THE NEED FOR RHETORIC AND WRITING

P A R T I
The Need for Rhetoric
and
Writing
CLOSE YOUR EYES and imagine a world without any
form of language—no spoken or written words,
no drawings, no mathematical formulas, no music—no way,
that is, to communicate or express yourself. It’s pretty hard
to imagine such a world, and with good reason. For better or
worse, we seem to be hardwired to communicate, to long to
express ourselves to others. That’s why philosopher Kenneth
Burke says that people are, at their essence, “symbol-
using animals” who have a basic need to
communicate.
We can look across history and find early attempts to
create systems of communication. Think, for instance, of the

THE NEED FOR RHETORIC AND
WRITING
[ 2 ]
chalk horses of England, huge figures carved into trenches that were then
filled with white chalk some 3,000 years ago. What do they say? Do they act
as maps or road signs? Do they celebrate, or commemorate, or tell a story?
Whatever their original intent, they echo the need to communicate to us
from millennia
away.
Cave paintings, many of them hauntingly beautiful, have been discov-
ered across Europe, some thought to be 30,000 years old. Such communi-
cative art—all early forms of writing—has been discovered in many other
places, from Africa to Australia to South America to
Asia.
While these carvings and paintings have been interpreted in many dif-
ferent ways, they all attest to the human desire to leave messages. And we
don’t need to look far to find other very early attempts to communicate—
from makeshift drums and whistles to early pictographic languages to the
symbols associated with the earliest
astronomers.
As languages and other symbolic forms of communication like our own
alphabet evolved, so did a need for ways to interpret and organize these
forms and to use them in effective and meaningful ways. And out of these
needs grew rhetoric—the art, theory, and practice of communication. In dis-
cussing rhetoric, Aristotle says we need to understand this art for two main
reasons: first, in order to express our own ideas and thoughts, and second,
to protect ourselves from those who would try to manipulate or harm us.
Language, then, can be used for good or ill, to provide information that may
help someone—or to deliberately
mislead.
Horses in prehistoric art: Uffington White Horse, Oxfordshire, England (approx.
3,000 years old); Chauvet Cave, near Vallon-Pont-d’Arc, France (approx. 30,000
years old); rock paintings, Bhimbetka, India (approx. 30,000 years old).

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We believe the need for understanding rhetoric may be greater today
than at any time in our history. At first glance, it may look as if commu-
nication has never been easier. We can send messages in a nanosecond,
reaching people in all parts of the world with ease. We can broadcast our
thoughts, hopes, and dreams—and invectives—in emails, blogs, status up-
dates, tweets, text messages, and a plethora of other
ways.
So far, perhaps, so good. But consider the story of the Tower of Babel, told
in different ways in both the Qur’an and the Bible. When the people sought
to build a tower that would reach to the heavens, God responded to their
hubris by creating so many languages that communication became impos-
sible and the tower had to be abandoned. As with the languages in Babel,
the means of communication are proliferating today, bringing with them
the potential for miscommunication. From the struggle to sift through the
amount of information created in a day—more than was previously created
in several lifetimes—to the difficulty of trying to communicate across vast
differences in languages and cultures, we face challenges that our parents
and grandparents never
did.
Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Tower of Babel, 1563.

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In a time when new (and sometimes confusing) forms of communica-
tion are available, many of us are looking for help with making our mes
sages
known. Google Translate and Bing Translator, for
example, are attempts to
offer instant translation of texts from one language to
another.
Such new technologies and tools can certainly help us as we move
into twenty-first-century global villages. But they are not likely to reduce
the need for an art and a theory that can inform the conversations we have
there—that can encourage thoughtfulness, empathy, and responsible use
of such technologies. Rhetoric responds to this need. Along with writing,
which we define broadly to include speaking and drawing and performing
as well as the literal inscription of words, rhetoric offers you solid ground
on which to build both your education and your communicative ability and
style. The chapters that follow will introduce you more fully to rhetoric and
writing—and engage you in acquiring and using their
powers.
“The need for rhetoric” translated from English to
Japanese.

[ 5 ]
o n e
Thinking
Rhetorically
The only real alternative to war is
rhetoric.
—wayne
booth
rofessor Wayne Booth made this statement at a
national conference of scholars and teachers of writ-
ing held only months after 9/11, and it quickly drew a
range of responses. Just what did Booth mean by this
stark statement? How could rhetoric—the art and prac-
tice of persuasion—act as a counter to
war?
A noted critic and scholar, Booth explored these questions through-
out his long career, identifying rhetoric as an ethical art that begins with
deep and intense listening and that searches for mutual understanding
and common ground as an alternative to violence and war. Put another
way, two of the most potent tools we have for persuasion are language—
and violence: when words fail us, violence often wins the day. Booth sees
the careful, persistent, and ethical use of language as our best approach
to keeping violence and war at bay.
During the summer of 2014, Booth’s words echoed again, as Israel
and Hamas faced off in another armed conflict that raged for months,
leaving thousands dead and resolving nothing. Meanwhile, in the United
States, people across the country protested the killings of Michael Brown
in Ferguson, Missouri; Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York; and other
African American men, all at the hands of police officers. At marches and
sit-ins, protesters held up signs saying “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t
breathe,” echoing Eric Garner’s last words after being wrestled to the
1

WRITING
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ground in a chokehold. Protestors took to social media as well, using
these dramatic and memorable statements as rhetorical strategies
that captured and held the attention of millions of
Americans.
So how can you go about developing your own careful, ethical
use of language? Our short answer: by learning to think and act rhe-
torically, that is, by developing habits of mind that begin with lis-
tening and searching for understanding before you decide what you
yourself think, and by thinking hard about your own beliefs before
trying to persuade others to listen to and act on what you
say.
Learning to think rhetorically can serve you well as you negotiate the com-
plexities of life in today’s world. In many everyday situations, you’ll need to
communicate successfully with others in order to get things done, and done
in a responsible and ethical way. On the job, for example, you may need to
bring coworkers to consensus on how best to raise productivity when there
is little, if any, money for raises. Or in your college community, you may find
yourself negotiating difficult waters.
When a group of students became aware of how little the temporary
workers on their campus were paid, for example, they met with the work-
ers and listened to gather information about the issue. They then mounted
a campaign using flyers, newsletters, speeches, and sit-ins—in other words,
using the available means of persuasion—to win attention and convince
Protestors use posters, raised fists, and more to communicate their
positions.
We didn’t burn
down buildings. . . .
You can do a lot
with a pen and pad.
—ice cube

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Rhetorically [ 7 ]
the administration to raise the workers’ pay. These students were think-
ing and acting rhetorically, and doing so responsibly and
ethically. Note
that these students, like the protesters in Ferguson, worked together, both
with the workers and with each other. In other words, none of us can manage
such actions all by ourselves; we need to engage in conversation with others
and listen hard to what they say. Perhaps that’s what philosopher Kenneth
Burke had in mind when he created his famous “parlor” metaphor:
Imagine that you enter a parlor. You come late. When you arrive, others
have long preceded you, and they are engaged in a heated discussion, a
discussion too heated for them to pause and tell you exactly what it is
about. . . . You listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught the
tenor of the argument; then you put in your
oar.
—kenneth burke, The Philosophy of Literary
Form
In this parable, each of us is the person arriving late to a room full of ani-
mated conversation; we don’t understand what is going on. Yet instead of
butting in or trying to take over, we listen closely until we catch on to what
people are saying. Then we join in, using language and rhetorical strategies
to engage with others as we add our own voices to the
conversation.
Students use posters and conversation to protest the low wages paid to campus
workers.

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This book aims to teach you to think and act rhetorically—to listen care-
fully and then to “put in your oar,” join conversations about important is-
sues, and develop strong critical and ethical habits of mind that will help
you engage with others in responsible ways. This chapter will help you de-
velop the habit of thinking
rhetorically.
First,
Listen
Thinking rhetorically begins with listening, with being willing
to hear the words of others in an open and understanding way. It
means paying attention to what others say before and even as a way
of making your own contributions to a conversation. Think of the
times you are grateful to others for listening closely to you: when
you’re talking through a conflict with a family member, for instance,
or even when you’re trying to explain to a salesperson what it is
you’re looking for. On those occasions, you want the person you’re
addressing to really listen to what you
say.
This is a kind of listening that rhetorician Krista Ratcliffe dubs “rhetorical
listening,” opening yourself to the thoughts of others and making the effort
not only to hear their words but to take those words in and fully understand
what people are saying. It means paying attention to what others say as a
way of establishing good will and acknowledging the importance of their
views. And yes, it means taking seriously and engaging with views that dif-
fer, sometimes radically, from your
own.
Rhetorical listening is what middle school teacher Julia Blount asked
for in a Facebook post following the 2015 riots in Baltimore after the death
of Freddie Gray, who suffered fatal spinal injuries while in police custody:
Every comment or post I have read today voicing some version of disdain
for the people of Baltimore—“I can’t understand” or “They’re destroy-
ing their own community”—tells me that many of you are not listening.
I am not asking you to condone or agree with violence. I just need you
to listen. . . . If you are not listening, not exposing yourself to unfamiliar
perspectives . . . not engaging in conversation, then you are perpetuating
white privilege. . . . It is exactly your ability to not hear, to ignore the situ-
ation, that is a mark of your
privilege.
—julia blount, “Dear White Facebook Friends: I Need You
to Respect What Black America Is Feeling Right Now”
We have two ears
and one mouth so
we may listen more
and talk less.
—epictetus

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Rhetorically [ 9 ]
Hear What Others Are Saying—and Think about
Why
When you enter any conversation, whether academic, professional, or per-
sonal, take the time to understand what is being said rather than rushing to
a conclusion or a judgment. Listen carefully to what others are saying and
consider what motivates them: where are they coming
from?
Developing such habits of mind will be useful to you almost every
day, whether you are participating in a class discussion, negotiating with
friends over what movie is most worth seeing, or studying a local ballot
issue to decide how you’ll vote. In each case, thinking rhetorically means
being flexible and fair, able to hear and consider varying—and sometimes
conflicting—points of
view.
In ancient Rome, Cicero argued that considering alternative points of
view and counterarguments was key to making a successful argument,
and it is just as important today. Even when you disagree with a point of
view—perhaps especially when you disagree with it—allow yourself to see
the issue from the viewpoint of its advocates before you reject their posi-
tions. You may be skeptical that hydrogen fuel will be the solution to global
warming—but don’t reject the idea until you have thought hard about oth-
ers’ perspectives and carefully considered alternative
solutions.
Thinking hard about others’ views also includes considering the larger
context and how it shapes what they are saying. This aspect of rhetorical
thinking goes beyond the kind of reading you probably learned to do in
high school literature classes, where you looked very closely at a particu-
lar text and interpreted it on its own terms, without looking at secondary
sources. When you think rhetorically, you go one step further and put that
close analysis into a larger context—historical, political, or cultural, for ex-
ample—to recognize and consider where the analysis is “coming from.”
In analyzing the issue of gay marriage, for instance, you would not
merely consider your own thinking or do a close reading of texts that ad-
dress the issue. In addition, you would look at the whole debate in context
by considering its historical development over time, thinking about the
broader political agendas of both those who advocate for and those who
oppose gay marriage, asking what economic ramifications adopting—or
rejecting—gay marriage might have, examining the role of religion in the
debate, and so on. In short, you would try to see the issue from as many dif-
ferent perspectives and in as broad a context as possible before you formu-
late your own stance. When you write, you draw on these sources—what
others have said about the issue—to support your own position and to help
you consider counterarguments to
it.
See how care-
fully Brent Staples
considers the
positions and
reasoning that
he is opposing
on p. 1065.

