Modes of Discourse
Introduction & Illustration
Modes of Discourse
• Mode = method (HOW)
• Discourse = communication / discussion
• In terms of written communication, we
classify 9 main modes of discourse
– Illustration, Narration, Description, Process
Analysis, Definition, Division and
Classification, Comparison and Contrast,
Cause and Effect and Argument.
Illustration
• The use of examples – facts, opinions, samples
and anecdotes or stories – to make ideas more
concrete and to make generalizations more
specific and detailed.
• Examples enable writers not just to tell but also
to show what they mean. The more specific the
example, the more effective it is.
• Sometimes, one long example is used to
illustrate a point. Other times, multiple examples
are given.
Illustration Example
The following single example is effective
because it is representative — that is,
essentially similar to other such
problems Hall might have described
and familiar to many readers. Hall tells
the story with enough detail that
readers can understand the couple’s
feelings and so better understand the
point he is trying to make.
Illustration Example
Whenever there is a great cultural distance between two
people, there are bound to be problems arising from
differences in behavior and expectations. An example is
the American couple who consulted a psychiatrist about
their marital problems. The husband was from New
England and had been brought up by reserved parents
who taught him to control his emotions and to respect
the need for privacy. His wife was from an Italian family
and had been brought up in close contact with all the
members of her large family, who were extremely warm,
volatile, and demonstrative. When the husband came
home after a hard day at the office, dragging his feet and
longing for peace and quiet, his wife would rush to him
and smother him.
Illustration Example Continued
Clasping his hands, rubbing his brow, crooning
over his weary head, she never left him alone.
But when the wife was upset or anxious about
her day, the husband’s response was to
withdraw completely and leave her alone. No
comforting, no affectionate embrace, no
attention – just solitude. The woman became
convinced her husband didn’t love her and, in
desperation, she consulted a psychiatrist. Their
problem wasn’t basically psychological but
cultural.
Illustration Example Continued
In contrast, another writer supports his topic sentence about
superstitions with ten examples:
In the folklore of the country, numerous superstitions relate to winter
weather. Back-country farmers examine their corn husks — the
thicker the husk, the colder the winter. They watch the acorn crop —
the more acorns, the more severe the season. They observe where
white-faced hornets place their paper nests — the higher they are, the
deeper will be the snow. They examine the size and shape and color
of the spleens of butchered hogs for clues to the severity of the
season. They keep track of the blooming of dogwood in the spring —
the more abundant the blooms, the more bitter the cold in January.
When chipmunks carry their tails high and squirrels have heavier fur
and mice come into country houses early in the fall, the superstitious
gird themselves for a long, hard winter. Without any scientific basis, a
wider-than-usual black band on a woolly-bear caterpillar is accepted
as a sign that winter will arrive early and stay late. Even the way a cat
sits beside the stove carries its message to the credulous. According
to a belief once widely held in the Ozarks, a cat sitting with its tail to
the fire indicates very cold weather is on the way.
Illustration Model Essay
• Read the model essay entitled, “Let’s
Think Outside the Box of Bad Clichés” and
take notice of the use of examples in his
essay
• In your notes, answer the following
question: Does Pence use one long
example or many examples to prove his
point? Is it effective?
Classroom Activity
Using Illustration
• Choose one of the following statements (choose
one that you agree with, if possible)
–
–
–
–
–
Miracles can happen.
Sports can change your life.
Hard work pays off in the end.
God exists.
Good friends will always stick by you.
• Now think of a real example from your life (or the
life of someone you know) that proves that
statement true. Describe that event in detail and
explain how it proves the statement true.