Rhetorical Situation
The person who is doing the communicating
Who is the speaker/author?
Statistics, percentages, numbers, research
What is Logos?
This mode tells a story by presenting a sequence of events, often with characters, setting, and a clear progression.
What is Narration?
This strategy compares two unlike things in order to clarify or deepen understanding.
What is a metaphor or simile?
This element is the main position that a writer is trying to prove.
What is a thesis or claim?
The ones to whom the speaker/author is communicating
Who is the audience?
Warnings about danger or loss
What is pathos?
This mode places two things side by side to highlight their similarities and/or differences.
What is Comparison/Contrast?
This strategy tells a brief personal story to illustrate a larger point.
What is an anecdote?
This element includes facts, examples, anecdotes, or data used to support a claim.
What is evidence?
The reason why the communicator is conveying the message.
What is purpose?
Author credentials: degrees, affiliations, prior publications.
What is ethos?
This mode focuses on illustrating or explaining an idea by giving specific cases.
What is Exemplification?
This strategy speaks directly to the audience using “you” or by addressing them explicitly.
What is direct address?
This element explains how the evidence supports the claim and why it matters.
The circumstances surrounding the communication
What is context?
Maps / diagrams: geographic or spatial reasoning
What is logos?
This mode creates a vivid picture using sensory details to help the reader imagine a scene, person, or experience.
What is Description?
This strategy repeats a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.
What is anaphora?
This element acknowledges or responds to an opposing viewpoint in order to strengthen the argument.
What is a counterargument or concession?
The specific occasion/event that prompted the message to be spoken/written.
What is exigence?
Self-disclosure (admitting bias or lack of knowledge)
What is ethos?
This mode breaks down a subject into parts in order to explain how or why something works.
What is Analysis?
This strategy places two opposing ideas side by side in a balanced structure.
What is juxtaposition or antithesis?
This element is the logical progression that connects claims, evidence, and commentary into a coherent argument.
What is line of reasoning?