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.REFLECT. Go to everyonesanauthor.tumblr.com and read “The ‘Other Side’
Is Not Dumb” by blogger Sean Blanda, who warns that many of us gravitate on social
media to those who think like we do, which often leads to the belief that we are right
and that those with other worldviews are “dumb.” He argues that we need to “make
an honest effort to understand those who are not like us” and to remember that
“we might be wrong.” Look at some of your own recent posts. How many different
perspectives do you see represented? What might you do to listen—and think—more
rhetorically?
What Do You Think—and
Why?
Examining all points of view on any issue will engage you in some tough
thinking about your own stance—literally, where you are coming from on
an issue—and why you think as you do. Such self-scrutiny can eventually
clarify your stance or perhaps even change your mind; in either case, you
stand to gain. Just as you need to think hard about the motivations of others,
it’s important to examine your own motivations in detail, asking yourself
what influences in your life lead you to think as you do or to take certain
positions. Then you can reconsider your positions and reflect on how they
relate to those of others, including your audience—those you wish to engage
in conversation or
debate.
In your college assignments, you probably have multiple motivations
and purposes, one of which is to convince your instructor that you are a seri-
ous and hardworking student. But think about additional purposes as well:
What could you learn from doing the assignment? How can doing it help you
attain goals you
have?
Examining your own stance and motivation is equally important
outside the classroom. Suppose you are urging fellow members of a cam-
pus group to lobby for a rigorous set of procedures to deal with accusations
of sexual harassment. On one level, you’re alarmed by the statistics show-
ing a steep increase in cases of rape on college campuses and you want to
do something about it. But when you think a bit more, you might find that
you have additional motivations. Perhaps you’ve long wanted to become
a leader of this group and see this as an issue that can help you to do so.
You may have just seen The Hunting Ground, a documentary about rape
on U.S. college campuses, and found it deeply upsetting—and persuasive.
Or maybe a close friend has been a victim of sexual harassment. These
realizations shouldn’t necessarily change your mind about what action

1 % Thinking
Rhetorically [ 11 ]
you want your group to take, but examining what you think and why will
help you to challenge your own position—and to make sure that it is fair
and
appropriate.
Do Your
Homework
Rhetorical thinking calls on you to do some homework, to find out every-
thing you can about what’s been said about your topic, to analyze what
you find, and then to synthesize that information to inform your own
ideas. To put it another way, you want your own thinking to be aware and
deeply informed, to reflect more than just your own
opinion.
To take an everyday example, you should do some pretty serious think-
ing when deciding on a major purchase, such as a new car. You’ll want to
begin by considering the purchase in the larger context of your life. What
motivates you to buy a car? Do you need one for work? Do you want it in part
as a status symbol? Are you concerned about the environment and want
to switch to an electric vehicle? Who besides you might be affected by this
decision? A thoughtful analysis of the context and your specific motiva-
tions and purposes can guide you in drawing up a preliminary list of cars
to
consider.
Then you’ll need to do some research, checking out product reviews and
reports on safety records, efficiency, cost, and so on. Sometimes it can be
hard to evaluate such sources: how much should you trust the mileage sta-
tistics provided by the carmaker, for example, or one particular reviewer’s
evaluation? For this reason, you should consult multiple sources and check
them against one
another.
You will also want to consider your findings in light of your priorities.
Cost, for instance, may not be as high on your priority list as fuel efficiency.
Such careful thinking will help you come to a sound decision, and then to
explain it to others. If your parents, for instance, are helping you buy the car,
you’ll want to consider what their responses to your decision will be, antici-
pating questions they may ask and how to
respond.
Doing your homework also means taking an analytic approach, focus-
ing on how various rhetorical strategies work to persuade you. You may have
been won over by a funny car commercial you saw on Super Bowl Sunday.
So what made that advertisement so memorable? To answer that question,
you’ll need to study the ad closely, determining just what qualities—a clev-
er script? memorable music? celebrity actors? cute animals? a provocative

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T H I N K
BEYOND
WORDS
TAKE A LOOK at the 2011 Super Bowl Chrysler ad at everyonesanauthor.tumblr.com.
You’ll see many scenes from Detroit, and hear a voiceover say, “What does this city
know about luxury? What does a town that’s been to hell and back know about the
finer things in life? I’ll tell you, more than most.” What kind of rhetorical thinking did
the ad writers do? Who was their target audience, and how did they go about appealing
to them? This was an award-winning ad—but how successful do you think it was as an
ad? In other words, do you think it sold a lot of cars? If you were looking to buy a car,
what would this ad tell you about Chryslers—and what would you have to find out
from other
sources?

message?—made the ad so persuasive. Once you’ve determined that, you’ll
want to consider whether the car will actually live up to the advertiser’s
promises. This is the kind of analysis and research you will do when you
engage in rhetorical
thinking.
Give
Credit
As part of engaging with what others have thought and said, you’ll want to
give credit where credit is due. Acknowledging the work of others will help
build your own ethos , or character, showing that you have not only done
your homework but that you want to credit those who have influenced you.

1 % Thinking
Rhetorically [ 13 ]
The great physicist Isaac Newton famously and graciously gave credit when
he wrote to his rival Robert Hooke in 1676,
saying:
What Descartes did was a good step. You have added much in several
ways, and especially in taking the colours of thin plates into philosophical
consideration. If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoul-
ders of
giants. —isaac newton, letter to Robert
Hooke
In this letter, Newton acknowledges the work of Descartes as well as of
Hooke before saying, with a fair amount of modesty, that his own advance-
ments were made possible by their work. In doing so, he is thinking—and
acting—
rhetorically.
You can give credit informally, as Newton did in this letter, or you can
do so formally with a full citation. Which method you choose will depend
on your purpose and context. Academic writing, for instance, usually calls
for formal citations, but if you are writing for a personal blog, you might
embed a link that connects to another’s work—or give an informal shout-
out to a friend who contributed to your thinking. In each case, you’ll want to
be specific about what ideas or words you’ve drawn from others, as Newton
does in referring to Hooke’s consideration of the colors of thin plates. Such
care in crediting your sources contributes to your credibility—and is an im-
portant part of ethical, careful rhetorical
thinking.
Be
Imaginative
Remember that intuition and imagination can often lead to great insights.
While you want to think carefully and analytically, don’t be afraid to take
chances. A little imagination can lead you to new ideas about a topic you’re
studying and about how to approach the topic in a way that will interest
others. Such insights and intuitions can often pay off big-time. One student
athlete we know was interested in how the mass media covered the Olym-
pics, and he began doing research on the coverage in Sports Illustrated from
different periods. So far, so good: he was gathering information and would
be able to write an essay showing that the magazine had been a major pro-
moter of the
Olympics.
While looking through old issues of Sports Illustrated, however, he kept
feeling that something he was seeing in the early issues was different from
current issues of the magazine . . . something that felt important to him

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[ 14 ]
though he couldn’t quite articulate it. This hunch led him to make an imagi-
native leap, to study that difference even though it was outside of the topic
he had set out to examine. Excited that he was on to something, he returned
to his chronological examination of the magazine. On closer inspection, he
found that over the decades of its Olympics coverage, Sports Illustrated had
slowly but surely moved from focusing on teams to depicting only individ-
ual stars.
This discovery led him to make an argument he would never have
made had he not followed his creative hunch—that the evolution of sports
from a focus on the team to a focus on individual stars is perfectly captured
in the pages of Sports Illustrated. It also helped him write a much more in-
teresting—and more persuasive—essay, one that captured the attention not
only of his instructor and classmates but of a local sports newsmagazine,
which reprinted his essay. Like this student, you can benefit by using your
imagination and listening to your intuition. You could stumble upon some-
thing exciting.
Two Sports Illustrated covers depicting hockey players in the Winter Olympics. The
cover on the left, from 1980, showcases the U.S. team’s “miracle on ice” victory
win over the heavily favored USSR team. The one on the right, from 2010, pictures
Canada’s superstar Sidney “Sid the Kid” Crosby, who scored the game-winning shot in
the gold medal game against the United
States.

1 % Thinking
Rhetorically [ 15 ]
Put In Your
Oar
So rhetorical thinking offers a way of entering any situation with a tool kit
of strategies that will help you understand it and “put in your oar.” When
you think rhetorically, you ask yourself certain
questions:
• How do you want to come across to your
audience?
• What can you do to represent yourself as knowledgeable and
credible?
• What can you do to show respect both for your audience and for those
whose work and thinking you engage
with?
• How can you show that you have your audience’s best interests at

heart?
This kind of rhetorical thinking will help ensure that your words will be
listened to and taken
seriously.
We can find examples of such a rhetorical approach in all fields of study.
Take, for instance, the landmark essay by James Watson and Francis Crick on
the discovery of DNA, published in Nature in 1953. This essay shows Watson
and Crick to be thinking rhetorically throughout, acutely aware of their au-
dience (major scientists throughout the world) as well as of competitors who
were simultaneously working on the same
issue.
Here is Wayne Booth’s analysis of Watson and Crick’s use of
rhetoric:
In [Watson and Crick’s] report, what do we find? Actually scores of rhe-
torical choices that they made to strengthen the appeal of their scientific
claim. (Biographies and autobiographies have by now revealed that they
did a lot of conscientious revising, not of the data but of the mode of
presentation; and their lives were filled, before and after the triumph,
with a great deal of rhetoric-charged conflict.) We could easily compose
a dozen different versions of their report, all proclaiming the same sci-
entific results. But most alternatives would prove less engaging to the
intended audience. They open, for example,
with
“We wish to suggest a structure” that has “novel features which are
of considerable biological interest.” (My italics, of course)
Why didn’t they say, instead: “We shall here demonstrate a startling, to-
tally new structure that will shatter everyone’s conception of the biological
world”? Well, obviously their rhetorical choice presents an ethos much

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[ 16 ]
more attractive to most cautious readers than does my exaggerated al-
ternative. A bit later they
say
“We have made the usual chemical assumptions, namely . . .”
Why didn’t they say, “As we all know”? Both expressions acknowledge re-
liance on warrants, commonplaces within a given rhetorical domain. But
their version sounds more thoughtful and authoritative, especially with
the word “chemical.” Referring to Pauling and Corey, they
say
“They kindly have made their manuscript available.”
Okay, guys, drop the rhetoric and just cut that word “kindly.” What has
that got to do with your scientific case? Well, it obviously strengthens the
authors’ ethos: we are nice guys dealing trustfully with other nice guys,
in a rhetorical
community.
And on they go, with “In our opinion” (rather than “We proclaim” or
“We insist” or “We have miraculously discovered”: again ethos—we’re
not dogmatic); and Fraser’s “suggested” structure is “rather ill-defined”
(rather than “his structure is stupid” or “obviously faulty”—we are nice
guys, right?).
And on to scores of other such
choices.
—wayne booth, The Rhetoric of
Rhetoric
Booth shows in each instance how Watson and Crick’s exquisite under-
standing of their rhetorical situation—especially of their audience and of
the stakes involved in making their claim—had a great deal to do with how
that claim was received. (They won the Nobel Prize!)
As the example of Watson and Crick illustrates, rhetorical thinking in-
volves certain habits of mind that can and should lead to something—often
to an action, to making something happen. And when it comes to taking
action, those who think rhetorically are in a very strong position. They have
listened attentively, engaged with the words and ideas of others, viewed
their topic from many alternate perspectives, and done their homework.
This kind of rhetorical thinking will set you up to contribute to conversa-
tions—and will increase the likelihood that your ideas will be heard and
will inspire real
action.
Indeed, the ability to think rhetorically is of great importance in today’s
global world, as professors Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein
explain:
The ability to enter complex, many-sided conversations has taken on a
special urgency in today’s diverse, post-9/11 world, where the future for
The original sketch
showing the
structure of DNA
that appeared
in Watson and
Crick’s article.

1 % Thinking
Rhetorically [ 17 ]
all of us may depend on our ability to put ourselves in the shoes of those
who think very differently from us. Listening carefully to others, including
those who disagree with us, and then engaging with them thoughtfully and
respectfully . . . can help us see beyond our own pet beliefs, which may
not be shared by everyone. The mere act of acknowledging that some-
one might disagree with us may not seem like a way to change the world;
but it does have the potential to jog us out of our comfort zones, to get
us thinking critically about our own beliefs, and perhaps even to change
our minds. —gerald graff and cathy birkenstein, “They Say/I Say”
In the long run, if enough of us learn to think rhetorically, we just might
achieve Booth’s goal—to use words (and images) in thoughtful and con-
structive ways as an alternative to violence and
war.
.REFLECT. Read Margaret Mead’s words below, and then think of at least one
historical example in which a “small group of thoughtful citizens” has changed the
world for the better. Then think about your own life and the ways in which you have
worked with others to bring about some kind of change. In what ways were you called
upon to think and act rhetorically in order to do
so?

[ 18 ]
t w o
Rhetorical Situations
s part of a college application, a high school stu-
dent writes a personal statement about what she plans
to study, and why. A baseball fan posts a piece on a
New York Yankees blog analyzing data to show why a
beloved pitcher probably won’t be elected to the Hall
of Fame. Eighty-seven readers respond, some praising his analysis, others
questioning his conclusions and offering their own analyses. The officers
of a small company address the annual shareholders’ meeting to report
on how the firm is doing, using PowerPoint slides to call attention to their
most important points. They take questions afterward, and two people
raise their hands. Our baseball fan sees on Twitter that the Yankees have
signed a star pitcher he thinks they don’t really need and fires off a tweet
saying so. The student in our first example takes a deep breath and logs
on to the website of the college she wants to attend to see if she’s been ac-
cepted. Good news: she’s in. Come September she’s at the library, working
on an essay for her first-year composition course—and texting her friends
as she works.
In each of these scenarios, an author is writing (or speaking) in a dif-
ferent set of specific circumstances—addressing certain audiences for a
particular purpose, using certain technologies, and so on. So it is when-
ever we write. Whether we’re texting a friend, outlining an oral presenta-
tion, or writing an essay, we do so within a specific rhetorical situation.
2

2 % Rhetorical Situations [ 19 ]
Three different rhetorical situations: a lone
writer texting (top left); a student giving an oral
presentation in class (right); and members of a
community group collaborating on a project
(bottom left).
We have a purpose, an audience, a stance, a genre, a medium, a design—all
of which exist in some larger context. This chapter covers each of these ele-
ments and provides prompts to help you think about some of the choices you
have as you negotiate your own rhetorical situations.
Every rhetorical situation presents its own unique constraints and op-
portunities, and as authors, we need to think strategically about our own
situation. Adding to a class wiki presents a different challenge from writ-
ing an in-class essay exam, putting together a résumé and cover letter for a
job, or working with fellow members of a campus choir to draft a grant pro-
posal to the student government requesting funding to go on tour. A group
of neighbors developing a proposal to present at a community meeting will
need to attend to both the written text they will submit and the oral argu-
ments they will make. They may also need to create slides or other visuals
to support their proposal.

