Associate Program Material
Appendix C

Rhetorical Modes Matrix

Rhetorical modes are methods for effectively communicating through language and writing. Complete the following chart to identify the purpose and structure of the various rhetorical modes used in academic writing. Provide at least 2 tips for writing each type of rhetorical device.

Rhetorical Mode Purpose – Explain when or why each rhetorical mode is used. Structure – Explain what organizational method works best with each rhetorical mode. Provide 2 tips for writing in each rhetorical mode.
Narration Narration is used for storytelling such as telling a friend about an incident that occurred in your day. The best organizational method will be to use chronological order. This will help the reader to understand how each event led to the next. Use strong details related to the 5 senses in your story to help the reader get immersed into the story’s world.

Decide before writing if you want the story to be factual or fictional. This will help to allow you to decide how creative you can be with the story.

Illustration Illustration uses evidence to clearly support the thesis (controlling idea) of the paper. An example would be to right a paper about why Genetically Modified Organisms are dangerous. The thesis belongs at the beginning, followed by the support in the middle, and finally finishes with the conclusion. It is advisable to use order of importance to organize the supporting paragraphs into lest to most order or most to least order. Try not to insult your audience by over explaining a simple thing that they should be expected to understand anyway.

Make use the phrases of illustration such as: in this case, one example, another example, specifically, and to illustrate.
Description This type uses the 5 senses to describe a person, place, or object and completely immerse the reader