Writing a Good Rhetorical
Analysis Essay
INTRODUCTIONS AND THESIS STATEMENTS
A Note on Introductions
 First, you must have a clear idea of your topic.
 Next, consider the parts of the essay you will analyze.
 Emotional, logical, ethical appeals?
 Use of scene and story
 Format (Is it written like a story? A speech? A
list? Etc.
 Identify the intended audience.
Identify S.O.A.P.S in your Introduction
 S = Speaker
Who wrote the text?
 O = Occasion
Was this a speech given at a particular event or
an article written at a crucial moment?
 A = Audience
Who was meant to hear/read this text?
 P = Purpose
Why was this written?
 S = Subject
What’s the point?
Format Intro Like This:
 Speaker, Occasion, Subject
 Purpose
 Audience
First Sentence
 Speaker, Occasion, and Subject
(Writer’s credentials) (writer’s first and last name) in
his/her (type of text), (title of text), (strong verb –
see list at end of this PowerPoint) (writer’s subject).
 Example:
Novelist Amy Tan in her narrative essay, “Fish Cheeks,”
recounts an embarrassing Christmas Eve dinner when she was
fourteen years old.
Second Sentence
 Purpose
(Writer’s last name)’s purpose is to (what the
writer does in the text).
 Example:
Tan’s purpose is to convey that, at fourteen, she
wasn’t able to recognize the love her mother had for her or
the sacrifices she made.
Third Sentence
 Audience
He/she adopts a[n] (adjective describing the attitude/feeling
conveyed by the writer) tone in order to (verb phrase describing
what the writer wants readers to do/think) in his/her (intended
audience).
 Example:
She adopts a sentimental tone to appeal to similar
feelings and experiences in her adult readers.
Complete Example (First Three Sentences)
 Novelist Amy Tan in her narrative essay, “Fish
Cheeks,” recounts an embarrassing Christmas Eve
dinner when she was fourteen years old. Tan’s
purpose is to convey that, at fourteen, she wasn’t
able to recognize the love her mother had for her or
the sacrifices she made. She adopts a sentimental
tone in order to appeal to similar feelings and
experiences in her adult readers.
Thesis Statements?
 Now that you’ve established your S.O.A.P.S., you
should write your thesis statement, which will guide
your reader through your essay.
 So, your fourth (possibly fifth) sentence will look
something like this:
 Example:
Tan’s use of emotional appeal, story-like
narration, and humor work together to create
an effective and poignant coming-of-age essay.
Complete Example: the Introduction
 Novelist Amy Tan in her narrative essay, “Fish
Cheeks,” recounts an embarrassing Christmas Eve
dinner when she was fourteen years old. Tan’s
purpose is to convey that, at fourteen, she wasn’t
able to recognize the love her mother had for her or
the sacrifices she made. She adopts a sentimental
tone in order to appeal to similar feelings and
experiences in her adult readers. Tan’s use of
emotional appeal, story-like narration, and humor
work together to create an effective and poignant
coming-of-age essay.
What if something isn’t quite right?
 You may notice a lack of clarity or an unfairness in
the writing. You are welcome to point that out in
your analysis.

For example, remember how we talked about the ideas behind
Berry’s and King’s texts sounding really great, except they both
kind of make the whole process sound a lot easier than it is?
 Also, if you notice a writer relying too heavily on
emotional appeal and lacking logic, or if you notice
the use of several fallacies, you could address those
issues in your essay.
Writing Great Introductions:
Strong Verbs vs. Weak Verbs
 Weak Verbs (just a few)
 says, relates, tells, explains, shows, states, goes on to say, this
quote shows….
 Strong Verbs (just a few)
 implies, suggests, trivializes, qualifies, flatters, processes,
describes, lionizes, dismisses, analyzes, questions, compares,
vilifies, praises, supports, enumerates, contrasts, emphasizes,
demonizes, establishes, admonishes, expounds, argues,
ridicules, defines, minimizes, narrates, lists, warns, etc.
Rhetorical Analysis Checklist
Approximately two (2) pages, double spaced
12 point, Times New Roman font
MLA formatted with Works Cited page
Must address at least three features
Must use at least three examples from the text to
support thesis; must include some direct quotations
and paraphrased passages to illustrate examples.
Questions?