Exemplification Writing Style Quiz

Rhetorical Devices

• Exemplification: provides a series of examples to turn a general idea into a concrete one
• Description: uses rich descriptive words to create a vivid image in the reader's mind
  • Sensory: arranges ideas based on the five senses
  • Spatial: arranges ideas by location or physical space

Narration

• Telling a story or recounting a series of events
• Forms of narration:
  • Chronology: tells about an event in time, including a beginning, middle, and end
  • Sequence: tells the steps in a process, explaining how something is done

Comparison and Contrast

• Compares two subjects and discusses their similarities and differences
• Two ways to write comparison and contrast:
  • Point by point: writes about topic A and then topic B, alternating between the two
  • Implicit information: suggests meaning through the choice of words, tone of voice, and other factors

Claims and Types of Claims

• A claim is an arguable statement or idea that a writer asks the audience to accept
• Types of claims:
  • Claim of fact: makes an assertion about something that can be proved or disproved with factual evidence
  • Value claim: makes an assertion about what is good or bad, right or wrong
  • Policy claim: makes an assertion about what should be done

Cause and Effect

• The cause is a reason for, or events leading to, an effect
• The effect is the result of a cause or causes

Problem-Solution

• A method for analyzing and writing about a topic by identifying a problem and proposing one or more solutions
• Organizing a problem-solution essay:
  • Introduction
  • Problem paragraph(s)
  • Solution paragraph(s)
  • Conclusion

Persuasion

• A method to convince the reader that the writer's opinion on an issue or subject is the right one
• Methods of persuasion:
  • Facts
  • Referring to authority
  • Examples
  • Predicting consequences
  • Answering oppositions

Properties of a Well-Written Text

• Organization: the arrangement and structure of ideas, information, and arguments within a piece of writing
• Coherence: the connection and organization of ideas in a text to create unity
• Cohesion: the connectivity of ideas both at the sentence level and the paragraph level
• Language use: the choice of language to be used, considering the objective, context, and target audience

Organizational Patterns

• Chronological order: information presented in the order of time
• Spatial order: ideas arranged based on physical location or spatial relationships
• Cause and effect: exploring the relationship between causes and their effects
• Compare and contrast: examining similarities and differences between two or more subjects
• Problem-solution: presenting a problem and proposing solutions
• General to specific or specific to general: information starting with a broad overview and gradually narrowing down to specific details or vice versa

Language Use

• Five major issues to avoid in effective writing:
  • Informal language in formal situations
  • Using jargon or specialized language with the wrong audience
  • Using slang and idioms
  • Using euphemisms or biased language
  • Using ambiguous language

Claims and Types of Claims

• A claim is what the writer tries to prove in the text by providing evidence
• A good claim should be:
  • Argumentative and debatable
  • Specific and focused
  • Interesting and engaging
  • Logical

Explicit and Implicit Information

• Explicit information: stated directly and fully in the text
• Implicit information: suggested or implied through the choice of words, tone of voice, and other factors
• Primary meaning: uses actual words, easy to understand without ambiguity
• Secondary meaning: needs to be inferred or interpreted by the reader