Writing: Rhetoric and Relevance

Is it a grammar (COE) question or a style (EOI) question? Usually, the answer is obvious. However, some “best version” questions are actually about style, word choice (diction), or rhetoric. Use the full context to understand what skills are being tested.

Strategy: Is something underlined? Single word or phrase: possible diction problem Check tone and/or connotation Check transition issues Whole sentence: possible content problem Check tone and POV Check main idea Whole sentence: possible combining problem IC+PP > IC+SC > IC+IC Simple > Complex > Compound

Strategy: Are the sentences numbered? Probable sentence order problem Treat the sentence in question as a transition Correct choice will link sentence before to sentence after Is there a chart or graph involved? Check relationship of graphic to the passage – they aren’t always directly related Remember to read the axes and scales and to take them at face value – no “reading between the lines”

Rhetoric and Relevance Subtopics Development Effective Language Use Proposition Precision Support Concision Focus Style and Tone Quantitative Information Syntax Organization Logical Sequence Introductions, Conclusions, and Transitions

Development — focus on revising text in relation to rhetorical purpose. Proposition: add, revise, or retain central ideas, main claims, counterclaims, and topic sentences to structure text and convey arguments, information, and ideas clearly and effectively. Support: add, revise, or retain information and ideas (e.g., details, facts, statistics) intended to support claims or points in a text. Focus: add, revise, retain, or delete information and ideas in text for the sake of relevance to topic and purpose. Quantitative Information: relate information presented quantitatively in such forms as graphs, charts, and tables to information presented in text.

Proposition: add, revise, or retain central ideas, main claims, counterclaims, and topic sentences to structure text and convey arguments, information, and ideas clearly and effectively.

Support: add, revise, or retain information and ideas (e. g Support: add, revise, or retain information and ideas (e.g., details, facts, statistics) intended to support claims or points in a text.

Focus: add, revise, retain, or delete information and ideas in text for the sake of relevance to topic and purpose.

Quantitative Information: relate information presented quantitatively in such forms as graphs, charts, and tables to information presented in text.

Organization — revision of text to improve the logic and cohesion of text at the sentence, paragraph, and whole-text levels. Logical Sequence: revise text as needed to ensure that information and ideas are presented in the most logical order. Introductions, Conclusions, and Transitions: revise text as needed to improve the beginning or ending of a text or paragraph to ensure that transition words, phrases, or sentences are used effectively to connect information and ideas.

Logical Sequence: revise text as needed to ensure that information and ideas are presented in the most logical order.

Introductions, Conclusions, and Transitions: revise text as needed to improve the beginning or ending of a text or paragraph to ensure that transition words, phrases, or sentences are used effectively to connect information and ideas.

Effective Language Use — identify stated central themes or determine themes that are implied in the text. Precision: revise text as needed to improve the exactness or content appropriateness of word choice. Concision: revise text as needed to eliminate wordiness and redundancy). Style and Tone: revise text as necessary to ensure consistency of style and tone within a text or to improve the match of style and tone to purpose. Syntax: use various sentence structures to accomplish needed rhetorical purposes.

Precision: revise text as needed to improve the exactness or content appropriateness of word choice.

Concision: revise text as needed to eliminate wordiness and redundancy).

Style and Tone: revise text as necessary to ensure consistency of style and tone within a text or to improve the match of style and tone to purpose.

Syntax: use various sentence structures to accomplish needed rhetorical purposes.

WALU/ENGLISH STRATEGY REMINDERS You’re hunting for errors more than reading for comprehension. Remember the quick brown fox. Work on building your vocabulary – it helps in this section, too. Questions about transitions and sentence placement must be answered by looking at the sentence before and the sentence after. There should be a logical flow of ideas. All other things being equal, simple and concise beats complex and wordy. As in the Reading section, take the graphs at face value – do not overanalyze them.