Fluent Essays

Chapter 10: Rhetorical Modes (attached).Strategies or modes of development can include the following:Exemplification (Links to an external site.)Narration (Links to an external site.)Illustration (Links to an external site.)Description (Links to an external site.)Classification (Links to an external site.)Process Analysis (Links to an external site.)Definition (Links to an external site.)Comparison Contrast (Links to an external site.)Cause and Effect (Links to an external site.)Persuasion (Links to an external site.)These modes are often listed in the verb form as well. You may have written essays using those strategies. In this class, you will continue to do so as well, but you will deepen your approach as you apply them to the creation of an argumentative essay.Reflect As a developing writer, it is important to continue employing and developing these modes to maximize the effect of your message. Think of a recent piece of writing, regardless of length, you produced at work or home, in which you used one or more of these calculated moves to achieve a desired effect.WriteFor this post, in 100-400 words, consider the following questions:What strategy or combination of strategies of development do you remember using?How or why did you choose the strategies of development?What effect did they produce on your audience?How do you know this effect was achieved?Provide a minimum of two (please cite properly in APA). chapter_10___rhetorical_methods___based.docx Unformatted Attachment Preview 10.1 Narration Learning Objectives 1. Determine the purpose and structure of narrative writing. 2. Understand how to write a narrative essay. Rhetorical modes simply mean the ways in which we can effectively communicate through language. This chapter covers nine common rhetorical modes. As you read about these nine modes, keep in mind that the rhetorical mode a writer chooses depends on his or her purpose for writing. Sometimes writers incorporate a variety of modes in any one essay. In covering the nine modes, this chapter also emphasizes the rhetorical modes as a set of tools that will allow you greater flexibility and effectiveness in communicating with your audience and expressing your ideas. The Purpose of Narrative Writing Narration means the art of storytelling, and the purpose of narrative writing is to tell stories. Any time you tell a story to a friend or family member about an event or incident in your day, you engage in a form of narration. In addition, a narrative can be factual or fictional. A factual story is one that is based on, and tries to be faithful to, actual events as they unfolded in real life. A fictional story is a madeup, or imagined, story; the writer of a fictional story can create characters and events as he or she sees fit. The big distinction between factual and fictional narratives is based on a writer’s purpose. The writers of factual stories try to recount events as they actually happened, but writers of fictional stories can depart from real people and events because the writers’ intents are not to retell a real-life event. Biographies and memoirs are examples of factual stories, whereas novels and short stories are examples of fictional stories. Tip Because the line between fact and fiction can often blur, it is helpful to understand what your purpose is from the beginning. Is it important that you recount history, either your own or someone else’s? Or does your interest lie in reshaping the world in your own image—either how you would like to see it or how you imagine it could be? Your answers will go a long way in shaping the stories you tell. Ultimately, whether the story is fact or fiction, narrative writing tries to relay a series of events in an emotionally engaging way. You want your audience to be moved by your story, which could mean through laughter, sympathy, fear, anger, and so on. The more clearly you tell your story, the more emotionally engaged your audience is likely to be. Exercise 1 On a separate sheet of paper, start brainstorming ideas for a narrative. First, decide whether you want to write a factual or fictional story. Then, freewrite for five minutes. Be sure to use all five minutes, and keep writing the entire time. Do not stop and think about what to write. The following are some topics to consider as you get going: 1. Childhood 2. School 3. Adventure 4. Work 5. Love 6. Family 7. Friends 8. Vacation 9. Nature 10. Space The Structure of a Narrative Essay Major narrative events are most often conveyed in chronological order, the order in which events unfold from first to last. Stories typically have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and these events are typically organized by time. Certain transitional words and phrases aid in keeping the reader oriented in the sequencing of a story. Some of these phrases are listed in Table 10.1 “Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time”. For more information about chronological order, see Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” and Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish”. Table 10.1 Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time after/afterward as soon as at last before currently during eventually meanwhile next now since soon finally later still then until when/whenever while first, second, third