MRS. BOONE’S FINAL SAY

I. Rhetorical Analysis Prompts

You may be asked to:- Analyze how an author uses language to

develop a purpose or attitude- Explain intended effect of a passage and how

it is created through language and rhetoric- Compare/contrast two passages for style,

purpose or tone- Analyze how the author conveys a tone

Rhetorical Analysis cont’d.

• Read the prompt CAREFULLY to make sure you stay on topic and respond to the task

• Annotate while reading• Make a brief outline before writing (If you

have a firm understanding of the passage)- Thesis- Focus of each paragraph (by device, chronologically, by patterns, etc.)

What the heck are rhetorical strategies?

Author’s use of • Diction (connotations, sounds, formality, etc.)• Repetition (anaphora, epistrophe, etc.)• Figurative Language (Watch for extended

metaphors, schemes vs. tropes)• Imagery• Appeals to audience (ethos, pathos, logos)• Syntax (parallel structure, short sentences, long

sentences, loose vs. periodic sentences)• Persona

Rhetorical Strategies, cont.

• Anecdote (a short story used to illustrate a point)• Dialogue• Allusions (literary, historical, Biblical,

mythological)• Punctuation • Hyperbole• Organization• Anything else an author does to achieve a purpose

REMEMBER. . .

• You should not attempt to find rhetorical strategies until you have first determined . . .

AUTHOR PURPOSEThink first…

Informative, persuasive, literary or expressive… then

get specific

Rhetorical Analysis

When you see ___, it often means__

“WE” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UnityRepetition. . . . . . . . . . EmphasisParallel structure. . . . . Balance or EqualityShort sentences . . . . . Emphasis (or rudeness)Long sentences . . .. . . Complex thoughts and

ideas

When you see _____, It often means________

Juxtaposition . . . . . . . . . ContrastAntithesis . . . . . . . . . . . . Contrast or emphasis of

sameness or difference

Alliteration. . . . . . . . . . . .EmphasisPeriodic sentence. . . . . . .Delay/suspenseLoose sentence. . . . . . . . .Pacing, clarity

Remember to look for:

• Any kind of shift.• Patterns in Diction (negative, descriptive)• Patterns in Syntax (parallelism, anaphora)• Repeated words that jump off of the page • Words that show nostalgia or reminiscence (I

remember, I recall)

How do you know if it’s satire?

• Do you see a target? Lawyers, teachers, politicians, people in general, kings, queens, golfers, teenagers

• Is the author drawing attention to the target’s failings?

• Does it contain irony? Satire will contain irony, most likely verbal irony (sarcasm). Words like obviously, apparently, it seems often signal verbal irony.

• Try not to confuse a mocking tone (Jennifer Price’s Flamingo piece) with satire (Judy Brady’s “I Want A Wife”).

Exaggeration in satire

• It will contain exaggeration. Remember the “intelligent-looking man in the white lab coat” from the “Magnasoles” piece?

• To achieve exaggeration, authors often use caricatures of people or places to draw attention to how foolish they are.

• If something seems too outlandish to be true, it’s probably satire.

Satire in Argument

• Often used to expose the absurdity of an argument, this is where an author agrees so strongly with basic attitudes or assumptions that his agreement becomes either ridiculous or disturbing.

• A Modest Proposal (eating babies to solve Ireland’s hunger problem.)

Satire in Argument

• If something you are reading offends you, analyze that feeling. Novelists in particular rarely hold the same beliefs as their narrators. If the main voice of a text does or says something offensive, chances are the author is drawing attention to the absurdity of those beliefs through satire. (A Modest Proposal)

SATIRE?

• In a prompt, they’ll probably tell you it’s satire, but when in doubt, don’t come right out and call it satire.

If all else fails, remember

• Subject• Occasion• Audience• Purpose• Speaker• Tone• ----------------------------------(you can stop here)• Organization• Narrative Style• Evidence

II. Original Argument Prompts

You’ll get a short quotation, passage or situation to read and you’ll then be asked to develop your own position by one of the following prompts:

• Defend, challenge, or qualify a stated position.• Explore the validity of an assertion.• Indicate which idea among a set is more valid.• Explore pros and cons of both sides BEFORE

taking a position.

