Selina Pea

Professor Doutherd
November 8, 2017
English 5M

Intro:
P: For this course, an important assignment students completed was a rhetorical analysis.
I: According to Texas A&M Universitys writing center, A rhetorical analysis is an essay that
breaks a work of nonfiction into parts and then explains how the parts work together to create a
certain effectwhether to persuade, entertain or inform.
E: This quote defines what a rhetorical analysis is which is analyzing a type of writing.
I: For this course students specifically analyzed a past essay and compared it to the type of
writing for their major by using the rhetorical situation as a guide.
Thesis:The rhetorical analysis was the most impactful assignment because it led students to
understand the most important concept, rhetorical situation. Awareness of the rhetorical situation
is the most important skill because it allows students to write effectively within a classroom and
work environment.

Body:
P: Before learning why the rhetorical situation is an important concept, students first had to learn
the components that make a rhetorical situation.
I: In the article Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents by Keith Grant-Davie, the author
states that rhetorical situation is composed by: (1) exigence, which is the need to writing,
(2) rhetors, who are the people that generate them, (3) audience, who it is meant for, and
(4) constraints, which are the writers limitations.(Davie 347)
E: Once students understood these key components of a rhetorical situation, they were able to
get a better understanding by analyzing these components from a past essay and the type of
writing in their field.

P: While writing it is important to be aware of the rhetorical exigence because it is the reason,
issue, or matter of motivation of the discourse (written or spoken communication or debate).
I: Davie best explains exigence by using three questions, What is the discourse about? [,] why
is the discourse needed? [and] what is the discourse trying to accomplish? (Davie 352-353)
E: If students were to ask themselves these questions while writing, the first question will cause
students to address their topic, issue, and list their facts and definitions.
E: The second question answers the cause and values for writing, and the third question answers
the goals of the discourse.
E: If students are aware of the rhetorical exigence, they will know why they are writing which
may be to either persuade or inform their audience about a specific issue.
I: By doing the rhetorical analysis students got a better understanding of exigence by analysing it
from their past essay and writing in their major.
I: For example, one student in particular choose her History Internal Assessment (research essay)
and her major is business.
E: Since the student had to analyze the exigence, she found that her exigence for her IA was to
demonstrate skill and knowledge.In contrast, for writing in the business field, she became aware
that the exigence was to persuade.
E: Therefore, by reading Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents students first became
aware of what is exigence, and by doing the assignment they were able to get a deeper
understanding since they had to analyze the exigence for two different discourse communities.

P: Another key component from rhetorical situation is rhetors which is an important component
to be aware of.
I: According to Davie, rhetors [are] the people who generate them and are the ones responsible
for their discourse, such as teachers or bosses. (Davie 347)
E: It is important for students to be aware of who their rhetors are so they know how to format,
address, or complete the rhetors writing requirements. For example, in this course students were
required to do reading responses that required a specific format, use impersonal language in their
writing, writing with authority, and using the MLA format. If the students did not adapt to these
rules, their rhetor (teacher) would penalize them for not using the right rules.

P:Similar to rhetors, the audience is another component from rhetorical situation that students
should be aware of.
I: According to Davie, the audience can be the rhetor; but, can have a secondary audience that
act collaboratively or as individuals, audiences about whom the rhetor knows little, or audiences
that exist only in the rhetors mind.(Davie 355)
E: This quote implies that an audience can practically be anyone.For this reason,it is important
for students to be aware of who their audience is so they can figure out how they should address
their essay. For example, if students are aware of their audience, they would then know if they
should write with formal or informal, personal or impersonal language, or if they are just trying
to inform or persuade. Overall, it is important to know who the audience is because it helps
students determine what type of language they should use in their writing.

P: The last important component from rhetorical situation that students should be aware of are
the constraints.
I: According to Davie, constraints are all factors in the situation, aside from the rhetor and the
audience, that may lead the audience to be either more or less sympathetic to the discourse.
(Davie 357)
E: This quote implies that the constraints are the writers limitations since the audience becomes
more or less sympathetic. It is important for students to be aware of their constraints while
writing or in a speech because it allows them to avoid them or improve them.
E: For example, if a students it writing a research essay their constraints can be that they used
unreliable sources or that their data does not support their argument. Therefore, if a student
knows this, they would be able to change their sources and data making their essay more credible
and well written.

P: If students are aware of what rhetorical situation is, they will be aware of what role they play
when making a persuasive speech, essay, or debate.
I: In the article Davie states that ...rhetors who can define the fundamental issues represented by
a superficial subject matter-and persuade audiences to engage in those issues-is in a position to
maintain decisive control over the field of debate. (Davie 352)
E: This quote implies that if the rhetors (students) focus more on the deeper meanings behind a
issue, they will be able to persuade their audience. While doing a debate or persuasive speech it
is important for students to know who their audience is in order to know if their information is
effective. If student's information is effective and focuses on the most important points, they will
have a higher chance of winning a debate.
I: In addition, the author states that the challenge for the rhetor is to decide which parts of the
context bearon the situation enough to be considered constraints, and what to do about them-for
instance, whether the best rhetorical strategy for a negative constraint would be to address it
directly and try to disarm it-or even try to turn it into a positive constraint-or to say nothing about
it and hope that the audience over looks it too. (Davie 358)
E: This quote implies that students should be aware of their limitations and overcome them by
stating them directly, or not mentioning them at all. If students are aware of their limitations they
will be prepared to respond back to their opponent when presented conflicting facts.

P: In addition, if students understand the importance of a rhetorical situation, they would be able
to use the components as a checklist throughout their drafts before turning in the assignment for
a particular class or job.
I: For example, if a student analyzes what is their exigence, audience, rhetors, and constraints
before turning in their final draft, they would be able to determine if its a good essay.
E: Students would be able to determine if its a good essay because they would be aware of why
they are writing, who is grading it, who it's directed to, and what are their limitations. By
knowing this, students would know how to address their essay with either bing formal,
informal,persuasive, or informative.

P: Also, a benefit about knowing what is a rhetorical situation is that it can be used in either a
History or English class, or in a Business or Child Development field.
I: According to Activity Theory: An Introduction for the Writing Classroom by Donna Kain
and Elizabeth Wardle, an activity system is a group of people who share common objects or
motives,..[and] the parts that make up an activity system are subjects, motives,objects,outcomes,
objectives, and tools. (Kain & Wardle 277)
E: This reading is important because it allowed students to see that different communities can
share similarities.
E: For example, in all four communities (History class, English class, Business field, and Child
Development field) they could all can be working on a research paper that follows similar
guidelines. All of these communities would use similar tools such as computers, books, or
articles. All of their motives can be to either demonstrate knowledge or to persuade their
audience. And a common rule would be to not plagiarize.
E: If students are aware that different communities share similar writing guidelines, it would be
easier for them to adapt new ones.

Conclusion:
Being aware of the rhetorical situation can help students write effectively within a classroom or
work environment because the components (exigence, rhetors, audience, and constraints) are
important to creating a good essay. It is important to know why students are writing (exigence),
who's going to grade them (rhetor), who is their audience, and what are their constraints. By
knowing this students would know how to address or organize, their essay if they are either in a
English or History class.
 Work Cited
Grant-Davie, Keith. Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents. Rhetoric Review 15.2
(1997): 264-70. Print.

Kain, Donna, and Elizabeth Wardle. Activity Theory: An Introduction for the Writing
Classroom.

Rhetorical Analysis. ATM University Writing Center , 2017.