Rhetorical functions in academic writing
Examples of texts and language. A good source of language is
Leech
& Svartvik (1975). Typical rhetorical functions used in
academic
writing, based on: Werlich (1976) and Lackstrom, Selinker &
Trimble
(1973), are:
- Describing objects,
location, structure and direction
- Reporting and narrating
- Defining
- Writing instructions
- Describing function
- Describing processes,
developments and operations
- Classifying /
categorising
- Giving examples
- Including tables and charts
- Comparing and
contrasting: similarities and differences
- Generalising
- Expressing degrees of
certainty
- Expressing reasons and
explanations / cause and effect
- Taking a stance
- Arguing and discussing
- Introducing
- Drawing conclusions
- Writing critically
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