Rhetorical Modes

                  I have chosen to write my essay in Comparison/Contrast mode. However, for my post I found the Extended Definition writing mode, and Description mode particularly interesting.

                  Extended definition, is defining something similar to a dictionary. In fact you'll start out writing three sentences as if it were a dictionary definition. 

                 (1) First you'll state and define your term. 

                 (2) Second you need to classify the group of people, things or events it belongs too. 

                 (3) Finally you pair it with a brief description that summarizes the term. 

 Following these three sentences you will continue to define what it is your writing about. This mode of writing is one of the more difficult to use, but once you've got it down it can significantly help you to be able to write long papers, or elaborate on things you've written.

                 Description mode is similar to extended definition in the sense that its one of the more difficult modes to learn, but very beneficial to your writing once you have the hang of it. Description means illustrative detail. Description mode basically describes a person, object or circumstances in illustrative detail like painting a picture or describing a scene to someone. There are a few tools you can use to aid you in description mode, for instance describing a room starting from one point moving around the room until you've come back to that point. Another is describing a person from top to bottom. More techniques include using the reporters five W questions, who, what, when, why, where, & how, or describing action like a movie or moving picture.  all of these tools can help one to illustrate in detail what it is they want to describe. These tools applied with a basic essay structure will give a descriptive essay. 

For more tips on these two rhetorical modes and more click here