Rhetorical Devices
What is the rhetorical device that refers to the author’s choice and use of words?
Diction
Is it best to skim the sources or read in depth for this task?
Skim! (you’ll spend too much time otherwise)
What does not earn you the thesis point for rhetorical analysis?
Restating prompt, summary of issue, doesn’t respond to prompt, isn’t defensible
What is a counterargument and why would you include it in your essay?
A counter argument is a viewpoint that disagrees or challenges the main argument of an essay.
You would include it in your essay by showing a complex understanding of the topic, the limitations of your thesis, and you can explain the fallacies in opposing views.
Name one work we’ve read in class and provide its purpose.
Answers may vary, so teacher judged!
Name the three main rhetorical appeals and what they are.
Ethos: Credibility
Pathos: Emotion
Logos: Logic
How many sources can College Board give you at a minimum or a maximum, and how many do you have to use at minimum to get a 4 for Evidence and Commentary?
6-7, and 3
List what you do in each of the rhetorical precis sentences.
Sentence 1: Author’s name & background, name of work, a rhetorically accurate verb, and a clause stating the main claim.
Sentence 2: Explanation of the rhetorical choices the author uses to develop their argument.
Sentence 3: A statement of the author’s purpose followed by an in order to phrase.
Sentence 4: A description the intended audience and the relationship he author establishes with teh audience (typically includes tone).
What was the name of the brainstorming thing we did to find evidence for this task?
(Bonus 100 if you can name what each letter stands for).
C.H.O.R.E.S
Current Events, History, Outside Knowledge, Reading, Experiences, Science
In 1776 a very famous document we read in class was published. What was the name of this document and what was its purpose?
Declaration of Independence; to provide reasoning as why it was valid for the United States to separate from Britain.
“He was thunder in a silent valley, a fire in a frozen field; she was a whisper in a crowded hall, a snowflake in the summer sky.
Identify three rhetorical devices used in this phrase
If you say repetition you can’t say a type of repetition as well (ex: anaphora), similar rules apply to juxtaposition and antithesis, etc.
Metaphor (thunderclap, fire, whisper, snowflake)
Parallelism (the two clauses mirror each other in structure)
Juxtaposition (the guy and girls personalities/traits are contrasting)
If you can find other ones (like diction!) those can work too (Mrs. Peinado can judge!).
What should your conclusion do in a synthesis task (and really all the tasks) essay?
Your conclusion should zoom out and explain the broader implications of your argument. It should show why your claim matters beyond the essay itself, connecting it to larger themes, real-world consequences, or wider contexts.
Doing this demonstrates a more nuanced understanding and can help strengthen your overall argument (and potentially earn the sophistication point).
What is the mnemonic for analyzing the rhetorical situation and author’s choices of a passage, and what does each letter stand for?
SPACECAT
Speaker, Purpose, Audience, Context, Exigence, Choices, Appeals, and Tone.
How would you earn the sophistication point for this task?
1. Crafting a nuanced argument by consistently identifying and exploring complexities or tensions.
2. Articulating the implications or limitations of an argument (either the student’s argument or an argument related to the prompt) by situating it within a broader context.
3. Making effective rhetorical choices that consistently strengthen the force and impact of the student’s argument.
4. Employing a style that is consistently vivid and persuasive.
Explain the context behind “Sinners at the Hand of an Angry God”, and how that provided Edwards the exigence to write this sermon.
By the time of the First Great Awakening, religion in the colonies had become routine, and many people relied on tradition or church membership rather than personal belief.
Seeing this spiritual complacency, Jonathan Edwards felt an urgent need to warn people that they were in danger of God’s judgment, which led him to preach Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.
How can a logical fallacy both help your argument and undermine it?
A complete response gives an example.
A logical fallacy can help your argument in the short term because it appeals to emotions, bias, or assumptions instead of strict logic. For example, exaggerating consequences or attacking an opponent can make your position sound more urgent or convincing to some audiences.
However, it can also undermine you argument because once people identify your flawed reasoning your credibility weakens.
Explain the difference in a synthesis prompt that asks you to “qualiy a claim” vs. “develop your position on”.
To qualify a claim means to argue that the statement is true under certain limitations. You acknowledge that the claim is not entirely right or wrong, and you explain the specific circumstances where it applies.
To develop your position on a topic means to clearly argue your stance (agree, disagree, or qualify) and build a case for it using evidence.
How many different rhetorical devices do you need to earn 4 points on evidence and commentary?
Double Points if you get right!!!!
Only 1! (“To earn the fourth point in this row, the response may observe multiple instances of the same rhetorical choice if each instance further contributes to the argument, purpose, or message of the passage.”)
How can evidence from multiple C.H.O.R.E.S categories strengthen your argument?
Using diverse evidence provides a well-rounded, persuasive argument and shows understanding from multiple perspectives.
Name three rhetorical devices and a speech that used them. Then state how using them aided the speaker’s argument/line of reasoning.
Teacher Judged!
A politician argues, “Crime has increased by 10% this year, so we must immediately implement harsher punishments. Anyone who disagrees clearly doesn’t care about public safety.”
Identify two different logical fallacies in this statement and explain how each one attempts to persuade the audience while weakening the overall argument.
Hasty generalization: He assumes harsher punishments are the necessary solution without providing sufficient evidence linking them to reduced crime.
Ad Hominem: He suggests their are only two options (support the policy or not care about safety) attacking opponents instead of addressing their reasoning.
These tactics pressure audience emotionally, but they weaken the argument by relying on flawed logic rather than evidence.
Why can over-relying on one source, even if it is well explained, prevent an essay from earning full Evidence & Commentary points?
Over-relying on one source weakens your essay because the task requires integrating multiple perspectives into a cohesive argument.
Even strong analysis of one source does not demonstrate the ability to balance, compare, or combine different viewpoints.
A student identifies the rhetorical choices of a passage and correctly analyzes them.
However, they do not relate it back to the authors purpose/call to action.
What would they score on the Evidence and Commentary section of the rubric, and why?
Could they still get the sophistication point?
The student would likely earn 3 points on the Evidence and Commentary section of the rubric.
They correctly identify and analyze the author’s rhetorical choices, which is evidence and commentary, but since they don't connect it to the author’s purpose or argument, their analysis is incomplete, losing them the final point.
They could still earn the sophistication point if their writing is particularly vivid and persuasive, but it’s less likely. The sophistication point is awarded for demonstrating complex understanding of rhetorical strategies or the author’s purpose, or for showing nuanced connections between devices, audience, and argument. Because this student fails to link author’s choices to purpose, they haven’t fully demonstrated that they have nuanced understanding.
Two essays argue the same defensible thesis and use strong evidence from multiple.
Essay A clearly refutes counterarguments and maintains a consistent line of reasoning.
Essay B acknowledges that its own thesis may create unintended consequences and explores how those consequences complicate their claim.
Both are well written.
Which essay is more likely to earn the sophistication point, and why?
Essay B is more likely to earn the sophistication point.
While Essay A effectively defends its claim, it focuses on proving itself correct and defeating opposition.
Essay B goes further by interrogating its own claim, examining unintended consequences and internal tensions.
Note: Essay A will most likely still be high scoring earning either a 4 or 5.
Write a rhetorical precis on “Letter to Birmingham” or on “Give me Liberty or Give Me Death”!
Teacher Judged!