You may also be asked to analyze and evaluate an argument!

This is like the Caesar prompt in which you had to discuss the strategies employed by Calphurnia and Decius to persuade Caesar to stay home or go to the Senate.

Fallacies in Argument

Don’t worry about all of these. These are the ones you’re most likely to encounter:

Hasty Generalization (Includes stereotypes)Faulty Syllogisms (All men are. . .Bobby is.. .

Therefore Bobby is. . .)Ad Hominem (Attacks the person)Red Herring (See Title IX essays)Non sequitur (See Title IX essays)

SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER:• Make your stance clear.• Consider your adversaries. Refute possible

arguments that could be used against you. (YOU NEED TO REMEMBER YOUR AUDIENCE)

• Support using specific, intelligent examples from your own experience, observation, and reading.

- Try to use a variety of examples (literary , current event and historical are better than personal, usually).

• Try to use at least two examples for support, preferably more.

Literature that lends itself to argument:

• GATSBY!!!!!• The Crucible• Huck Finn• Crime and Punishment• All of Shakespeare’s plays!• The Odyssey• Of Mice and Men• Animal Farm• Lord of the Flies• 1984• Etc. …

What have you read that I’ve forgotten???

III. The Synthesis Prompt(Argument with Sources)

REMEMBER• You MUST cite at least THREE (3) different sources.• Have you cited properly?:

- According to Source C, “ blah blah blah.”- Attendance at Bengals’ games rose by 42%

in 1990 (Source C).- Mrs. Boone stated, “The Cincinncati Bengals

are the most fabulous team in the NFL” (Source C). [Okay, that’s a stretch, but I couldn’t help it].

More on Attribution

If you are paraphrasing several sentences, try introducing your paraphrase like this so it is crystal clear that you are attributing your source (No need for “double” attribution with a short quotation/paraphrase):

According to AP Comp students, yada yada yada blah blah blah AP Comp is the best. We will miss OLHS and especially AP Comp when we graduate (Source C).

Synthesis cont’d.

• Remember that this is an argument. You need to have a clear position even if you do qualify your ideas and weigh different perspectives.

• “Engagement with sources” = don’t just summarize, but explain how they work together to develop an idea.

• Look for where the sources come together to support ideas as well as where they diverge.

SYNTHESIS Cont’d.

• Five paragraph essay format is “okay” for this prompt, but be more sophisticated if possible.

• Do not assume your reader has read the sources, but don’t summarize the whole source either. Give just enough contextual information to make your citation work.

• Think of this as a mini research paper.• They are looking for proper attribution of

sources, embedded quotations, and enough sources to support your position well.

Finally . . .

• If you forget to cite something, that is PLAGIARISM, and you will not get above a 2!

SO . . . .. PROOFREAD

IV. Multiple Choice

• You will have one hour - 4 passages = roughly 15 minutes per passage - 5 passages = roughly 12 minutes per passage

• If you can eliminate at least two choices, make an educated guess

• At least one text should be archaic (unless it is on the rhetorical analysis essay)

• At least one text will ask questions about footnotes and citations – review this for sure.

“Stuff” to take with you beyond the test:

• AGREEMENT

If each person could be sure that (their, his) vote counts, (they, he) would be more likely to vote.

ANSWER

• If each person could be sure that (their, his) vote counts, (they, he) would be more likely to vote.

Subjunctive Mood

If I (was, were) rich, I would escape justice for more than if I (was, were) poor.

ANSWER

If I (was, were) rich, I would escape justice for more than if I (was, were) poor.

It’s called the subjunctive mood, and I don’t know why you use it, but when you use I wish, or If, use the verb, were.

WHO vs THAT

George Washington is a man (that, who) most school children are taught to admire.

ANSWER

• George Washington is a man (that, who) most school children are taught to admire.

When you are referring to people, the relative pronoun should be WHO not that.

Remember…

NO HUFFY EXPANSES OF WHITE SPACE!

Remember. . . .

To proofread

Remember…

Not to fall for distracters

Ask yourself if the answer you may choose really makes sense

Remember:

To do your best work

And know…

That I just might be more proud of you

than even your own mothers and I will

miss you next year!!