The rhetorical function guides writers in creating effective compositions for public speaking or academics. It can refer to the method used to persuade readers or the effect an object has on speech. Descriptive and informative writing focuses on informing, while critical or argumentative writing aims to persuade. The rhetorical function of an object or word refers to how it illustrates the point made in the composition.
The rhetorical function is often used as a set of rules that guide a writer in creating an effective composition, especially academic compositions or compositions for public speaking. The rhetorical function of an action or object refers to the point it makes in the context of an argument or exchange of public speech. This term can also be used to refer to rhetorical strategy, or the method used to persuade a reader or audience member to agree with the writer’s or speaker’s point of view.
The rhetorical function can often be a few things, but is most often used to refer to a set of rules that guide a writer in crafting an effective composition. The methods used in the academic rhetorical function focus on informing the listener or reader. A writer who creates an informational piece describing a topic uses different functions than a writer who is attempting to critique a topic or introduce the reader to a possibly opposing point of view. It can also describe the effect an action or object has on speech.
When describing a topic, a writer might use Describe how an object looks, feels, or does, or might use examples or narrative to give the reader a better idea of the topic. He might use definitions and classifications or visual aids such as tables and graphs to teach the reader. A writer may sometimes use rhetorical devices to make a description more interesting, but generally does not include language intended to convince the reader of any disputed point.
In contrast to descriptive and informative writing, a critical or argumentative composition would employ a rhetorical function intended to persuade the reader or audience of information that may not be generally accepted, such as a hypothesis challenging information previously held to be true. When a writer works to persuade a reader, he might offer information leading to points that support his main conclusion. He can also use fiction to illustrate how the information and points lead to his conclusion.
For the most part, the rhetorical function of an object, which can be a physical object as well as a word within a composition, refers to how the object works to illustrate the information or point made in the composition. Examples of using an object rhetorically include wearing a burning bra to urge women to break free from society’s female constraints or putting a flower in a gun to protest a war. The rhetorical function of a word or phrase becomes relevant when a writer chooses to use a word or phrase with a good or bad connotation rather than a more neutral one.
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