Success TutoringWorksheets
Worksheet11th GradeLevel 3 · Challenge

Free 11th Grade 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.

Instant download · No sign-up · Free for personal, classroom and homeschool use

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

Students will practice

  • 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: Texas grade levels (TEKS). 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?

11th Grade 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 TutoringWorksheets11th Grade · 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)
Free worksheets at worksheets.successtutoring.com · © Success Tutoring · Free for personal and classroom use

Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

More 11th Grade text analysis & essays resources

  • Study Guide

    How to Write an Analytical Essay (Thesis, Structure, Evidence)

    A step-by-step guide to the senior English analytical essay: turning a question into an arguable thesis, structuring an introduction, body…

    Difficulty
    Level 2 · Standard
    Time
    30 min
  • Study Guide

    Language Techniques Glossary and How to Analyze Them

    A reference table of more than twenty language techniques, each with a definition, an original example and the effect you can write about,…

    Difficulty
    Level 2 · Standard
    Time
    30 min
  • Worksheet

    Unseen Poetry: Float (Form, Voice and the Volta)

    An unseen poetry worksheet built around "Float", an original Petrarchan sonnet in which a speaker watches their mother learn to swim at…

    Difficulty
    Level 3 · Challenge
    Time
    45 min
    Questions
    15 questions
    Answers
    Answers included
  • Worksheet

    Drama Analysis: Stage Directions, Dramatic Irony and Subtext

    A drama study worksheet built around an original one-act play scene in which a sister hides from her brother that she has sold their late…

    Difficulty
    Level 3 · Challenge
    Time
    45 min
    Questions
    11 questions
    Answers
    Answers included
  • Worksheet

    Comparative Response Planning: Two Texts on Inheritance

    Students plan a comparative response on two short original texts that explore inheritance: a prose extract about a parent's worried…

    Difficulty
    Level 3 · Challenge
    Time
    50 min
    Questions
    15 questions
    Answers
    Answers included
  • Worksheet

    Language Analysis: A Feature Article on Boredom

    Students analyze how an original feature article, "In Praise of the Empty Afternoon", uses tone, structure, persuasive techniques and…

    Difficulty
    Level 3 · Challenge
    Time
    50 min
    Questions
    15 questions
    Answers
    Answers included

Text Analysis & Essays in other year levels

Was this resource helpful?

About this resource

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

Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.