WRITING
[ 20 ]
The workplace creates still other kinds of rhetorical situations with
their own distinctive features. Reporters, for instance, must always consid-
er their deadlines as well as their ethical obligations—to the public, to the
persons or institutions they write about, and to the story they are report-
ing. A reporter working for six months to investigate corporate wrongdoing
faces different challenges from one who covers local sports day to day. The
medium—print, video, radio, podcast, blog, or some combination of these or
other media—also influences how reporters write their stories.
Think about Your Own Rhetorical Situation
It is important to start thinking about your rhetorical situation early in your
writing process. As a student, you’ll often be given assignments with very
specific guidelines—to follow the conventions of a particular genre, in a cer-
tain medium, by a specific date. Nevertheless, even the most fully developed
assignmentcannotspecifyeveryaspectofanyparticular rhetoricalsituation.
Effective writers—whether students, teachers, journalists, or your
mom—know how to analyze their rhetorical situations. They may conduct
this analysis unconsciously, drawing on the rhetorical common sense they
have developed as writers, readers, speakers, and listeners. Particularly
when you are writing in a new genre or discipline—a situation that you’ll
surely face in college—it can help to analyze your rhetorical situation more
systematically.
THINK ABOUT YOUR genre
• Have you been assigned a specific genre? If not, do any words in the as-
signment imply a certain genre? Evaluate may signal a review, for ex-
ample, and explain why could indicate a causal analysis.
• If you get to choose your genre, consider your purpose . If you want to
convince readers to recycle their trash, you would likely write an argu-
ment. If, however, you want to explain how to recycle food waste into
compost, your purpose would call for a process analysis.
• Does your genre require a certain organization? A process analysis, for
instance, is often organized chronologically , whereas a visual anal-
ysis may be organized spatially —and an annotated bibliography is
almost always organized alphabetically.
Jose Antonio
Vargas risked
everything by
revealing his
status as an
undocumented
immigrant. See
how he navigated
that rhetorical
situation on
p. 1078.

• How does your genre affect your tone ? A lab report, for example, gener-
ally calls for a more matter-of-fact tone than a film review.
• Are certain design features expected in your genre? You would likely
need to include images in a review of an art show, for instance, or be
required to use a standard font for a research paper.
THINK ABOUT YOUR audience
• Who is your intended audience? An instructor? A supervisor? Class-
mates? Members of a particular organization? Visitors to a website?
Who else might see or hear what you say?
• How are members of your audience like and unlike you? Consider demo-
graphics such as age, gender, religion, income, education, occupation, or
political attitudes.
• What’s your relationship with your audience? An instructor or supervi-
sor, for example, holds considerable authority over you. Other audiences
may be friends, coworkers, or even strangers. What expectations about
the text might they have because of your relationship? You’d need to be
careful not to sound too informal to a committee considering you for a
scholarship, or too bossy to a group of friends.
• If you have a choice of medium , which one(s) would best reach your
intended audience?
• What do you want your audience to think or do as a result of what you
say? Take your ideas seriously? Reflect on their beliefs? Respond to you?
Take some kind of action? How will you signal to them what you want?
• Can you assume your audience will be interested in what you say, or will
youneedtogettheminterested?Aretheylikelytoresistanyofyourideas?
• How much does your audience know about your topic? How much back-
ground information do they need? Will they expect—or be put off by—
the use of technical jargon? Will you need to define any terms?
• Will your audience expect a particular genre ? If you’re writing about
Mozart for a music class, you might analyze a piece he composed; if,
however, you’re commenting on a YouTube music video, you’d be more
likely to write some kind of review.

WRITING
[ 22 ]
• What about audience members you don’t or can’t know? It goes without
saying that you won’t always know who could potentially read your
writing, especially if you’re writing on a site that anyone can access.
The ability to reach hundreds, even thousands of readers is part of the
web’s power, but you will want to take special care when your writ-
ing might reach unknown audiences. Remember as well that anything
posted on the internet may easily be shared and read out of context, as
the above cartoon shows!
THINK ABOUT YOUR purpose
• How would you describe your own motivation for writing? To fulfill a
course assignment? To meet a personal or professional commitment? To
express your ideas to someone? For fun?
To quote further from People’s Exhibit A, your Twitter feed, “@holdupguy82
I’m in the getaway vehicle with the money and hostages. Where R U ?”

• What is your primary goal? To inform your audience about something?
To persuade them to think a certain way? To call them to action? To en-
tertain them? Something else? Do you have other goals as well?
• How do your goals influence your choice of genre, medium, and design?
For example, if you want to persuade neighbors to recycle, you may
choose to make colorful posters for display in public places. If you want
to inform a corporation about what recycling programs accomplish,
you may want to write a report using charts and data.
THINK ABOUT YOUR stance
• What’s your attitude toward your topic? Objective? Strongly support-
ive? Mildly skeptical? Amused? Angry?
• What’s your relationship with your audience ? Do they know you, and
if so, how? Are you a student? a friend? a mentor? an interested commu-
nity member? How do they see you, and how do you want to be seen?
• How can you best convey your stance in your writing? What tone do
you want it to have?
• How will your stance and tone be received by your audience? Will they
be drawn in by it?
THINK ABOUT THE LARGER context
• What else has been said about your topic, and how does that affect what
you will say? What would be the most effective way for you to add your
voice to the conversation?
• Do you have any constraints? When is this writing due and how much
time and energy can you put into it? How many pages (or minutes) do
you have to deliver your message?
• How much independence do you have as a writer in this situation? To
what extent do you need to meet the expectations of others, such as
an instructor or a supervisor? If this writing is an assignment, how can
you approach it in a way that makes it matter to you?

WRITING
[ 24 ]
THINK ABOUT YOUR medium AND design
• If you get to choose your medium, which one will work best for your
audience and purpose? Print? Spoken? Digital? Some combination?
• How will the medium determine what you can and cannot do? For ex-
ample, if you’re submitting an essay online, you could include video,
but if you were writing the same essay in print, you’d only be able to
include a still shot from the video.
• Does your medium favor certain conventions? Paragraphs work well
in print, but PowerPoint presentations usually rely on images or bul-
leted phrases instead. If you are writing online, you can include links to
sources and background information.
• What’s the most appropriate look for your rhetorical situation ?
Plain and serious? Warm and inviting? Whimsical? What design ele-
ments will help you project that look?
• Should you include visuals? Would any part of your text benefit from
them? Will your audience expect them? What kind would be appro-
priate—photographs? videos? maps? Is there any statistical data that
would be easier to understand as a table, chart, or graph?
• If you’re writing a spoken or digital text, should you include sound? still
images? moving images?
.REFLECT. Make a list of all the writing that you remember doing in the
last week. Be sure to include everything from texts and status updates to more formal
academic or work-related writing. Choose three examples that strike you as quite
different from one another and analyze the rhetorical situation you faced for each
one, drawing upon the guidelines in this chapter.

[ 25 ]
t h r e e
Reading
Rhetorically
hances are, you read more than you think you do.
You read print texts, of course, but you are probably
reading even more on a phone, a tablet, a computer,
or other devices. Reading is now, as perhaps never be-
fore, a basic necessity. In fact, if you think that read-
ing is something you learned once and for all in the first or second grade,
think again.
Today, reading calls for strategic effort. As media critic Howard Rhein
gold sees it, literacy today involves at least five interlocking abilities: at-
tention, participation, collaboration, network awareness, and critical
consumption. Of these, attention is first and foremost. In short, you need
to work at paying attention to what you
read. In his book The Economics
of Attention, rhetorician Richard Lanham explains: “We’re drowning in
information. What we lack is the human attention needed to make sense
of it all.”
When so many texts are vying for our attention, which ones do we
choose? In order to decide what to read, what to pay attention to, we need
to practice what Rheingold calls infotention, a word he came up with to
describe a “mind-machine combination of brain-powered attention
skills and computer-powered information filters.” Rheingold is talking
primarily about reading online, but we think that infotention is impor-
tant for reading any kind of text, because it calls for synthesizing and
3

WRITING
[ 26 ]
thinking rhetorically about the enormous amount of information available
to us in both print and digital sources. And while some of us can multitask
(fighter pilots are one example Rheingold gives of those whose jobs demand
it), most of us are not good at it and must learn to focus our attention when
we
read.
In other words, we need to learn to read rhetorically. Reading rhetori-
cally means attending carefully and intentionally to a text. It means being
open-minded to that text. And it means being an active participant in un-
derstanding and thinking about and responding to what is in the text. As
Nobel laureate Toni Morrison says, “The words on the page are only half the
story. The rest is what you bring to the party.”
So how do you learn to read rhetorically and to practice infotention?
Some steps seem obvious: especially for high-stakes reading, like much of
what you do for school, you need to find space and time in which you can
really focus—and turn off social media and put down your phone. Beyond
such obvious steps, though, you can improve your reading by approach-
ing texts systematically. This chapter will guide you in doing so, beginning
with tips for how to understand and engage effectively with what you
read.
So many texts vying for our attention!

3 % Reading
Rhetorically [ 27 ]
READING TO UNDERSTAND AND
ENGAGE
Start by previewing the text. Efficient readers tell us that they most often
begin not by plunging right into the text but by previewing it, finding out
what they can about it and getting a sense of what it’s
about.
• What do you know (and think) about the topic? What do you want to
learn about
it?
• Who are the authors or sponsors? Where do you think they’re coming
from: might they have a particular agenda or
purpose?
• Who published the text, and what does that tell you about its intended
audience and
purpose?
• Skim the text to get a sense of what it covers. Does the title give you
any hint about what’s to come? If there’s a subtitle, does it indicate the
author’s argument or stance? Scan any headings or menus to see what’s
covered, and look at any text that’s highlighted. Does the text’s design
and use of fonts tell you anything about its content or
stance?
Annotate as you read. Author Anatole Broyard said that he used to be in-
timidated by the texts he read, seeing them as great authorities he should
absorb but not respond to. But that changed. Later, he said, he learned when
he opened a text to occupy it: “I stomp around in it. I underline passages,
scribble in the margins, leave my mark.” Broyard’s point echoes what ex-
perts on reading today say: reading is a thoroughly social activity, bringing
you into conversation with the writers, asking you to engage them and their
ideas actively. And the digital texts you read today often allow for, even de-
mand, your response. So as you begin to read, you should be ready to engage
in that conversation, reading with pen or mouse in hand, ready to “stomp.”
NOTE KEY POINTS IN THE ARGUMENT
• Highlight the most important points and any thesis statement.
• Identify key terms (and look them up if necessary).
• Underline things that are unclear or confusing, and jot down your
questions in the
margins.
• Think about how the content meshes with what you already know
about the subject. Is there anything
surprising?

WRITING
[ 28 ]
CONSIDER THE author
• Mark any words that indicate the author’s stance .
• Note places in the text where the author has demonstrated authority.
to write on the
topic.
• How would you describe the author’s style and tone ? Formal? Casu-
al? Serious? Humorous? Mocking? Informative? Something else? Mark
words or passages that establish that style and
tone.
THINK ABOUT THE audience
• Who do you think the author is addressing? Note any words in the text
that make you think so. Are you included in that
group?
• What do you know about that audience’s values? Highlight words that
suggest what the author thinks the audience cares about.
TAKE NOTE OF YOUR
REACTIONS
• Make a note of your first impression of the
text.
• Do you agree with the author? Disagree? Agree and disagree? Why?
• Note any phrases or passages or points you find surprising—and
why.
• After you’ve read the text thoroughly, sum up your assessment of it.
How well do you think it achieves its
purpose?
PAY ATTENTION TO THE TEXT’S design
• How does the design affect the way you understand the text?
• Note any headings, sidebars, or other design features that label or high-
light parts of the
text.
• Pay attention to the font(s). What do they indicate about the
text?
• If the text includes visuals, what do they contribute to the
message?
TALK BACK TO THE
TEXT
• Comment on any strengths and
weaknesses.
• Note any points you want to remember or question.
• Jot down other possible views or counterarguments .

[ 29 ]
Here’s the opening of “On Buying Local” by Katherine Spriggs (reprinted on
pp. 150–58), along with the annotations one reader has
added.
Americans today can eat pears in the spring in Minnesota,
oranges in the summer in Montana, asparagus in the fall in
Maine, and cranberries in the winter in Florida. In fact, we can eat
pretty much any kind of produce anywhere at any time of the year.
But what is the cost of this convenience? In this essay, I will explore
some answers to this question and argue that we should give up a
little bit of convenience in favor of buying
local.
“Buying local” means that consumers choose to buy food that
has been grown, raised, or produced as close to their homes as
possible (“Buy Local”). Buying local is an important part of the re-
sponse to many environmental issues we face today (fig. 1). It en-
courages the development of small farms, which are often more
environmentally sustainable than large farms, and thus strength-
ens local markets and supports small rural economies. By dem-
onstrating a commitment to buying local, Americans could set an
example for global
environmentalism.
In 2010, the international community is facing many environ-
mental challenges, including global warming, pollution, and dwin-
dling fossil fuel resources. Global warming is attributed to the
release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane,
most commonly emitted in the burning of fossil fuels. It is such a
pressing problem that scientists estimate that in the year 2030,
there will be no glaciers left in Glacier National Park (“Global
Warming Statistics”). The United States is especially guilty of con-
tributing to the problem, producing about a quarter of all global
greenhouse gas emissions, and playing a large part in pollution and
shrinking world oil supplies as well (“Record Increase”). Accord-
ing to a CNN article published in 2000, the United States man-
ufactures more than 1.5 billion pounds of chemical pesticides a
year that can pollute our water, soil, and air (Baum). Agriculture is
particularly interconnected with all of these issues. Almost three-
fourths of the pesticides produced in the United States are used
A Sample Annotated Text
.
.
.
.
.
Thesis statement.
I wonder what she means
by “buying local.”
This paragraph shows her
stance: strongly in favor of
sustainable farming and
buying local.
Here comes some
evidence. Looks like she’s
done her homework. So
far, I’m with
her.
I want to check out this
source: I’m a little
suspicious of what she
says here.

