How to Write a Good Rhetorical Précis Essay: Template and Examples

A rhetorical précis (precis) is an academic writing that summarizes another piece of text. Basically, this type of work recapitulates main ideas and arguments presented in a chose subject. In essay writing, the primary aim is to provide accurate details about a specific piece in question. Further on, working papers must analyze an entire content and a delivery of a spoken, observed, or written discourse, answering the questions “what” and “how.” In practice, good rhetorical précis papers contain an introduction, body, and conclusion. Then, an opening paragraph includes a hook and a thesis statement. In turn, an essay’s body consists of a summary of main concepts and arguments. Moreover, one should end a rhetorical précis paper with a summarizing paragraph, which represents a thesis statement. Finally, some common writing phrases used in a traditional précis essay include “argue,” “call attention to,” “define,” “deny,” “show,” “point out,” “prove,” “suggest,” “inform,” “persuade,” “disclose,” “report,” and “convince.”

What Is a Rhetorical Précis Essay and Its Purpose

According to its definition, a rhetorical précis essay is a structured, concise summary and analysis of another author’s work that focuses on literary devices and techniques. For example, the main purpose of writing a rhetorical précis essay is to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of an original text while also analyzing an overall effectiveness of an author’s argument (Wink, 2021). Unlike a traditional summary, writing a rhetorical précis essay dissects an observed text to reveal how an author conveys his or her message and persuades a target audience. Further on, this type of paper includes 3 distinct parts: a statement about an author’s thesis, an explanation of how an author develops his or her argument, a description of an author’s purpose, and a discussion of an intended audience and an author’s tone or style (Babin et al., 2020). In writing, by focusing on some rhetorical devices, such as ethos, pathos, and logos, students can evaluate how an assigned text persuades or informs its readers. Moreover, such essays help students to improve critical thinking, reading comprehension, and analytical writing skills, making them a useful tool in both academic and professional settings (Kum, 2023). In terms of pages and words, the length of a rhetorical précis essay depends on academic levels, assigned texts, and course requirements, while general writing guidelines are:

High School

Length: ½ to 1 page
Word Count: 100 to 250 words
Details: High school rhetorical précis essays typically emphasize conciseness in writing, often requiring just a few paragraphs to summarize and analyze an assigned text.

College

Length: 1 to 2 pages
Word Count: 250 to 500 words
Details: College rhetorical précis essays demand more detail and depth in writing, with a focus on breaking down literary devices and a text’s purpose.

University (Undergraduate)

Length: 2 to 4 pages
Word Count: 500 to 1,000 words
Details: University rhetorical précis essays cover a more comprehensive analysis and writing, requiring a more detailed examination of an author’s argument and literary strategies.

Master’s

Length: 4 to 6 pages
Word Count: 1,000 to 1,500 words
Details: Master’s-level rhetorical précis essays require a greater critical analysis and writing, focusing deeply on author’s literary techniques and purpose.

Ph.D.

Length: 6 to 12 pages or more
Word Count: 1,500 to 3,000 words or more
Details: Ph.D.-level rhetorical précis essays involve a detailed, nuanced analysis of complex texts and advanced writing, often accompanied by theoretical insights into rhetoric and language.

Format

Section	Content
Title	Include a clear, engaging, and concise title for your rhetorical précis essay, reflecting an entire content and main focus of an analysis.
Introduction	Introduce an author’s name (full name), a unique title of an assigned text, its genre (e.g., article, speech), and its publication date (if applicable).
Introduction	Write a concise statement of an author’s main argument or thesis.
Body Paragraph 1	Summary of an Argument: Explain how a person develops his or her argument.
Body Paragraph 1	Identify key rhetorical devices (e.g., ethos, pathos, logos, Kairos, etc.) and how an author supports a main point with evidence and reasoning.
Body Paragraph 2	Purpose: State an author’s purpose for writing an observed text (e.g., to inform, persuade, entertain).
Body Paragraph 2	Describe what an individual seeks to accomplish and an actual significance of his or her argument.
Body Paragraph 3	Audience and Tone: Analyze an intended audience and a specific tone an author uses (e.g., formal, informal, critical).
Body Paragraph 3	Discuss how this writing tone engages a target audience and contributes to an author’s effectiveness.
Conclusion	Summarize an overall effectiveness of discussed rhetorical strategies.
Conclusion	Reflect on whether an author achieved his or her intended purpose of writing and an overall impact on a target audience.
List of References	List all academic sources cited, including a primary text being analyzed, using an appropriate citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, Harvard, etc.).