The following are the other basic components of a narrative: • Plot. The events as they unfold in sequence. • Characters. The people who inhabit the story and move it forward. Typically, there are minor characters and main characters. The minor characters generally play supporting roles to the main character, or the protagonist. • Conflict. The primary problem or obstacle that unfolds in the plot that the protagonist must solve or overcome by the end of the narrative. The way in which the protagonist resolves the conflict of the plot results in the theme of the narrative. • Theme. The ultimate message the narrative is trying to express; it can be either explicit or implicit. Writing at Work When interviewing candidates for jobs, employers often ask about conflicts or problems a potential employee has had to overcome. They are asking for a compelling personal narrative. To prepare for this question in a job interview, write out a scenario using the narrative mode structure. This will allow you to troubleshoot rough spots, as well as better understand your own personal history. Both processes will make your story better and your self-presentation better, too. Exercise 2 Take your freewriting exercise from the last section and start crafting it chronologically into a rough plot summary. To read more about a summary, see Chapter 6 “Writing Paragraphs: Separating Ideas and Shaping Content”. Be sure to use the time transition words and phrases listed in Table 10.1 “Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time” to sequence the events. Collaboration Please share with a classmate and compare your rough plot summary. Writing a Narrative Essay When writing a narrative essay, start by asking yourself if you want to write a factual or fictional story. Then freewrite about topics that are of general interest to you. For more information about freewriting, see Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?”. Once you have a general idea of what you will be writing about, you should sketch out the major events of the story that will compose your plot. Typically, these events will be revealed chronologically and climax at a central conflict that must be resolved by the end of the story. The use of strong details is crucial as you describe the events and characters in your narrative. You want the reader to emotionally engage with the world that you create in writing. Tip To create strong details, keep the human senses in mind. You want your reader to be immersed in the world that you create, so focus on details related to sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch as you describe people, places, and events in your narrative. As always, it is important to start with a strong introduction to hook your reader into wanting to read more. Try opening the essay with an event that is interesting to introduce the story and get it going. Finally, your conclusion should help resolve the central conflict of the story and impress upon your reader the ultimate theme of the piece. See Chapter 15 “Readings: Examples of Essays” to read a sample narrative essay. Exercise 3 On a separate sheet of paper, add two or three paragraphs to the plot summary you started in the last section. Describe in detail the main character and the setting of the first scene. Try to use all five senses in your descriptions. Key Takeaways • Narration is the art of storytelling. • Narratives can be either factual or fictional. In either case, narratives should emotionally engage the reader. • Most narratives are composed of major events sequenced in chronological order. • Time transition words and phrases are used to orient the reader in the sequence of a narrative. • The four basic components to all narratives are plot, character, conflict, and theme. • The use of sensory details is crucial to emotionally engaging the reader. • A strong introduction is important to hook the reader. A strong conclusion should add resolution to the conflict and evoke the narrative’s theme. 10.2 Illustration Learning Objectives 1. Determine the purpose and structure of the illustration essay. 2. Understand how to write an illustration essay. The Purpose of Illustration in Writing To illustrate means to show or demonstrate something clearly. An effective illustration essay clearly demonstrates and supports a point through the use of evidence. As you learned in Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish”, the controlling idea of an essay is called a thesis. A writer can use different types of evidence to support his or her thesis. Using scientific studies, experts in a particular field, statistics, historical events, current events, analogies, and personal anecdotes are all ways in which a writer can illustrate a thesis. Ultimately, you want the evidence to help the reader “see” your point, as one would see a good illustration in a magazine or on a website. The stronger your evidence is, the more clearly the reader will consider your point. Using evidence effectively can be challenging, though. The evidence you choose will usually depend on your subject and who your reader is (your audience). When writing an illustration essay, keep in mind the following: • Use evidence that is appropriate to your topic as well as appropriate for your audience. • Assess how much evidence you need to adequately