WRITING
[ 30 ]
in agriculture (Baum). Most produce is shipped many miles before
it is sold to consumers, and shipping our food long distances is
costly in both the amount of fossil fuel it uses and the greenhouse
gases it
produces.
Fig. 1. Shopping at a farmers’ market is one good way to support small
farms and strengthen the local economy. Photograph from
Alamy.
.
.
Overall, I’m impressed
with the research she’s
done. She’s serious about
this issue and is making a
strong case.
Farmers’ markets are
expensive. Most of us can’t
afford to shop at them.

3 % Reading
Rhetorically [ 31 ]
summarize the main ideas. If you’re reading attentively, you should be
able to summarize the main ideas and the major support for those ideas.
• Keep your summary short and sweet, capturing the text’s main ideas
but leaving out less important
information.
• Be careful to summarize the text fairly and
accurately.
• Use your own words; if you have included any phrases from the origi-
nal, enclose them in quotation
marks.
Here is a summary of Katherine Spriggs’ essay:
In her essay “On Buying Local,” college student Katherine Spriggs argues
that consumers should purchase food grown locally whenever possible.
After demonstrating the environmental and practical reasons for doing so,
Spriggs shows that buying local can offer an alternative to destructive mass
farming, help small farmers and their families, build sustainable agricultural
models, reduce the cost of shipping food from far-away places, and avoid
the exploitation of workers, especially in third-world countries. In spite of
a few drawbacks (local food may be more expensive and seasonal variation
may reduce the number of choices available), she concludes that “Buying
local is an easy step that everyone can take toward ‘greener’ living.”
analyze the text to figure out what makes it tick. How does it achieve its
goals and get its message across?
• What claim is the text making? How is the claim qualified , if at
all?
• What reasons and evidence support the claim? Examples? Prece-
dents? Personal experience? How effective do you find this
support?
• How does the author establish authority to write on this topic? What
does he or she do to gain the audience’s
confidence?
• What is the author’s stance toward the topic—passionate? critical?
neutral?—and what words reflect that
stance?
• What counterarguments or other perspectives does the author ad-
dress—and how does he or she
respond to them?
• What overall impression does the text make on you, and what passages
create that
impression?
• Are you persuaded by the argument? Why or why
not?

WRITING
[ 32 ]
Consider the larger context . Close analysis may leave you looking at a
text you’re reading as a bunch of parts rather than as a whole. So it’s impor-
tant to put those parts back together again and look at the text within its
larger context.
• What seems to have motivated the author to write? Is he or she respond-
ing to some other argument—and if so, what is
it?
• How does the text fit into the larger conversation on the topic? Is the
author’s point corroborated by what others have said, or is he or she out
on a limb, making a claim that hardly anyone else agrees
with?
• Does the author incorporate or fairly acknowledge other perspectives?
• What might the context tell you about the author’s stance toward the
topic? Is he or she writing as an advocate? a reporter? a
critic?
• How do you think others who have thought about the topic would re-
spond to this
text?
Say “yes,” “no,” or “maybe.” Before you come to final conclusions about any
text—whether it’s a newspaper article, an advertisement, a website, a tweet,
whatever—take time to read carefully in order to understand the author’s
point of
view as clearly and fully as possible.
• Try “walking a mile” in the author’s shoes to understand the way he or
she sees the
topic.
• Say “yes” first, reading as fairly and open-mindedly as you
can.
• Once you have fully understood the author’s viewpoint, say “maybe”
to any passages that seem problematic, confusing, or poorly supported.
Think about why you see these passages as meriting only a “maybe.”
• Finally, look for passages, evidence, and anything else to which you feel
obligated to say “no.” You may find few or none of these, but as a criti-
cal reader, you need to look for them. For those you identify, think hard
about why they seem unacceptable or just plain
wrong.
Take time to reflect. Research shows that there’s a strong connection be-
tween taking time to think carefully about what you are reading and what
researchers call “deep learning,” the kind that sticks with you. So when you
read an especially important text, it’s a good idea to take the time to reflect
on what you have learned from
it.

3 % Reading
Rhetorically [ 33 ]
• What important information have you gleaned from the text? What are
the big takeaways for
you?
• What lessons has the text taught you? How might you apply those

lessons in your own writing or
thinking?
• What impact has the reading had on you—as a person, student, scholar,
and
researcher?
• What doubts or questions do you still have about the text? Whataddi-
tional information would you have liked to
have?
Put your reflections in writing. The act of recording these thoughts will help
you remember
them.
Respond to what you read. Reading rhetorically calls on you to respond
to what you read—to take your reactions to the next level and share your
thoughtswithothers.Inotherwords,itmeansaddingyourvoicetothelarger
conversation. Your instructor may assign you to write a response of some
kind, but you could also consider sending an email or a letter to the author.
If you want to respond to something you read online, see if there’s a space
for comments.
READING ACROSS
MEDIA
Once upon a time “reading” meant attending to words on paper. But today
we often encounter texts that convey information in images and in sound
as well—and they may be on- or off-screen. So when you approach such
texts, be sure to think carefully about how the medium of delivery may af-
fect your understanding, analysis, and
response.
Reading Visual Texts
Visual texts present their own opportunities and challenges. As new tech-
nologies bring images into our phones and lives on a minute-by-minute

basis, visual texts have become so familiar and pervasive that it may seem
that “reading” them is just natural. But reading visual texts with a critical
eye takes time and patience—and attention.

WRITING
[ 34 ]
Take a look at the advertisement for a Shinola
watch on the next page.
You may know that Shinola is a Detroit-based watchmaker proud that its
watches are “made in America”; if not, a quick look at Shinola.com will fill
in this part of the ad’s context . But there’s a lot more going on in terms
of its particular rhetorical situation. The ad first ran in 2015, when it was
clearly “talking back” to smart watches in general and to the launch of the
Apple watch in particular, with its full panoply of futuristic bells and whis-
tles. “Hey,” the ad writers seem to be saying to the smart watch crowd, “our
watch is just smart enough.”
Thinking through the rhetorical situation tells you something about
the ad’s purpose and audience. Of course its major purpose is to sell watch-
es, but one other goal seems to be to poke a little fun at all the high-tech,
super-smart watches on the market. And what about its audience : who do
you think the ad addresses most directly? Perhaps Americans who think of
themselves as solid “no frills” folks?
Reading a visual begins, then, with studying the purpose, audience,
message, and context. But there’s a lot more you can do to understand a

visual. You can look closely, for instance, at its design . In the Shinola ad, the
stark, high-contrast, black-and-white image takes center stage, drawing our
eyes to it and its accompanying captions. There are no other distracting ele-
ments, no other colors, no glitz. The simplicity gives the watch a retro look,
which is emphasized by its sturdy straps, open face, and clear numerals, its
old-fashioned wind-up button and second
hand.
You’ll also want to take a close look at any words. In this case, the Shi-
nola ad includes a large headline centered above the image, three lines of all
caps, sans serif type that match the simplicity and straightforwardness of
the image itself. And it’s hard to miss the mocking tone : “a watch so smart
that it can tell you the time just by looking at it.” The small caption below
the image underscores this message: “the runwell. it’s just smart enough.”
Take that, Apple!
Reading Print Texts
Print texts may consist mostly of sentences and paragraphs that (should)
follow logically from one to the next, with a clear beginning, middle, and
end. For these texts, the familiar practice of reading left to right, top to bot-
tom (at least in English) will carry you through the text, though you may

THE NEED FOR RHETORIC AND WRITING

WRITING
[ 36 ]
occasionally need to pause to look up the meaning of a word, to take notes,
or just to reflect on what you’re reading.
“Reading” Spoken Texts
Spoken texts need to be “read” in a different way, by listening to what the
speaker is saying while viewing images he or she projects on a screen or has
put in a handout. If the presentation is a really good one, these elements
will complement each other, joining together to get their message across.
Still, you may need to learn to split your attention, making sure you are not
focusing so much on any slides or handouts that you’re missing what the
speaker is saying—or vice versa. Remember, too, that you’ll be a better audi-
ence member if you look at the speaker and any visuals, rather than staring
at your laptop or looking down at the
desk.
Reading Digital Texts
Digital textsstretch readers even further, since they blend written words
with audio, video, links, charts and graphs, and other elements that you can
attend to in any order you choose. In reading such texts, you’ll need to make
decisions carefully. When exactly should you click on a link, for example?
The first moment it comes up? Or should you make a note to check it out
later since doing so now may break your concentration—and you might not
be able to get back easily to what you were reading. Links are a good thing in
that they lead to more information, but following them can interrupt your
train of thought. In addition, scrolling seems to encourage skimming and to
make us read more rapidly. In short, it can be harder to stay on task. So you
may well need to make a special effort with digital texts—to read them at-
tentively, and to pay close attention to what you’re reading.
Reading On- and Off-Screen
It’s clear by now that our ways of reading are changing in the digital age.
If reading was once something we did alone, silently, not so today. Reading
now is likely to take place on the run, on digital devices of all kinds. It has
also become deeply social, as when we send messages via text or share what

3 % Reading
Rhetorically [ 37 ]
we’re reading and what we think of it on social media. Between texts, email,
Twitter, and forums like Reddit, you are probably doing a lot of reading, and
a lot of it on-
screen.
Researchers have found that we often take shortcuts when we read on-
line, searching and scanning and jumping around in a text or leaping from
link to link. This kind of reading is very helpful for finding answers and in-
formation quickly, but it can blur our focus and make it difficult to attend to
the text carefully and purposefully. So it’s important to learn to make online
reading effective for your academic work. Here are a few tips to help you
when you’re reading on-screen.
• Be clear about your purpose in reading. If you need to understand and
remember the text, remind yourself to read carefully and avoid skim-
ming or skipping
around.
• Close Facebook and other pages that may distract you from
reading.
• Learn how to take notes on PDF files and Word documents. Then you
can make notes as you read on-screen, just as you would when reading
a print
text. Or take notes on paper.
• Reading PDFs and websites in full-screen mode will clear away clutter
and make it easier to focus on the
text.
• Look up terms on the internet as you read, making a note of definitions
you may need
later.
• For really high-stakes readings, consider printing out the text toread.
The pervasiveness of reading on-screen may suggest that many readers
prefer to read that way. But current research suggests that most students
still prefer to read print, especially if the reading is important and needs to
be internalized and remembered. Print texts, it’s worth remembering, are
easy to navigate—you can tell at a glance how much you’ve read and how
much you still have to go, and you can move back and forth in the text to
find something important.
In addition, researchers have found that students reading on-screen are
less likely to reflect on what they read or to make connections and synthe-
size in ways that bind learning to memory. It’s important to note, however,
that studies like these almost always end with a caveat: reading practices
are changing and technology is making it easier to read on-screen.

WRITING
[ 38 ]
We are clearly in a time of flux where reading is concerned, so the best
advice is for you to think very carefully about why you are reading. If you
need to find some information quickly, to follow a conversation on Twitter,
or to look for online sources on a topic you’re researching, reading on-screen
is the way to go. But if you need to fully comprehend and retain the informa-
tion in a text, you may want to stick with tried-and-true
print.
READING ACROSS
GENRES
Genres affect how we read—and can help guide our reading. Knowing the
characteristic features of a genre, therefore, can help you read more atten-
tively—and more purposefully. When you read a report , for example, you
expect information you can trust—and you look for signs that the author
knows what he or she is writing about and has cited authoritative sources.
When you read a review , you expect to find some judgment, along with
reasons and evidence to support that judgment. And you know to question
any argument that fails to acknowledge likely counterarguments. This
is all to say that what you know about common genres can help you as a
reader. Knowing what features to expect will help you read with a critical
eye, and just recognizing a genre can help you adjust your reading as need
be (reading directions more slowly, for example).
READING ACROSS ACADEMIC
DISCIPLINES
It’s especially important to read rhetorically when it comes to encounter-
ing texts in different academic fields. Take the word analysis, for instance.
That little word has a wide range of definitions as it moves from one field
to another. In philosophy, analysis has traditionally meant breaking down
a topic into its constituent parts in order to understand them—and the
whole—more completely. In the sciences, analysis often involves the scien-
tific method of observing a phenomenon, formulating a hypothesis about
it, and experimenting to see whether the hypothesis holds up. And in busi-
ness, analysis usually refers to assessing needs and finding ways to meet
them. In literary studies, on the other hand, analysis usually calls for close
reading in order to interpret a passage of text. When you’re assigned to car-
ry out an analysis, then, it’s important to know what the particular field of
study expects you to do and to ask your instructors if you aren’t
sure.
An analysis
doesn’t have to be
dry and detached.
Read Andy Hinds’
analysis of how
to pick a favorite
sports team on
p. 963.

