1. My Rhetorical
Analysis Essay
Helpers for AP
English
Language
By Mrs. Wendy Scruggs, Jack Britt High School

2. Understanding the Task
• This question asks you to read a passage
and discuss/analyze the rhetorical strategies
an author uses to develop his/her position on
a topic.
• It’s not just about position on a topic,
though. You must analyze in detail how the
organization, structure, diction, syntax,
figurative language, imagery, rhythm (think
pacing devices like punctuation, sentence
structure, anaphora, anadiplosis, repetition,
parallelism) of the piece help convey that
writer’s position.

3. Understanding the Task
• You should discuss how the
writer sets up his/her
position:
-ethos/logos/pathos
-syllogism or enthymeme
-inductive or deductive
reasoning

4. Understanding the Task
• An analysis should discuss the
rhetorical framework—
audience, purpose, appeals, and
strategies. Never lose sight of
exigence: what prompted the writing to
occur.
• **Don’t forget that occasion is NOT the
same as a setting. It really means to
consider what was going on in the
world when the author wrote.

5. Remember PELIDS
•
•
•
•
Pathos
Ethos
Logos
Inductive reasoning (form of
logos)
• Deductive reasoning (form of
logos)
• Syllogism

6. What not to do in a thesis:
• Don’t use the rhetorical-term list thesis
statement. It’s not enough to say that…
• Patrick Henry uses anaphora, loaded language,
and ad hominem logical fallacies in his
“Speech to the Virginia Convention.”
• This thesis statement only really allows the writer
to discuss the literary elements in this essay. It
doesn’t’ address the rhetorical task of Henry, nor
does it address his claim, how he makes it, or
intended effect on his audience. This leaves much
out of what should be in the analysis and only
skims the surface of the task.

7. What to do
• A better option…
• Patrick Henry seeks to discredit the British
government and anger his audience
through his deliberate use of logical
fallacies and inflammatory tone in his
“Speech to the Virginia Convention.”
• This thesis statement hints to the rhetorical task,
effect on audience in the specific exigence. It’s not
a perfect thesis, but it provides much more of the
rhetorical framework than the first one did.

8. Sample Sentence for Supporting Detail
• While no AP reader wants to see
formulaic writing, this fill-in-the
blank strategy can help students.
– In ( title of the work), (Writer’s last
name) uses (rhetorical term to
discuss) to (verb that shows
rhetorical task) , because (your
analysis here on effect on audience
as a result of that device).