1.To begin your rhetorical analysis, construct a table of rhetorical features you will analyze and divide the table into two columns to help you distinguish between what the author wrote and why he/she wrote it in this way. For example, you may consider all or some of the questions in the worksheet below. 2. Develop your own thesis statement for your rhetorical analysis. 3. In your essay compare the rhetorical features of each text in a logical way. For example, you could start by identifying the authors main thesis, his/her purpose in writing this piece and his/her intended audience. Next, you could explain the rhetorical features of the text, the reason for their use and the extent to which they are effective writing strategies. Make sure not to simply summarize the rhetorical strategies the author uses often, but assess the extent to which they are compelling and effective. 4. Each paragraph should contain a strong topic sentence declaring the purpose of the rhetorical strategy you will discuss. The order of the paragraphs should be logical and support your thesis statement. A rhetorical analysis is not a summary. In a rhetorical analysis you have to analyze and assess not only what an author wrote, but why he/she wrote it in a certain way.
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