| The
Modes or Argument & Arrangement
The Classical Modes originally developed as strategies
of inventing specific types of arguments. Over time, they also
developed
specific
arrangement strategies for these types of arguments. If you compare
these Modes of Arrangement to the Toulmin
Method, you will see
how they help to function as both. As with any of the other strategies,
these are just beginning outlines for you to start with; adapt
them to your rhetorical situation and make them your own.
The different modes outlined below include:
Analysis
- Pattern 1
- Introduction (includes thesis)
- Characteristic 1 (plus supporting
details)
- Characteristic 2 (plus supporting details)
- Characteristics
3, 4, 5…
- Conclusion (includes clincher sentence)
- Pattern 2
- Introduction (includes thesis)
- Cluster of features (related to
one another)
- Cluster of features (related to one another)
- Cluster of features
(related to one another)
- Conclusion (includes clincher sentence)
Enumeration
- Introduction
(includes thesis)
- First (the first, one)…
- Second (the
second, two)…
- Third (the third, three)…
- Fourth (the
next, four)…
- Fifth, sixth, seventh (another, five)…
- Finally
(the final, six)…
- Conclusion (summary, return to
beginning)
Description
- Pattern 1
- Introduction
(includes thesis)
- Descriptive feature 1 (plus supporting
details)
- Descriptive feature 2 (plus supporting
details)
- Descriptive
features 3, 4, 5…
- Conclusion
(includes clincher sentence)
- Pattern 2
- Introduction
(includes thesis)
- Cluster of descriptive features (related
to one another)
- Cluster of descriptive features (related
to one another)
- Cluster of descriptive features (related
to one another)
- Conclusion (includes clincher sentence)
- Spatial Orders of Description
- vertical order (bottom to top, top to bottom)
- horizontal order (left to right, right to left)
- depth order (inside, outside)
- circular order (clockwise, counterclockwise)
Classification
- Introduction
(includes thesis)
- Type 1 (or subclass 1)
- Type 2 (or subclass
2)
- Types
3, 4, 5…
- Conclusion (includes
clincher sentence)
Exemplification
- Introduction
(includes thesis)
- Example 1 (or cluster of examples)
- Example
2 (or cluster of examples)
- Examples
3, 4, 5…
- Conclusion (includes
clincher sentence)
Extended Definition
- Pattern 1
- Introduction
(includes thesis)
- Meaning 1 (partial definition of key
term)
- Meaning 2 (partial definition of key term)
- Meanings
3, 4, 5…
- Conclusion (includes clincher sentence)
- Pattern
2
- Introduction (includes thesis)
- Expansion
of the genus
- Expansion of the differentia
- Conclusion
(includes clincher sentence)
- Pattern 3
- Introduction
(includes logical defintion)
- Supporting details
- Supporting details
- Supporting details
- Conclusion (includes
clincher sentence)
Comparison & Contrast
- The Half-and-Half
Pattern
- Introduction (includes thesis)
- Subject 1
- Characteristic 1 (plus supporting details)
- Characteristic
2 (plus supporting details)
- Characteristics
3, 4, 5…
- Subject 2
- Characteristic 1 (plus supporting details)
- Characteristic
2 (plus supporting details)
- Characteristics
3, 4, 5…
- Conclusion (includes
clincher sentence)
- The Characteristics Pattern
- Introduction
(includes thesis)
- Characteristic 1 (plus supporting details)
- Characteristic 2 (plus supporting details)
- Characteristics
3, 4, 5… (plus supporting
details)
- Conclusion (includes clincher sentence)
Analogy
Point-by-Point Pattern
- Introduction (sets up the analogy)
- Subject
1 is similar to subject 2 in respect X
- Subject
1 is similar to subject 2 in respect Y
- Subject
1 is similar to subject 2 in respect Z
- Subject
1 is similar to subject 2 in respect Q
- Conclusion (therefore,
subject 1 is similar to subject 2 in some respect known
of one, but not known
of the other)
Narrative
- Narrative
Pattern without Plot
- Introduction
(setting, character)
- Event
1
- Event
2
- Event
3
- Events
4, 5, 6…
- Conclusion
- Narrative
Pattern with Plot
- Introduction
- Initial
incident
- Rising
Action
- Suspense
- Foreshadowing
- Withholding
information
- Surprise
- Turning
point
- Falling
action
- Climax
- Conclusion
Process
- Introduction (organizing
sentence, description of the material, principles,
implements, etc.)
- Step 1 (or phase 1)
- Step 2 (or phase 2)
- Step 3 (or phase 3)
- Step 4 (or phase 4)
- Steps
5, 6, 7…
- Conclusion (clincher
sentence, summary, and so forth)
Cause-to-Effect
- Pattern
1
- Introduction (includes background material,
thesis, etc.)
- Cause (a single cause is mentioned)
- Effect
1 (plus supporting details)
- Effect 2 (plus supporting
details)
- Effect 3 (plus supporting details)
- Effects
4, 5, 6…
- Conclusion (clincher sentence, etc.)
- Pattern
2
- Introduction (includes background material)
- Cause
1 (plus supporting details)
- Cause 2 (plus supporting
details)
- Cause 3 (plus supporting details)
- Causes
4, 5, 6…
- Effect (a single effect is mentioned)
- Conclusion
(clincher sentence, etc.)
Effect-to-Cause
- Pattern 1
- Introduction
(includes background material, thesis, etc.)
- Effect
(a single effect is mentioned)
- Cause 1 (plus supporting
details)
- Cause 2 (plus supporting details)
- Cause
3 (plus supporting details)
- Causes
4, 5, 6…
- Conclusion (clincher
sentence, etc.)
- Pattern 2
- Introduction
(includes background material)
- Effect 1 (plus supporting
details)
- Effect 2 (plus supporting details)
- Effect
3 (plus supporting details)
- Effects
4, 5, 6…
- Cause (a single cause
is mentioned)
- Conclusion (clincher sentence, etc.)
These patterns are from:
D’Angelo, F. J. (1994). Process and thought in composition:
With handbook
(custom ed.). New York: HarperCollins Custom
Books.
|