rhetorical analysis essay tips ap lang

rhetorical analysis essay tips ap lang

Effective Strategies for Rhetorical Analysis Essays in AP Language and Composition

1. Introduction to Rhetorical Analysis Essays

Students are expected to interpret the main communicative purposes and administrative features of a text, employ proofs and reasoning to analyze rhetorical devices, prepare both spoken and written rhetorical analyses, and combine ethical reasoning with modern analyses of unstoppable problems. These skills are emphasized more in the second semester with a complete research paper and presentation to be submitted for AP Lang credit. Rhetorical analysis essays are especially challenging to approach but are among the least difficult types of essays that students are given. Successful rhetorical analysis essays often offer a selection of textual strategies used by the author, allowing for a better understanding of why such procedures are useful. In this article, the writer has provided a few strategies that AP Language students are encouraged to utilize and should consider while writing a rhetorical analysis essay.

AP Language and Composition is a college-level course that focuses on the relationship between thought and writing. It helps students write effectively while reading a variety of prose written in different periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts. An AP Language and Composition class is essentially a course in rhetoric. Students learn to refine their own prose as they write persuasively on various subjects. Essential to this learning is effective rhetorical analysis, which is one of the writing styles explored in this course. In rhetorical analysis, students have to utilize authority, reasoning, and emotional appeal to analyze a text and its argument critically. Students discover that they have a thesis of sorts to create, namely the key ideas that analyze and state the text’s rhetorical message. Overall, it requires studying how the text is designed to influence its audience, and the students have to use evidence gleaned from their own area of expertise.

2. Key Components of a Strong Rhetorical Analysis Essay

A great rhetorical analysis will make the reader think as deeply about the creative prompt as the writer! A good rhetorical analysis not only presents direct excerpts and evidence, but also the sources’ ideas of other elements of the prompt. By explaining which parts of the audience the speaker is targeting and why, considering the speaker’s diction and style (a.k.a. his or her ethos), and identifying the central and most persuasive rhetorical strategies that the speaker uses to achieve his or her desired effect, a student can greatly enhance the reader’s comprehension of the message and its implementation. The goal of a good rhetorical analysis is to figure out what the author was trying to communicate to their audience through effective and persuasive appeals of support, while at the same time highlighting the appeals you choose and providing thoughtful commentary. By directly linking in-depth knowledge of a writer’s style, diction, and syntax to a sophisticated analysis of persuasive appeals and rhetorical strategies, students can develop a deeper and more sophisticated understanding of the expository or persuasive reading text.

While there are many essential elements of a great rhetorical analysis essay, the first and most important thing to remember is the eloquent use of diction. Incorporating specific and colorful words into your rhetorical analysis might even be more important than the actual RA strategies themselves, so long as your commentary is logical and relevant. Filling your essays with better words (and more of them) is usually the fastest way to improve prose. In addition, make sure you do not start your thesis with “The speaker” or “The author” and avoid circle-essay structure. There is no need to support Pathos, Ethos, and Logos in separate body paragraphs. Furthermore, do not use “quote bombs”; weave your evidence into sentences. Make sure to provide lots of commentary as well so that the reader is constantly reminded of your thesis and the purpose of your argument.

3. Analyzing Rhetorical Devices and Strategies

Then write an essay in which you analyze the rhetorical strategies the author uses to achieve his purpose.

Remember it is important to focus solely on rhetorical strategies and not on the actual topic of the speech.

In your conclusion, address how the author’s strategies create effective communication.

In your third paragraph, you will comment on the use of language, style, and tone. Reflect on the author’s word choice, tone, and style. What rhetorical devices is the author using to support their discourse?

In your second paragraph, address what data the author is using to support their claim. Typically, this is accomplished through the use of statistical data, examples, expert testimony, scientific evidence, and anecdotes. How does the author use the rhetorical triangle (logos, pathos, ethos) in their data? Note the use of strong evidence (logos) and the author’s relationship with their audience (ethos and pathos).

In your first paragraph, you will address how the author or the speaker is persuading his/her audience. Specify what the author is arguing, identify the audience, and state the purpose. Mention the use of logos, pathos, and ethos. This should be a very close reading of the speech, directing your audience’s attention to specific areas. You will have to listen to the speech numerous times to break down each section.

4. Structuring and Organizing Your Essay

When making your plan, decide which criteria will be used to compare and analyze. How are the major terms defined? What logic does the author use to justify the need for adopting his or her definition of the major issue? What criteria are used for the author’s argument? Are the assumptions valid, and are they addressed in a logical order? Is the author’s logic sound? What evidence will be used? What evidence will be used on the grounds of the argument? What sources are used for evidence? What major questions are asked to develop the argument? Does the essay address the major questions required to define the issue? Will the author adjust or provide a new context for the essay’s questions?

When writing your essay, use specific quotes from the text and integrate these quotes into your paragraphs. This will make it easier to structure a good argument, and it will make the paragraphs more memorable when read. Each paragraph should be relevant to your thesis. If you have an interesting take on the topic, don’t use the usual method of paragraph structure. Instead, have a logical progression of ideas. Using some criteria, like paragraph structure, explain what is effective about the text.

After you’ve decided what the main terms or arguments of your topic are, the next step is to write the body of the essay. This must be organized by theme, point, similarity, and difference, and progression of argument. There should be one paragraph for each different area of your argument or analysis. In your plan, you should identify very clearly around six distinct points you intend to make and the specific parts of the text that you intend to examine in some detail.

5. Tips for Effective Revision and Editing

Revision is a major aspect of the Writing Process, as is editing, and is itself divided into two distinct activities: systems revision and deep revision. Students frequently miss the opportunity to improve their compositions through both types of revision, in part because they equate revision with editing and proofreading. Yet students are at a distinct disadvantage when taking the AP English Language and Composition exam if they cannot distinguish between revision and editing, the two essential end stages of the Writing Process. They are asked to revise both discourse (rhetorically structured essay) and language (writing mechanics); hence, they must become experts at both tasks by the exam date. The majority of students mistakenly believe that revision and editing coexist and are virtually the same process. The premise of essays published in this handbook is that revision is not editing and that students must be taught both skills. These essays clearly delineate the difference between the two skills and offer suggestions for teaching both.

College-bound high school students, for whom AP English Language and Composition is a corequisite for freshman composition in college, often regard the course as a means to gaining a competitive advantage in college admissions. Indeed, the College Board, the creator of the AP Language and Composition course, offers two to six weeks of curriculum planning and emphasizes rigorous instruction that aligns with the goals of the course: reading, comprehending, interpreting, and analyzing college-level prose from various genres and eras for the purpose of synthesis, argumentation, or persuasion; writing expository, analytical, and argumentative essays; and mastering rhetorical analysis of other individuals’ persuasive writing, among other important skills. Teachers who prepare for the expectations of rhetoric, argument, and writing based on the AP English Language and Composition Curriculum Course Description equip students for success in high school, college, and beyond. This chapter provides effective strategies for successfully teaching students how to use rhetorical analysis as a tool for composing effective essays.