• Rhetoric applies to all kinds of writing.

• Writing is not limited to text - it can be a video, billboard, speech, tweet, picture, even the way a plastic bottle is crafted - anything as long as it is composed because everything is subject to some degree.

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• Rhetoric is an intentional practice, and therefore anything can be rhetorically analyzed as long as it is man-made.

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• Everything is an argument - and therefore can be rhetorically analyzed for effectiveness

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• Arguments can be made to convince and inform, persuade, to make decisions, to understand and explore etc.

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• As you consider an argument or make one, you almost always will thing about the rhetorical situation; audience, purpose and context.

  • Who is the audience?

  • What is the goal of the text?

  • How is the text going to be accessed?

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• “There isn’t any way to communicate without using rhetoric or “being rhetorical”. Communication is inevitably rhetorical. You can’t choose whether or not to use rhetoric. The only question is howyou’ll use it when you’re more aware of how it works.” (Introduction to College Rhetoric and Inquiry (textbook) by Angela Lunsford & john J Ruszkiewicz, page 80).

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• Ethos, logos and pathos (The major rhetorical appeals aka the Pisteis) are interconnected and feed off each other i.e. ethos can lead to pathos or logos, pathos can add to ethos or logos, and logos can add to ethos and pathos.

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• How can rhetoric help you once you’re aware of what it is? It can help you make stronger arguments and it help you root out weaker arguments.

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• Rhetoric is supposed to help you be valuable citizens, so use your powers for good.