Rhetorical Precis
Rhetoric: an ability in each particular case to see the available means of
persuasion.
a) Persuasion occurs through argument, when we show the truth of
the apparent truth from whatever is persuasive in each case.
i. Argument is an any time an individual, or group,
makes a statement about how things are or how
things ought to be.
Rhetorical Precis
Woodworth, Margaret K. The Rhetorical Precis (1988).
The purpose of the rhetorical précis is to offer a short account of an article that does
more than summarize the content. The rhetorical précis, which is four sentences long,
accounts for the author and his or her main argument; that the author develops or
supports the thesis; the author’s purpose in writing (how he/she wants to change his/her
audience); and a description of the intended audience and relationship the author
established with the audience.
I want to take a moment to warn you that, generally speaking, the shorter a genre of
writing is (in this case, rhetorical précis), the more difficult it is to write. Take the time to
identify the point of the text before moving into summary, and I promise that you will be
thankful that you did.
Sentences of the précis:
1. Sentence 1: Name the author, [optional: a phrase describing the author], title of
work, date (year) in parentheses, a rhetorically accurate verb (such as 'assert,'
'argue,' 'suggest,' 'imply,' 'claim,' etc.); and a THAT clause containing the major
argument (thesis statement) of the work
2. Sentence 2: An explanation of how the author develops and/or supports the
thesis, usually in chronological order.
3. Sentence 3: A statement of the author’s apparent purpose, followed by an “in
order to” phrase indicating the change the author wants to effect in the audience.
4. Sentence 4: A description of the intended audience and the relationship the
author established with the audience.
Sample:
Charles S. Peirce's article, "The Fixation of Belief (1877), asserts that humans
have psychological and social mechanisms designed to protect and cement (or "fix")
our beliefs. Peirce backs this claim up with descriptions of four methods of fixing
belief, pointing out the effectiveness and potential weaknesses of each method.
Peirce's purpose is to point out the ways that people commonly establish their belief
systems in order to jolt the awareness of the reader into considering how their own
belief system may the product of such methods and to consider what Peirce calls "the
method of science" as a progressive alternative to the other three. Given the technical
language used in the article, Peirce is writing to an well-educated audience with some
knowledge of philosophy and history and a willingness to other ways of thinking.
Taken from
http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl201/modules/rhetoricalprecis/sample/peirce_sample_precis_click.ht
ml
W. Berry’s thesis should include:
Eat responsibly
Part of agricultural act
Take back control/gain freedom from food industry
Stop decline in farming