Note: Some writing sections of a rhetorical précis essay study can be added, deleted, or combined with each other, depending on assigned readings and instructor’s expectations. For example, a standard rhetorical précis essay format is a structured, concise summary and analysis of an assigned text that focuses on an author’s argument, purpose, rhetorical strategies, and intended audience, typically consisting of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion (Wink, 2021). Basically, précis writing is done in a third-person language to maintain an objective and formal tone when summarizing and analyzing an assigned text. Further on, writing a rhetorical précis essay can be challenging because such a paper requires balancing a concise summary with a detailed analysis of an author’s argument, literary strategies, and purpose, all within a highly structured format (Kum, 2023). As such, a rhetorical précis essay is not the same as a summary because this type of writing not only condenses an entire content but also analyzes an author’s argument, purpose, rhetorical strategies, and intended audience. Moreover, rhetorical devices are techniques or strategies that authors use to persuade, inform, or engage an intended audience, such as ethos (credibility), pathos (emotional appeal), logos (logical reasoning), and kairos (time), and deliver their main messages (Babin et al., 2020). In writing, a basic rhetorical précis is typically 100 to 200 words long, consisting of 4 concise sentences that summarize and analyze key elements of a text. Finally, a rhetorical situation in an essay refers to a unique context in which an author communicates, including a specific purpose, audience, author’s persona, topic, and some circumstances or setting that influence an argument (Varpio, 2018). In turn, to start a rhetorical précis essay, people introduce an author’s name, a title of a chosen work, its genre, its publication date, and a brief statement of a person’s main argument or thesis.

Rhetorical Précis Essay Topics

Examining Metaphors in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”
Rhetorical Analysis Example of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail”
Problems in Education and Ken Robinson’s Ted Talk “Do Schools Kill Creativity”
Volodymyr Zelensky’s Speech “I Call for You to Do More”
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and Its Environmental Rhetoric
Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor Speech (“Day of Infamy”)
Barack Obama’s 2008 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address
Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal and Its Use of Satire
Greta Thunberg’s speech at the UN Climate Action Summit
Ronald Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” Speech
Margaret Atwood’s Essay “Am I a Bad Feminist?”
Nelson Mandela’s Inaugural Address as President of South Africa
Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” Speech
Emma Watson’s United Nations HeForShe Campaign Speech
Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me

Defining Features

From its simple definition, a rhetorical précis (precis) refers to academic writing that summarizes a specific piece of text. Basically, individuals summarize main ideas and arguments to provide more insights into an author’s central argument. For example, the term “précis” is a French word that means a summary (Kum, 2023). In essay writing, one should focus on giving accurate and summative details about a source. Further on, valid précis papers must analyze an entire content and an overall delivery of a spoken or written discourse (Wink, 2021). In practice, such an approach answers the questions “what” and “how” concerning a work under analysis. Then, a rhetorical précis essay should include brief quotations to convey a sense of a specific style and tone (Babin et al., 2020). Other essential sections should consist of a terminal bibliographical reference. Besides, an effective practice of this type of essay promotes precision in writing and reading (Varpio, 2018). Finally, a unique nature of a rhetorical précis encourages one to employ a variety of sentence structures that enhance meaning. In turn, some examples of sentence starters for beginning a rhetorical précis essay are:

In a thought-provoking [genre] titled “[Title],” [Author’s Name], a renowned [occupation or background], presents a compelling argument that [central argument], using a combination of [persuasive strategies].
[Author’s Name], in an influential [genre] “[Title],” published in [year], masterfully addresses an issue of [topic] by utilizing [specific rhetorical devices] to persuade [intended audience] of [main point].
In a [genre] “[Title],” [Author’s Name] effectively uses [specific literary strategies], such as [ethos, pathos, logos, kairos, and other examples], to argue that [central thesis], highlighting an actual importance of [relevant context or topic].
Through a particular use of [literary devices], [Author’s Name], in “[Title],” conveys [central argument], aiming to challenge an audience’s perception of [topic] while engaging them with a [tone] approach.
In a [genre] “[Title],” [Author’s Name] articulates [argument or theme] by relying on [specific rhetorical appeals], and, through this method, [he/she/they] successfully reaches [intended audience].
In [Author’s Name]’s insightful [genre] “[Title],” published in [year], [he/she/they] skillfully builds an argument around [main point] by using [literary strategies] to evoke [response from audience].
[Author’s Name], in a persuasive [genre] “[Title],” addresses an issue of [topic] through a combination of [persuasive devices], ultimately leading a target audience to reconsider [central issue or belief].
In a [genre] “[Title],” [Author’s Name] explores [central argument or issue] using a variety of rhetorical strategies, such as [ethos, pathos, logos, kairos, and other examples], in order to persuade [intended audience] of [purpose or thesis].
A [genre] “[Title],” written by [Author’s Name], uses [perusasive devices] to highlight [central argument], ultimately intending to influence a reader’s view on [topic] by appealing to [authority/emotion/reason/time].
In a carefully constructed [genre] “[Title],” [Author’s Name] presents a well-reasoned argument regarding [topic], employing [literary strategies] to engage [audience] and persuade them of [main thesis].

Steps on How to Write a Rhetorical Précis Essay

To write a rhetorical précis essay, people summarize an author’s main argument, explain how this person develops his or her ideas using persuasive strategies, state a text’s purpose, identify an intended audience, and analyze a specific tone and overall effectiveness of an entire work. For example, the 4 main parts of a rhetorical précis essay are an author’s thesis and context, an explanation of how this person develops a main argument, a purpose of an observed text, and an analysis of an intended audience and tone (Wink, 2021). Basically, an actual importance of writing a rhetorical précis essay lies in its ability to concisely summarize a text while also critically analyzing an author’s argument, purpose, and literary techniques, helping readers to deepen their understanding of a subject and enhance critical thinking skills. Further on, a typical rhetorical précis consists of 4 structured sentences, each addressing an author’s thesis, a development of an argument, a purpose of a text, and an intended audience and tone (Kum, 2023). In writing, a first sentence of a rhetorical précis essay introduces an author’s name, a title and genre of an entire work, a publication date, and a concise statement of a person’s main argument or thesis. As such, a précis in an essay is a concise summary that encapsulates main points, arguments, and a central purpose of a text while maintaining its core meaning and structure (Geisler, 2016). Moreover, an example of a rhetorical précis essay is a concise summary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech “I Have a Dream,” where students can highlight his argument for racial equality, a particular use of emotional appeals (pathos) and ethical credibility (ethos), his logical purpose to inspire timely change (logos and kairos), and a formal yet passionate tone aimed at a broad audience. Finally, the main difference between a rhetorical précis essay and a regular summary is that the former not only summarizes an entire content but also analyzes an author’s persuasive strategies, purpose, and an overall effect on a target audience, while the latter focuses solely on condensing main points (Babin et al., 2020). In turn, some basic writing steps to follow are:

Select a Text: Choose a significant text, such as a speech, essay, or article, that contains clear persuasive strategies.
Read a Text Thoroughly: Read a chosen text carefully to understand an author’s argument, purpose, and literary devices.
Identify an Author’s Thesis: Determine a central argument or thesis of an observed text to form a foundation of a précis essay.
Analyze Rhetorical Strategies: Identify how an author uses persuasive appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) and other strategies to persuade or inform an intended audience.
Write an Introduction: Start by mentioning a person’s name, a title of a chosen text, genre, date (if relevant), and a thesis.
Summarize an Argument: In writing a first body paragraph, explain how an author develops his or her argument through literary devices.
State an Author’s Purpose: In writing a second body paragraph, clarify a person’s purpose and what a person aims to accomplish with his or her argument.
Analyze an Audience and Tone: In writing a third body paragraph, identify an intended audience and analyze how an author’s tone appeals to readers.
Conclude an Essay: Summarize an overall effectiveness of discussed persuasive strategies and evaluate whether an individual achieved his or her goal in writing.
Cite a Source: Include a reference for an assigned text using an appropriate citation style, such as APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, or Harvard.

Technical Requirements

A specific size of rhetorical précis essays varies depending on sources under consideration. For example, an entire size may vary from one paragraph to several pages (Kum, 2023). Hence, some technical requirements for writing a rhetorical précis essay are:

Word Count

A rhetorical précis essay may have words ranging from 100 to 1,000 words, depending on a source under analysis. For example, a shortest rhetorical précis essay should have at most 4 sentences that give a precise summary of a spoken or written discourse (Wink, 2021). In turn, a 4-page rhetorical précis essay contains several paragraphs that include an introduction, a body section, and a conclusion. Hence, these writing structures allow students to give an accurate summary of an assigned source.

Structure

A basic structure of a précis essay includes an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. For example, an introduction section should identify a chosen source and explain how an author develops a main argument (Babin et al., 2020). In writing, an opening section should have a thesis statement, showing a piece of central evidence in a précis essay. Then, body paragraphs must give precise details, supporting main arguments (Kum, 2023). In practice, students must follow a sandwich rule when developing body paragraphs. Moreover, this writing method enhances an overall clarity of presented concepts (Wink, 2021). Finally, a closing passage should restate a thesis statement and summarize main ideas presented. Hence, a rhetorical précis essay must follow a specific writing structure to enhance an overall communication.

Basic Précis Paragraph

In order to learn how to write a correct rhetorical précis, a paragraph should have no less than 4 sentences. For example, a first line should provide bibliographic information about an assigned source (Babin et al., 2020). In essay writing, students need to provide explanations of how an author develops and supports a central statement as a second sentence. Further on, a third sentence should include a statement of a person’s apparent purpose (Kum, 2023). Finally, one should end a précis with a description of an intended audience and a relationship established between an author and readers as a fourth sentence. Therefore, a short rhetorical précis follows a different writing structure when compared to a long essay.

Style

Rhetorical précis essays should follow an academic and informative format in writing. For example, a précis essay should not use first- and second-person language to present main arguments (Wink, 2021). In writing, students must focus on on a third-person language when communicating main arguments presented in a source under consideration. From a practical perspective, useful rhetorical précis essays should contain informative details about sources considered.

Examples of Writing Terminologies

Writing rhetorical précis essays requires specific terminologies that allow students to respond to different questions. For example, a correct use of writing terminologies indicates students are familiar with a central subject of an assigned reading, speech, or video (Babin et al., 2020). In writing, some of the vocabularies enhance an overall quality of rhetorical précis essays.

The “What” Question

A standard response to this question allows students to identify a source under analysis. As such, some of the terms used to determine sources include:

news, magazine, or journal article;
book review;
editorial;
research report;
bibliographical essay;
biography;
first-hand report.

