HOOK ― stops, gestures at the back CONFLICT ― “What’s the deal with the spotlight?” COMPLICATIONS ― “I’m sixty-one years old! How hard can it be?” EPIPHANY ― “Look, I’ll tell you what I’ll do: I’ll face the direction I’m going to walk.” CLIMAX ― exaggerated turn and step RESOLUTION ― spotlight jerks, audience roars

In a great variety of rhetorical situations, description is an essential rhetorical mode

flogging

You might get feedback from more than one reader as you share different stages of your revised draft.

Maybe there’s a picture that seems real

Sometimes you don’t care about the particular article or video that reaches you

Too closely imitating the author’s language structure in your summary or paraphrase is a form of plagiarism

Students feel confused because they see very different strategies when looking at news articles vs. social media vs. peer-reviewed articles.

Ensuring that you capture the words of others or essence of their message accurately and efficaciously is an essential quality of a meticulous writer.

Rephrasing important ideas in your own words is also an important integration technique

Connecting evidence with concrete examples, especially personal ones, is an especially powerful way to bring home a point.

the

Word

Example B feels richer, more dramatic, and much more targeted not only because it’s longer

They don’t necessarily need to completely “solve” the problem; perhaps they only improve certain parts of it.

straws that are made of paper

We often employ many or all of these elements in everyday life, when debating current issues with friends and family

like those found in a syllabus, can make you feel insecure or unsure of your abilities

Rhetoric and genre are, at the same time, very simple and very complex concepts.

morals align with the writer and those who don’t.

To be rhetorically effective (and thus persuasive), an author must engage the audience in a variety of compelling ways, which involves carefully choosing how to craft his or her argument so that the outcome, audience agreement with the argument or point, is achieved.

In short, the rhetorical situation can help writers and readers think through and determine why texts exist, what they aim to do, and how they do it in particular situations.

Ethos –  An ethical appeal meant to convince an audience of the author’s credibility or character. Pathos –  An emotional appeal meant to persuade an audience by appealing to their emotions. Logos –  An appeal to logic meant to convince an audience by use of logic or reason.

It provides both readers and writers with a purposeful and methodical approach to communicating, discovering, and generating with language

In order to have ideas to communicate, we have to learn about the case—or situation—

ideas effectively

Scrutinizing the details

Some students worry too much about “flow”

A poorly organized paper may contain insightful kernels, but a thoughtful, satisfying argument can’t take shape without paragraphs that are crafted, ordered, and connected effectively

What’s responsible for what seems to be an explosion in the increase of diagnosed cases of Celiac disease?

setting the context doesn’t mean overwhelming audiences with pages of explanations

Even when writing to an audience that’s knowledgeable about the topic, always err on the side of clarity. In other words, slow down so you make sure your audience is with you.

The problem with the funnel approach is that it places the burden on the reader to fill in missing information.

If you decide to take a break between finishing your first body paragraph and starting the next one, do not start writing immediately when you return to your work. Put yourself back in context and in the mood by rereading what you have already written

You can also use a voice recorder to get yourself started

an empty page scares them

n some courses, the only direct contact you may have with your instructor is through the assignments you write for the course.

Some writers find it helpful to first jot down their main ideas in outline form, and then use that visual to help develop an overarching thesis statement.

Working thesis statements often become stronger as you gather information and form new opinions and reasons for those opinions.

Confidence.

You have to form a specific opinion, and then articulate that into a controlling idea

an essay can fall into the same trap of being out of order and confusing

The Skill of Self-Confidence

confidence can be developed and improved.

Idea Mapping

Divergent thinking refers to the process of collecting and generating as many ideas as possible

Identifying personal experiences and observations that connect with your topic also cultivates voice, an important aspect of rhetorical persuasion.

SQ3R Strategy

you may be expected to form a general understanding but not necessarily master the content

What changes do you think you might have to make in your life to ensure your success in college?

Why is a college writing course even necessary?