Writing with Purpose

Rhetorical Analysis

A genre of essay in which the writer seeks to change the mind of the audience regarding a topic that is being analyzed and written about.

Commentary

A genre of essay in which the writer seeks to decipher a trend or phenomenon through interpretation and analysis. The writer seeks to help the reader understand the trend or phenomenon through identifying patterns.

Review

A genre of essay in which the writer seeks to evaluate something. The writer makes judgment based on criteria that are clearly identified and discussed.

Sophists

A group of people who taught many subjects, but generally specialized in philosophy and rhetoric. They charged a fee to instruct students and supported the ideas of wisdom and eloquence.

Invention (inventio)

A method for finding arguments that fit the situation.

Paraphrasing

A process in which a writer takes all or part of a text and puts it into his or her own words. Paraphrased material is generally shorter than the original text. Citing sources when paraphrasing is essential.

Writing Process

A series of steps that helps writers develop written work. There are six basic steps to the writing process, including invention, organization, drafting, revising, editing, and feedback. The writing process typically is not linear because steps may be repeated.

Imperative Command Sentence

A type of sentence that asks or tells the reader what to do; it usually begins with a verb located at the beginning or very near the beginning of a sentence.

Explicit Thesis Statement

A type of thesis statement that is clearly expressed in a single sentence.

Implicit

A type of thesis statement that is implied rather than expressly stated.

Genre

A type or category of a text. For example, a rhetorical analysis, review, and commentary are three types of genres. Every genre of writing has specific qualities and expectations. Writers should understand a genre's qualities in order to compose an effective text.

Rhetorical Triangle

A visual representation of speaking and writing in order to persuade utilizing ethos, pathos, and logos.

Framing

A word, phrase, or clause mentioned in the introduction that is reinforced in the body of the essay and revisited in the conclusion.

Tone

A writer's style, character, bias, or attitude. A relatively bias-free and appropriate tone can separate a writer who is taken seriously from one who is not. A formal, objective tone is usually considered most appropriate for academic writing.

Close Reading

Active, careful reading of a passage or passages of a text. It includes reading that examines the fine details of a text. There are three kinds of close reading: (1) reading done before a text is read, or prereading, (2) reading done while a text is read, and (3) reading done after a text is read, or postreading.

Pathos

An appeal to emotions or emotional disposition of the audience.

Logos

An appeal to reason or logic of the audience.

Ethos

An appeal to the credibility or character of the speaker or writer.

Freewriting

An invention strategy that involves nonstop writing about a topic for a set period of time. It is helpful to avoid editing ideas and thoughts or fixating on grammar and punctuation. Simply jot down any words, ideas, or phrases that come to mind about the topic.

Rhetorical Appeals

Devices used to persuade or motivate an audience, which include logos, pathos, and ethos.

Oratory

Effective and eloquent public speaking, often appealing to the emotions of the audience members.

Style (elocutio)

Evoking the emotions of the audience.

Conventions

Expectations or customs that writers follow. Conventions include everything from text formatting to grammar to documenting sources to genre expectations such as paragraphing and text structure.

Six Steps of the Writing Process

Invention, Organization, Drafting, Revising, Editing, Feedback

Memory (memoria)

Not only the practice of not needing a script or preparation, but also being able to recall appropriate arguments that can then be suited to a given situation without preparation.

First-Person Pronouns

Pronouns including I, we, me, my, mine, our, and ours.

Third-Person Pronouns

Pronouns including he, his, she, hers, they, them, and theirs.

Second-Person Pronouns

Pronouns including you, your, and yours.

Summaries

Sentences or paragraphs that explain in one's own words the main point of a text. Summaries are shorter than the original text because the focus is on explaining the main point of the text rather than the entire text. Citing sources when summarizing is critical.

Deliberative Rhetoric

Speeches take place in a public assembly. The speaker advises the audience or warns them against an idea or practice. The audience is asked to decide whether something will be good or bad for the public.

