Untitled Flashcards Set

Narration 

telling a story; recounting of events

to explain information about your topic as a series of events in story format; a recounting of events

Description 

targets the senses with a high level of detail; also a type of story, but the level of detail distinguishes it

to create a picture in words (vivid, specific details) to help the reader visualize something a writer has experienced

Process Analysis

explains how something works (a machine, the political system, how to’s, etc.); summarizes how something was done (a historical event, a movement, etc.)

to explain a process by giving directions or information about how to do something or how something is done.

Exempli-

fication/ Illustration

making a point through the use of a series of examples; can be one extended example

to discuss a topic by using several/a series of examples to clarify points or to go into depth about one extended example

Comparison and Contrast

juxtaposing (putting two things close together w/ the intended effect of making their similarities and differences more distinct) 

to show how two or more areas of your topic are similar (compare) or different (contrast) or both, often by using juxtaposition 

Classification and Division

to sort—what goes together and why? 

to break a topic into groups of categories and explain what goes together and why they go together

Definition

defining something (a word, a concept, a trend, etc.) and then examining how a situation fits that definition

to define a word in a way that ensures the reader and the speaker have a common understanding of what it means; in the end, an idea is defined and a situation is examined in terms of how it does/does not fit that definition

Cause and Effect 

analyzing the cause(s) that lead(s) to particular effect(s)

to explain what caused (cause) something to happen (effect); how did one thing lead to another?; answers why something happened as the result of something else