explain your point depending on the complexity of the subject and the knowledge of your audience regarding that subject. For example, if you were writing about a new communication software and your audience was a group of English-major undergrads, you might want to use an analogy or a personal story to illustrate how the software worked. You might also choose to add a few more pieces of evidence to make sure the audience understands your point. However, if you were writing about the same subject and you audience members were information technology (IT) specialists, you would likely use more technical evidence because they would be familiar with the subject. Keeping in mind your subject in relation to your audience will increase your chances of effectively illustrating your point. Tip You never want to insult your readers’ intelligence by overexplaining concepts the audience members may already be familiar with, but it may be necessary to clearly articulate your point. When in doubt, add an extra example to illustrate your idea. Exercise 1 On a separate piece of paper, form a thesis based on each of the following three topics. Then list the types of evidence that would best explain your point for each of the two audiences. 1. Topic: Combat and mental health Audience: family members of veterans, doctors 2. Topic: Video games and teen violence Audience: parents, children 3. Topic: Architecture and earthquakes Audience: engineers, local townspeople The Structure of an Illustration Essay The controlling idea, or thesis, belongs at the beginning of the essay. Evidence is then presented in the essay’s body paragraphs to support the thesis. You can start supporting your main point with your strongest evidence first, or you can start with evidence of lesser importance and have the essay build to increasingly stronger evidence. This type of organization—order of importance—you learned about in Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” and Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish”. The time transition words listed in Table 10.1 “Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time” are also helpful in ordering the presentation of evidence. Words like first, second, third, currently, next, and finally all help orient the reader and sequence evidence clearly. Because an illustration essay uses so many examples, it is also helpful to have a list of words and phrases to present each piece of evidence. Table 10.2 “Phrases of Illustration” provides a list of phrases for illustration. Table 10.2 Phrases of Illustration case in point for example for instance in particular in this case one example/another example specifically to illustrate Tip Vary the phrases of illustration you use. Do not rely on just one. Variety in choice of words and phrasing is critical when trying to keep readers engaged in your writing and your ideas. Writing at Work In the workplace, it is often helpful to keep the phrases of illustration in mind as a way to incorporate them whenever you can. Whether you are writing out directives that colleagues will have to follow or requesting a new product or service from another company, making a conscious effort to incorporate a phrase of illustration will force you to provide examples of what you mean. Exercise 2 On a separate sheet of paper, form a thesis based on one of the following topics. Then support that thesis with three pieces of evidence. Make sure to use a different phrase of illustration to introduce each piece of evidence you choose. 1. Cooking 2. Baseball 3. Work hours 4. Exercise 5. Traffic Collaboration Please share with a classmate and compare your answers. Discuss which topic you like the best or would like to learn more about. Indicate which thesis statement you perceive as the most effective. Writing an Illustration Essay First, decide on a topic that you feel interested in writing about. Then create an interesting introduction to engage the reader. The main point, or thesis, should be stated at the end of the introduction. Gather evidence that is appropriate to both your subject and your audience. You can order the evidence in terms of importance, either from least important to most important or from most important to least important. Be sure to fully explain all of your examples using strong, clear supporting details. See Chapter 15 “Readings: Examples of Essays” to read a sample illustration essay. Exercise 3 On a separate sheet of paper, write a five-paragraph illustration essay. You can choose one of the topics from Note 10.23 “Exercise 1” or Note 10.27 “Exercise 2”, or you can choose your own. Key Takeaways • An illustration essay clearly explains a main point using evidence. • When choosing evidence, always gauge whether the evidence is appropriate for the subject as well as the audience. • Organize the evidence in terms of importance, either from least important to most important or from most important to least important. • Use time transitions to order evidence. • Use phrases of illustration to call out examples. 10.3 Description Learning Objectives 1. Determine the purpose and structure of the description essay. 