1. Some Common Modes of Discourse Narration relates a series of events – Establishes a relationship between the person providing the information (author, narrator) and the reader

2. Some Common Modes of Discourse Exemplification offers expansion or support for ideas by providing examples - Examples give readers concrete details that help them appreciate more general concepts and bolster arguments by providing evidence

3. Some Common Modes of Discourse Description offers details that help readers understand ideas, objects, people, or events - Descriptions can serve to inform or entertain readers

4. Some Common Modes of Discourse Process Analysis describes an activity or series of events - A process analysis might be used to demonstrate how to perform an activity such as setting up a two-way radio (Usually step-by-step instructions)

5. Some Common Modes of Discourse Causation considers events or actions and their consequences - Causation help us see the influences that a character or event can have in a story

6. Some Common Modes of Discourse Establishing definitions gives readers and writers a shared basis for agreement - Definition can be employed to more deliberately develop interpretations and arguments, by developing criteria for classifying or defining an item, and then using synthesis to consider how a specific item relates to those criteria

7. Some Common Modes of Discourse Making Comparisons allows us to compare significant passages, characters, themes, and other aspects of literature in terms of one another, giving new meaning to those elements