{"id":1611,"date":"2014-12-19T00:06:33","date_gmt":"2014-12-19T07:06:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/?p=1611"},"modified":"2018-07-19T18:18:32","modified_gmt":"2018-07-20T01:18:32","slug":"four-modes-of-discourse-and-ccss-three-types-of-texts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/four-modes-of-discourse-and-ccss-three-types-of-texts\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the Common Core’s Three Types of Writing and the Four Modes of Discourse"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you confused about the many different types, kinds, and forms of writing? The best way to become clear is to first understand the Four Modes of Discourse<\/em><\/strong>. In his 1866 book, English Composition and Rhetoric<\/em>, Alexander Bain introduced two models that have remained the foundation of writing instruction for the last 148 years:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paragraph Rules<\/span>
\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Four Modes of Discourse: Expository, Narrative, Descriptive, and Argument<\/span><\/p>\n

These two models weren\u2019t just home runs. They were out-of-the-ballpark home runs with bases loaded! Bain’s models built upon what came before, but they were the difference between good and near perfect.<\/p>\n

The Four Modes of Discourse Simply Explained:<\/h3>\n
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1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Expository Writing:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0By explaining and informing, you help your reader to\u00a0understand something in the same way that you understand it. Teach them.<\/span><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Narrative Writing:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Tell what happened.<\/span><\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Descriptive Writing:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Create a mental picture or image in your reader\u2019s mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Argument Writing:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Provide evidence and give reasons in order to prove something.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

Shockingly, most every sentence we speak and write is designed to achieve one of these four goals. Truthfully, the Four Modes of Discourse is not a perfect model, but it is the best we have. Critics of the Four Modes of Discourse would say that we should focus on the rhetorical purpose of the communication. Here is an analogy that helps illustrate what they are getting at.<\/p>\n

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Four Modes of Discourse Analogy<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are driving to the store because you need groceries, the Four Modes of Discourse is the driving in the car<\/em>. It is what you are doing at the moment, but it is not your purpose. Your purpose is not to drive\u00a0a car. Your purpose is to buy groceries. However, if you drive your car well, you will achieve your purpose of buying groceries. If you don\u2019t, you won\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n

The purpose of all writing is communication. If the purpose is not to communicate, then why write? Truthfully, the Four Modes of Discourse puts each mode in the position of being a purpose or end goal, which it is not. But even with this minor flaw, I still believe that the Four Modes of Discourse is the most effective model for making sense of all the other models of writing. Put simply, the Four Modes of Discourse are the Four Main Genres of Writing.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

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Do you teach beginning writers or struggling writers? Be sure to check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span> on the homepage!<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Three Text Types<\/h3>\n

The Common Core State Standards (hereafter CCSS) writing standards are formed around \u201cThree Text Types.\u201d Basically, the CCSS Three Text Types are the Four Modes of Discourse, but with descriptive writing playing a smaller role.<\/p>\n

In my opinion, the CCSS got the writing standards absolutely right! Nice job! They demoted descriptive writing to the status of being an important and valuable tool, and they chose to use the word argument<\/em> over the word persuasive<\/em>. Additionally, in grades K-5 they chose to use the term opinion writing<\/em> instead of argument<\/em>. After all, we wouldn\u2019t say that a person is performing surgery when they are really just removing a splinter.<\/p>\n

One last interesting change is that the CCSS have chosen to call expository writing Informational\/Explanatory Writing<\/em>. I\u2019ve personally always used the following equation to explain what expository writing is: Expository = Explain + Inform<\/strong>. Apparently, the CCSS agree.<\/p>\n

Once again, the CCSS have not abandoned descriptive writing, just demoted it. It\u2019s mentioned throughout the standards using these terms: description, descriptive details, descriptions of actions, and narrative descriptions. Although I agree with the CCSS\u2019s position on descriptive writing, I do believe that understanding descriptive writing helps students better understand the other Three Text Types. That being said, it\u2019s not a great use of time to require students to write numerous descriptive paragraphs and descriptive essays. In short, occasional practice in descriptive writing is still valuable, but treating it as an equal mode of discourse is poor time management.<\/p>\n

All in all, the CCSS have taken the Four Modes of Discourse and guided it in an optimal direction.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s Take a Quick Look at the CCSS Three Text Types<\/h3>\n

It may surprise some teachers, but in all grades K-12, there are only three types of writing addressed in the CCSS writing standards. In short, the standards use the same Three Text Types in all grades, and progress incrementally year-by-year moving from simple to complex.<\/p>\n

The CCSS writing standards are only 9 pages total for all of K-12. The CCSS also have a 3-page Definitions of the Standards\u2019 Three Text Types<\/em>. I recommend you download both from the CCSS website. But before you do, let\u2019s take a quick look at what you will find there, and see how the standards relate to the Four Modes of Discourse.<\/p>\n

Here are the Grade 5 CCSS writing standards as relates to text types. I\u2019ve also included the Grade 6 Argument Standard to highlight the Opinion-to-Argument transition from Grade 5 to Grade 6:<\/p>\n

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Argument: CCSS\u00a0Text Type 1<\/span><\/h3>\n