Understanding the Rhetorical Situation
The “rhetorical situation” is a term used to describe the components of any situation in which you may want to
communicate, whether in written or oral form. To define a “rhetorical situation,” ask yourself this question: “who
is talking to whom about what, how, and why?” There are five main components:
Purpose
Writer
Audience
Message
Context/Culture
PURPOSE refers to why you are writing. Determining your purpose requires that you engage in Task Analysis — that is,
determine what you hope to accomplish by writing this document. Ask yourself what you hope the reader(s) will
do/think/decide/ or how they will behave as a result of reading the text. There are three general purposes for communication
in the workplace: 1) to create a record, 2) to give or request information, and 3) to persuade.
Within those general purposes, you will find a myriad of specific purposes. For example, your purpose may be to propose an
innovative solution to a specific problem. In this case, you want the reader to agree to explore the idea further, or approve
funding for further research and development, which would fall under the general purpose of writing to persuade.
WRITER refers to you, the writer/creator/designer of the communication. It is important to examine your own motivation
for writing and any biases, past experiences, and knowledge you bring to the writing situation. These elements will influence
how you craft the message, whether positively or negatively. This examination should also include your role within the
organization, as well as your position relative to your target audience.
AUDIENCE refers to your readers/listeners/viewers/users. Audience Analysis is possibly the most critical part of
understanding the rhetorical situation. Consider Figure 1.3.2 below. Is your audience internal (within your company) or
external (such as clients, suppliers, customers, other stakeholders)? Are they lateral to you (at the same position or level),
upstream from you (management), or downstream from you (employees, subordinates)? Who is the primary audience? Who
are the secondary audiences? These questions, and others, help you to create an understanding of your audience that will help
you craft a message that is designed to effectively communicate specifically to them.
Fig
Keep in mind that your different audiences may also have different purposes in reading your document.
Consider what their various purposes might be, and how you can best help them achieve these goals.
What do they already know? What do they need to know? Considering what they are expected to do
with the information you provide will help you craft your message effectively. Consider also that
technical writing often has a long “life-span” – a document you write today could be filed away and
reviewed months or even years down the road. Consider the needs of that future audience as well.
Exposition Definition
Rhetorical modes are the different patterns or structures for organizing writing. These structures are related to
the general purpose of your essay, such as to persuade, describe, or narrate. Exposition is a rhetorical mode
whose purpose is to explain or inform. This rhetorical mode contains many diverse forms of writing. From
recipes to album reviews to political explainers, exposition provides explanations and information about the
world.