A writing and reading strategy The Rhetorical Précis A writing and reading strategy The process of writing a rhetorical précis as described in this slide show is taken from: Woodworth, Margaret K. "The Rhetorical Precis." Rhetoric Review 7.1 (1988): 156-64. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. The sample article used in the examples is: Marzano, Robert J. "Summarizing To Comprehend." Educational Leadership 67.6 (2010): 83. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 6 Sept. 2012.

What is a Rhetorical Précis? “A rhetorical précis is a highly structured four-sentence paragraph that acknowledges the rhetorical situation in which any discourse occurs. The précis records the essential rhetorical elements involved in writing and in reading discourse: the name of the speaker/writer, the context of the delivery, the major assertion, the mode of development and/or support, the stated and/or apparent purpose, and the relationship established between the speaker/writer and the audience.” Woodworth, Margaret K. "The Rhetorical Precis." Rhetoric Review 7.1 (1988): 156-64. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 27 Oct. 2011.

Sentence 1 The first sentence should include the author’s name(s). the title of the work. the date of publication in parentheses. a rhetorically accurate verb (such as asserts, argues, suggests, implies, claims). a that-clause containing the major assertion (thesis statement) of the work. Example: Patrick Sullivan in “An Open Letter to High School Students about Reading” (2016) asserts that one of the most important things students can do to prepare for college is to read deeply and for pleasure.

Sentence 2 The second sentence should explain how the author develops and/or supports the thesis. discuss methodology—how the article works; that is, how the author accomplishes his/her task. support the strong verb used in SENTENCE 1. cite where to locate the specific points addressed. Example: Sullivan supports this assertion by citing academic studies, scientific research, and expert testimony while exploring what it means to read and to learn “deeply.” The second sentence of the rhetorical précis will most likely be the most complex sentence in the summary; this sentence is combining the most relevant supporting details from the body of the article/passage. This can be a challenge for students to synthesize large amounts of information into one sentence. It is a valuable summarizing skill and writing skill as it forces students to break down information and then turn it into their own words.

Sentence 3 The third sentence should state the author’s apparent purpose, followed by an “in order to” or “in order for” phrase. Example: The writer concludes that students must read frequently and with engagement in order to be prepared for college and beyond.

Sentence 4 The fourth sentence should describe the intended audience and/or the relationship the author establishes with the audience. identify the audience and/or the purpose of the essay. Example: The writer establishes a conversational tone to convince his audience of high school students that they must find a way to enjoy reading and to make it a part of their everyday lives.

Give the MLA Citation Head each précis with the MLA-style citation for the source: Sullivan, Patrick. “An Open Letter to High School Students about Reading.” American Association of University Professors, May- June 2016, www.aaup.org/article/open-letter-high-school- students-about-reading#.WgSEcmhSzIU. Accessed 16 November 2017.

Sample Rhetorical Précis Sulllivan, Patrick. “An Open Letter to High School Students about Reading.” American Association of University Professors, May-June 2016, www,aaup.org/article/open-letter-high-school- students-about-reading#.WgSEcmhSzIU. Accessed 16 November 2017. Patrick Sullivan in “An Open Letter to High School Students about Reading” (2016) asserts that one of the most important things students can do to prepare for college is to read deeply and for pleasure. Sullivan supports this assertion by citing academic studies, scientific research, and expert testimony while exploring what it means to read and to learn “deeply.” The writer concludes that students must read frequently and with engagement in order to be prepared for college and beyond. The writer establishes a conversational tone to convince his audience of high school students that they must find a way to enjoy reading and to make it a part of their everyday lives.

Assessment for Rhetorical Précis Grading Assessment for Rhetorical Précis Possible Points Earned Points Adheres to the form of the rhetorical précis (MLA citation, formatting and sentence formulas) 5   Content thoughtfully and accurately represents the original text; represents a synthesis of the original ideas (copying and pasting any part of the original text or abstract will result in an automatic zero). 15 Sentence structure adheres to standard conventions of grammar, usage and mechanics. Total Points: 25

Why use the Rhetorical Précis? “The processes involved in précis writing help students develop as language users. The reading and rereading accelerate acquisition of the written language system (see Falk, Kroll, Krashen); the extensive writing and rewriting accelerate learning by providing guided practice in a variety of writing tasks such as thesis formation, sentence structuring (e.g., subordination and parallel construction), punctuation, word choice, and even techniques of documentation.”