2. Understand how to write a description essay. The Purpose of Description in Writing Writers use description in writing to make sure that their audience is fully immersed in the words on the page. This requires a concerted effort by the writer to describe his or her world through the use of sensory details. As mentioned earlier in this chapter, sensory details are descriptions that appeal to our sense of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Your descriptions should try to focus on the five senses because we all rely on these senses to experience the world. The use of sensory details, then, provides you the greatest possibility of relating to your audience and thus engaging them in your writing, making descriptive writing important not only during your education but also during everyday situations. Tip Avoid empty descriptors if possible. Empty descriptors are adjectives that can mean different things to different people. Good, beautiful, terrific, and nice are examples. The use of such words in descriptions can lead to misreads and confusion. A good day, for instance, can mean far different things depending on one’s age, personality, or tastes. Writing at Work Whether you are presenting a new product or service to a client, training new employees, or brainstorming ideas with colleagues, the use of clear, evocative detail is crucial. Make an effort to use details that express your thoughts in a way that will register with others. Sharp, concise details are always impressive. Exercise 1 On a separate sheet of paper, describe the following five items in a short paragraph. Use at least three of the five senses for each description. 1. Night 2. Beach 3. City 4. Dinner 5. Stranger The Structure of a Description Essay Description essays typically describe a person, a place, or an object using sensory details. The structure of a descriptive essay is more flexible than in some of the other rhetorical modes. The introduction of a description essay should set up the tone and point of the essay. The thesis should convey the writer’s overall impression of the person, place, or object described in the body paragraphs. The organization of the essay may best follow spatial order, an arrangement of ideas according to physical characteristics or appearance. Depending on what the writer describes, the organization could move from top to bottom, left to right, near to far, warm to cold, frightening to inviting, and so on. For example, if the subject were a client’s kitchen in the midst of renovation, you might start at one side of the room and move slowly across to the other end, describing appliances, cabinetry, and so on. Or you might choose to start with older remnants of the kitchen and progress to the new installations. Maybe start with the floor and move up toward the ceiling. Exercise 2 On a separate sheet of paper, choose an organizing strategy and then execute it in a short paragraph for three of the following six items: 1. Train station 2. Your office 3. Your car 4. A coffee shop 5. Lobby of a movie theater 6. Mystery Option* *Choose an object to describe but do not indicate it. Describe it, but preserve the mystery. Writing a Description Essay Choosing a subject is the first step in writing a description essay. Once you have chosen the person, place, or object you want to describe, your challenge is to write an effective thesis statement to guide your essay. The remainder of your essay describes your subject in a way that best expresses your thesis. Remember, you should have a strong sense of how you will organize your essay. Choose a strategy and stick to it. Every part of your essay should use vivid sensory details. The more you can appeal to your readers’ senses, the more they will be engaged in your essay. See Chapter 15 “Readings: Examples of Essays” to read a sample description essay. Exercise 3 On a separate sheet of paper, choose one of the topics that you started in Note 10.37 “Exercise 2”, and expand it into a five-paragraph essay. Expanding on ideas in greater detail can be difficult. Sometimes it is helpful to look closely at each of the sentences in a summary paragraph. Those sentences can often serve as topic sentences to larger paragraphs. Mystery Option: Here is an opportunity to collaborate. Please share with a classmate and compare your thoughts on the mystery descriptions. Did your classmate correctly guess your mystery topic? If not, how could you provide more detail to describe it and lead them to the correct conclusion? Key Takeaways • Description essays should describe something vividly to the reader using strong sensory details. • Sensory details appeal to the five human senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. • A description essay should start with the writer’s main impression of a person, a place, or an object. • Use spatial order to organize your descriptive writing. 10.4 Classification Learning Objectives 1. Determine the purpose and structure of the classification essay. 2. Understand how to write a classification essay. The Purpose of Classification in Writing The purpose of classification is to break down broad subjects into smaller, more manageable, more specific parts. We classify things in our daily lives all the time, often without even thinking about it. Cell phones, for example, have now become part of a broad category. They can be classified as feature phones, media phones, and smartphones. Smaller categories, and the way in which these categori ... Purchase answer to see full attachment