Reading Nonfiction
The Author’s Roles What is the author’s role? First person Third person What effect does the author’s role have? First person: Authorizing a thesis via personal experience. Third person: Authorizing a thesis through a detached testimony.
Rhetorical Modes: Essential Questions What is the author arguing for or against? What is the author defining? redefining? What is the author comparing? What is the author asserting about cause and effect? Which testimony is the author using? Appeal to authority? Appeal to personal experience?
In what category is the author arguing? Social Psychological Economic Political Historiographical Philosophical Religious Legal Scientific
How does the author define or redefine? Definition by tradition or convention Definition by example Definition by negation Definition by analogy or comparison Definition by association (connotation) Definition by classification Definition of genus Definition of differentia
How is the author comparing? By simile By metaphor By analogy By contrast By degrees of similarity By degrees of difference
How does the author argue from cause or effect? From cause to effect From effect to cause From simple causation From multiple causation From cyclical causation From a chain of causes and effects (where an effect may become a cause)
How does the author use testimony to make the argument? Argument from authority Tradition (precedents) Statistics (research) Natural laws Legislated laws Argument from personal experience Observation first-person (the author may be involved) third-person (the author may be detached) Personal authority (ethos) Personal emotions (pathos)