ENG 101 - English Composition I Rhetorical Analysis: Thesis, Evidence, and Outline Study Guide
Arizona State University
ENG 101 - English Composition I | Study Guide

Overview
A quick study guide for end-of-term essays on rhetorical analysis: building a claim-driven thesis, choosing evidence, organizing an outline, and writing clear commentary.

Key topics
•rhetorical situation (audience purpose context)
•ethos pathos logos with examples
•claim-based thesis statements
•quote integration and commentary
•outline structures for analysis essays

Suggested study tasks
•identify purpose and audience for a short passage in 3 sentences
•write two thesis options then choose the stronger claim
•collect 5 evidence snippets and label appeal + effect
•outline a 5-paragraph analysis with topic sentences
•revise one paragraph to add commentary not summary

Common pitfalls
•summarizing the text instead of analyzing choices
•using quotes without explaining the effect on the audience
•writing a thesis that is only a topic statement
•dropping citations or formatting inconsistently
•organizing by appeals without a clear argumentative throughline