Cause and effect

"Cause and effect" simply means that you start with a subject (an event, person, or object) and then show the causes (reasons) for it, and/or the effects (results) of it. Cause-and-effect writing shows a chain of connected events, each the logical result of the one before it. A simple cause-and-effect paper discusses the chain of events related to a person, event, or object, showing what are the causes and what are the results.

For example, a paper about a solar car might describe how it came to be built by an inventor and how he first became interested in solar cars (the causes), and what the results of this solar car might be--how its existence might lead people to take energy efficiency and environmental concerns more seriously and even lead to mass-produced solar cars (effects or results). 

For example, a comparison/contrast paper on two forms of weekend entertainment, camping and dancing, might first give details on how both can involve physical skills, friends, and enjoying sounds and sights; then the paper might give details of how camping and popular dancing differ in that one happens in nature and the other in the midst of civilization, one usually is slow and quiet and the other often fast and loud, and one peaceful while the other is rousing. 

Exemplification

"Exemplification" means "the giving of an example." An exemplification paper usually starts with a main idea, belief, or opinion--something abstract--and then gives one extended example or a series of shorter examples to illustrate that main idea. In fact, an exemplification paper is a paper that illustrates an abstract idea. 

For example, if I wish to write an exemplification paper about "The Opposite Sex--Problems and Pleasures" (as a man or as a woman), there might be two ways I could go about this. One would be, after introducing my general idea, to tell several little stories about--give examples of--how the opposite sex can be both a problem to deal with and a pleasure to be with. The other way might be to pick out one person of the opposite gender I have dated or lived with and describe how this one person gave me both problems and pleasures in my overall relationship with him or her. 

Narration

"Narration" or a "narrative" provides details of what happened. It is almost like a list of events in the order that they happened, except that it is written in paragraph form. A narration or narrative doesn't have to show any cause and effect; it only needs to show what happened in the order that it happened. 

For example, if I were to describe the visit of the Pope to Denver in 1993, I would use his itinerary and give details of each major event in that visit. If I were writing a book about it, I would give details of many of the more interesting minor events as well. I would do this in the order in which they occurred: first the Pope did this, then he did that, and then he did a third thing. 

Rhetorical modes

Using the modes is like putting together the pieces of a puzzle: most major paragraphs use at least one mode, and most papers use several modes.  The modes are useful in particular in helping writers learn how to develop paragraphs, create longer papers in many subjects and disciplines in college, and complete careful analyses of college readings.  

The modes may help you survive writing assignments in a wide variety of subjects and disciplines.  This is because some instructors give assignments using the names of the modes as key words: e.g., "Write a comparison-contrast paper on the psychology of Sigmund Freud and the philosophy of Plato."  For this reason, this may be of help to you as a reference--to help you understand just what the instructor is expecting. 

Assignment

Rewrite the previous article on “Cat in the Rain” 

Make sure :

1. you have a thesis that you want to prove;

2. be aware of the rhetorical modes that you are using;

3. be prepared to talk about it in class next time.