English 10H Rhetoric and Argumentation Review

argument

using language, reason and evidence to influence the thoughts and behaviors of others

rhetoric

strategies used to make an argument achieve its purpose, persuade target audience

claim

position taken by the person making the argument, first step in developing a strong argument is to develop an arguable claim, requires support and convinces readers

audience

the individuals or groups you are trying to persuade

rhetorical situation

influences what and how an argument is presented

rhetorical triangle

speaker, audience, subject

soapstone

subject, occasion, audience, purpose, speaker, tone

subject

what is the speaker’s general topic or context? is it narrow or broad?

occassion

circumstances, controversy, responding to an accusation or situation

audience

author will tailor argument depending on primary audience’s expectations, prejudices, anticipated objections and interests

purpose

intention, what the speaker wants audience to do (inspire action)

speaker

who is putting forward the claim? age, gender, race, economic/social status, interests, biases, political beliefs

tone

speaker’s attitude towards subject and audience

rhetorical situation

context, occasion, purpose

bias

speaker having an identifiable preference for or prejudice against one side of an issue; affects position and perspective

ex: politics, religion, age, job, location, socioeconomic status

logos

reason and logic (data, research, facts), neutral tone, format, connections

pathos

emotion (descriptive language, imagery)

ethos

creditability; demonstrate authority or shared values

mythos

shared cultural values

ex: motherhood, religion

counterarguments

opposing viewpoints

concession

agreeing with some aspect of opposition to show respect for others views

refutation

pointing out how opposition doesn’t account for important issues or is outweighed by other considerations

inquiry process

indentify and focus, investigate and analyze, draw connections, intergrate and present, reflect and revisit

relevance

does it relate to your topic?

currency

is it current enough to be useful?

authority

pay attention to credentials

accuracy

look for errors, double check information

first hand evidence

information gained through personal experience and observation, most reliable

second hand evidence

information gained through another person or source, lacks creditability