The “How” Question

Responding to this question allows studentts to state a rhetorical verb utilized in a précis essay. In writing, some of the terminologies include:

“Analyze(s)” – The term shows that a source is an analysis of a specific topic.
“Argue(s)” – This word suggests that a source in question makes an argument.
“Assert(s)” – This verb implies that a source considered makes an assertion.
“Discus(es)” – This word indicates that an original text engages in a critical discussion of a specific topic.
“Explain(s)” – This term reveals that a spoken or written discourse gives a detailed and clear clarification on specific issues.
“Focus(es) on” – This verb affirms that a text summarized concentrates on a particular subject.

Other terminologies in a rhetorical précis essay allow students to describe a specific method used in a spoken or written discourse. For example, such words include comparing, contrasting, retelling, explaining, illustrating, defending, demonstrating, defining, describing, listing, arguing, showing, and justifying (Kum, 2023). In writing, other important terms include relating, reporting, noting, emphasizing, pointing out, and highlighting. Moreover, an effective use of these writing terminologies ensures those who read précis essays can understand primary methods used in an original article.

The “Why” Question

Responding to this question allows readers to understand key factors that indicate a specific purpose of précis essays. For example, some of the useful terminologies used in this writing category include “argue,” “call attention to,” “define,” “deny,” “show,” “point out,” “prove,” “suggest,” “inform,” “persuade,” “disclose,” “report,” “convince,” and others (Wink, 2021). Moreover, these terms play a crucial role in elucidating a person’s attention to writing a rhetorical précis essay.

The “Whom” Question

Responding to this question allows authors of rhetorical précis essays to mention a target audience in writing. For example, some of the common terminologies used include “formal,” “impersonal,” “casual,” “informal,” “humorous,” “emotional,” “friendly,” “reasoned,” “logical,” “exaggerated,” and others (Babin et al., 2020). In this case, a reader looking for an academic précis may search for some additional words, like “formal,” “rational,” or “motivated.” Furthermore, an individual searching for an entertaining summary can consider some words, like “humorous,” “emotional,” or “casual.”

Rhetorical Précis Template in 3 Steps

A précis essay must follow a specific structure and outline to enhance a basic ability to communicate an intended message. For example, the most acceptable structure of a rhetorical précis template should include an introduction, a body, and a conclusion (Kum, 2023). Hence, some factors one must consider for each writing section are:

Step I: Introduction Template

An opening paragraph identifies a source summarized and a principal argument made. For example, an introduction should begin with a hook that grabs a reader’s attention (Wink, 2021). In writing, one can use different types of attention-grabbing phrases or rhetorical devices, depending on a chosen source. Further on, students should set a specific context of a précis essay by identifying right scholarly sources and their authors (Babin et al., 2020). Basically, this information allows readers to know an entire scope of a composition. Then, other important details in writing a rhetorical précis essay that should appear in a first passage include a claim or purpose of a source under analysis (Kum, 2023). Finally, a last sentence should be a thesis statement that communicates a central argument or message presented in a précis essay oultine. Hence, some essential points one should remember may include:

An explanation of how an author develops or supports his or her thesis. In turn, this information should follow a chronological order when writing a rhetorical précis essay.
A clear statement of an author’s apparent purpose. In writing, an “in order” phrase should follow this information.
A description of an intended audience. Basically, compelling portrayals should establish a relationship that one develops with a target audience.

Step II: Body Paragraph Template

A body section should begin with a summary of a source. For examplee, one must give an account of significant concepts in a source identified (Wink, 2021). In turn, a summary must follow a chronological order. Hence, a second paragraph in a précis essay should give a summary of an article considered.

A next body paragraphs of a précis essay should explain how an article in question appeals to persuasive aspects. For example, one should explain how items consider appeals to ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos, when writing a rhetorical précis essay outline (Kum, 2023). In this case, students must focus on providing adequate details about a text in question. Further on, this approach helps to convince readers that an article under analysis presents convincing arguments (Lawrence et al., 2017). Therefore, body paragraphs should provide sufficient information to support a thesis statement in a rhetorical précis essay.