3 % Reading
Rhetorically [ 39 ]
Beyond attending to what particular words mean from field to field,
you should note that what counts as effective evidence can differ across
academic disciplines. In literature and other fields in the humanities, tex-
tual evidence is often the most important: your job as a reader is to focus on
the text itself. For the sciences, you’ll most often focus on evidence gathered
through experimentation, on facts and figures. Some of the social sciences
also favor the use of “hard” evidence or data, while others are more likely to
use evidence drawn from interviews, oral histories, or even anecdotes. As a
strong reader, you’ll need to be aware of what counts as credible evidence in
the fields you study.
Finally, pay attention to the way various disciplines present their in-
formation. You’ll probably find that articles and books in literature and his-
tory present their information in paragraphs, sometimes with illustrations.
Physics texts present much important information in equations, while those
in psychology and political science rely more on charts and graphs and other
visual representations of quantitative data. In art history, you can expect to
see extensive use of images, while much of the work in music will rely on
notation and sound.
So reading calls for some real effort. Whether you’re reading words or im-
ages or bar graphs, literary analysis or musical notation, in a print book or
on a screen, you need to read rhetorically—attentively and intentionally and
with an open mind. And on top of all that, you need to be an active partici-
pant with what you read, just as Toni Morrison says: “The words on the page
are only half the story. The rest is what you bring to the party.”
.REFLECT. The next time you’re assigned to read a text online, pay attention
to your process. Take some notes on just how you read: Do you go straight through, or
do you stop often? Do you take notes? Do you take breaks while reading to attend to
something else? What do you do if you don’t understand a passage? How long can you
read at a stretch and maintain full concentration? Then answer the same questions
the next time you’re assigned to read a print text. What differences do you notice in
the way you read each text? What conclusions can you draw about how to be a more
effective reader, both on- and
off-screen?

[ 40 ]
f o u r
Meeting the Demands of
Academic Writing
“It’s Like Learning a New Language”
llen MacNamara arrived at college excited but
also anxious. She had grown up in a small town far
from the college, had not taken calculus, and had
never written more than a five-paragraph essay. So
when she got her first college writing assignment—
in a political science class, to write a ten-page essay on how the relation-
ship among the three branches of the U.S. government has evolved—she
felt a little panic. She had read all her assignments and done some re-
search, and she had even met with her instructor during office hours.
She had quite a bit of material. But when she started to write, it just
didn’t sound right. She wasn’t sure what college writing sounded like,
but this wasn’t it.
Following her instructor’s advice, MacNamara studied several of the
political science articles on her course reading list. Compared to her usu-
al writing, they were much more formal, full of complicated sentences.
What she eventually came up with wasn’t a particularly good paper (and
she knew it), but it served its purpose: it had gotten her thinking about
college-level writing. Looking back at the work she had done to get this
far, she thought, “Wow, this is almost like learning a new language.”
MacNamara had a point. Many students have experiences similar
to hers, especially multilingual students who’ve grown up in other cul-
tures. One Romanian student we know put it this way:
4

4 % Meeting the Demands of Academic Writing [ 41 ]
In my country we care very much about the beauty of what we write.
Even with academic and business writing, we try to make our texts po-
etic in some way. When I got to the U.S.A., I discovered that writing that
I thought was beautiful struck my teachers as wordy and off-task. I was
surprised about this.
This student, like Ellen MacNamara, needed to set about learning a new

language—in this case, the language of U.S. academic writing.
So Just What Is Academic Writing?
Academic writing is the writing you do for school. It follows a fairly strict
set of conventions, such as using standard edited English, following logical
patterns of organization, and providing support for the points you make.
But academic writing reaches beyond the classroom: it’s used in many jour-
nals, newspapers, and books as well as on the web, especially on blogs that
address serious topics like politics, research, or cultural analysis. So “aca-
demic writing” is a broad category, one flexible enough to accommodate dif-
ferences across disciplines, for example, while still remaining recognizably
“academic.” This chapter considers some of the assumptions that lie behind
academic writing in the United States and describes some of the most com-
mon characteristics of that writing.
We’re giving so much attention to academic writing for a couple of im-
portant reasons. First, becoming fluent in it will be of great help to you both
in college and well beyond; and second, it poses challenges to both native
and nonnative speakers of English. We want to acknowledge these challeng-
es without making them seem too difficult to overcome. Instead, we want to
try to demystify some of the assumptions and conventions of academic writ-
ing and get you started thinking about how to use them to your advantage.
Joining U.S. Academic Conversations
If you are new to college, you need to learn to “talk the talk” of academic
writing as soon as possible so that you can join the conversations in prog-
ress all around you. Doing so calls for understanding some common expec-
tations that most if not all of your instructors hold.

WRITING
[ 42 ]
You’re expected to respond. One important assumption underlying the kind
of writing expected in American colleges is that reading and writing are
active processes in which students not only absorb information but also re-
spond to and even question it. Not all educational systems view reading and
writing in this way. In some cultures, students are penalized if they attempt
to read established texts critically or to disagree with authorities or insert
their own views. If you are from such a background, you may find it dif-
ficult to engage in this kind of active reading and writing. It may feel rude,
disrespectful, or risky, particularly if you would be reprimanded for such
engagement in your home culture.
Remember, however, that the kind of engagement your instructors
want is not hostile or combative; it’s not about showing off by beating down
the ideas of others. Rather, they expect you to demonstrate your active en-
gagement with the texts you read—and an awareness that in doing so you
are joining an academic conversation, one that has been going on for a long
time and that will continue. It’s fine to express strong opinions, but it’s also
important to remember—and acknowledge—that there is almost surely
some value in perspectives other than your own.
You’re expected to ask questions. Because U.S. culture emphasizes individ-
ual achievement so much, students are expected to develop authority and
independence, often by asking questions. In contrast to cultures where the
best students never ask questions because they have already studied the
material and worked hard to learn it, in American academic contexts, stu-
dents are expected and encouraged to voice their questions. In other words,
don’t assume you have to figure everything out by yourself. Do take respon-
sibility for your own learning whenever possible, but it’s fine to ask ques-
tions about what you don’t understand, especially specific assignments.
You’re expected to say what you think. American instructors expect that
students will progress from relying on the thoughts of others to formulat-
ing ideas and arguments of their own. One important way to make that
move is to engage in dialogue with other students and teachers. In these
dialogues, teachers are not looking for you to express the “right” position;
instead, they’re looking for you to say what you think and provide adequate
and appropriate support for that point of view.
You’re expected to focus from the start. In contrast to many cultures,
where writers start with fairly general background information for read-

Academic writers at work in (clockwise from top left) India, Chile, Burkina Faso,
the United States, Thailand, and Italy.

WRITING
[ 44 ]
ers, American academic writing immediately focuses in on the topic at
hand. Thus, even in the introduction of an essay, you begin at a relatively
focused level, providing even greater detail in the paragraphs that follow.
The point is not to show how much you know but instead to provide as
much information as your audience needs to understand the point easily.
Because American academic writers generally open their discussions
at a fairly specific level, you wouldn’t want to begin with a sentence like
“All over the world and in many places, there are families,” a thesis state-
ment in an essay one of us once received from a native speaker of Arabic.
(Translated into Arabic, this would make a beautiful sentence and an appro-
priate opening statement for a student essay.) Students educated in Spanish
or Portuguese and, to an even greater extent, those educated in Arabic are
accustomed to providing a great deal more background information than
those educated in English. If you are from one of these cultural backgrounds,
do not be surprised if your instructor encourages you to delete most of the
first few pages of a draft, for example, and to begin instead by addressing
your topic more directly and specifically.
You’re expected to state your point explicitly. In U.S. academic English,
writers are expected to provide direct and explicit statements that lead
readers, step by step, through the text—in contrast to cultures that value
indirectness, circling around the topic rather than addressing it head-on. A
Brazilian student we knew found it especially hard to state the point of an
essay up front and explicitly. From his cultural perspective, it made more
sense to develop an argument by building suspense and stating his posi-
tion only at the end of the essay. As he said, “It took a lot of practice for me to
learn how to write the very direct way that professors in the U.S.A. want.”
All these expectations suggest that American academic discourse puts
much of the burden for successful communication on the author rather than
on members of the audience. So with these expectations in mind, let’s take a
close look at seven common characteristics of U.S. academic writing.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES
No list of characteristics can describe all the kinds of texts you’ll be expected
to write in college, particularly given the differences among disciplines. But
there are certain things you’re expected to do in college writing:

• Use standard edited English.
• Use clear and recognizable patterns of organization.
• Mark logical relationships between ideas.
• State claims explicitly and provide appropriate support.
• Present your ideas as a response to others.
• Express your ideas clearly and directly.
• Be aware of how genres and conventions vary across disciplines.
• Document sources using the appropriate citation style.
Use Standard Edited English
Academic writing almost always follows the conventions of standard ed-
ited English in terms of spelling, grammar, and punctuation. In addition, it
is more rather than less formal. Thus, the kinds of abbreviations and other
shortcuts you use all the time in text messaging or posting to social media
sites usually aren’t appropriate in academic writing: you’ll have to write out
“with respect to” rather than “wrt,” and you’ll also want to avoid and other
emoticons. Likewise, slang isn’t usually appropriate. In some contexts, you’ll
discover that even contractions aren’t appropriate—although we use them in
this book because we’re aiming for a conversational tone, one that is formal
to some degree but not stuffy. As you can probably tell, defining standard ed-
ited English is in many ways a matter of cataloging things you shouldn’t do.
Additionally, however, thinking about the label itself—standard edited
English—will give you some insights into the goal you are trying to accom-
plish. In general, the “standard” variety of any language is the one used in
formal contexts, including academic ones, by people who are well educated;
thus, the ability to use the standard variety of a language marks its user as
educated.
The logic behind a standard language is simple and useful: if everyone
can agree on and follow the same basic conventions, whether for spelling or
subject-verb agreement, we’ll be able to communicate successfully with a
broad range of people. It’s a good principle in theory, but as you know if you
have been to Canada or the United Kingdom, “standard” English varies from
country to country. Moreover, standards change over time. So while having
a “standard” set of conventions is valuable in many ways, it can’t guarantee
perfect communication.

WRITING
[ 46 ]
“Edited,” the second term of the label “standard edited English,” re-
minds you that this variety of English is one that has been looked at very
carefully. Many writers, especially those who grew up speaking a variety
of English other than the standard and those whose first language is not
English, reread their writing several times with great care before submit-
ting it to ensure, for example, that every verb agrees with its subject. This is,
of course, the role that good editors play: they read someone else’s work and
make suggestions about how to improve the quality, whether at the level of
the sentence, the paragraph, or the text as a whole. Few of us pay such care-
ful attention to our writing when we tweet, text, or email—but we all need
to do so with our academic writing.
Use Clear and Recognizable Patterns of Organization
Academic writing is organized in a way that’s clear and easy for readers to
recognize. In fact, writers generally describe the pattern explicitly early in
a text by including a thesis sentence that states the main point and says
how the text is structured.
At the level of the paragraph, the opening sentence generally serves as
a topic sentence , which announces what the paragraph is about. Readers
of academic writing expect such signals for the text as a whole and for each
paragraph, even within shorter texts like essay exams. Sometimes you’ll
want to include headings to make it easy for readers to locate sections of text.
Readers of academic writing expect the organization not only to be
clear but also to follow some kind of logical progression. For example:
• Beginning with the simplest ideas and then moving step by step to the
most complex ideas
• Starting with the weakest claims or evidence and progressing to the
strongest ones
• Treating some topics early in the text because readers must have them
as background to understand ideas introduced later
• Arranging the text chronologically, starting with the earliest events
and ending with the latest ones
Some academic documents in the sciences and social sciences require a spe-
cific organization known as imrad for its specific headings: introduction,

methods, results, and discussion. Although there are many possible logical
patterns to use, readers will expect to be able to see that pattern with little
or no difficulty. Likewise, they generally expect the transitions between
sections and ideas to be indicated in some way, whether with words like
first, next, or finally, or even with full sentences like “Having considered
three reasons to support this position, here are some alternative positions.”
Finally, remember that you need to conclude your text by somehow
reminding your readers of the main point(s) you want them to take away.
Often, these reminders explicitly link the conclusion back to the thesis
statement or introduction.
Mark Logical Relationships between Ideas
Academic writers are expected to make clear how the ideas they present re-
latetooneanother.Thus,inadditiontomarkingthestructureofthetext,you
need to mark the links between ideas and to do so explicitly. If you say in ca-
sual conversation, “It was raining, and we didn’t go on the picnic,” listeners
will interpret and to mean so or therefore. In academic writing, however, you
have to help readers understand how your ideas are related to one another.
For this reason, you’ll want to use transitions like therefore, however, or in
addition. Marking the relationships among your ideas clearly and explicitly
helps readers recognize and appreciate the logic of your arguments.
State Claims Explicitly and Provide Appropriate Support
One of the most important conventions of academic writing is to pre
sent claims explicitly and support them with evidence , such as examples
or statistics, or by citing authorities of various kinds. Notice the two distinct
parts: presenting claims clearly and supporting them appropriately. In aca-
demic writing, authors don’t generally give hints; instead, they state what
is on their minds, often in a thesis statement. If you are from a culture that
values indirection and communicates by hinting or by repeating proverbs
or telling stories to make a point, you’ll need to check to be sure that you
have stated your claims explicitly. Don’t assume that readers will be able
to understand what you’re saying, especially if they do not have the same
cultural background knowledge that you do.

