Rhetorical Analysis Essay – Instructions
Essay length: 1,000–1,200 words
• Read the article that you will be analyzing.
• Read the article a second time. As you read, identify the thesis, and think about who the intended audience might be.
• Research the author to learn about their background. You do not need to include biographical information about the author in your rhetorical analysis essay, but if you do choose to include such information, be sure to cite your source(s) appropriately.
• Learn more about the magazine, website, journal, or other venue in which the article was originally published. This might also tell you something about who the intended audience is. Again, you do not need to include this information in your own essay, but if it is relevant or interesting, you may include it; if you do so, be sure to cite your source(s) appropriately.
• Return to the article again. Investigate how the writer gets their message across. Think analytically about the article, and take notes about the rhetorical style or techniques that the author employs. Specifically, take note of anything that really stands out—and is repeated. Identify several big things the writer does to get the message to the reader. For an essay of this length, we suggest that you find at least two big things and no more than three.
• An introductory paragraph that names the article’s author and title and provides any background information you think is necessary. For instance, you might find it important to name the publication (magazine, website, etc.) in which the essay was published and the target audience of that publication, or to mention biographical information about the author. Include a brief summary (synopsis) of the article, and then transition into a re-statement of the article’s thesis. End the paragraph with your own thesis statement, which will express how you think the author conveys their thesis and what you will examine in your rhetorical analysis.
• Body paragraphs, each of which will explain one of the author’s primary writing techniques. Each body paragraph should be straightforward, with a topic sentence identifying the technique to be discussed, followed by sentences that provide examples of that technique in the context of the essay. If necessary, the paragraph can conclude with a sentence or two describing the overall effect of this technique within the essay. Begin the next body paragraph with a transition sentence.
• A concluding paragraph that speaks to the overall impact of the article. What does the article leave readers thinking about? What is its impact? Do not simply repeat things you mentioned in your introduction and body paragraphs.
• Cite every source that you quote, summarize, or paraphrase. This means including proper parenthetical citations as well as a bibliography page that lists every source you cited in your essay. (In MLA style, this page is titled “Works Cited,” while in APA style it is titled “References.”) Take this task seriously. We expect you to pay very close attention to detail and follow samples for each entry.
• Review the assignment checklist and answer the questions honestly. Revise your essay further if necessary. (See checklist below)
Checklist for Rhetorical Analysis Essay
After you have drafted your essay, use the checklist below to evaluate how well your essay meets the requirements for Assignment 6, and—if necessary—revise your essay again before submitting it for marking.
• Did you use MLA or APA guidelines to format your essay? Did you check your formatting against examples on the Purdue OWL?
• Did you introduce the reading by identifying the author, the title, and the subject matter? Did you put the title of the essay in quotation marks?
• Following that sentence of introduction, did you briefly summarize the article’s and main points?
• Is your last sentence of the first paragraph?
• Did you include an essay map/preview statement with your thesis sentence?
• Have you used third-person point of view throughout? Make sure you have not shifted into first-person or second-person point of view.
• Does each body paragraph begin with a topic sentence? Does each body paragraph contain at least two supporting points, and then end with a closing sentence?
• Did you use a transitional word, phrase, or sentence at the beginning of each body paragraph? Did you use transitional words and phrases as necessary to connect sentences within the paragraphs?
• Did you include quotations from the article? As you did so, did you follow the required steps?
• Did you check each quotation to determine whether you integrated it?
• Did you make sure that no paragraph (excepting the conclusion) ends with a quotation?
• Does the concluding paragraph speak to the overall impact of the article, to what the article leaves readers thinking about?
• Is the Works Cited page or References list formatted correctly?
• Did you revise very carefully for grammar and mechanics?
