1. Characteristics of Essay Writing
Recognizing Mode, Audience and Purpose, and Point of View

2. Group Warm-up Activity
Working in small groups of 3-4 with students seated next to you, complete the directions on the handout given by the teacher.

3. Recognizing Mode Mode includes three types of essays: narrative
informative
persuasive

4. Narrative Mode tells a story setting (time and place)
follows chronological order
can be fiction or non-fiction
novels, short stories, plays, biographies, etc.

5. Narrative Mode
On a hot day in August at our favorite spot on the Broad River, the fish weren’t biting as they usually do, and my brother and I began to fidget restlessly. After asking our parents for permission, my brother and I quickly abandoned our fishing poles and scampered our way to an old Indian mound in search of arrowheads. To our astonishment, we then found more than arrowheads left behind by an ancient civilization. We found ourselves face-to-face with an apparition that would forever brand our memories.

6. Informative Mode
explains or tells the readers something they may not know
more concerned with facts than opinions
book reports, responses to literature, textbooks, and other reference books (encyclopedias, etc.)

7. Informative Mode
I have two favorite pastimes, eating and playing football. I’m not all that particular about what I eat, as long as I have plenty of it. Burgers, fries, spaghetti, pizza, and lasagna are my favorites, but I don’t mind eating my mom’s tuna casserole or meatloaf with whatever seasonable vegetables she also includes at mealtime. The best part about eating is that it gives me plenty of energy to participate in my other favorite activity, football!

8. Persuasive Mode attempts to influence the reader’s actions or thoughts
uses opinions supported by facts
advertisements, political speeches, etc.

9. Persuasive Mode Anyone walking into a high school cafeteria at
lunchtime will soon discover that few students
eat school lunches. This phenomenon is no
wonder. For the health-conscious, the food has
little nutritional value. For the fast-food junkies,
the food is tasteless. For all but a few students,
it is altogether unappealing. If schools want
students to eat the lunches offered at school,
they should be changed to include more color,
more flavor, and much fresher ingredients.

10. Group Revisions
Return to your original group and re-read your paragraph. Revise your paragraph to make sure it is properly written to reflect the correct mode.
Be ready to present your paragraph to the class.