1. How do I write a
rhetorical analysis
prompt?

2. Read the prompt!
make sure you understand
what they are asking you
to do

3. Read the selection!
1) What is the speaker
trying to argue?
2) What is the situation the
speaker speaks in? (aud,
context)

4. Read the selection again!
Try to find 4!
What moves does the author
make?
Which quotes show that?

5. Plan your essay!
Topic sentence = 1 rhetorical
strategy
Thesis = 2-3 rhetorical
strategies tied to the
speaker’s argument.

6. Write your introduction!
Cursory hook
Clear thesis which identifies
the strategies you’ll examine
and the argument the speaker
is making.

7. Write your body paragraphs!
1.Topic sentence identifies the
rhetorical strategy
2.Set-up give context to the
quote
3.Quote (who said it?)
Most important 4.ANALYSIS: Explore why
this speaker would use this
move.
5.

8. Write your conclusion!
Get out quick!

9. Think like this!
Don’t worry about proper
terminology.
Think like an arguer. Why is
this person making these
decisions for this audience?

10. Avoid...
Writing “Logos, Ethos, Pathos”
Evaluating success of the
strategies
only Summarizing argument
or only Identifying strategies