
For example, the statement is often made that drug abuse is a medical problem instead of a criminal justice issue. Compare/ContrastĪre you trying to define something? Do you need your readers to understand what something is and what it is not? The compare-and-contrast method of development is particularly useful in extending a definition, or anywhere you need to show how a subject is like or unlike another subject. Here’s an example article from T he New York Times, “ Monks Embrace Web to Reach Recruits,” that highlights an unexpected approach by a group of Benedictine monks in Rhode Island they’ve turned to social media to grow their dwindling membership. Explain a problem, followed by several solutions, and select one solution as the bestĮmphasize the words problem and solution to signal these sections of your paper for your reader.Propose the solution first and then describe the problems that motivated it.Describe the problem, followed by the solution.There are probably more ways to organize a problem/solution approach, but here are three possibilities: For example, the problem of water pollution could be described, followed by ideas of new ways to solve the problem. Problem/SolutionĪt some point does your essay explore a problem or suggest a solution? The problem/solution pattern is commonly used in identifying something that’s wrong and in contemplating what might be done to remedy the situation.
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Here’s an example article from T he New York Times, “ Rough Times Take Bloom Off a New Year’s Rite, the Rose Parade,” that explores the cause and effect relationship (from 2011) between Pasadena’s budgetary challenges and the ability of their Rose Parade floats to deck themselves out in full bloom. Use the signal words cause, effect, and result, to cue the reader about your about the relationships that you’re establishing. For example, the causes of water pollution might be followed by its effects on both humans and animals. Or you may reverse this sequence and describe effects first and then the cause or causes. Cause/Effectĭo you see a potential cause-and-effect relationship developing in your draft? The cause/effect pattern may be used to identify one or more causes followed by one or more effects or results. Keep reading to consider some of the ways that these strategies can help you as you revise a draft. What a tough day at work taught you about yourself or others.Travel as part of a well-rounded education.Which mode(s) might you use in an essay about these topics? Would you need to explore more than one rhetorical mode for each topic? Using the chart above (“ Choosing Paragraph Patterns“), discuss some of the topics below. Pause here to brainstorm ideas with your partner. And in fact, many times, one essay may incorporate two or more rhetorical modes, as the author makes an argument for their point of view. That is to say, most writers don’t sit down and say, “I think I’ll write a cause and effect essay today.” Instead, a writer might be more likely to be interested in a topic, say, the state of drinking water in the local community, and as the writer begins to explore the topic, certain cause and effect relationships between environmental pollutants and the community water supply may begin to emerge. Patterns of organization or methods of developing content usually happen naturally as a consequence of the way the writer engages with and organizes information while writing. For example, you might have been asked to write a cause and effect essay or a comparison and contrast essay. You might already be familiar with some of these patterns because instructors will sometimes assign them as the purpose for writing an essay. The rhetorical modes that are covered here are best used as ways to look at what’s already happening in your draft and to consider how you might emphasize or expand on any existing patterns. Rhetorical modes are also called patterns of organization or methods of development they are the ways that authors and speakers organize their ideas to communicate effectively.

License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike Rhetorical Modes Located at: and reproduced in Lumen’s Englsih Composition I. Can you add to the list of rhetorical modes that you created with your partners? Image of “Choosing Paragraph Patterns.” Authored by: GrinnPidgeon. “ Purple flowers” by Hanne Hoogendam from Unsplash is in the Public Domain