WRITING
[ 48 ]
Qualify your statements. It’s important to note that being clear and explicit
doesn’t mean being dogmatic or stubborn. You’ll generally want to moder-
ate your claims by using qualifying words like frequently, often, generally,
sometimes, or rarely to indicate how strong a claim you are making. Note as
well that it is much easier to provide adequate support for a qualified claim
than it is to provide support for a broad unqualified claim.
Choose evidence your audience will trust. Whatever your claim, you’ll need
to look for evidence that will be considered trustworthy and persuasive by
your audience. And keep in mind that what counts as acceptable and appro-
priate evidence in academic writing often differs from what works in other
contexts. Generally, for example, you wouldn’t cite sacred religious texts as
a primary source for academic arguments.
Consider multiple perspectives. Similarly, you should be aware that your
readers may have a range of opinions on any topic, and you should write
accordingly. Thus, citing only sources that reflect one perspective won’t
be sufficient in most academic contexts. Be sure to consider and acknowl-
edge counterarguments and viewpoints other than your own.
Organize information strategically. One common way of supporting a
claim is by moving from a general statement to more specific information.
When you see words like for example or for instance, the author is moving
from a more general statement to a more specific example.
In considering what kind of evidence to use in supporting your claims, re-
member that the goal is not to amass and present large quantities of evi-
dence but instead to sift through all the available evidence, choose the
evidence that will be most persuasive to your audience, and arrange and
present it all strategically. Resist the temptation to include information
or anecdotes that are not directly relevant to your topic or that do not con-
tribute to your argument. Your instructor will likely refer to these as digres-
sions or as “getting off topic” and encourage you to delete them.
Present Your Ideas as a Response to Others
The best academic writers do more than just make well-supported claims.
They present their ideas as a response to what else has been said (or might

be said) about their topic. One common pattern, introduced by professors
Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, is to start with what others are saying
and then to present your ideas as a response. If, as noted earlier in this chap-
ter, academic writing is a way of entering a conversation—of engaging with
the ideas of others—you need to include their ideas with your own.
In fact, providing support for your claims will often involve synthesis :
weaving the ideas and even the words of others into the argument you are
making. And since academic arguments are part of a larger conversation, all
of us in some important ways are always responding to and borrowing from
others, even as we are developing our own individual ideas.
Express Your Ideas Clearly and Directly
Another characteristic of academic writing is clarity. You want to be sure
that readers can understand exactly what you are writing about. Have you
ever begun a sentence by writing “This shows . . .” only to have your teacher
ask, “What does this refer to?” Such a comment is evidence that the teacher,
as reader, isn’t sure what the author—you—are referring to: this argument?
this evidence? this analysis? this figure? this claim? Be careful and specific
in your language. You’ll also want to define terms you use, both to be sure
readers will not be confused and to clarify your own positions—much as we
defined “standard edited English” earlier in this chapter.
Clarity of expression in academic writing also means being direct
and concise. Academic writers in the United States, for example, avoid
highly elaborate sentence structures or flowery language, and they don’t
let the metaphors and similes they use get the best of them either, as this
author did:
Cheryl’s mind turned like the vanes of a wind-powered turbine, chop-
ping her sparrowlike thoughts into bloody pieces that fell onto a growing
pile of forgotten memories.
In fact, this sentence was the winner of an annual “bad writing” contest in
which writers try to write the worst sentence they can. It’s easy to see why
this one was a winner: it has way too much figurative language—chopping
wind turbines, bleeding sparrows, thoughts in a pile, forgotten memories—
and the metaphors get in the way of one another. Use metaphors carefully
in academic writing, making sure they add to what you’re trying to say.
Gerald Graff
himself provides
a good example,
on p. 957, of
beginning with
another’s idea and
then responding
with his own.

WRITING
[ 50 ]
Here’s one way the prize-winning sentence might be revised to be clearer
and more direct: “Cheryl’s mind worked incessantly, thought after thought
piling up until she couldn’t keep track of them all.”
Be Aware of How Genres and
Conventions Vary across Disciplines
While we can identify common characteristics of all academic writing, it is
important to note that some genres and conventions vary across disciplines.
Thus, an analytic essay in psychology is similar to one in a literature class,
but it is also different in crucial ways. The same will be true for lab reports
or position papers in various fields. In this regard, different disciplines are
like different cultures, sharing many things but unique in specific ways.
Therefore, part of becoming a biologist or an engineer—or even an electrical
engineer instead of a civil engineer—is learning the discipline’s particular
rules and rituals as well as its preferred ways of presenting, organizing, and
documenting information.
You’ll also find that some rhetorical moves vary across genres. In the hu-
manities, for example, writers often use a quotation to open an essay, as a way
of launching an argument—or to close one, as a way of inspiring the audience.
Such a move occurs far less often, if at all, in the sciences or social sciences.
Despite these differences in genres across academic disciplines, you’ll
also find there are some common rhetorical moves you’ll make in much of
the academic writing you do. You’ll find that short essays and research ar-
ticles generally open with three such moves:
• First, you give the context or general topic of whatever you are writ-
ing; frequently, you will do this by discussing the existing research or
commentary on the topic you are writing about.
• Second, you point out some aspect of this topic that merits additional
attention, often because it is poorly understood or because there is a
problem that needs to be solved—that is, you’ll show there is a problem
or gap of some kind in our understanding.
• Finally, you’ll explain how your text addresses that problem or fills that
gap. Notice that this often happens within the first paragraph or two of
the text.

By contrast, in writing a response to a question on a timed exam, you
might restate the question in some way, using it as the opening line of your
response and a thesis statement or topic sentence. For example, if you get
an essay exam question asking “How are West African influences evident
in coastal southeastern areas of the United States today?” you might begin
your response by turning the question into a statement like this: “West Af-
rican influences on language, music, and food are still very visible in coast-
al areas of the southeastern United States.” You should not spend several
sentences introducing your topic while the clock ticks; to do so would be to
waste valuable time.
With experience, you will learn the genres and conventions you need to
know, especially within your major.
Document Sources Using the Appropriate Citation Style
Finally, academic writers credit and document all sources carefully. If
becoming fluent in academic discourse is a challenge for all of us, under-
standing how Western academic culture defines intellectual property
and plagiarism is even more complicated. Although you will never need to
provide a source for historical events that no one disputes (for example, that
the U.S. Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, in Philadel-
phia), you will need to provide documentation for words, information, or
ideas that you get from others, including any content (words or images) you
find on the internet.
What else do you need to learn about academic writing? While we hope
this brief list gives you a good idea of the major features of academic writ-
ing in the United States, you’ll likely still find yourself asking questions. Just
what does a direct and concise style look like? How much and what kinds
of evidence are necessary to support a claim sufficiently? How much docu-
mentation is needed? Should a review of literature primarily describe and
summarize existing research, or should it go one step further and critique
this research? You will begin to learn the answers to these questions in time,
as you advance through college, and especially when you choose your ma-
jor. But don’t be surprised that the immediate answer to all these questions
will very often be “It depends.” And “it” will always depend on what your
purpose is in writing and on the audience you wish to reach.

WRITING
[ 52 ]
In the meantime, even as you work to become fluent in U.S. academic
writing, it’s worth returning to a note we have sounded frequently in this
chapter: the U.S. way of writing academically is not the only way. Nor is it
a better way. Rather, it is a different way. As you learn about and experi-
ence other cultures and languages, you may have an opportunity to learn
and practice the conventions those cultures use to guide their own forms
of academic writing. When you do so, you’ll be learning yet another “new”
language, just as you have learned the “academic writing” language of the
United States.

[ 53 ]
f i v e
Writing and Rhetoric
as a Field of
Study
hetorician Susan Miller neatly sums up why we
study rhetoric: “If you want to know how power works,
you must understand how language works—and that’s
what the study of rhetoric is all about.” As Miller’s
statement underscores, mastery of the tools of rheto-
ric—writing, reading, speaking, and listening—is crucial, so much so that
employers rank the ability to communicate well at the top of their list of
the qualities they look for in those they hire. A survey of 120 American
corporations, for instance, concludes that in today’s workplace writing is
a “threshold skill” for hiring and
promotion.
So it’s no surprise that colleges and universities are responding by
establishing departments, programs, and courses that allow students to
choose writing and rhetoric as a field of study. Visit the website for the Uni-
versity of Texas’s Department of Rhetoric and Writing, for example, and
you’ll find this statement: “Analytical, communicative, and persuasive
skills are in demand in almost every profession. . . . The Rhetoric and Writ-
ing major . . . produces sophisticated communicators.” Michigan State’s De-
partment of Rhetoric, Writing, and American Cultures defines its goal as
“preparing excellent communicators in the culturally, technologically, and
economically dynamic environments of the . . . twenty-first century.”
Educational leaders also speak to the need for careful study of writ-
ing and rhetoric. In an interview, Stanford University president John
5

WRITING
[ 54 ]
Hennessy (who was a professor of engineering before he became president)
reflected on his own experience to make the point: “[In college] we had a
notion that engineers had to know how to use slide rules or calculators or
computers, but not how to write. And that is the biggest falsehood you could
possibly perpetrate on young people. I think writing and rhetoric . . . are the
two most valuable skills across any discipline in any field.” You have strong
reasons, then, to consider writing and rhetoric as a field of study, whether
you choose it as a major or a minor or simply take advantage of opportuni-
ties to take classes in writing and
rhetoric.
What Will You Learn by Studying Writing and
Rhetoric?
What will it mean—what will you learn—if you choose writing and rhetoric
as a field of study? As the quotations above suggest, this field focuses on ef-
fective, ethical communication, whether written, visual, or spoken—that is,
it concentrates on how words and images can change our minds, earn our
agreement, and shape our identities and lives. Members of this field recog-
nize that in complex societies such as ours, those who can produce powerful
written, spoken, visual, or digital messages have some distinct
advantages.
That’s the “big picture” of writing and rhetoric as a field of study. But
this field will also introduce you to powerful practitioners of rhetoric, from
the ancient Sumerian priestess Enheduanna (whose impassioned writing
The website of the Department of Rhetoric and Writing at the University of Texas
focuses on rhetoricians. From the left: Demosthenes, a Roman woman of Pompeii,
Aristotle, and Frederick
Douglass.

5 % Writing and Rhetoric as a Field of
Study [ 55 ]
argued for the supremacy of the goddess Inanna over male gods),
to the ancient Roman orator Cicero (whose words in support of the
Roman Republic were so dangerous that they cost him his life), to
twentieth-century rhetorical theorists such as Kenneth Burke (who
argues that “wherever there is persuasion, there is rhetoric”), to con-
temporary leaders like Barack Obama and Aung San Suu
Kyi.
Most important, as a student of rhetoric and writing, you will
learn to think about how a text gets its message across, rather than
just focusing on what the message is. In other words, you will learn
to think rhetorically. And in doing so, you’ll read, analyze, and re-
spond to important works of rhetoric throughout history, from Plato’s attack
on rhetoric as deception and trickery in his Phaedrus to Sei Shonogan’s mis-
chievous and memorable Pillow Book, which offers advice and observations
about life in eleventh-century Japan, to the powerful speeches of Maria
Stewart, Chief Sitting Bull, Sojourner Truth, John F. Kennedy, Cesar Chavez,
and Martin Luther King
Jr.
You may engage in a variety of research projects. For example, you may
study how values and beliefs shape debates over public policy, or you may
consider the knowledge, skills, and tools involved in workplace literacy prac-
tices. You might study how rhetorical strategies like metaphor and narrative
shape communication in the public sphere—or how emerging technologies
shape social practices and
communication.
Like all fields, this one has a number of
subfields:
• The history of rhetoric and
writing
• The teaching of rhetoric and
writing
• Digital
rhetoric
• Visual
rhetoric
• Literacy
studies
• Gender, identity, and
rhetoric
• Technical, professional, and business
communication
• Magazine writing and
journalism
• Writing program
administration
• Teaching English as a second or foreign
language
As a student of rhetoric and writing, you will likely find courses on many of
these topics. In addition, you may take courses on such topics as rhetoric and
I have something to
say to the world,
and I have taken
English 12 in order
to say it well.
—w. e. b. du bois

