Posted: April 20th, 2022

Select an argumentative essay from the op-ed or editorial page of a reputable news source

Rhetorical Analysis
Assignment: Select an argumentative essay from the op-ed or editorial page of a reputable news source
(e.g. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Politico, the Hill, the Economist, etc.). Read the argument
carefully and critically, making sure to identify the claims it makes and the evidence used to back up
those claims. Then, write an essay in which you analyze the argument rhetorically, using the principles
discussed in Chapter 6 of our textbook. You might focus your essay on determining whether or not you
feel the argument is likely to be successful with its intended audience, or you might focus on some other
aspect of the text. For instance, you might analyze the relative strengths and/or weaknesses of the writer’s
use of ethos, pathos, logos; or you might examine contradictions or fallacies in the argument. Whatever
your focus, your essay should:
• Provide adequate background information regarding the argument under analysis, including a
brief explanation of the debate it is engaged in, a summary of the position it takes, and basic
publication info, i.e. the author’s name, the date of publication, and the place of publication.
• Establish the focus of your analysis in a clear thesis statement.
• Support the thesis with detailed discussions of evidence drawn from the text of the argument as
well as from any secondary sources you choose to include.
• Conclude by summarizing your analysis, discussing its significance, and offering a powerful
emotional appeal.
Learning Objectives:
• To provide practice reading and thinking critically about the arguments of others.
• To enhance your understanding of how writers deploy rhetorical appeals
• To practice engaging in an on-going conversation conducted in and through written texts.
• To provide practice with the strategies of academic writing, including close reading and critical
analysis, crafting thesis statements, supplying support, and incorporating sources.
Audience: MTSU Academic Community. Do not assume the audience has read the essays you are
discussing. Provide enough details about the author and the essay for the reader to understand both their
positions and your own.
Tips:
• Review Chapters 2, 3, and 4 of your textbook for help identifying and distinguishing between the
major rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos).
• Review the “ABC Analysis” handout and Fallacies of Argument chapter in your textbook for help
assessing the reasoning at work in your target argument.
• Try using an enumerative thesis to lay out your primary claim and major subclaims.
o E.g. “Author X’s argument succeeds because of its subtle and nuanced reasoning, its
ability to create common ground with its intended audience, and its clever use of humor.
o E.g. “Author X argument is deeply flawed. It fails to provide adequate evidence, engages
in fallacies, and frequently deploys manipulative emotional appeals.
• For help organizing your essay, refer to the sample rhetorical analyses included in your textbook
on pages 118-124.
Requirements: 3-5 typed pages. Double Spaced. Get custom essay samples and course-specific study resources via course hero homework for you service – Include the standard assignment block in the upper
left hand corner (i.e. Your Name / Class Name / Instructor Name / Type of Assignment / Date). Use ace my homework – Ace tutors for Research Essay Pro UK Writings – APA
style and formatting throughout. Use the appropriate tone for an academic essay, as well as correct
grammar, spelling, and punctuation. This essay does not require outside sources. However, if you choose
to include sources, you must cite them both in the text of your essay and in a separate works cited page.
Due Dates: See Schedule.
Essay Evaluation Sheet
Student ___ Final Grade
This evaluation sheet serves as an indication of where your essay is strong and weak. Use this information as a guide
when you write, revise, and edit your papers in the future. Remember: you can come in and talk to me about your
papers at any time during the process of writing them or 24 hours after they are returned to you. Each category uses the
Very Good to Weak scale; 100 total points are possible. Your grade is based on the points you receive out of those
possible 100 points and your final point score is calculated by applying the percentage of points out of 100 to the total
number of points possible for the specific assignment.
AREA SCORE OVERALL QUALITY SCORED CRITERIA
CONTENT _____ Very good *Interesting topic/title 5…4…3…2…1
30 points _____ Good * Clear significance 5…4…3…2…1
_____ Average * Meets the assignment 5…4…3…2…1
/30 _____ Needs improvement * Attention to Audience 5…4…3…2…1
_____ Weak * Strong support 5…4…3…2…1
*Vivid detail 5…4…3…2…1
ORGANIZATION _____ Very good
* Introduction 5…4…3…2…1
* Conclusion 5…4…3…2…1
30 points _____ Good * Development/control of ideas 5…4…3…2…1
/30 _____ Average * Logical sequencing of ideas 5…4…3…2…1
_____ Needs improvement * Transitions 5…4…3…2…1
_____ Weak * Unified paragraphs 5…4…3…2…1
Style _____ Very good * Accurate, precise word choice 5…4…3…2…1
20 points _____ Good * No wordiness 5…4…3…2…1
_____ Average * Tone/Voice 5…4…3…2…1
/20 _____ Needs improvement * Sentence variety 5…4…3…2…1
_____ Weak
GRAMMAR _____ Very good
* Misplaced or missing possessive apostrophes
3…2…1…0
15 points _____ Good
*Comma Use
3…2…1…0
_____ Average
* Sentence fragment
3…2…1…0
/15 _____ Needs improvement
*Agreement (s/v, p/a, tense)
3…2…1…0
_____ Weak * Run-on sentences 3…2…1…0
MECHANICS _____ Very good * Spelling/typos 2…1…0
5 points _____ Good * ace my homework – Ace tutors for Research Essay Pro UK Writings – APA style/Formatting 3…2…1…0
_____ Average
/5 _____ Needs improvement
_____ Weak
TOTAL
/100

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Rhetorical Analysis Assignment: Choose an argumentative essay from a reputable news source’s op-ed or editorial page (e.g. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Politico, the Hill, the Economist, etc.). Read the argument carefully and critically, noting the claims made and the evidence used to support those claims. Then, using the principles discussed in Chapter 6 of our textbook, write an essay in which you analyze the argument rhetorically. You could write your essay about whether you believe the argument will be successful with its intended audience, or you could write about another aspect of the text. For example, you could assess the relative strengths and/or weaknesses of the author’s use of

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