Unit 4 Assignment Worksheet
In the Units 3 and 4 Discussions, you created a thesis statement that offered a solution to a problem in your community. In this unit’s Assignment, you will revise and evaluate the effectiveness of that thesis using the rhetorical situation and the rhetorical triangle.
Part I: Revise the provisional thesis statement that you generated in the previous unit Discussion and identify the underlying assumption. Make sure the thesis is concise (1–2 sentences) and includes two parts: a proposal for solving a problem and a reason that solution is needed. For more on creating effective persuasive thesis statements, review the following PGWC resources:
- “Writing a Thesis Statement: The Central Step in the Writing Process”
- “Writing an Effective Thesis Statement”
Write your revised two-part thesis statement here, and be sure to include a claim + reason (the “because” or “since” clause):
State the underlying assumption of your argument:
Part II: Use the rhetorical situation (author, text, purpose, audience, setting) to brainstorm about the main elements of your argument. This argument analysis will help you prepare for the Unit 8 persuasive essay. You will be the author and the text will be a scholarly essay, so there is no need to answer those two parts of the rhetorical situation. Identify the other three elements of the rhetorical situation below using complete sentences:
Purpose – What do you hope to accomplish by making this argument?
Target audience – Who in the community can make the change and what other stakeholders will be affected by this issue and your recommended change?
Setting – Name and describe the community you will write about.
You can use “The Rhetorical Situation” and “The Rhetorical Situation in College Composition II” for help with this exercise.
Part III: Describe how you will use the appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos to make your argument more compelling to your audience. You can review the PGWC resource on the appeals here: “The Three Appeals of Argument.”
Pathos – Identify your target audience and what values, priorities, and emotions you must take into consideration to make a convincing argument.
Ethos – Describe what points of disagreement, assumptions, misconceptions, and valid concerns you will need to address to show a complex understanding of the issue. What are some common ground opportunities that you can use to show that you understand their position and agree with parts of it?
Logos – Describe what logic, examples, and evidence you can use to support your explanation of the problem and your proposed solution? What logical fallacies will you need to avoid?
