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Rhetorical Analysis Of Why Good English Is Good For You

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In his short essay, Why Good English Is Good for You, John Simon utilizes several rhetorical devices in order to convey the idea of the resurrection of the dying English language. In order to gain the support needed, Simon aims his essay towards the average, educated, young adult, Americans, because they are still at the age of where they can learn and cultivate their minds for the better, while also being old enough to fully understand the ramifications of becoming better educated. Through the use of rhetorical questions, similes, pathos, appeals to history and authority, repetition, and many other devices, John Simon is successful in portraying his arguments of why the proper English language must be resurrected. In order to prove his argument, …show more content…

He uses a simile in paragraph 3 on page 333, “Space today is as limited as time.” This rhetorical device stresses a tone of urgency and captures the reader’s attention by stating that their time is limited. By comparing space to time, and stressing the limitations of both being the same, John Simon is able to make the reader stop and view space (used figuratively to describe words), as something that we will soon run out of and by that time it will be too late. The quote proves to the reader that there is not enough time to overuse words or over complicate anything. John Simon shows the reader that by using proper grammar and following the rules, speech would go by much quicker and would utilize time efficiently. By showing the reader that time and space is valuable and must not be taken for granted, John Simon employs the urgency in the reader and forces them to reevaluate how they use their time. While the reader is feeling this way, John Simon then comes in with a solution and tells the reader, this is why we must use proper English. He is able to prove his point that we need to act now to save our dying language and educate our future

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