Epideictic Rhetoric

Speeches that praise or blame someone by describing their actions as shameful or commendable. This can take place at a celebration, commemoration/ceremony, or funeral.

Judicial Rhetoric

Speeches that takes place before the court. The judges whether a past event was just or unjust.

Five Canons

Steps, which include invention, organization, style, memory, and delivery, that create effective persuasive speeches and writings.

Organization (dispositio)

Structuring an argument correctly (e.g. introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion).

Rhetoric

The ability to communicate and use language effectively; the art of persuasion.

Rhetorical Knowledge

The ability to understand unique situations and audiences and act on this by creating texts that are appropriate for a specific purpose. A writer should determine what kind of situation and audience is required for a given written task.

Prewriting

The act of composing that takes place during the invention stage of the writing process. Types of prewriting include listing, freewriting, and diagramming.

Persuasion

The author or speaker advocates or argues a particular view or belief.

Rhetorical Situation

The circumstances in which a writer or speaker communicates. It includes characteristics such as the audience, the writer or speaker's purpose, and the circumstances that encourage the individual to communicate.

Level of Formality

The degree to which a writer chooses a formal or informal approach to a writing task. Generally, academic writing is more formal than informal, and personal writing is more informal than formal.

Introduction

The first paragraph of an essay. It serves as a bridge to help the reader enter into the essay and understand a bit of background or history about the topic or issue about which the essay is written and leads the reader into understanding the point of the essay.

Topic Sentence

The first sentence in body paragraphs.

Invention

The initial step of the writing process in which a writer considers his or her topic. This step includes idea generation and may involve prewriting strategies such as freewriting or listing.

Audience

The intended viewers or listeners of a text. Writers need to understand a text's audience in order to compose the text in a way that meets the audience's needs and expectations.

Rhetorical Purpose

The intention or goal writers have in mind when they write. It is a writer's task to clearly convey that intention or goal. It is a reader's task to uncover the purpose.

Conclusion

The last paragraph of an essay in which the writer revisits the thesis statement and all supporting points. No new information belongs in the conclusion, but sometimes a prediction or call to action for the readers is supplied by the writer.

Thesis Statement

The main point of an essay that tells the reader what to expect in the essay. It is an answer to the main research question a writer discovered in a brainstorming stage of writing. The thesis statement makes the writer's claim about a debatable issue that could be disputed by someone else.

Body Paragraphs

The paragraphs that occur after the introductory paragraph and before the concluding paragraph in essays.

Visual Rhetoric

The process of thinking, learning, and communicating what is seen (often in sources) in order to write clear argument essays; might include images but also font type and size, color, and shapes.

Purpose

The rationale for writing specific genres of essays, such as analyzing, reviewing, or making statements about topics or issues.

Kairos

The right or opportune time. In rhetoric, it is the speaker's ability to adapt and take advantage of changes in circumstances that may influence the perception of the audience.

Dialectic

The strategies of argumentation used by a speaker to resolve conflict and establish truth.

Voice

The writer's personality. A good writer is able to convey his or her personality without detracting from the meaning of the written work.

Subliminal

Thought process occurring below the level of consciousness but operating with a strong enough force to affect the interpretation of the viewer or reader.

Genre Awareness

Understanding that there are categories or types of artistic products, such as writing, painting, sculpting, dancing, and singing, that are used to express thought and feeling. Recognizing these different forms of expression opens doors for analyzing and understanding.

Hook

Usually the first sentence or two in an essay that serves to catch or hook the reader's attention.

Delivery (actio)

Utilizing appropriate voice, tone, and gestures to communicate ideas.

Signal Phrases

Words or phrases supplied by the writer that introduce direct quotations from sources so that the quotation does not seem to be abruptly just dropped into the essay. Such words and phrases are used to prevent possible confusion on the reader's part.

Transitions

Words or phrases that signal relationships between ideas or paragraphs. Also, they often are regarded as directions or cues for the reader on how to walk through an essay, understanding how to move from one idea to the next and see the connections.