1. Common Op.Ed. Errors
TAKE NOTE!

2. The Best Op-Eds Make me feel like I just read the article
Include all 5 analysis elements
Include thoughtful analysis: IDENTIFIES rhetorical strategies and WHY they are effective in supporting the author’s argument
Are not so formulaic
We gave you the Op-Ed Analysis as a guide; it’s time to break free!

3. Big Picture Errors Analysis should include:
Argument (What is the author’s argument/opinion?)
Purpose (Why would author write this?)
Audience (For whom is this article directed?)
Tone (What is the author’s attitude?)
HOW the author argues his/her main idea (what rhetorical strategies do you notice?)
Examples of the strategies
How do the strategies function in delivering the author’s argument and achieving his/her purpose?
The purpose should be easy for me to identify
in order to…
to convince or to persuade…
with the purpose of…
wants/desires…
with the intention to…

4. Big Picture Errors First sentence should include the following:
Article Title
Author
Date in parentheses
Genre (article or on-line article or political op-ed, etc.)
Author’s Argument
Optional: insert a clause that asserts author’s purpose or save it for later.
In the article “Obama is Hope-Less” Alan Caruba argues that Obama’s policies are ineffective in order to criticize the President and disconnect him from a typical American.

5. Small (but nonetheless are still) Errors
Periods always goes inside the quotations
Manker believes “people need to change.”
Keep your quotations short – quote part of a sentence, a phrase or a word then use ellipses…
Use correct punctuation and capitalization in titles
Publication in italics
Article in quotes
Keep in present tense
The author writes (not wrote)

6. Small (but nonetheless are still) Errors
Be weary of singular and plural:
Audience is or Audiences are…
DO NOT state that the tone is persuasive or convincing. That is the result and the effect on the reader. The tone is the writer’s attitude towards that subject!!
Introduce first and last name of author in first sentence; after that, always refer to author by last name. You are not their friend!
Bob states the research proves… 
Williams states the research proves…
Do NOT include your opinion about the article, the author or its content (ie: “I think this/that…”); rather, you should discuss the author’s intention in writing the article; USE THIRD PERSON. The article…the author…the research…

7. Format Focus
No more than 1 page of writing. This is a challenge for some; be concise. These are not meant to be essays.
Title: Op-Ed Analysis # ____: ___”Creative” Title___
You must include the ANNOTATED article and rough draft, or I will not grade your Op-Ed Analysis
MLA
Double space
Margins 1 inch
Header 0.5 inch
Include Heading:
Your name
My name
AP English/AP Language/English 3AP
Date (that it is due)
Day Month Year (25 October 2013)

8. Let’s Up-level Our Vocab
Below are some examples from your analysis. What can we say instead of the following?
Instead of saying:
The author says…. OR
The author tells…
The author writes about…
To get his point across…
Instead of saying…
The author starts out…