QUESTIONS FOR RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

PURPOSE
Rhetorical analysis helps you to determine the trustworthiness of what you read (and
hear) about issues that concern you, and to develop your own rhetorical awareness.
How you formulate your own points of view and how you communicate those points of
view, is, ultimately, only as effective as the sources you have used to help you develop
your critical thinking.
PROCESS AND CONTENT
To begin rhetorical analysis, first you need to read the source carefully and summarize
the key ideas (you dont need to write a summary just underline key points): What is
the subject or issue of the piece? What is the thesis or main point of the piece? What are
the supporting points? It is best to read the source at least two times, and to reread
again as you undertake your analysis.
Then use the following questions to help you think about the rhetorical dimensions of
the source you are analyzing. Not every question will be relevant for every reading, but
the questions will help you be thorough in determining how the writer appeals to the
audience and if the writing is persuasive. This will help you in setting up your next
paper, a rhetorical analysis. It will also equip you to be a careful, critical reader of any
text you encounter.
Write responses to the following questions and mark up your source to identify
passages you can refer to or briefly quote.
For starters, analyze the big picture of your source:
1. Is the style formal, informal, academic? Identify parts of the source that support
your claim.
2. Is the tone (writers attitude toward the issue) objective, humorous/serious,
angry/calm, informative/entertaining, detached/engaged,
condescending/collegial, sarcastic/fair-minded? Identify phrases that support
your response.

3. Are the word choices abstract/concrete, unusual/ordinary, specialized/general,

scientific/literary (that is, does the writer use figurative, descriptive, and detailed
language)? Does the writer use words with strong connotations? Emotionally
evocative words? Give examples.
Analyze the context for the source
4. What are the features of the ongoing public conversation (the they say) that
this source takes up? In other words, what else, if anything, has been said or
written about this issue?
5. What historical information, if any, do we need to understand the source?
6. How/where does the source refer to or respond to other texts, debates, or events?
7. What is the relevance and timeliness of the issue; relevance and timeliness is
also known as the rhetorical appeal KAIROS? For example, is it a current event,
a national concern, a local concern, a personal one?
8. What is the writers purpose for writing (the so what? of the writing). To
persuade? Explain? Inform? Anger? Amuse? Motivate? Sadden? Ridicule?
Attack? Defend? Something else? Is there more than one purpose? Does the
purpose shift at all throughout the text?
9. What does the writer want readers to do/think/believe?)
10. Who is the intended audience of the source? Why do you say so? Where was the
source published? What can you tell about the audience from learning more
about the source and its readers?
11. What is the genre of this source? For example, is it an article, an editorial, an
essay, an advertisement, a book chapter? How do the conventions (features) of
the genre shape the writing?
Analyze the rhetorical appeals used in the source
ETHOSthe character or authority of the writer
12. How does the writer present him/herself? As an expert or authority? As being
knowledgeable, having good judgment, being reliable, trustworthy or credible?
Something else? Identify several short passages or phrases that help you form
this opinion. What can you learn about the writer from a quick Google search
that might expand your sense of her/his credibility?

13. How does the writer show s/he understands the complexity of the issue? By
demonstrating that s/he understands the variety of viewpoints that readers may
bring - or may not be able to bring to the issue? How else? Give examples.
PATHOSthe values, beliefs, emotions of readers
14. How does the writer appeal to readers needs, values, emotions, or shared
beliefs? Identify (quote) places in the source where s/he does so.
LOGOSthe logic of the argument
15. Does the author provide logical assertions and solid reasons for those
assertions? Give examples.
16. Does the writer provide convincing evidence to support his/her assertions and
line of reasoning? What kind of evidence? For example, does the writer rely on
expert testimony from others? Are these experts credible? Or does the author use
convincing fact, statistics, examples, anecdotes? Identify several instances of
effective use of evidence in your source.
17. Does the writer address or ignore opposing arguments? Or does s/he purposely
exclude information that might detract from the argument?

Analyze the organization of the source

18. Is it in chronological order; problem to solution; cause to effect/effect to cause;
comparison/contrast; climactic order, that is, moving from the least important to
the most important points; reverse climactic order. Some combination? Do you
think the organization is effective? Why or why not?
Finally, given what you have written about context, kairos, ethos, pathos, logos, style,
and organization, how persuasive do you think the source is for its audience? What
rhetorical strategies or appeals has the writer used most effectively to convince his/her
audience of his/her position? Are you part of the original audience? If not, does the
source persuade you? Why or why not?