This writing assignment--The Profile Essay--requires students to use a variety of rhetorical modes to support a thesis statement.

A freshman composition textbook used by the English Department of Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) in Roanoke, Virginia. It aligns with ENG 111, the standard first-year composition course in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). The ten chapter headings are:

1. Chapter 1 - Critical Reading
2. Chapter 2 - Rhetorical Analysis
3. Chapter 3 - Argument
4. Chapter 4 - The Writing Process
5. Chapter 5 - Rhetorical Modes
6. Chapter 6 - Finding and Using Outside Sources
7. Chapter 7 - How and Why to Cite
8. Chapter 8 - Writing Basics: What Makes a Good Sentence?
9. Chapter 9 - Punctuation
10. Chapter 10 - Working With Words: Which Word is Right?

This book was created by the English faculty and librarians of VWCC using Creative Commons -licensed materials and original contributions.

This video presents "comparison and contrast" as a rhetorical mode.  Students can select a captioned version, an uncaptioned version, and/or a full transcript.

This lecture presents "Definition" as a rhetorical mode.  The lecture is offered in three different formats: a video without captions, a video with captions, and a full transcript.

This video presents "description" as a rhetorical mode.  Students can select a captioned version, an uncaptioned version, or a full transcript.

This video presents "division and classification" as a rhetorical mode.  Students can select a captioned version, an un-captioned version, and/or a full transcript.

This lecture presents Explanation as a rhetorical mode for composition.  The lecture is offered here in three different formats: video without captions, video with captions, and a full text transcript.

This lecture presents Illustration as a rhetorical mode for composition.  The lecture is offered here in three different formats: video without captions, video with captions, and a full text transcript.

This video presents "narration" as a rhetorical mode.  Students can select a captioned version, an uncaptioned version, and/or a full transcript.

This lecture reviews "comparison and contrast" as a rhetorical mode by indentifying it in reading selections.  The lecture is offered here in three different formats: video without captions, video with captions, and a text transcript. 

This lecture reviews "cause and effect" analysis as a rhetorical mode by indentifying it in reading selections.  The lecture is offered here in three different formats: video without captions, video with captions, and a text transcript.

This video explains how facts and short examples can be used to illustrate a point in composition.

This lecture presents Process Analysis as a rhetorical mode for composition.  The lecture is offered here in three different formats: video without captions, video with captions, and a text transcript.