English 101: Introduction to College Writing
Instructor Name Here
Formal Assignment 1: Rhetorical Analysis
Overview:
Find an advertisement and write a rhetorical analysis of approximately 600 words (2 pages) assessing this ad’s
effectiveness. Use the models on pages 158-159 as guidelines for developing and organizing your analysis. Instructors
should feel free to modify this to focus on a recent newspaper editorial, one of the readings in the back
of the textbook, or some other short text. You might also change it so students write on multiple ads.
Be sure to increase the page length if needed.
Goals:
This assignment is designed to
 Sharpen your critical reading and analysis skills
 Give you practice writing a thesis-driven argument with clear topic sentences
 Increase your familiarity with the rhetorical concepts of ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos.
 Help you see the various argumentative appeals in visual images (delete if assigning a text-based argument)
Advertisement Selection: (modify if needed)
The advertisement you use may come from a newspaper, magazine or website—or you may use Color Plates E or F in
WA. Be sure to select an ad that has plenty of text as well as images; otherwise, you may have difficulty finding enough
to write on.
Note that advertisers of certain products such as prescription medications or cigarettes are federally required to include
certain disclaimers and warnings in their advertisements. You should not include this federally mandated copy in your
analysis.
Formatting and other Requirements:
Your analysis should be approximately 2 double-spaced pages (increase page length if assigning multiple ads). Be
sure to include
 page numbers (in Word, go to the Insert menu and select Page Numbers)
 a title
 your name
 a copy of the ad you are analyzing (modify if needed)
Evaluation Criteria:
Your analysis will be evaluated using the following criteria (modify if needed) You may want to add weights to each
of the criteria.
Criteria
Goal
Analysis/Argument The essay has a clear statement that analyses the ad’s effectiveness for its intended
audience. The essay evidences strong understanding of the concepts ethos, pathos, logos
and kairos and the interrelationships among these appeals. Arguments about the ad’s
effectiveness are persuasively supported with detailed descriptions, paraphrases and quotes.
The writer has left no major aspect of the ad uncovered.
Organization
The essay has a clear thesis and clear, argumentative topic sentences. Each paragraph
contains one main idea and appropriate transitions are used to connect main ideas.
Introduction and The introduction provides sufficient context for understanding the ad and its intended
Conclusion
audience. The conclusion branches off of the main analysis by making interesting
recommendations for improving the ad.
Completeness & The paper was turned in on time and formatted correctly. It contains no grammatical errors
Mechanics
that interfere with the reader's ability to understand the argument. The style is efficient and
clear.
Due Dates:
See the daily schedule (on Blackboard) for all due dates associated with this assignment.