Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions; also see the revision notes.
Understanding
- ☐ I can name the six components of the rhetorical situation and define each in a sentence. (Guide: “What is a rhetorical situation?”)
- ☐ I can explain why the situation matters more than the topic. (Guide: “Why the situation matters more than the topic”)
- ☐ I can explain the difference between exigence and purpose, and between message and purpose. (Guide: “Exigence is not purpose”; practice question 5)
Skills
- ☐ I can describe each component precisely using details from a text. (Guide: “Describing each component precisely”; practice questions 6 and 7)
- ☐ I can identify a primary and a secondary audience. (Guide: Worked example 2; practice question 6)
- ☐ I can identify the exigence of a text from its first lines. (Guide: Worked example 1; practice question 1)
- ☐ I can state a purpose as an effect on an audience, not a topic. (Practice questions 6 and 7)
Reasoning
- ☐ I can explain how a particular word or phrase responds to the audience or context. (Guide: Worked example 1; practice question 8)
- ☐ I can explain what a personal detail does for a writer’s credibility. (Practice question 4)
- ☐ I can judge whether a description of a situation is precise enough to avoid fitting any text. (Guide: “Describing each component precisely”; practice question 7)