I.

Writing situations are rhetorical situations

- Viewing writing as a rhetorical act helps us understand:
o How writers or speakers pursue their purposes
o Consider the needs and interests of their audiences
o Adapt to the conditions in which they address their audiences, and present, organize, or
design their documents or speeches
II. Writing has a purpose
- Writers join written conversations for particular purposes, which in turn affect the roles they adopt
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III. Readers have purposes, needs, interests, knowledge, and backgrounds
- Among other purposes, readers want to learn about a subject, assess or evaluate ideas and
arguments, or understand opposing perspectives.
- Readers’ purposes are strongly affected by their own needs, interests, and backgrounds
IV. Genres are general categories of documents
- Genre refer to general categories of documents, such as novels or Web pages, it can also be used to
refer to more specific categories
V. Design is a Writing tool
- Document design is the use of visual elements – such as fonts, colors, page layotu, and illustrations –
to enhance the effectiveness of the written documents
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