Explore rhetorical modes of writing. Learn the definition of a rhetorical mode and see how rhetorical style is used in writing. See examples of rhetorical modes.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Rhetorical Modes of Writing | Definition & Examples
Table of Contents
- What are Rhetorical Modes?
- Common Rhetorical Modes of Writing
- Rhetorical Modes Examples
- Lesson Summary
Rhetoric is the use of words and style to effectively communicate with the audience. In writing, authors use rhetoric to ensure their writing serves a specific purpose or meets a specific goal. Authors may use more than one rhetorical mode in each piece of writing. Below is the rhetorical modes definition and the description of how each mode is used in writing.
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There are multiple rhetorical modes of writing. Rhetorical modes , also known as rhetorical devices, rhetorical style, or modes of discourse, are simply the name for the style, purpose, and technique a writer uses to convey ideas. The four most common rhetorical modes are description, expository, narration, and persuasive. It is possible to use more than one rhetorical mode in a written piece. Sometimes, authors will switch back and forth between the modes. For instance, fiction writers often use narration to create a timeline for the story but also use description to help the readers visualize the characters and setting.
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Description
Description is a rhetorical mode that uses precise language to help the reader visualize what the author is trying to convey. This mode requires writers to include lots of detail. It is most often used when describing people, places, or things, helping the reader create a mental picture of the characters or setting. Descriptive writing often seeks to answer the five Ws: who, what, when, where, and why. When a writer can answer those questions for the reader, it helps bring the story to life.
The description rhetorical mode is most often used in fictional writing or creative writing.
Expository
The Expository mode comes from the word "expose." Typically, expository writing is academic and professional, containing research, data, and concrete facts. The purpose of expository writing is to educate the reader, using these facts to explain an idea or concept clearly.
The expository mode is the most-used rhetorical mode. Most academic papers, textbooks, and news stories will use expository writing. Though writers can include other modes in expository writing, most will refrain from adding their opinions. Adding a personal opinion or non-factual information makes the writing - and therefore the writer- seem less credible.
Narration
Narration is a rhetorical mode used to tell a story and describe a scene. Writers often use narration to help readers understand how a series of events unfolded. For narration to be most effective, writers must organize the events into a logical pattern. Most often, narration is organized chronologically. That means the story is described in the order the events took place, from beginning to end.
Narration is a common rhetorical mode found in fictional writing. The author uses narration to move the story along and designate a timeline to help readers understand the order of events. Nonfiction writing also relies heavily on narration, particularly history books, biographies and autobiographies, and in-depth news coverage.
Persuasive
Persuasive writing is any writing in which the author tries to convince the reader to either think a particular way or take a specific action. Writers use a series of logical arguments that appeal to the reader's logic, reason, or emotion. Persuasive writing always has a call to action. It might be as simple as asking a consumer to buy a product or as complicated as convincing someone to take a different political or religious stance.
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Below are some examples of rhetorical modes and how writers use these tools in different situations.
Description
Description is most often used to paint a mental picture of a person, place, or thing. It is a common literary device used in fictional writing. You might find description used in:
- Fictional books and literature
- Poetry
- Journal or diary entries
- Personal writing describing someone, somewhere, or something the writer encountered
- Character sketches for fictional writing
Description uses the five Ws to create effective details: who, what, when, where, and why. Many fiction writers create characters using description, helping to convince the reader that the characters act, look, or live a certain way.
Expository
Expository writing is most often found in academic writing. A standard rhetorical essay format usually implies expository writing as it requires facts, data, and evidence-based claims.
Expository writing includes:
- Textbooks
- Research papers
- Academic essays
- Instruction manuals
- News articles
- Business letters
Effective expository writing presents the facts in a straightforward way, without injecting opinion or speculation.
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Narration
The narration rhetorical mode is used when a writer wants to outline a specific timeline of events or tell a specific story. Narration requires information to be organized in a way the reader can follow and understand. Typically, a writer will organize events chronologically, though that isn't always the case. Fiction writers rely heavily on narration, helping to create a timeline for the story. It's also common to see narration used in nonfiction writing, like biographies, news stories, and history books.
Examples of narration include:
- Fiction writing
- Historical accounts
- Biographies
- Autobiographies
- Some news stories or in-depth reporting
In each of these examples, whether fiction or nonfiction, the writer organizes events into a timeline to help the reader understand the story more clearly.
Persuasive
The persuasive rhetorical mode uses argument, logic, and a call to action to convince the reader to either think or act in a specific way.
Common examples of persuasive writing include:
- Advertising campaigns
- Political ads
- Fundraising campaigns
- Employment cover letters
- Recommendation letters
- Argumentative essays
In each of these examples, the writer's main goal is convincing the reader. There is almost always a call to action. For example, an advertising campaign's goal is to convince the reader to purchase a specific product. An effective cover letter will convince the employer to grant an interview or hire the person who wrote the cover letter.
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Rhetoric is the use of words and style to effectively communicate with the audience. Rhetorical modes are the techniques and literary devices that a writer uses to convey specific ideas to the readers. There are many rhetorical modes in writing, but the most common are description, expository, narration, and persuasive. Description uses detail to help the reader visualize the person, place, or thing the author is describing. It is most often used in fiction writing. Expository writing is the most common rhetorical mode, and uses facts and data to explain a concept to a reader. Textbooks, user manuals, and news stories are all examples of expository writing. Narration tells a story, usually in chronological order. Fictional writing relies heavily on narration, as do biographies, history books, and some written news stories. Persuasive writing uses an appeal to logic, reason, or emotion to convince the reader to think or behave a certain way. There is almost always a call to action in persuasive writing. Advertising campaigns, political ads, and employment cover letters are all examples of persuasive writing.
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Video Transcript
What Is Rhetoric?
Rhetoric is the art of communication with an audience. For writers, rhetoric means the writer tries to communicate with the readers using literary devices and compositional techniques. There are many modes of rhetorical writing. The four most common modes of writing are description, expository, narration, and persuasive. It's important that you understand that you can use more than one mode for the same written work. Learning the basics of each mode will come in handy when writing. It'll also greatly improve your understanding of your readers and how they retain information.
Description
Description is writing that tries to describe an idea to help the reader visualize it. Descriptive writing often depicts a person, place, or thing with great illustrative detail. It's important to be thorough when describing, so keep in mind the five W's (who, what, when, where, and why). This rhetorical mode is often used in creative writing to make characters and places come to life.
Examples include:
- Journal entries
- Poems
- A descriptive paper on a friend
- Character sketches
These examples all take one idea and expand it with specific details. Descriptive writing should include all sensory details in order to better capture the idea and help the reader visualize. For example, if you're writing about a unique experience you're having, you want to write about it in a way that your readers can feel like they have experienced it as well. Remember, descriptive mode describes.
Expository
Expository is writing that explains, informs, or analyzes the information. This style of writing attempts to explain an idea or concept to the point that the reader knows exactly what the writer means. A writer should clearly state the evidence and discuss any relevance. This is considered the most-used rhetorical mode.
Examples include:
- Textbooks
- Informational or business letters
- News articles
- Research papers
- Directions
- How-to essays
These examples all provide the information in straightforward styles. Though some might include opinions, these all focus on the facts to convince the readers of the idea. For example, say you're writing a research paper on the mental effects of watching TV. You might think TV negatively affects the brain, but it is your job as the writer to provide all of the research on the topic, even if it goes against what you believe. If you only provide one side of the research, the paper will not be considered as credible to your readers because it will make you seem like a biased writer. Remember, the expository mode explains.
Narration
Narration is writing that tells a story by recounting events. Narrative writing often utilizes descriptive writing to help establish a scene. The purpose of this rhetorical mode is to show the reader what happened. Organization is key in narrative writing, as the order of events described needs to be chronological and clear to the reader.
Examples include:
- History books
- Biographies
- Autobiographies
- Some novels
These examples all have the same goal - to recount or narrate the story as it happened. The purpose of a history book is to help the reader understand the historical events, and therefore, it is important to tell the events clearly and in order. If the writer started in the middle of the war and then jumped back to before the war started, it would be confusing to the reader and make the writer's purpose unclear. Remember, narration recounts events.
Persuasive
Persuasive writing is an appeal to the reader's reason or logic. If you are writing an argument, you are attempting to prove your point of view by presenting a reasonable and convincing discussion. This mode of rhetoric oftentimes serves as a call to action, meaning it urges the readers to take a stance or act upon something.
Examples include:
- Magazine advertising
- Research or persuasive paper
- Cover letter for a job application
- Recommendation letter
- Political editorial
- Critical book review
These examples all attempt to urge the reader to do or think something. An advertisement, for example, will convince the readers that they should buy the product. If you're looking for a job, your cover letter is meant to persuade the potential employer that your credentials are the best. Remember, persuasive writing mode convinces.
Lesson Summary
Rhetoric in writing refers to ways of communicating to readers - maybe through persuasion or visual impression. Though there are several modes of rhetoric, the four most common are description, expository, narrative, and persuasive writing. Description tries to illustrate an idea so that the reader can visualize it accurately. Expository mode tries to explain an idea to the reader using evidence, not opinions. Narration tries to recount events in a clear, organized order so that the reader can comprehend the events. And, finally, persuasive writing tries to persuade the reader to act or think, using logic and reasonable opinions. These rhetorical modes oftentimes complement one another, and a piece of writing can oftentimes utilize more than one.
Rhetorical Modes of Writing Overview
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| Terms | Explanations |
|---|---|
| Rhetoric | means the writer tries to communicate with the readers using literary devices and compositional techniques |
| Description | writing that tries to describe an idea to help the reader visualize it |
| Expository | writing that explains, informs, or analyzes the information |
| Narration | writing that tells a story by recounting events |
| Persuasive | writing is an appeal to the reader's reason or logic |
Learning Outcomes
When you finish watching the video, try to set goals that include:
- Define rhetoric
- Enumerate the four modes of rhetorical writing
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Rhetorical Modes of Writing | Definition & Examples
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