Reites
ENC 1101: Assignment #2
Rhetorical Analysis (15%)
Visit to the learning center due: Wed. 10/13 or Thurs. 10/14
Summary of text due: Mon. 9/27 or Tues. 9/28 (homework grade)
Rough drafts due: Mon. 10/11 or Tues. 10/12 (2 copies)
Final drafts due: Wed. 10/13 or Thurs. 10/14
"The shepherd always tries to persuade the sheep that their interests and his own are the same."
--Henri B. Stendhal
Objectives:
 to develop a better understanding of a text and its ability to present explicit and implicit arguments to
its intended audience
 to identify and analyze the components of an argument
 to discover the assumptions/implications of an argument
 to select and arrange details appropriate to your analysis
 to direct your essay toward a specific argument of its own
Description:
Write a 2-3 page essay that analyzes one of the arguments below. Within your analysis, you should examine
 the rhetorical context of the argument
 the author’s/speaker's presumed audience (analyze place of first publication)
 the author
 the author’s tone (attitude towards subject and audience)
 the author’s use of logic, emotion, and credibility to persuade
 the author’s claim, reasons, and evidence
 the author’s insights and/or overgeneralizations
 the author’s assumptions (values and beliefs about subject and audience)
 the author's handling of opposing view(s) (if applicable)
*Note: Some of these points may overlap
Your evaluation should make an argument of its own about the text (it is/is not persuasive); however,
your essay should not make its own argument about the content of the text. Your thesis should whether
"yes" the author is persuasive is or "no" the author isn't persuasive, and it should highlight some particular
reasoning for the text’s persuasiveness or lack of persuasiveness (see thesis lecture for more information).
Integrate specific references (summaries, paraphrases, and direct quotations) from the text to support your
thesis statement. Your thesis statement should be your claim about the text. You should use at least 1
secondary source in your analysis. A source may be best used to answer questions such as, When was the
argument published? Where was it originally published? What was going on around that arguer and/or issue at
that time? What values or beliefs was the arguer speaking to or against? What is the reputation of the arguer
with his/her audience?
Texts to choose from:
 Thomas Friedman's "Generation Q" (article available on my website)
 David Egger's “Serve or Fail” (article available on my website)
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Patrick Martins' “About a Bird” (article available on my website)
Christopher Smith’s “Perils and Promise: Destroy an Embryo, Waste a Life” (handout in class)
Michael J. Sandel’s “Embryo Ethics: The Moral Logic of Stem Cell Research” (handout in class)
Patrick Welsh’s “Txting Away Ur Education” (article available on my website)
Visit to the Learning Center:
For a homework grade (you go and get signature=100%, you don’t go=0%). You should go to the Learning
Center at any stage of the writing process and consult with a tutor.
Summary:
This is a one page double-spaced paper where you summarize your chosen article. Your summary should
focus on putting the main point of the essay and its support in your own words. Your opinion should not be
included in this draft.
What to turn in (stapled):
 Your essay final draft in MLA format (with a Rhetorical Context page)
 This assignment sheet and grading rubric
 Something with a Learning Center tutor’s signature on it to verify you visited
 Your annotated sources, including the primary argument and secondary source (complete copies
unless over 10 pages, then the first and last pages only)
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Score
Content /Organization
refers to topic; thesis;
order and focus of ideas;
integrated and
documented support;
acknowledges author’s
argument structure
Diction refers to using
words appropriate to the
audience and purpose;
choosing words for
deliberate effect
Grammar/ mechanics
refers to sentence structure,
spelling, word usage,
grammar, punctuation, and
ability to proofread
Research and
Documentation refers to
integration of varied and
credible research; uses
current MLA citation style;
avoids plagiarism
25
Demonstrates mastery of
grammar, creating
compelling prose; few to no
errors; Sentences are
carefully formed and
positioned with attention to
emphasis, rhythm and pace
to engage the reader
Demonstrates understanding
of most grammar; spell
check errors remain;
Sentences show variety in
length, pattern, and rhythm
25
Meaningful integration of
varied, credible research;
mastery of paraphrasing,
summarizing, quoting;
correct documentation; does
not over/under use sources;
discusses all references
25
Outstanding
23-25/25
Strong
20-22/25
Satisfactory
18-19/25
Limited
15-17/20
Flawed
0-14/20
25
Specific, opinionated
thesis; insightful,
persuasive explanation of
support; specific, relevant
references to text.;
consistent focus and
graceful transitions
Clear, opinionated thesis;
persuasive explanation of
support; logical
progression of ideas;
mostly specific and
relevant references to text;
smooth transitions
Conventional, opinionated
thesis; sometimes unclear
explanation of support;
some specific references
to text; adequate
transitions
Thesis unclear and/or not
opinionated; unclear
support; inconsistent
organization of analysis;
transitions often do not
connect ideas; does not
meet page count
No identifiable thesis; no
meaningful discussion of
text; no control of
organization and/or
transitions; doesn’t meet
page count
Compelling word choice;
demonstrates insightful
use of figurative
language; objective,
formal voice
predominates; uses more
informal language
if/when appropriate
Specific, fresh word
choice; uses metaphor
and/or analogy;
objective, formal voice
predominates
Conventional word
choice; mostly formal
voice; occasional
incorrect use of words
Vague, ordinary, and/or
incorrect word choice
with clichés and/or
wordiness; informal or
pretentious voice
prominent
Word choice doesn’t fit
audience or purpose;
informal voice and/or
wordiness predominates
Occasional errors in sentence
structure, verb agreement,
pronoun reference, spelling
and punctuation; Sentences
show some variation in
pattern
Frequent errors in sentence
structure, verb agreement,
pronoun reference, spelling
and punctuation; Simple
sentences are frequent with
occasional fused sentences
and fragments
Continuous errors in
sentence structure, verb
agreement, pronoun
reference, spelling and
punctuation
Clear integration of varied
research using correct
documentation; gracefully
paraphrases, summarizes,
quotes; correct
documentation; does not
over/under use sources;
discusses references
Integrates research where
necessary; documentation
has few errors; does not
under/over use sources;
discusses most references
Weak integration of
research; little attention to
other perspectives; multiple
errors in documentation;
over/under uses sources
Poor use of documentation;
questionable plagiarism; no
attention to research