Back to: Academic and Professional Writing Unit 1
What are the Types of Rhetorical Modes of Writing. List the rhetorical modes and their uses.
Rhetorical modes are tools to help the writers with their writing. It is a form of written communication to communicate effectively and convey the author’s thoughts and ideas clearly to the readers. There are different types of rhetorical modes of writing but the most common among them are: description, expository, narration, and persuasive. We will look into each type of rhetorical modes and their uses in detail below.
Types of Rhetorical Modes of Writing with their Uses
1. Descriptive writing
Descriptive writing is the simplest form of academic writing. Its is written to provide facts or information.
Uses:
• Descriptive writing describes to the readers what a person, place, an event or a thing is like by describing it vividly.
• The readers are able to get a clear picture about the author’s ideas or thoughts without experiencing or being physically present.
2. Narrative writing
Narrative writing tells a story or describes a series of events in detail. It may be long stories or short stories. Narration may be both fictional or non- fictional. Narration must be done in a logical pattern and hence it follows a chronological order, i.e. describing an event from beginning to end in the actual way that it happened.
Uses:
• Narrative writing keeps the story moving forward in the right direction.
• It makes the readers understand the story clearly without causing any confusion.
3. Expository writing
Expository writing explains something to the readers. The explanation should be simple and clear for readers to understand.
Uses:
• Expository writing provides information, or gives direction and instruction to the readers.
• It’s purpose is to help the readers understand something by providing factual information.
4. Persuasive writing
Persuasive writing is a non-fictional writing that explains the writer’s point of view on a topic. It is used to persuade or convince the readers about something. It makes use of logical argument and requires critical thinking. It uses emotional language to convince the readers with one’s point of view. Each argument needs to come with an evidence to support the view point.
Uses:
• Persuasive writing encourages and persuades readers to do something or agree with the writer’s view point.
• It convinces the readers that the writer’s opinion is correct and to agree with it.
• It tries to change the mind of readers and come in support with the writer’s opinion.
• Persuasive writing proves why the opinion or belief of the writer is better than others that exist.
