On a separate piece of paper number 1-13.

Evaluate either the Super Tuesday speech or the

Sate of the Union speech in regards to the following questions. Answer all of the questions in
complete sentences.

Critical Reading and Writing Worksheet

Items 1 – 8 deal primarily with content, persona, and audience.

Items 9 – 13 deal primarily with analysis of the text in terms of argument techniques.

Title of the text:

1. Overall subject/topic: What is the text about?

2. Persona: What are the characteristics of the author? What are the credentials of the
speaker? What do you know about his/her academic background, work experience,
references, and character?

3. Author's Purpose: Note that there is usually more than one purpose. In fact, professional
writers almost never write only to inform. The three main purposes are usually identified as
these:

To inform (What main kinds of information does the writer offer?):

To entertain (How does the writer appeal to readers' emotions?):
To persuade (What does the writer want readers to think, feel, or do differently after
reading the text?):

What does the author do to achieve his/her purpose? Was the author successful in
convincing you? Explain.

4. Time period:
 What events in history or current events influence this speech?
 What time period is covered in the text?

5. Audience:
 What did the audience members have in common? How did that influence the speech?
 How did the speaker address the audience? What appeals did he/she use? What
rhetorical devices did he/she use? How do you think this affected the audience?
 What assumptions does the writer seem to make about his/her readers: age group,
gender, ethnic and racial makeup, level of education, socioeconomic status, biases,
previous experience with this topic?

6. Thesis: The author’s intent (purpose) drives the structure, tone, and even rhetorical devices.
You will find in the speech that the conclusion most succinctly states the speaker’s message.
Either in quotes from the speech or in your own words, state the thesis statement of the
speech.

7. Organization strategies used: Clues to meaning include the paradigms/modes being

employed by the writer. Here are the major rhetorical strategies writers use:
narration (telling a story in order to support a thesis);
division (or analysis) (taking something apart and examining/describing the parts in order to
support a thesis);
classification (or division) (dividing a large group into smaller groups or placing an individual
into the appropriate group, in order to support a thesis);
cause and/or effect (discussing why something happened and/or what happened as a result of
something, in order to support a thesis);
comparison and/or contrast (showing how two items are similar and/or different, in order to
support a thesis);
exemplification (offering examples in support of a thesis);
process analysis (explaining how something is done or happens in steps or stages, in order to
support a thesis). Which of these does this writer use? Which one(s) are the main
organizing strategies of the entire essay?
description (explaining the physical (usually) characteristics of a subject in support of a thesis);
definition (explaining what a term or concept means, in order to support a thesis);

8. Main points in support of the thesis: Look for "organization language," particularly
transition elements, which usually introduce the flow of evidence. Then list the main ideas in
the text, using the “does/says” chart. On the “does” side write about the main issues the
candidate raises. Under the issues in the “does” column, write either in quotes or in your own
words key concerns of the candidate.
9. Says: Write out the candidate’s solutions to the problems. Underline the key rhetorical
strategies used in each argument.
What (subject) does What candidate says

9. Evidence: What kind of evidence does the writer use? How reliable is it? Here are some
kinds of evidence we might find in a text: examples, personal experience, scientific data,
anecdotes ("real people" stories), statistics, research results, historical information, allusions,
appeals to authority (testimony from experts).

10. Assumptions: What does the writer assume or take for granted about the topic. What
claims does s/he make that is or isn't true or widely accepted as being true?

11. Fallacies: Evaluate the steps in the speaker’s claims. Does s/he use any of the following
logical fallacies? The personal attack tactic (ad hominem); the "pity" appeal; the bandwagon
appeal; begging the question (ignoring the actual issue); circular reasoning; false analogy; hasty
generalization; non sequitur; faulty cause-and-effect reasoning; slippery slope; stacking the deck.
Explain how each is used. That is, don't just make a list.

12. Other Limitations:

Language: Are there terms that need to be defined? List them here:

Biases: Is there any obvious bias or slant in the text? Does the tone reveal a bias that
might damage the writer's case?

Omissions: Does the author ignore or disregard important elements of the issue? What
would you include that the writer did not?

Opposing Views: Does the author address opposing views? If so, does s/he refute
them effectively?