ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES: refer to the ways in which a writer may arrange,

sequence and structure the ideas within discourse in order to achieve his or her purpose for
writing.
This does not normally include generic features of discourse such as sentences, paragraphs or
regular punctuation except where the inclusion of such features specifically provides
additional dimensions of meaning in achieving the writer’s purpose.

Definitions: explain key terms to facilitate ease of comprehension, clarify meaning of

unfamiliar words which are important to comprehend the message

Direct quotations: add credibility and authenticity to his discussion by citing expert
opinion/ensure accuracy of information via verbatim account from an individual or source
document etc.

Inverted commas: call attention to certain key terms for purposes of emphasis, or signal
ironic use of words or sarcasm

Anecdotal examples: brief story, scenario or illustration to support or demonstrate a point

being made, to set the tone of the discourse or to cause the reader to reflect on an idea related
to writer’s purpose for using the anecdote

Examples or illustrations: evidence or reason (facts, statistics, anecdotes) that is offered to

support a point being made

Information from authoritative/expert sources: gives the impression that the information
which the writer presents is well-researches, authentic, verifiable, and corroborated. It
increases the logos appeal of the information by making the writer’s point of view seem more
credible since it is supported by scholarship and expert knowledge.

Testimonials: involves first person eye witness account and accounts from expert or
authority sources based on their experience and specialized knowledge
Chronological ordering of information: arranging or structuring information in some kind
of logical time sequence to show interconnectedness of ides and make the information easy to
follow and comprehend; can be: simple listing, numbered listing of facts, chronological
ordering with dates, historical data or record

Cause and effect: demonstrate the causal relationship between variables and writer’s use this
pattern to show the degree or extent to which one thing affects the performance, result or
outcome of another

Contrast: emphasize the extent to which things are different or dissimilar in the process of
achieving their purpose

Comparison or analogy: to emphasize the extent to which things are similar in the process
of achieving their purpose

Use of active voice: sentences are said to be active when the subject performs the action of
the main verb. By doing so, the most import thing becomes the focus of the sentence. This
strategy makes the writing more concise and efficient

Prescriptive or directive language: using language in ways which tell or direct the reader or
listener what to do such as commonly found in command and request

Inductive ordering of facts: involves organizing information in such a way as to follow a

sequential logic which is not known for certain

Deductive ordering of facts: involves organizing information which starts with a general
statement about the subject which should be a group of things and then moving to focus on
one member of the group or class which displays the features evident in the members of the
group or class

Hypothetical reasoning: involves discussion of or reasoning about a virtual or imagined

situation in order to arrive at the best option or solution
Hypophora or (ask and immediately answer strategy): uses a question to focus the
reader’s attention on factors the writer considers important to his purpose. It creates the
impression of a dialogue with the reader because having been asked the question the writer
then provides a contextualized answer. This heightens reader interest and engagement

Statistical data: illustrate changes and trend in the information presented, but commonly
used to enhance the logos appeal of the information by giving the impression that it is well-
researched, authentic, and verifiable.

Problem solution pattern: involves a discussion of a number of possible solutions to solving

a given problem

Jargon and technical language: gives the impression of scholarship and hence boost the
credibility of information especially when such a language comes from an authority or expert
source; also, the use of jargon, complex phrasing and technical language is most suitable for
an educated audience

Simple diction and simple sentences: suggest that the writer is aware that his audience is
not highly educated or is a general one and so he attempts to make the information accessible

Repetition: involves deliberate restatement of words, phrases, full sentences or ideas (using
different words) in order to emphasize aspects of a writer’s message, to set the tone of the
message or to restate a key idea – (look up these terms - anaphora and epiphora)

Ascending order: involves arranging and presenting information from the least important to
the most important

Descending order: starts with the most important and leads down to the least important

Square brackets or crotchets: indicates that the writer, in quoting from a source, has altered
grammatical forms such as verb tense, personal pronoun, point of view or has even inserted a
word to help the altered quotation make sense (can change the accuracy and authenticity of
the original meaning)
Process Analysis: a step by step expository or technical breakdown of the phases of a
process or how a change takes place through a series of stages

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES: refer to a writer’s use of figures of speech and literary

devices to heighten meaning and make it more emphatic. These are words, phrases or
constructions that affect the reader’s thoughts and emotions as he or she reads - (naturally,
there are areas of overlap between some organizational strategies and some language
techniques in the way they heighten and enhance meaning.)

DEVICES INVOLVING A WRITER’S SPECIAL SELECTION OF WORDS:

 Euphemism
 Hyperbole
 Irony
 Imagery: visual, auditory or aural, olfactory, gustatory, tactile or kinesthetic
 Sarcasm
 Oxymoron
 Paradox
 Pun or double entendre
 Understatement or Litotes
 Symbols
 Allusion
 Metaphoric: allegory, metaphor, metonymy, parable, personification, pathetic fallacy,
simile, synecdoche etc.
 Use of emotive language – also inclusive language

DEVICES INVOLVING THE CREATION OF SOUND EFFECTS:

 Alliteration
 Assonance
 Dissonance
 Onomatopoeia
 Rhyme
  Tone: formal, playful, critical, sarcastic, sympathetic, conversational

DEVICES INVOLVING SENTENCE CONCTRUCTION

 Antithesis (a form of juxtaposition in which two opposing ideas are balanced in a
single statement or parallel grammatical structure)
 Epigram
 Foreshadow
 Innuendo
 Juxtaposition
 Parallelism
 Rhetorical question