Name______________________________

Period_____

Date__________________________

Modes Project

Directions: Please read the following assignment very carefully! Please make sure to adhere to
all due dates.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
1. The purpose of this assignment is to further your understanding of different rhetorical
modes of development and to show you a model for the writing project you will be doing. You will
be writing 7 prcis and writing in 5 different modes for this project. The following readings
are all on the same topic, idea of family, but which utilize the various modes of development.
In class we will be reading the following on the idea of family and some others as well:
"The Way to Rainy Mountain" by N. Scott Momaday (Narration)
"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathon Swift (Argument/Persuasion)
"Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan (Classification/Division)
"Once More to the Lake" by E.B. White (Description)
"Notes of a Native Speaker" by Eric Liu (Definition
" Arranging a Marriage in India" by Serena Nanda (Process Analysis)
"Two Ways to Belong in America" by Bharati Mukherjee (Compare/Contrast)
"What Makes a Serial Killer" by La Donna Beaty (Cause & Effect)
PRECIS
2. On your own you will read one additional essay of your choosing of each mode and write a
prcis for each. You may choose from The Norton Reader or one you find on your own. While
you are doing this aspect of the project, we will be studying and working with the various modes
in class.
You Will:
* Submit one sheet of paper per mode with prcis.
* Clearly label the top of the page with the mode.
* Are you kidding? Of course it has to be typed!
* Every prcis must be followed by an MLA style bibliography reference so that I know where it
comes from.

MODES
3. Choose 5 of the 7 modes to write papers on the same topic, each in a different mode.
*Each paper should clearly demonstrate the distinct characteristics of the mode. Before
writing each mode you should review Points to Remember paper included with this handout.
*Choose a topic that is well known and interesting to you and broad enough that you can readily
adapt it to different modes:
1) description/narration
2) process analysis
3) compare/contrast
4) division/classification
5) definition
6) cause and effect (may require research),
7) persuasion/argument (may require research)
TOPICS
*Topics that have worked well for students in the past include: shopping, a favorite sport,
school, friends, teenagers, grades, parents, teachers, TV, reading, dating, music, holidays,
fashion, presidential elections, politics, religion, vegetarianism, health, food, cooking, nature,
hunting, celebrity culture, films, pets, travel, etc.
* Each paper should be approximately 500 words (2 pages maximum) demonstrating the key
characteristics of a different mode, labeled with the mode of development, double-spaced,
typed, have a creative title, and a word count at the end.
INDEPENDENT READING AND PRCIS WRITING DUE DATES
Prcis due for ALL 7 Modes:
______Definition
______Compare/Contrast
______Argument/Persuasion
______Narration/Description
______Classification/Division
______Cause & Effect
______Process Analysis
WRITING THE SEVEN MODES

Due________________

5 of 7 Modes Papers due for expert group review

Due ________________

5 of 7 Modes Papers, final deadline

Due________________
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