RHETORICAL SITUATIONS

Chapters 1-4

What is RHETORIC?????

Wait a minute….

RHETORIC

The purposeful use of language in speech or in writing

In other words…the ways in which you, the speaker or the writer, purposely use language in different situations.

Different situations require different language!

Rhetorical Situation

Choose your words wisely

Think before you speak (OR WRITE)

A situation in which you use words to communicate.

You think about the situation before you choose your rhetoric.

In the following four slides, you will see various rhetorical situations that you might come across at home, at work, at play, and at school.

Consider each rhetorical situation on the slide. •How do the situations differ?•How would you consider your choice of words in each situation? Why?

Rhetorical Situations Everywhere

Rhetorical Situations Everywhere

At home

Rhetorical Situations Everywhere

At work

Rhetorical Situations Everywhere

At play

Rhetorical Situations Everywhere

At School

Rhetorical SituationThere are five elements to consider in EVERY rhetorical situation

ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER

Purpose – why are you communicating?

Audience – who is listening/reading?

Stance – what is your attitude?

Genre – what kind of writing are you using?

Media & Design – print, spoken, or digital?

Now let’s look at each element of a rhetorical situation a little closer.

Elements to Consider

Why are you writing? To express yourselfTo entertainTo communicate with othersTo persuadeTo informSome situations have one purpose, others have several.

CONSIDER YOUR PURPOSE

IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE…Who will read (or hear) what you are writing?

Are they known or unknown?Is your audience one person or multiple?

These (and more) questions will help shape the words that you choose and how you convey your message.

CONSIDER YOUR AUDIENCE

CONSIDER YOUR AUDIENCE

What is your audience’s background? What are their interests? Is there any demographic information you

should keep in mind? What political circumstances should you

consider? What does your audience already know about

your topic? What is your relationship with your audience? What does your audience need/expect from you?

Or in other words…What is your attitude toward your topic?

But…It’s not just what you say, but how you say it!

CONSIDER YOUR STANCE

CONSIDER YOUR STANCE

It’s not just what you say, but how you say it. TONE = HOW YOU SAY IT

Thoughtful vs. Defiant Objective vs. Opinionated Sarcastic vs. Serious Assertive vs. Uncertain

How do you choose the right TONE? Ask the following questions:

Who is your audience? What is your purpose?

What genre will you choose to communicate (in writing)???LetterProfileReport Position PaperPoemInstructionsWeb Pages

CONSIDER THE GENRE

Rhetorical Situations: Practice

Now it’s time for some practice.

Carefully look at the following slides and decide the rhetorical situation in each.

“A likely impossibility is always preferable to an unconvincing possibility.” – Plato Poetics

What do you think???

Analyze the Rhetorical Situation

Analyze the Rhetorical Situation

Analyze the Rhetorical Situation

Analyze the Rhetorical Situation

The Rhetorical Situation AND The Writing Process

There are 5 Steps to the Writing Process Pre-Writing Writing Revising Proofreading Submission

One Question: When do you start to think about the rhetorical

situation? Begin to think about it during the pre-writing phase –

before you actually start writing. Re-visit the topic throughout the writing and revising steps to make sure you are on the right track.