WRITING
[ 56 ]
performance, the rhetoric of film, the rhetorics of particular cultures, the
rhetoric of graphic narratives (comics!), or the rhetoric of science—to name
just a
few.
Majoring in rhetoric. A sophomore at Whitman College in Washington
State, Jesse Moneyhun
wasn’t sure what he wanted to major in when he first
arrived on campus. He describes how he eventually found his way to rheto-
ric studies, and how he’s already starting to see its practical
uses:
There were so many different options: sociology? psychology? English? Af-
ter a lot of thought, I decided on rhetoric. Studying rhetoric has not only
made me a better writer and communicator, but also a better thinker.
As a writing tutor, I find that rhetoric helps me analyze and improve any
student writing that comes to me, regardless of the discipline. Recently,
I helped a foreign exchange student by explaining a difficult prompt in a
way I knew she would understand. I was proud when she told me how
much it helped her. I know part of that help came from my background
in rhetoric. I now have a toolbox of analytical moves and skills that I’ll use
for the rest of my life, regardless of the career path I choose.
What Jobs Will Studying Rhetoric Prepare You
For?
A major or minor in rhetoric and writing will prepare you well for
any number of pursuits. It offers excellent preparation for law, for
example, and it can lead toward any career that calls for effective
communication: public relations, advertising, nonprofit work, politi-
cal and community organizing, publishing, international relations,
media, and
entertainment.
Thestudyofwritingandrhetoriccanbeaspringboardforanum-
ber of good jobs. Many of our students, for example, have gone on
to become teachers of language arts, history, or social studies; some
have gone overseas to teach English as a foreign language. We know
one student who, after majoring in writing and rhetoric, became a
speechwriter and researcher for a U.S. senator. Still another landed
a job as an editorial assistant with a publishing firm in New York
City. One former student is now a junior associate in an advertising
firm in Chicago, and another is working as an assistant writer for BET. Not
long ago, one of us was on an airplane when a fellow passenger noticed the
Don’t tell me
words don’t matter.
“I have a dream”—
just words? “We
hold these truths
to be self-evident,
that all men are
created equal”—
just words?
—barack obama

5 % Writing and Rhetoric as a Field of
Study [ 57 ]
business card on her luggage and said, “You must be a rhetorician;
we just hired a rhetorician this week.” The fellow passenger was the
CEO of an insurance company, and his firm, he said, had hired some-
one with an extensive background in writing and rhetoric as a group
leader in the public relations department. As these examples show,
studying writing and rhetoric can lead to many
opportunities.
If your school does not offer a major or minor in rhetoric and
writing, check out the possibility of developing an independent
major or minor. Chances are you’ll find courses in a variety of de-
partments that could help you achieve expertise in writing and
rhetoric; communications, new media, anthropology, linguistics,
English, design, and international relations are just some of the de-
partments that might have courses you could take. But whatever
your major, you’ll be wise to take courses that focus on rhetoric,
writing, or speaking. These are skills that have always been impor-
tant for success, and in today’s world they have become in many
ways the new
basics.
.REFLECT. Think about what role writing, speaking, and rhetoric
are likely to play in your future. Do you expect that you will be giving or attending
presentations? reading or writing reports? creating websites? something
else?
When there is
more than one
language, more
than one culture,
and more than one
rhetorical tradition,
the basic question
of communication
never goes away
in terms of who
has the floor, who
understands what’s
being said, and who
gets listened to.
—lu ming mao

[ 58 ]
s i x
Writing and Rhetoric
in the Workplace
lash forward five or ten years. You’ve graduated
from college, maybe from graduate or professional
school as well; you’re on the job. And whatever that job
is, one thing is certain: your ability to communicate—
through writing, speaking, and other means—will be
crucial to your success. If you’re an engineer, you’ll likely be writing pro-
posals , specifications, and directions and maybe giving presentations to
prospective clients. If you’re a teacher, you’ll be writing lesson plans and
student evaluations . If you’re a health-care practitioner, you’ll be writ-
ing medical narratives and patient charts and speaking with patients
and their families. If you’re an accountant, you’ll be analyzing data. If
you’re a sales representative, you’ll be writing reports as well as pre-
senting pitches to customers. So strong is the demand for good communi-
cators that virtually every survey of employers reports that the ability to
write and speak well is the skill they value most.
Becoming a strong writer, speaker, and presenter isn’t rocket science
or a gift from the gods: it’s a product of careful choices, hard work, and
lots of practice. This chapter offers advice on some of the writing and
speaking you’ll need to do for work, first to get hired and then to succeed
once you’re on the job.
6

6 % Writing and Rhetoric in the Workplace [ 59 ]
Strong writing and speaking skills are essential in the workplace—from finding a job to
performing the tasks that job will require.

WRITING
[ 60 ]
Consider Your Rhetorical Situation
Whether you have a job or are searching for one, you’ll be communicating
with many different audiences for many different purposes—and so you
should get in the habit of thinking systematically about your rhetorical situ-
ation. Here are some questions that can guide you:
• Who’s your audience ?
Someone you know or have been referred to? A
human resources director? A colleague? A person you would report to?
Someone you know nothing about? What can you assume about some-
one you don’t know—and what can you find out by looking on a com-
pany website? If you don’t know whose desk your message will land on,
or if it’s likely to be read by multiple people, err on the side of caution:
it’s better to come across as too formal than too casual.
• What’s your purpose ?
Are you seeking information? an interview? a
specific job? Are you asking someone to do something for you? Are you
discussing a possible job, plan, or project? Are you presenting a propos-
al? negotiating a salary?
• What genres should you use?
Are you writing a letter? composing
a résumé? reporting information? arguing a position or proposing
some kind of action? reviewing someone’s work (or being reviewed)?
Thinking about genre can help you know what is expected in any of
these instances.
• What’s your stance ?
How do you want to present yourself—as eager?
curious? confident? knowledgeable? professional? friendly? earnest? If
you’re looking for a job, what experience do you bring—and how can
you demonstrate what you could contribute?
• What’s the context ?
Are you responding to an ad? writing a cover let-
ter to go with an application or a proposal? presenting to a large group?
If you’re applying for a job, how many steps are involved? What can you
find out about the organization online?
• What media will you use?
If you’re sending a letter or résumé, should
you use email or snail mail? Or are you required to upload your applica-
tion to a website? If you’re participating in a discussion or interview,
will it be face-to-face? on the phone? over Skype? in a webinar? If you’re
giving a presentation, should you include slides or handouts?

Be Professional
The words you choose, the sentences you write, the way you design a let-
ter or résumé, even your email address create an impression for prospective
employers—and you want it to be a good one. It’s even more important once
you’re on the job, for then you’ll be representing both yourself and the orga-
nization you work for. Careless errors that might result in a few points off a
grade at school can have greater consequences in the working world, from
not getting an interview to not winning a contract to actually losing a job
or a promotion. Whether you’re on the job or applying for one, every word
is crucial for making your goals clear and establishing credibility with em-
ployers, colleagues, or clients. This advice is underscored by business schools
everywhere:
Business people who never expected to be doing much writing find that
the Internet forces everyone to exchange written messages. . . . Poor
writing reflects badly on us, and it limits the influence we can have on
others. Excellent writing correlates with the ability to think well, analyze,
make decisions and persuade.
—university of connecticut school of business
Job Letters
In email or print, letters are an important part of a job search. You will al-
most certainly write letters to gather information or ask about possible po-
sitions, to apply for specific jobs, and to thank those with whom you have
interviewed. For all the job-related letters you’ll write, here are some tried-
and-true tips:
• Be direct and brief. Say what you want, and why. Assume that your
readers will be scanning for just the information they need; make it
easy for them to find it.
• Focus more on how you can help the company or organization than on
why working there would be good for you. Be careful not to start too
many sentences with I.
• State your interest and qualifications in a way that makes your readers
want to speak with you—or hire you.

WRITING
[ 62 ]
• Design letters carefully, making sure they look neat and professional.
Use a single typeface— or are always appropri-
ate. Remember that the look of your letters says a lot about who you are.
• Use capitalization and punctuation the way you would in an academic
essay. Don’t include emoticons or too many exclamation points.
• Address readers by name and title (Dear Ms. Willett) or by first name
and last if you’re not sure about the correct title (Dear Mary Helen Wil-
lett). If an advertisement lists only an office, use that in your salutation
(Dear Office of Human Resources). If you can’t find a person or an office
to use, check the company’s website—or make a call to the company
headquarters to find out more about whom you should address.
• Proofread, proofread, proofread! Make sure that nothing is misspelled.
Inquiry letters. Sometimes you may want to send a letter looking for infor-
mation about a position, an industry, an organization, or something else. If
you admire someone’s work, or are interested in a particular company, do
some research. You can probably find contact information on the web and
some specific names on LinkedIn. Write to ask if they would speak with you.
Inquiry letters should be brief but at the same time say what you’re
looking for, and why. Introduce yourself, and explain your interest in the or-
ganization or the person’s work. Be enthusiastic but direct about what you’re
asking for—information about an organization? an opportunity to meet
with someone? Remember to include your contact information. If you’re
looking for a job, you might also attach your résumé.
Shuqiao Song read a book on designing presentations that she liked
very much and that helped improve her own presentation skills. When she
noticed in the book that the author had a business near her college, Song
sent the following email:
From: Shuqiao Song ssong@gmail.com
Date: Sunday, May 29, 2009 8:28 PM
To: Nancy Duarte nduarte@presentations.com
Subject: Interested in communications design
Dear Ms. Duarte:
I’m a sophomore at Stanford, where I recently took a rhetoric course
in which we studied your book slide:ology for examples of successful

presentations. I loved your book and was
inspired to incorporate your
suggestions and model my own
presentation and slides on the advice
you give.
The words and images in the graphic novel that I analyzed in my

presentation interact in unusual and fascinating ways, and my research
on this topic led me to some insights about the way that speech,
written text, and images could interact in my presentation. I’ve
attached a video file of the presentation, which I hope you’ll find
interesting. My performance is far from perfect, but reading your book
really changed the way I thought about presenting and helped me
analyze the elements of good (and bad) presentations.
Your book also made me aware of the field of communications design,
and I’m interested to learn more about it. Would you be willing to meet
with me and to tell me about your work and how I can learn more
about the field?
Thank you so much for considering this request. I hope to have the

opportunity to speak with you.
Sincerely yours,
Shuqiao Song
650-799-8484
Application letters. When you’re writing to apply for a job—or a grant, or
something else—you’ll usually need to write an application letter. This kind
of letter is ordinarily sent along with a résumé, so it should be relatively
short and to the point, saying what you are applying for and why you are
interested in it. If you’re applying for a specific position, say how you heard
about it. Most important of all, try to show readers why they should con-
sider your application—and here you need to think in terms of why hiring
you would be good for them, not for you. Finally, identify anything you are
including with your letter: your résumé, a writing sample, and so on.
Ade Adegboyega saw an advertisement for a summer internship at a
ticket sales and service company. He was majoring in exercise science and
sport management and had some experience in ticket sales and related ser-
vices, so he was quick to apply. See the letter he sent on the next page.

An Application Letter
89 Laurel Ave.
Irvington, NJ 07111
April 14, 2015
Frank Miller, Sales Manager
The ASR Group
3120 Industrial Blvd.
Suite A200
Atlanta, GA 30318
Dear Mr. Miller:
I am writing in response to your Teamworkonline.com posting
for a summer intern in ticket sales and services. I believe that I
have skills and experience that would enable me to contribute to
your organization, and I am interested in this position.
I am a sophomore at Rutgers University, majoring in exercise
science and sport management, graduating in May 2018. The
enclosed résumé provides details of my skills, education, and
work experience. One item that may be of particular interest to
you is my work in the ticket sales department at the Prudential
Center. This experience taught me how to analyze sales
patterns and meet sales quotas and promotional objectives.
I’ve also worked as an office assistant and would also be able to
contribute to the production of reports. All my jobs have helped
me learn to communicate effectively with both colleagues and
vendors.
I would welcome the opportunity to put my experience
and abilities to work for the ASR Group sport management
department and to discuss the position further with you. I can
be reached at 862-773-4074 or ade.adegbo@scarletmail.rutgers.
edu. Thank you for considering my application.
Sincerely,
Ade Adegboyega
.
.
.
.
.
Sender’s address.
Recipient’s name and
address.
Direct, to-the-point

opening that mentions
how he heard about the
position.
Refers to enclosed résumé
and relevant experience
and skills.
Contact information.
[ 64 ]

Thank-you letters. Send a thank-you letter to anyone you speak with or who
helps you when you’re looking for a job. Whether you talk to someone in
person, on the phone, or over email, you should thank him or her in writ-
ing. Doing so is a sign of respect and demonstrates your seriousness and
your ability to follow through. When you’re writing to someone who’s inter-
viewed you, try to reference something discussed in the interview, to raise a
new question that might extend the conversation, and to provide additional
thoughts about why the position would be an excellent match for your abili-
ties and interests. And be sure to send a thank-you promptly, within a day or
two of your interview. A handwritten note is a nice touch, but it’s perfectly
appropriate to send the thank-you via email, especially if the employer will
be making a decision soon. When Scott Williams was looking for a job, he
was careful to write thank-you emails like this one after every interview.
From: Scott Williams sjwilliams@optonline.net
Date: Friday, March 25, 2015 4:35 PM
To: Yuri Davison davisony@graceco.com
Subject: Thank You
Dear Mr. Davison,
Thank you for meeting with me yesterday and for taking so much time
to explain the work your firm does. My studies as an economics major
were mostly theoretical so I was especially interested to hear about the
day-to-day work at a private equity firm.
It’s exciting to know that Grace Company might be looking for a
junior analyst in the near future, and I’m pleased to attach a sample of
my writing, as you requested. It’s an analytical paper I wrote about the
music of Franz Liszt.
Thank you again for your time and consideration. I hope you’ll keep me
in mind if you do decide you need a junior analyst. In the meantime,
would it be a good idea for me to take a class to prepare for the Series
7 exam? There’s no telling what the future holds, but I know that I want
to work in finance, and that is something I could get working on now.
Sincerely,
Scott Williams
203-875-9634

