©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. PART FOUR THE VISUAL GUIDE TO COLLEGE COMPOSITION JOANNA LEAKE * JAMES KNUDSEN PowerPoint by Katherine Knapp Grubbs University of Maryland at College Park

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. CHOOSING A WRITING MODE Writing modes –Determine the form of your essay –Determine the manner in which the essay will be written Choose a mode to meet particular needs of assignment Consider assignment, audience, and resources

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. SPECIFIC WRITING MODE BLUEPRINTS Examples Comparison and contrast Cause and effect Division and classification Process Narration Definition Description

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. EXAMPLES Convince readers that ideas are reasonable Persuade that your thesis is valid Item that comes from a larger category or group Clearly identify the larger category or group in introduction

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. EXAMPLES Make your examples specific Make your examples convincing Use examples in a lively way Make sure you have enough examples Order examples in a pattern Let your examples lead you Stay focused on your examples

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST Examine the similarities (compare) and/or differences (contrast) between two things to make a point or lead to a conclusion Thesis should state an opinion about items being compared/contrasted

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST Cont. Body—two patterns –Chunk by chunk –Point by point Stick to two items only Focus on differences or similarities, not both Use the same pattern throughout

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST Cont. Identify your main points of comparison or contrast Don’t forget about categories to reduce long lists

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. CAUSE AND EFFECT Cause essay—present a condition and discuss what reasons/causes led to it Effect essay—present a condition and show what results/effects happened because of it Emphasis cause or effect, not both Use this mode to explain the causes or to predict the effects of a particular action/event

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. CAUSE AND EFFECT Cont. Distinguish major causes and effects from minor causes and effects Be logical Don’t skip any links in discussion

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. DIVISION AND CLASSIFICATION Division essay—take a whole unit and divide it into separate parts Classification essay—take a large group or general concept and arrange it in smaller groups or categories Be clear about what the items in each category have in common Identify the big group or concept clearly

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. DIVISION AND CLASSIFICATION Cont. Stick to the same point of classification throughout the essay Account for all aspects of your general topic

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. PROCESS Give step by step instructions on how to do something Motivate readers to master a process Give the steps in chronological order Present a sequence of steps, not tips/advice Steps in the process form the body of your essay

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. PROCESS Cont. Troubleshoot potential problems for your reader Don’t forget any steps or necessary equipment Know who your audience is Use timely advice if needed

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. NARRATION Telling a story to make a point Narration to support your thesis Tell the story of an actual event to convince your reader that your thesis is true Dramatize your point with a story Be entertaining; hook your reader in

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. NARRATION Cont. Tell your reader all interesting details Make sure the reader understands what is at stake Show, don’t tell your reader the point of your story To develop your style, use familiar words or phrases

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. DEFINITION Explain the connotation of a word or term—what the term being defined implies in a larger way Describe more fully concepts that cannot be captured by a dictionary definition Develop a new understanding of the concept, term, or situation

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. DEFINITION Cont. This mode works with subjective ideas also Use many different modes to develop your definition

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. DESCRIPTION Give reader sensory details to convey your attitudes about the central subject of the essay Visual information—with other types of sensory descriptions Descriptive information to convince your reader the thesis is true Don’t overlook details

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. DESCRIPTION Cont. Use metaphors to enhance descriptive language Use objective facts and subjective impressions

©2003 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Visit the Companion Website to The Visual Guide to College Composition