RHETORICAL FUNCTIONS

WHAT IS RHETORIC?

Modern theories of oral and written communication remain heavily influenced by the basic
rhetorical principles introduced in ancient Greece by Isocrates and Aristotle, and in Rome
by Cicero and Quintilian. The term "rhetorical" derives from the Greek word "rhetor," which
means "public speaker" or "spokesman," and has come to signify the art and skill of
speaking and writing persuasively. Both writing and speaking, a rhetorical function is the
way the writer explains his ideas and try to simplify things to help the readers or audience
better understand the matter examined.

Here, we will present these key figures and identify some of their central elements.

1. DEFINITION

Scientists use Definitions when they try to explain reality. Definitions help them to
discriminate and characterize all kinds of phenomena. (In other words, their
conceptualizations).

WHAT IS A DEFINITION? We call a definition sentence a statement that contains the

minimum necessary to cover the meaning of a concept and reveal the essential nature of
the thing the concept means.

 There are two possible ways to present a DEFINITION

1. A. Complete or Formal Definition: It is a complete sentence in which three purposes
are clearly stated:

1. Identify the concept by name (Concept).

2. Divide it in a group or order (Class).
3. Expose its specific differentia (Characteristics).

1. B. Incomplete Definition: It is a definition in which only one or two purposes (concept-

class or concept- characteristics) are stated in the definition sentence which is also short,
the other(s) should be found in the text, are implicit or the reader must deduce them.
Incomplete definitions can be of three types: a) semiformal b) non-formal and c) deduced.

A SEMIFORMAL definition contains only two of the three basic defining elements the term
itself and the differentia.

Example:

 The computer is used to process data.

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A NON-FORMAL definition gives the reader neither as much information nor as precise
information as do either formal or semi-formal definitions. Its function is to define in a
general sense. Most non-formal definitions are found in the form of synonyms.

Example

 Industrial Engineering is also about opinions.

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 Purchase or buy is something addictive

1 2

A DEDUCED definition is one which states an intention of defining a term in the sentence
but whose differentia (characteristics) has, to be extracted from elsewhere in the text. .

Example:

 This is called Clean air policy

1

The definition has this structure:

 1. CONCEPT
2.CLASS
3.CHARACTERISTICS

REMINDER: The order in which these elements appear may vary according to the text.

There are verbal forms used in definitions called Markers; Here are some of them:

MARKERS
X is ...
X may be defined as ...
X can be defined…
X are…
X is a type of Y that /which
X is named…
X is defined…
X is called ...
X is known as ...

EXAMPLES

A. Production is the Process of making something of value. It means bringing together

materials, machinery and workers to make goods.

B. The Discipline that concerns the design, development, improvement, implementation of

integrated systems of people, knowledge, equipment, energy and material is known as
Industrial Engineering.

C. Recreation, it refers to the use of leisure time for personal satisfaction and enjoyment
and for physical and mental health.

D. The computer: is a complex device.

Concept Class Characteristics

 PRACTICE

A. Read the following excerpts and analyze the definitions. Are they complete or
incomplete definitions?

 Swine flu is a respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses that regularly cause
outbreaks in pigs.
 Man-made contaminants are substances discharged from factories, applied to
farmlands or used by consumers in their homes and yards.
 Concussion is a type of brain injury. Technically, a concussion is a short loss of normal
brain function in response to a head injury.
 Business is an organization designed to provide goods, services, or both to
consumers.
 Catfish: A person who uses the Twitter online message service to send and receive
tweets.

B. Match the concept (left) with the definition (right). Identify the parts of the definitions.
CONCEPTS DEFINITIONS
Brain Drain It is an abnormal, irrational fear of being
without one’s mobile device, or of being unable
to communicate using one’s mobile device.
Acid Rain It is an image of oneself taken by oneself using
a digital camera especially for posting on social
networks.
Developing Country The basic structural unit of all organisms.

Webinar Radio Frequency Identification is a technology

that uses computer chips smaller than a grain
of sand to track items from a distance.
Urban tribes Fuel, as wood or ethanol, derived from
biomass.
Chikungunya The movable articles, as tables, chairs, desks
or cabinets, required for use or ornament in a
house, office, or the like.
Outsourcing Can be defined as a large emigration of
individuals with technical skills or knowledge,
normally due to conflict, lack of opportunity or
health risks.
Nomophobia It is the act of hacking, or breaking into a
 computer system, for a politically or socially
motivated purpose.
Cell The term is used to denote material is in an
unprocessed or minimally processed state;
e.g., raw latex or coal.
RFID It is defined as a poor or non-industrial country
that is seeking to develop its resources by
industrialization.
Furniture It is a company or organization which
purchases goods or subcontract services from
an outside supplier or source.
Raw Material It is a rain which contains large amounts of
harmful chemicals as a result of burning
substances such as coal and oil.
Biofuel It is a febrile disease that resembles dengue,
occurs especially in parts of Africa, India, and
southeastern Asia.
Hacktivism It is a seminar that takes place on the Internet,
allowing participants in different locations to
see and hear the presenter.
Selfie They are defined as young city people that
gathered in relatively small, fluid groups.

Here we would have to read the preceding paragraph or sentence in order to identify the
characteristics of the term.

Typically, a mouse is a palm-sized device, slightly smaller than a pack of cards. On top of
the mouse there are one or more buttons for communicating with the computer. A ‘tail’ or
wire extends from the mouse to a connection on the back of the computer.
.

Industrial ecology is an interdisciplinary framework for designing and operating industrial

systems as living systems interdependent with natural systems. It seeks to balance
environmental and economic performance within emerging understanding of local and
global ecological constraints. Some of its developers have called it "the science of
sustainability".
Ergonomics is the study of the principles of work. Ergonomics are concerned with the
complex physical relationships between people, machines, job demands and work
methods, A prime emphasis is on preventing musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace.
These injuries create significant cost to industry in the form of medical bills, worker’s
compensation, reduced productivity and lost time.

Ergonomics also consider human reliability, psychomotor capabilities and human

characteristics in equipment design, work quality and assessment of skill. An Important
aspect of equipment design is human-computer interaction.

Marketing

Activities involved in getting goods from the producer to the consumer, The producer is
responsible for the design and manufacture of goods. Early marketing techniques
followed production and were responsible only for moving goods from the manufacturer
to the point of final sale. Now however, marketing is much more pervasive. In large
corporations the marketing functions precede the manufacture of a product. They involve
market research and product development, design, and testing.

The visual arts are art forms that create works that are primarily visual in nature, such as
ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, photography, video,
filmmaking and architecture.

Drawing is a means of making an image, using any of a wide variety of tools and
techniques. It generally involves making marks on a surface by applying pressure from a
tool, or moving a tool across a surface using dry media such as graphite pencils, pen and
ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoals, pastels, and markers. Digital
tools that simulate the effects of these are also used. The main techniques used in
drawing are: line drawing, hatching, crosshatching, random hatching, scribbling, stippling,
and blending. An artist who excels in drawing is referred to as a draftsman or
draughtsman.