Identifying the Rhetorical Situation

    Step 1: Choose an argument that you have previously written or that you are currently drafting. You need to describe the context of your previous argument; Consider questions like What class did you write it for? How long was the argument? What were your main points? Evaluating what you now know about rhetorical appeals, can you identify any in the original draft? Was your argument effective? Who was your audience? Supporting your answer with specific examples from the original text. Step 2: Revise the argument with explicit focus on increasing its appeals to logos, ethos, pathos, and kairos via audience-based reasons and other strategies. Consider especially how you might improve ethos by building bridges to the audience or improve pathos through concrete language, specific examples, metaphors, or connotations of words. Finally, consider the extent to which your reasons are audience-based. You do not need to rewrite and resubmit your original argument/essay/paper. What this assignment is asking you to do is critically evaluate a piece of writing you’ve previously completed and consider areas that could be made stronger. Your reflection does not need to be in essay format but should include an original title and can be divided into two sections as follows: