During the term, students in ENG 099 are required to write a number of paragraphs in class, each addressing a specific rhetorical mode as defined and discussed in the standard course textbook. The paragraphs will be commented upon by the instructor, but will not be graded until the end of the semester, at which time they will be submitted in revised fashion as part of the final portfolio. It is important, therefore, that students attend to instructor comments about their work on the paragraphs.
The modes in which the paragraphs will be written appear below, along with links to one or more examples of each. Please note that individual prompts will vary depending on the section and semester; submissions which do not address the prompt offered in class will not be acceptable.
Causal- deals with asserting what the primary cause of a given event is; can be the focus of a larger essay
Descriptive- deals with offering a detailed image of a given thing so as to create a specific impression of it; not often the focus of a larger essay, but necessary to successful writing in all other modes
Narrative- deals with offering an anecdote or short story; can be the focus of a larger essay or used as an introductory/concluding device for a larger essay
Process- deals with outlining how a given course of action is to be undertaken; not so much the focus of a larger essay, but a type of writing often encountered in technical and professional discourse