- Find an article with a named author from the last couple of weeks that makes an argument. (Authors include Theara Coleman, Christian Watson & Wendy L. Patrick)
- Read and make sure you clearly understand the argument the author makes.
- Write a brief rhetorical analysis (2-3 paragraphs) focusing on how the thesis is supported. Be sure to introduce the author and article title at the beginning of your analysis. Explain how the argument works, the strongest appeals, and the types of evidence used in support of the thesis. Use pages 103-108 as your guide in prewriting. You may include brief quotations.
- Use signal phrases to introduce all information from the article whether paraphrased or quoted. Include page numbers in parenthetical citations if you use a print article or if MLA format requires them.
- Following the analysis, include a paragraph of your response to the article. Choose one of the following ways to respond:
- Pick a fight. Explain why you think the author’s position is wrong. Remember to include evidence supporting your position.
- Kiss up. If the author’s position is controversial, defend it to resolve the controversy. Include your supporting evidence. (This is not an opportunity to agree with everything the author wrote. You must add ideas of your own.)
- Piggyback or Crossbreed. Extend the author’s work to include an idea of your own, to show how the author’s ideas apply in other situations, or to show how the author’s ideas compare to something else you know about the issue. Explain your reasoning.
- Yes, but…. Agree with the author’s position, but identify a problem — an oversight, inconsistency, or contradiction — in the argument. Include your evidence and reasoning.
- Include a MLA format Works Cited entry for the article/s.
| Criteria | Pts | |
|---|---|---|
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Appropriate article choice. Author and title introduced.
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/ 5 pts
|
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Rhetorical Analysis examines how the argument functions.
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/ 20 pts
|
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Appropriate response includes your reasoning.
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/ 15 pts
|
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Includes in-text citations and Works Cited.
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/ 10 pts
|