Following a Sandwich Rule

Each body paragraph of a rhetorical précis essay must follow a sandwich rule to present a single idea. For example, people must include a topic sentence, supporting evidence, explanation, and closing sentence that transitions from one section to another (Kum, 2023). As such, a general writing structure is:

Topic sentence contains a main argument one intends to discuss in a paragraph. In writing, a topic sentence must relate to a thesis statement provided in an introduction. Besides, one should not cite any source in this section.
Supporting evidence sentence contains details obtained from a source analyzed. In practice, one may include a paraphrase or a direct quote in this section. Moreover, students must follow necessary citation guidelines.
Explanation given should indicate how the cited evidence relates to a thesis statement. In this case, key reasons given must allow scholars to understand main concepts and compare them to a thesis statement.
Closing sentence should connect all ideas presented in a paragraph. Basically, one must select appropriate phrases to connect crucial ideas presented in separate sections.

One can repeat the above steps (topic sentence-supporting evidence-explanation-closing sentence) three times at most in one paragraph. However, any body paragraph must start with a general topic sentence that will cover ideas of all sub-topic sentences in a paragraph (Babin et al., 2020). In writing, each body paragraph should end with a statement that summarizes significant concepts and moves to a next section of an essay. Basically, this phrase also must be related to a thesis statement.

Step III: Conclusion Template

A concluding paragraph should restate a thesis statement presented in a rhetorical précis essay. For example, this section should connect to a central claim made and further expound on significant concepts (Wink, 2021). In writing, one must avoid adding new details in this section. Moreover, a conclusion should bring a rhetorical précis essay to a reasonable closure (Babin et al., 2020). Hence, one should remember the following points:

A last sentence in a closing paragraph should connect back to a hook used in an introduction.
One should not copy and paste a thesis statement.
Key explanations given in a conclusion must help one to connect between various concepts.

Rhetorical Précis Essay Example

Topic: Rhetorical Approaches in “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier”

Introduction

American culture makes females believe that women have to complete more house chores than men (hook). In this case, Jessica Grose is one of the female American writers who held such beliefs (context). Basically, the work “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier,” published in 2013, affirms that cleaning remains unbearable despite men helping with childcare and cooking (author’s central claim). Although Grose focuses on issues that may appear irrelevant, she uses convincing facts and statistics and emotional appeals to show that women have more house chores to complete (thesis sentence).

Summary

Grose begins her article by describing a situation where she cleans the house with her spouse. Basically, Grose and her husband remained at home during Hurricane Sandy. In this case, the composition outlines the uneven distribution of house duties. Then, Grose advances the work by examining the role of cleaning done by other women and the factors that hinder men from taking an active part in completing house chores. Also, some of the reasons include social perceptions and the influence of the media. In turn, Grose proposes that couples should make a list of various house chores. Hence, the strategy can result in equal distribution of house chores.

Logos and Facts

Throughout the essay, Grose relies on a strong appeal to logos by stating various statistical and logical advances. For instance, Grose says that “My husband and I both work. We split midnight baby feedings …but … he will admit that he’s never cleaned the bathroom, that I do the dishes nine times out of ten” (Grose, 2013, para. 2). Basically, these facts reveal that she does more work than her husband. Then, Grose continues to give more facts about the situation of women’s work in their homes. For example, the statement “about 55 percent of American mothers employed full time do some housework on an average day, while only 18 percent of employed fathers do” asserts that mothers have engaged in extra duties after work (Grose, 2013, para. 3). Hence, these statistics give logical support to Grose’s claims. Besides, the article shows that husbands do not do an equal share of chores when compared to their wives. In turn, the details and numbers provided in the article create a logos appeal and convince readers that the problem should receive an adequate discussion.

