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WorksheetYear 11Level 3 · Challenge

Free Year 11 Rhetorical Analysis of a Speech: Context, Structure and Devices Worksheet

A senior text analysis worksheet on writing a rhetorical analysis of a speech. Using an original speech given by a retiring nurse at the opening of a hospital wing, students map the rhetorical situation (speaker, audience, purpose, context and occasion), trace the speech's structure move by move, explain devices such as anaphora, tricolon, gentle wit, concession, anecdote and a memorable closing, and write an analytical paragraph that connects technique to audience and purpose. Model answers and a marking rubric are included.

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Year
Year 11
Subject
English
Topic
Text Analysis & Essays
Difficulty
Level 3 · Challenge
Estimated time
50 minutes
Curriculum
Australian Curriculum
Questions
12
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4), print or complete online

Students will practise

  • identifying the rhetorical situation of a speech
  • tracing the structure and shifts in a speech
  • explaining rhetorical devices and their effects on a specific audience
  • connecting the speaker's choices to purpose and occasion
  • writing a rhetorical analysis paragraph

Curriculum: Australian Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Rhetorical Analysis of a Speech: Context, Structure and Devices

  1. 1Language Analysis: A Feature Article on Boredom
Study guide

How to use this worksheet

  1. Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
  2. Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
  3. Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
  4. Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.

Common questions

Who is this worksheet for?

Year 11 students (typically ages 16–17) working on text analysis & essays. It is pitched at level 3 · challenge.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.

How long does it take?

About 50 minutes for 12 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try Language Analysis: A Feature Article on Boredom.

Preview

Success TutoringWorksheetsYear 11 · English · Text Analysis & Essays

Rhetorical Analysis of a Speech: Context, Structure and Devices

Name

Date

Score /

Rhetorical analysis asks not just what a speaker says but why they say it this way, to this audience, on this occasion.

Part A: The rhetorical situation and key devices

Answer each question.

1.Match each part of the rhetorical situation to the speech.
  • speaker
  • audience
  • purpose
  • occasion
  • To pay tribute to the volunteers and inspire listeners to volunteer themselves.
  • A nurse retiring after thirty-eight years, with deep personal authority.
  • The official opening of a new hospital wing named after its volunteers.
  • Hospital staff, officials, volunteers, families and community members at an opening ceremony.
2.Paragraph 3 repeats "The ones who" at the start of several sentences. This device is:
  1. Aantithesis
  2. Banaphora
  3. Chyperbole
  4. Donomatopoeia
3.What is the main function of the jokes in paragraphs 1 and 2?
  1. ATo mock the hospital
  2. BTo relax the audience and build warmth and rapport before the serious message
  3. CTo fill the five minutes
  4. DTo show the speaker does not take the occasion seriously
4.Paragraph 5 begins "Some people will say..." This is an example of:
  1. Aa concession and rebuttal
  2. Ba call to action
  3. Can anecdote
  4. Da rhetorical question
5.The final two sentences of paragraph 7 are effective mainly because they:
  1. Aintroduce statistics
  2. Bend on a short, universal and memorable contrast that links back to the title
  3. Cintroduce a new argument
  4. Dlist the names of volunteers

Part B: Tracing the speaker's moves

Answer in full sentences, using short quotations.

6.Trace the structure of the speech. Briefly describe the job of paragraphs 1–2, 3–4, 5, 6 and 7.[3 marks] (answer space)
7.How does the speaker establish her credibility (ethos) in the opening?[2 marks] (answer space)
8.Explain the effect of the tricolon in paragraph 5: "Money builds walls. Skill saves lives. Decisions open doors."[3 marks] (answer space)
9.Why does the speaker name individual volunteers, Rose and Arjun, in paragraph 6?[2 marks] (answer space)
10.The speaker addresses "the younger ones at the back pretending not to listen". What is the purpose of this?[2 marks] (answer space)
11.How does paragraph 7 widen the significance of the speech?[2 marks] (answer space)
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Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

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Created by
Success Tutoring
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

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