Welcome to Rhetorical Modes

The term rhetorical modes refers to the different styles and techniques we use when we write. This chapter will discuss different modes, explaining the specific aspects and techniques involved in these methods of communication. As you read about these, remember that the rhetorical mode a writer chooses depends on his/her purpose for writing. Some assignments ask students to use a specific rhetorical mode, such as writing a descriptive passage or contrasting two concepts, but most essays incorporate several different rhetorical modes to express an idea. Overall, the rhetorical modes are a set of tools that allow you different methods to effectively communicate information to your audience.

In the Rhetorical Modes area of the English 101 Open textbook, you’ll learn about different rhetorical styles or, essentially, different strategies for developing your essays and other writing assignments. These basic strategies are not all-encompassing but will provide you with a foundation and flexibility to help you as you engage in writing assignments in your introductory writing classes and beyond.

In the following pages, you’ll find support for major styles of development, including memoir, evaluation, cause and effect, and compare and contrast. For each style, you’ll find visual instruction and a sample paper, showing you how each style works in your writing classes. This learning area is one you will want to visit for support for most major types of assignments you’ll encounter in college. Sometimes these modes are as a full essay style, sometimes modes are mixed.

It’s also important to remember that there are certain features that all of these styles or methods have in common:

• A clear thesis statement usually provided at the beginning of the essay
• Clear and logical transitions
• Focused body paragraphs with evidence and support
• Appropriate format and style if you use source material
• A conclusion that expands upon your thesis and summarizes evidence
• Clear writing that follows standard conventions for things like grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

As you explore the Rhetorical Modes, think about the key features of each type of essay as well as the features that all effective essays have in common.

Attributions

• Content Adapted from Excelsior Online Writing Lab (OWL). (2020).  Excelsior College. Retrieved from https://owl.excelsior.edu/ licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-4.0 International License.
• Figure RM1: “Choosing Paragraph Patterns,” Kalyca Schultz, Virginia Western Community College, CC-0.