Pathos and Emotions

Along with logos appeals, Grose uses pathos at the beginning of her article. Grose uses emotionally-charged words like “was eight months pregnant” at the beginning of the composition (Grose, 2013, para. 1). In this case, the statement forces a reader to sympathize with the challenges that pregnant women experience. Moreover, the phrase creates an image of the vulnerability of being an expectant mother. Then, adding to these concepts are phrases, like “argued,” “sucks,” “headachey,” and “be judged” (Grose, 2013, paras. 1, 7, 8, and 11). In turn, these words create a negative perception of female experiences. Besides, readers sympathize with women who may feel “judged” by their spouses. Therefore, Grose uses specific words that establish the challenges that mothers experience at home, which appear as an appeal to pathos.

Conclusion

Grose begins her article by focusing on issues that affect family relations. Basically, she uses convincing facts and statistics to affirm that women complete more house chores than men. Besides, Grose relies on emotional appeals to show that women experience harsh conditions like judgment by their spouses. In turn, pathos and logos concepts used by the author affirm that American culture makes women believe that females have more work to complete at home.

Reference

Grose, J. (2013, March 19). Cleaning: The final feminist frontier. The New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/article/112693/112693

Rhetorical Précis Essay Example & Template Download PDF Doc

Analysis of a Written Sample

Introduction Paragraph

An introduction of a rhetorical précis essay example presented above begins with an attention-grabbing statement. Basically, the phrase “American culture makes females believe that women have to complete more house chores than men” grabs a reader’s attention to the information presented in an opening section. Then, second and third sentences provide a unique context of an entire composition and central claims presented by Grose. Finally, a last statement in an introductory paragraph is a thesis statement, which gives a central argument of a rhetorical précis essay example.

Summary Paragraph

A second paragraph contains a summary of Grose’s work. Basically, this section highlights main concepts presented in a rhetorical précis paper example. From a practical perspective, body points presented follow a chronological order. In turn, the primary aim is to give an overview of key details of an entire précis essay.

Body Paragraphs

A first body paragraph of a rhetorical précis essay example discusses one of the main points mentioned in a thesis statement. Firstly, this section begins with a transition and a statement that relates to a central claim. In writing, a second line contains a quote obtained from an article as evidence. Moreover, adequate explanations follow to show how the quoted information pertains to a thesis statement. Then, this process appeared twice, which follows some recommendations made. Besides, a last sentence in a passage summarizes main concepts presented in a section and relates to a central claim. As a result, a second body paragraph follows a similar process. In turn, both body sections followed a sandwich rule.

Conclusion Paragraph

A conclusion of a rhetorical précis essay example restates a thesis statement. Besides, this section contains more information that expounds on specific details. In turn, a last sentence, “pathos and logos concepts used by the author affirm that American culture makes women believe that females have more work to complete at home,” connects to a hook used in an introduction. Thus, a conclusion part brings a rhetorical précis essay to closure.

Crucial Factors

Different factors can affect an overall quality of a rhetorical précis essay. Therefore, students should consider these aspects:

Failure to prepare – One must engage in adequate preparation before writing a précis essay. Basically, a preparation process involves identifying a target article, reading and understanding key concepts, and outlining and writing down main points.
Poor writing strategies – The most practical writing strategy includes a preparation of several drafts and peer review. In writing, successful students prepare several drafts of a rhetorical précis and assign them to their peers for reviewing and proofreading.
Failure to consider academic levels – Précis essays for bachelor students require them to use advanced language and sentence structure in writing compared to those required at college or high school.

