Writing homework

Rhetorical Analysis Assignment Sheet

See due dates on syllabus

Your task with this assignment is to provide a detailed analysis of an advertisement. Select an ad that makes an argument and relate to

your audience what that argument is and how it is being made.

Objectives:

The overall goal here is for you to demonstrate that you understand how arguments work. In order to do this, you will need to provide

a description of the advertisement and then you should discuss who is arguing, what they are arguing for, and how they are making

their argument. You will want to discuss who the audience is and how the author is appealing to that audience. It will be important to

analyze what lines of argument are being used. The main idea is that you should take an argument apart and look at its pieces to

demonstrate that you understand how arguments and argumentation work.

You are encouraged to choose an argument of some complexity so that you will have ample material to discuss. You are also

encouraged to choose an advertisement that you see as clearly making an argument. It will also benefit you if you know something

about the audience the ad is trying to appeal to.

The paper should be clearly organized with a clear thesis that is used to structure your analysis. The thesis should focus on what the

argument is and how the advertisement makes its argument. Include enough description of your advertisement for your reader to

clearly understand what it is you're talking about. Your paragraphs should have clear topic sentences and stay consistently focused on

that topic sentence. Clear relationships should be made between paragraphs and between the points you make within each paragraph.

It should be free of grammatical and syntactical errors. Your conclusion must contain your assessment of the overall effectiveness of

the argument. This should be at least three pages, typed and double-spaced. In your conclusion, you should address the overall

effectiveness of the argument for its audience. This paper should be three (3) pages typed and double-spaced.

This essay should be an objective discussion of an argument; you should not engage the ideas presented, merely analyze and describe.

You are not to discuss whether the argument is right or wrong. You should feel comfortable abandoning a topic if initial digging does

not reveal a substantial basis for analysis.

Paper-Specific Goals:

Demonstrated knowledge of argument

Clear thesis

Description of the text

1

2

3

4

5

Focus

Paper provides a

summary of the article.

Paper does not have an

identifiable thesis.

Paragraphs have no

consistent central point

or stray from that point.

Thesis does not focus

on analysis.

Paragraphs primarily

summarize without

clear and consistent

focus in paragraphs.

Thesis focuses on what

the argument is. Much of

the argument is

summarized without

analysis. Paragraphs are

unfocused or lack topic

sentences.

A clear thesis mirrors the

body of the essay and clearly

conveys who is arguing and

how. Some information in

paragraphs is not focused on

topic sentences. Some topic

sentences are not clear.

A clear thesis mirrors the

body of the essay and clearly

conveys who is arguing and

how. Information in body

paragraphs focuses on topic

sentences.

Organization

There is no clear thesis.

Paragraphs have several

points. Consistent

connections are very hard to discover.

A central idea is

presented. Paragraphs

do not focus on that

central idea. Multiple ideas appear in

paragraphs.

A thesis is presented and

topic sentences are

present. Connections

between ideas or between are consistently hard to

see.

A clear thesis is presented

with topic sentences that

clearly connect. Some

connections between paragraphs or ideas are not

clearly enunciated

Thesis forecasts structure for

the essay. Paragraphs move

in logical order. Topic

sentences set the main point for each paragraph.

Development

Development of both

analysis and description

of the text are lacking,

preventing the reader

from a clear picture.

Development of either

analysis or description

of the text are lacking,

preventing the reader

from a clear picture.

Development in both

analysis and description

of the text are moderate.

Development in either the

analysis or description of the

text is moderate.

Ample and copious

description of the text is

provided. Significant detail

is used to describe how the

argument is working.

Use of

Language

Significant problems in

syntax or grammar occur

regularly. Academic tone

is not observed.

Significant problems

in syntax or grammar

occur occasionally.

Academic tone is

largely absent.

Minor problems in syntax

or grammar occur

regularly. Academic tone

is only maintained in parts

of the essay.

Minor problems in syntax or

grammar occur occasionally.

Academic tone is maintained

through most of the essay.

Paper is free of grammar and

syntax errors. Appropriate

academic tone is maintained

throughout.

Paper Goals

Thesis focuses on

anything beside analysis. Essay does not address

the argument tools

discussed in class. The

text is minimally

described.

Thesis tangentially

focuses on argument. The thesis does not set

the focus for the essay.

There is limited

description of the text.

Essay addresses some tool

of argument without understanding. The thesis

does not set the focus for

the essay. There is

minimal description of the

text.

Essay addresses multiple

tools of argument and shows some understanding. A thesis

focuses on either what the

argument is or how it is being

made. The text is generally

described.

Essay addresses multiple

tools of argument and demonstrates understanding.

A clear thesis focuses on

what the argument is and

how it is being made. The

text is described in detail.