Modes of Writing and Text Features

Guided Notes

Modes of Writing - Argument

▪Chapters 7 & 8 in the Grammar book▪Also known as Persuasion▪Used to convince another person or group to believe something, do something a particular way, or undertake a specific cause

If I am writing an argument, did I

• Introduce a claim?• Acknowledge and distinguish the claim from counterclaims?• Anticipate audience’s knowledge and concerns?• Provide relevant background information from the reading passage (if a passage is provided)?

If I am writing an argument, did I

•maintain a clear focus?• support claims with logical reasoning and relevant evidence (facts, details and examples)?• use words and phrases to clarify the relationship among claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence?

Modes of Writing – Informative/Explanatory

▪Chapters 9-11 in the Grammar book▪Also known as: Compare and Contrast Cause and Effect Problem and Solution

If I am writing to provide information or explain, did I• establish a focused purpose?• anticipate the needs of my audience?• incorporate relevant background information

from the reading passage (if a passage is pro- vided)?

If I am writing to provide information or explain, did I• support the thesis with relevant, well-chosen

facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or examples?

• use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary?

Modes of Writing - Narrative

▪Chapters 5 & 6 in the Grammar book▪Used to tell a story or to convey a series of events

If I am writing a narrative, did I• establish a clear purpose?• use a variety of techniques (e.g. dialogue, description, anecdote, rhetorical question, surprising fact) to engage my audience?• convey a sense of events that would unfold naturally for the reader?• use concrete words and sensory details?

Analyzing Various Text Forms

▪Analysis is basically “taking something apart,” in order to understand it better by considering its components separately as well as together.

In order to effectively analyze different texts, you first need to read and comprehend them. Then, after you’ve read and understood, you need to ask yourself some questions about the text.

1. WHAT’S THE PURPOSE?

What is motivating the author to write this piece? Does the author want to:▪express a certain idea or opinion?▪ respond to a particular occasion or another text?▪explore a topic or inquire into a problem?

▪ inform the reader about a topic that is misunderstood?▪analyze, synthesize, and interpret data?▪persuade the reader of an argument?▪ reflect on an event personally?▪advocate for change?

2. WHO’S THE AUDIENCE?

▪To whom is the author writing?▪Who is his or her intended reader?▪ Is that reader friendly, hostile, or apathetic?

3. TEXT FEATURES

▪What text features are present in the text?

–Headline/Title–Chart/Table–Caption–Bolded Words–Photo/Illustration–Footnote–Italics

4. ORGANIZATION/STYLE

▪How is the text organized?▪What comes first?▪What comes after?▪How is it built?▪Does it use lots of figurative language and/or symbolism?

▪Does it follow –a time-line?–a logical sequence?–a problem-solution-resolution process?–a simple list of items?–a comparison and contrast analysis?–a balance of forces analysis?

Or does it simply jump back and forth chaotically?