What to Include

Element	Description
Author’s Name and Credentials	Identify a full name of a person and his or her relevant background, such as profession, expertise, or perspective, to provide context for an entire text.
Title of an Assigned Work	Include a full title of a text being analyzed, as well as its genre (e.g., article, speech, essay, etc.) to set a specific context for a rhetorical analysis.
Publication Date and Context	Mention a publication date or historical context of an observed text to understand a specific time period (kairos) and societal influences that may affect an argument.
Author’s Thesis or Main Argument	Clearly state an author’s central claim or thesis to establish what a given text is arguing and analyzing how this is presented throughout an entire work.
Rhetorical Strategies	Clearly state a person’s central claim or thesis to establish what a given text is arguing and analyze how this is presented throughout an entire work.
Purpose of a Text	Identify an author’s primary purpose in writing an observed text (e.g., to inform, persuade, entertain, etc.) and explain how this purpose drives a unique structure and content of an argument.
Intended Audience	Analyze who a given text is directed toward, describing some demographics, values, or beliefs of an intended audience and how a text appeals to them.
Tone and Style	Describe a specific tone (e.g., formal, sarcastic, passionate, etc.) and writing style an individual uses, explaining how these elements affect an overall delivery of a main message.
Examples and Evidence	Provide specific examples or quotes from an assigned text that illustrate a particular use of rhetorical strategies and support an entire analysis of an author’s argument.
Effectiveness of an Argument	Assess how effectively person’s persuasive strategies work to achieve their purpose, offering insight into an overall impact on a target audience.

Common Mistakes

Summarizing Without Analysis: Focusing only on restating a text’s content instead of analyzing how an author uses persuasive strategies.
Failing to Identify a Thesis: Not clearly stating an author’s main argument or thesis in an introduction.
Ignoring an Audience: Overlooking an entire analysis of an intended audience and how author’s strategies are tailored to influence them.
Misinterpreting Rhetorical Strategies: Confusing or incorrectly identifying ethos, pathos, logos, kairos, or other literary devices, leading to an inaccurate analysis.
Overly General Statements: Using vague language without valid examples or quotes from an assigned text to support an entire analysis and writing.
Neglecting an Author’s Purpose: Failing to clearly explain an author’s writing purpose and what a person hopes to achieve with his or her argument.
Not Addressing a Tone: Ignoring a unique tone or failing to analyze how an author’s attitude toward a subject affects an entire text.
Using Informal Language: Writing in an informal or conversational style instead of maintaining an academic tone.
Lack of Structure: Failing to follow a clear and organized format, which can make an entire analysis confusing or unclear.
Forgetting to Cite Sources: Not properly citing a primary text or other references, which can weaken an overall credibility of writing.

Summing Up

A rhetorical précis essay is an academic writing that summarizes another piece of text. Basically, such type of writing provides insight into its author’s thesis statement. In this case, an individual recapitulates main ideas and arguments to provide insight into an author’s thesis of a source in question. Then, the primary aim is to provide accurate details about a chosen source for analysis. In practice, good rhetorical précis essays contain an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Firstly, an opening paragraph includes a hook and a thesis statement. Secondly, a rhetorical précis essay’s body should provide a summary of main concepts and arguments. Thirdly, one should end a rhetorical précis essay with a summarizing paragraph, which restates a thesis statement. In turn, a competent selection of words can enhance an overall quality of the information communicated.

References

Babin, M., Burnell, C., Pesznecker, S. M., Rosevear, N., & Wood, J. R. (2020). The word on college reading and writing. Open Oregon Educational Resources.

Geisler, C. (2016). Current and emerging methods in the rhetorical analysis of texts – Introduction: Toward an integrated approach. Journal of Writing Research, 7(3), 417–424. https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr-2016.07.03.05

Kum, J. N. (2023). Rhetorical analysis of the five paragraph essay. Ukiyoto Publishing.

Lawrence, H. Y., Lussos, R. G., & Clark, J. A. (2017). Rhetorics of proposal writing: Lessons for pedagogy in research and real-world practice. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 49(1), 33–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047281617743016

Varpio, L. (2018). Using rhetorical appeals to credibility, logic, and emotions to increase your persuasiveness. Perspectives on Medical Education, 7(3), 207–210. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-018-0420-2

Wink, K. A. (2021). Rhetorical strategies for composition cracking an academic code. Rowman & Littlefield.

Rhetorical Précis Essay: Student Guidelines for Analysis & Examples