WRITING
[ 66 ]
Note that Williams wrote this letter the day after his interview and that he
references some specific things discussed and poses a question that gives
reason for the conversation to continue. Now take a look at another letter,
which demonstrates what not to do:
From: Libby White lib.white@me.com
Date: Sunday, October 25, 2015 4:13 PM
To: Alexander Elliott aelliott@sales.maxco.com
Subject: Thanks!
Mr. Elliott,
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to speak with you
about your Sales Representative position. I am extremely excited about
the possibility of working for you. Having now received the answers to
my many questions about the sales position, I am even more thrilled to
have the opportunity to interview for the position.
I greatly appreciate your taking the time to answer my questions so
patiently and thoroughly. I hope we speak again in the future.
Thanks again,
Libby White
646-432-2533
While the interview was held on October 19, this email wasn’t sent until Oc-
tober 25, suggesting to the employer that the writer was not very efficient or
perhaps not genuinely interested in the job—or both. The writer focuses her
message more on herself than on the position and the company, and both
the subject line (thanks!) and the ending salutation (thanks again) are too
informal. You probably won’t be surprised to find that this applicant did not
get the job.
Résumés
Your résumé provides an overview of your education and work experience—
and thus is usually your most important chance to create a strong and favor-
able impression. While busy employers may not take time to read all the
materials you send them, they will certainly take a close look at your ré-

sumé. For that reason, you’ll need to write and design it carefully. As a piece
of writing that represents you, your résumé should look good and be easy
to read. Keep it to one page—just enough to showcase your experience and
to present yourself thoughtfully. The sample résumés on pages 68 and 69
list experience in chronological order, but you might consider using reverse-
chronological order if your recent experiences relate directly to the kind of
job you’d like to attain.
Format. Be prepared to submit your document in a variety of ways: Word,
rich text format (RTF) or plain text, PDF, HTML, or keyword-optimized. Be-
cause browsers or company systems can translate files in different ways,
having a clean, simple setup will prevent your résumé from being relegated
to the “toss pile” because it has defaulted to something that’s difficult to
read. If you’re submitting your résumé online, check how it looks in the ma-
jor browsers—Firefox, Chrome, Safari. If a company you’re applying to wants
résumés in a particular format, be sure you deliver yours that way.
Design. Use headings to organize your information and highlight key in-
formation with bullets. If you’re able to save your résumé as a PDF, you can
use some of the design features available in word-processing programs. But
because you’ll likely have to adapt to various file formats, make your design
as simple as possible: fonts and indents won’t always carry over, and simpler
can often be more readable.
You may also need to create a plain-text scannable résumé, designed to
be read by a computer. Scannable résumés use a single font, with no italics,
boldface, or indents, and they need to use keywords such as sales or analy-
sis to match terms in job descriptions the computer is likely to be reading
for. Scannable résumés use nouns instead of verbs to describe responsibili-
ties and experiences (“response to sales calls” rather than “responded to
sales calls”).
If you have a specific job objective,you might list that objective at the top,
just under your name and contact information. Be sure to mention any
courses and experience that are relevant to that objective. If you’re applying
to be a teaching assistant at an elementary school, for example, you’ll want
to list any substitute teaching or babysitting experience and your CPR certi-
fication. And you might want to put experience that is most relevant to your
goals first, as Ade Adegboyega did on the résumé he sent in for an internship
at a ticket sales and service company.

Ade Adegboyega
89 Laurel Ave.
Irvington, NJ 07111
862-773-4074
ade.adegbo@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
OBJECTIVE
To obtain an internship related to the field of sport management.
EDUCATION
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ (2014–present)
• School of Arts and Science
• Major: Exercise Science and Sport Management
• Minor: Economics
• Bachelor of Science expected May 2018
EXPERIENCE
Prudential Center, Newark, NJ (Oct. 2012–Sept. 2014)
Ticket Sales Associate
• Responded to inbound sales calls and inquiries, and provided
information and/or follow-up materials as requested
• Maintained knowledge of ticket plan programs and ticket holder
preferences
Answer, Rutgers University Center for Applied Psychology,
Piscataway, NJ (Sept. 2014–present)
Office Assistant at national organization for sex education
• Oversee database management for quality assurance
• Assist staff with administrative duties as requested
• Compile statistical information for program coordinators
• Distribute incoming mail and prepare outgoing mail
Rutgers Recreation, New Brunswick, NJ (Jan. 2015–present)
Intramural Referee
• Look for violations of rules during play
• Impose penalties on players as necessary
• Explain the rules governing a specific sport
COMPUTER SKILLS
Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, programming
ACTIVITIES
Intramural soccer
Rutgers Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club
.
.
.
.
Name in boldface.
Headings and bullets used
to highlight information.
Experience directly
relevant to the job listed
first; other experience in
chronological order.
Length kept to one page.
[ 68 ]
A Print Résumé

[ 69 ]
A Scannable Résumé
Ade Adegboyega
Key words: ticket sales; oversight; sport; referee; economics;
compilation of statistics; administrative duties
Address
89 Laurel Ave.
Irvington, NJ 07111
Phone: 862-773-4074
Email: ade.adegbo@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Education
B.S. in Exercise Science and Sport Management, minor in Economics,
Rutgers, New Brunswick, NJ, expected May 2018
Experience
Ticket Sales Associate, Oct. 2012–Sept. 2014
Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
Response to inbound sales calls and inquiries; provision of information
and/or follow-up materials as requested; knowledge of ticket plan
programs and ticket holder preferences
Office Assistant, Sept. 2014–present
Answer, Rutgers University Center for Applied Psychology, Piscataway, NJ
Oversight of database management for quality assurance; assistance of
staff with administrative duties as requested; compilation of statistics for
program coordinators as requested; distribution of incoming mail and
preparation of outgoing mail
Intramural Referee, Jan. 2015–present
Rutgers Recreation, New Brunswick, NJ
Determination of rule violations during play; imposition of penalties on
players; explanation of rules governing a specific sport
Computer Skills
Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, programming
Activities
Intramural soccer
Rutgers Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club
.
.
.
All information in a single
font, flush left, with no
bold, italics, or underlining.
Key words for computer
searches.
Nouns rather than verbs
used to list responsibilities
and experiences.

WRITING
[ 70 ]
References
Often prospective employers will ask for references—professors or supervi-
sors who can speak about your work and your work ethic. Your first step
is to develop relationships with teachers and others who might serve as
references. Start early in your college career; visit your teachers during of-
fice hours, discuss your goals with them—and keep in touch. When you feel
comfortable enough, ask if they would be willing to be a reference for you.
When it comes time to ask for a specific reference, be sure to provide
them with helpful information: a description of the position, your résumé
and cover letter, and samples of your work. Give ample notice—never less
than a week or two to write a letter. If the letter will be mailed, be sure to
provide stamped, addressed envelopes. Remember to thank your references
at every step: when they agree to be a reference, after they recommend you,
and when you get the position!
Writing Samples
You may be asked to submit a writing sample or even a portfolio of your
work. For some positions, you may want to choose work that demonstrates
writing that relates in some way to the position you’re seeking, but often
you’ll just need to show something that demonstrates your writing ability.
Include a brief cover note with your sample explaining what it is, why you
are proud of it, and why you’ve chosen to submit it. Label the sample with
your name and contact information, and take care with its presentation:
place it in a folder if you’re delivering it in person or make sure it’s a neatly
designed document if you’re sending it via email.
When Elizabeth Sanders interviewed for a position as a student events
coordinator for a campus research institute that specified “experience or-
ganizing and publicizing campus events” as a qualification, she was asked
to bring a portfolio of her work along. She chose work that showcased writ-
ing that would matter for that job—two brochures she wrote, designed, and
produced; an interview she’d conducted with a visiting speaker; and a press
release—and then wrote a cover statement listing what was in her portfolio
and describing how each item addressed the job she was applying for.
Scott Williams also was asked to submit a writing sample after his
interview at a private equity firm. Having just graduated from college, he
chose an analytical paper he’d written as a junior and attached it to his
thank-you email.

Both Sanders and Williams were careful to choose examples that dem-
onstrated their best work and to present them in a professional manner. In
these cases, their hard work paid off: both got the jobs they were seeking.
But even if they hadn’t, they would have gained important experience to
use when starting the next job search.
Job Interviews
When it comes time to interview, you’ll need to prepare. Review the job de-
scription and plan how you will talk about your experiences. Research the
department and organization that you’d be working for. Make a list of ques-
tions you can imagine being asked and come up with answers to each. Pre-
pare your own list of questions that you’d like to ask. You may even want to
ask a friend to do a mock interview with you for practice.
The day of the interview, be on time, dress appropriately, and bring ex-
tra copies of your résumé, cover letter, references, and any other materials
that were requested. Of course you’ll be nervous, but be sure to listen—and
to think before responding. And remember to smile! Here are a few ques-
tions that interviewers might ask that you can use to practice and build
your own list of potential questions:
• Why are you interested in this industry or field?
• What interests you about this specific position?
• What do you know and like about our organization?
• What is your greatest strength? weakness?
• Can you describe a time that you successfully collaborated on a project?
Participating in a video interview. Many employers today use Skype or oth-
er videoconferencing technologies to conduct interviews. If you’re asked to
do an interview of this kind, here’s some advice:
• Practice speaking over Skype with a friend.
• Dress appropriately and in clothing that is easy to move around in: you
may be asked to stand, or sit, or both.
• Avoid using overhead lighting, which can appear harsh on camera; try
for natural light if at all possible.
• Make sure that you have a reliable internet connection.

WRITING
[ 72 ]
• Remember to look and speak directly into the camera in order to come
as close as possible to establishing eye contact with your interviewers.
• Be sure to speak carefully, enunciating each word in case the connec-
tion is less than ideal.
• Make sure that the area around you is neat—and that your dog isn’t
barking!
Writing on the Job
The fact is that almost any job you take will call for writing—and for speak-
ing and presenting as well. Regardless of what job you do, you will surely
be writing email. You will also likely be composing evaluations as well
as letters of recommendation for others and carrying out analyses of all
kinds. Many jobs will call on you to write a whole range of reports and to
give presentations incorporating handouts or slides.
As rhetorician Deborah Brandt points out, most of those working in the
United States today spend part of their day writing:
Remember to focus on the camera, rather than the screen, during a videoconference.

A large majority of Americans . . . now make their living in the so-called
information economy, people who produce, distribute, process, ma-
nipulate or vend mostly written work during a significant percentage
of the workday. At the turn of the 20th century, information workers
represented 10 percent of all employees. By 1959, they had grown to
more than 30 percent; by 1970, they were at 50 percent and now are 75
percent of the employed population. . . . As the nature of work in the
United States has changed—toward making and managing information
and knowledge—intense pressure has come to bear on the productive
side of literacy, the writing side, made all the more intense . . . with the
wide distribution of communication technologies that enable writing,
that put keyboards and audiences readily at hand.
—deborah brandt, “Writing at Work”
So writing will likely be a key part of your day-to-day work, as well as a key
to your future success. And the greatest success comes to those who pre
sent
themselves effectively, develop a strong work ethic, and seek mentorship
and constructive criticism—literally writing and speaking their way to suc-
cess. Remember that getting—and keeping—a job depends on some basic
rhetorical principles that will never go out of style:
• Become a strong and proactive team player who collaborates well
with others.
• Know your audience , and make the effort to meet them more than
halfway, with respect and a willingness to listen and learn from them.
• Clarify your goals and purposes , and stick to them—but also know
when and how to compromise.
• Consider the rhetorical situation of any task you face, and make
sure that what you are doing is appropriate in that context.
• Know your own strengths and weaknesses, and strive to build on the
former and minimize the
latter.
• Learn from your mistakes.
Some years ago, when we surveyed members of professional associations
about the writing they did as part of their job, we received a letter from
an engineer who said the following: “It has come to my attention that
those who are skilled in communication—and especially in writing and

WRITING
[ 74 ]

speaking—are the ones who get ahead in my firm. Would you be willing to
correspond with me about how I might improve these skills?” Our guess is
that there are thousands of new employees who would echo this sentiment,
and this chapter is an attempt to respond to those requests.
.REFLECT.Thinkbacktothejobsyou’veheldinhighschoolorcollege.Whether
you were a volunteer at your local hospital or animal shelter, a cashier, a barista, a
tutor, or a summer intern, chances are that rhetoric, writing, and collaboration played
a role in the work you did. Make some notes about how a particular job required you
to use writing or rhetorical strategies. How do you think you might use these skills in
future jobs or workplaces?

THE NEED FOR RHETORIC AND WRITING

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