Rhetorical Modes Matrix Essay

The art of telling stories. Structure – Usually in chronological order, which events are told in the order in which they occurred Two Tips – 1. A plot summary can help you create a chronological outline. 2. Start with a strong intro to hook your reader into wanting to continue reading. Illustration: Purpose – Clearly demonstrates and supports a point through the use of evidence. Structure – Order of importance: arranges ideas according to their significance Two Tips. Use evidence that is appropriate to your topic as well as your audience. 2. Vary the phrases of illustration you used, it is critical when trying to keep readers engaged Description: Purpose – To make sure your audience is fully immersed in the words on the page by using sensory details. Structure – Spatial Order, depending on the writer, descriptions could go from top to bottom or left to right. Two Tips – 1. Avoid â€Å"empty† descriptors if possible. 2. Use spatial order to organize your descriptive writing. Classification: Purpose – To break broad subjects down into smaller, more manageable, and more specific parts Structure – Organized by breaking it down into subcategories Two Tips – 1. Choose topics you know well when writing this type of essays. 2. Make sure you break down your topic at least three different ways. Process Analysis: Purpose – The purpose is to explain how to do something or how something works. Structure – In chronological order, step by step instructions on how something is accomplished Two Tips – 1. Always have someone else read it to make sure it makes sense. 2. Always use strong details and clear examples Definition: Purpose – The purpose is to simply define something. Structure – It is organized by context, the circumstance, conditions, or settings in which something occurs or exists Two Tips – 1. Avoid terms that are too simple, that lack complexity. 2. you are more likely to write a more interesting essay if you are writing about something you are familiar with. Compare & Contrast: Purpose – To determine how various phenomena are related in terms of origins and results. Structure – The cause-and-effect essay can be organized in two primary ways: 1. Start with the cause(s) and then talk about the effect(s); or 2. Start with the effect(s) and then talk about the causes. Two Tips – 1. As soon as you claim that one cause or effect is more crucial than the others, you have developed a thesis. 2. Be sure to have clear evidence to support the claims that you make. Cause & Effect: Purpose – To convince, motivate or move readers toward a certain point of view or opinion Structure – Structural Components: Intro & thesis, Opposing & qualifying ideas, Strong evidence, Style & tone, Compelling conclusion Two Tips – 1. A productive approach is to persuade your reader to consider your opinion as a valid one, one simply the right one. Avoid forming a thesis based on a negative claim Persuasion: Purpose- Persuasive writing, also referred to as a creative writing or an argument, is a piece of writing in which the writer uses words to convince the reader of his/her view regarding an issue. Structure- Persuasive writing, also referred to as a creative writing or an argument, is a piece of writing in which the writer uses words to convince the reader of his/her view regarding an issue. Two Tips – 1. Do not neglect opposing viewpoints and arguments in the essay. 2. Acknowledging other viewpoints can actually strengthen your own points.