outcomes in the following ways. Rhetorical Knowledge: determine whether
a document is rhetorically effective or ineffective by evaluating its audience, purpose, genre, content and
rhetorical appeals. Critical Reading, Thinking and Writing: engage in critical writing to effectively
communicate an analysis and evaluation. Writing Process Strategies: generate multiple drafts of this
assignment, and integrate feedback from your peers. Knowledge of conventions: adhere to the required format
as specified by the instructor, control surface features, and document appropriately.

Directions
Your analysis should identify the documents audience, purpose, genre, ethos, pathos, and logos with a thorough
discussion of their effective or ineffective influences in the artifact. Do not simply paraphrase or summarize
what the author says in the artifact. The goal is to analyze the document rhetorically and pull evidence from the
document to prove your claims. Refer to your text p. 67-86 for additional help.
The rhetorical analysis should contain the following vocabulary words as they are important terms to use in
discussing this subject matter:

Writer or author
Audience

Purpose
Ethos
Pathos

Logos
Rhetoric

This essay should incorporate at least 2 supportive sources, documented in MLA format. The required length is
at least 1000 words (not including your works cited).

Submission Guidelines
Assignment components contain evidence of your writing process. The total of these components add up to 200
points. Components and corresponding points are listed below.

Rhetorical Analysis Assignment 1

Brainstorm activity (5 pts)

Rough draft (10 pts)
Peer review (10 pts)
Reflection (25 pts)
Final draft (150 pts)

Extra CreditWriting is a process and we improve with practice. Often times Getting feedback and
incorporating it into our writing will produce better papers. You have the opportunity to revise and re-submit
your final draft one time. The final revision must be substantial and it is worth up to 10 points of extra
Credit.
Formatting of the final copy should include:

Times New Roman font, 12 point, double-spaced, 1 inch margins

MLA Format

Rubric for Evaluating Your Rhetorical Analysis

Rhetorical Analysis Assignment 2

30 points

25 points

21 points

10 points

Component

Exceptional

Effective

Acceptable

Unsatisfactory

Introduces the
Topic so that it
Appeals to
Audience and
Addresses
Purpose

The topic and

your treatment of
it are very
interesting to
some identified
group of readers
and successfully
analyzes.

The topic and your

treatment of it are
moderately
interesting to a
group of readers;
contains an
analysis of an
artifact.

The topic may be

interesting to you,
but your treatment
of it has limited
interest to any
readers and
attempts to
analyze.

You dont seem that

interested in the topic,
and you dont make it
very interesting to
readers. Document does
not meet assignment
criteria.

Analysis/Synth
esis

Both your
analysis and your
synthesis of the
artifact are
detailed and
focused. Your
piece is rooted in
rhetorical appeals
and uses
research to
explain your
points.

You offer both an

analysis and a
synthesis, but they
need to be more
detailed and/or
more focused. Use
of appeals is
minimal, and your
piece does not
clearly connect
research to the
artifact.

You offer an
Your paper lacks analysis,
analysis, but you
which means that there
havent adequately cannot be any synthesis.
synthesized the
ideas.

Organization

The organization
is very clear to
readers, and it is
easy to follow.

The organization
may be clear, but it
is only moderately
easy to follow.

The organization is The organization is so

somewhat unclear, unclear that it is difficult
and it is not easy to to follow.
follow.

Development
and Support

Analysis uses a
rich array of
details from the
artifact to
support your
general
statements.

Analysis uses an
array of details to
support general
statements.

Analysis uses
Analysis uses few details
details to support
to support general
some but not most statements.
general statements.

Sentences are
grammatical but
lack variety; your
diction lacks
precision in places;
youve attended to
most conventions
of citation,
punctuation and
mechanics.
Attempts MLA
formatting.

Sentences are
Sentences are
ungrammatical and ungrammatical and lack
lack variety; your
variety; your diction is
diction is vague or imprecise in many places;
imprecise in places; youve not paid much
youve not
attention to conventions
consistently
of citation, punctuation,
attended to
and mechanics. No
conventions of
attempt at MLA
citation,
formatting.
punctuation, and
mechanics. Minimal
Rhetorical Analysis Assignment 3
MLA formatting.

Expression and Sentences are

Conventions
grammatical and
varied; your
diction is precise;
youve carefully
attended to
conventions of
citation,
punctuation, and
mechanics. Uses
proper MLA
formatting.