Rhetoric and Word Choice Essay

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Read the following article so that you can best understand the following sample thesis.

Follow the steps I have set forth for your sample thesis statement.

Allie Grasgreen
“So, Students Don’t Learn—Now What?”
Inside Higher Ed January 20, 2011

What Is Effective about This Article:

1) Title – grabs your attention right away. As a college professor, I want to know why students aren’t learning. 2) Audience awareness — it is absolutely relevant to a college audience, to students and professors alike. 3) Cultural context — at a university, the culture is geared toward students and faculty. Further, there is a lot of talk in the media right now about the cost and benefit of a college education. 4) Rhetorical strategies used – logos (reference to the book and its authors), ethos (Grasgreen’s personal experience)

What Is Ineffective about This Article:

1) Logos – lack of evidence about the subject. She really only used the book and interviews so that it reads more like an opinionated book review than an argument. 2) Writing style – She uses particularly long sentences, which is often considered to be ineffective for a larger audience. 3) Word choice – It is clear that she is almost too aware of her particular audience and her word choice reflects that. She is not considering the larger ramifications of her work.

THESIS: THE QUESTION

Consider the question you should ask all the articles for a rhetorical analysis:

How is this article an effective or ineffective argument?

THESIS: THE ANSWER

Now come up with potential answers:

A: Effective: 1) Title – why are we not learning? 2) Audience awareness—relevant to students 3) Cultural context—students overall 4) Rhetorical strategies – logos (reference to the book and its authors), ethos (Grasgreen’s experience)
Ineffective:
1) Logos – evidence about the subject (only really used the book and interviews) 2) Writing style – long sentences 3) Word choice – was only for a particular audience

THESIS: THE “SO WHAT”

(that is, consider your potentially hostile reader asking, “So what? Why should I care?”)

Why should your reader care?

Well, what if your reader is not in the collegiate environment?

POTENTIAL SO WHAT:
Had Grasgreen researched her topic more completely and considered a broader audience, her article would appeal to readers outside of academia, as well.
THESIS: ALL TOGETHER NOW

Put it all together into an argumentative thesis statement, emphasis on
ARGUMENTATIVE and STATEMENT.
Change the question into not-a-question!

In Allie Grasgreen’s article, “So,
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