PB2B: Making Moves

Rhetorical moves are important for developing a more interesting and personal writing style. Moves are personal choices that the authors make in order to elicit a desired response from the audience. While some rhetorical moves can be general and copied from other sources, some are created by the individual in order to give their writing more personality. In “Navigating Genres,” Kerry Dirk utilizes several of the moves listed in the They Say, I Say Appendix, as well as introducing some of his own to make the article both well-written and interesting to read.

Within “Navigating Genres,” Dirk is constantly quoting other sources in order to support his claims and explain certain concepts. He uses the move “Introducing Quotations” by writing things such as “Devitt writes that:” (252) or “Lloyd Bitzer wrote the following:” (251). Using such introductions explicitly tells the reader that the author will be using something that someone else said, and that the writing is not theirs. Dirk also introduces quotes using the move “Arguing Who is Saying What.” Immediately preceding a quote, Dirk uses phrases such as “Devitt argues that…” or “Carolyn Miller, a leading professor in the field of technical communications, argues that…” to indicate someone else’s opinion on the matter he is presenting. Then, Dirk goes on to use the move “Explaining Quotations.” Following a quote, Dirk will write something like “In other words, Bitzer is saying that…” (252) or “In other words, Miller is saying that…” (254) and then explain the quotation in his own words. This move is used in order to make sure that readers can really grasp a concept by explaining it in other terms, and so that the author can make his own argument rather than relying solely on other peoples’ words. It also shows he fully understand the material. Dirk further expands on his claims using the “Adding Metacommentary” move. Throughout “Navigating Genres,” Dirk wrote things such as “In sum…” (259) or “In other words…” (254) and follows with a sum of the argument he was just making. The use of this move is to restate the point that he made in the previous sentences, and to make sure the audience is following. Finally, Dirk uses the “Making Concessions While Still Standing Your Ground Move” in order to address a potential problem of his argument while still supporting it. One example of when he utilized this move is when he wrote the following: “That is, of course, not to say that there aren’t rules that come with genres: the difference is that the rules change as the genre changes, and that no rules apply to all genres, and that the genres require more effort than simply following the rules” (258). Here, this move is used to acknowledge a point that might seem confusing and explain what is really meant.

In addition to the many moves Dirk employs from the They Say, I Say Appendix, he also applies some of his very own moves. One of these moves I named “The Thinker,” which is when Dirk will write things such as “Think about George Washington giving the first State of the Union Address” (252) or “Think about a time when you were asked to write a research paper” (255). The use of this move is to get the reader to imagine a situation that exemplifies a point that Dirk is trying to make. It is extremely effective in giving a clear example that a reader can apply to Dirk’s claim to better understand it. Another one of Dirk’s creative moves is one I called “Who Cares?” which is where he explains why what he is saying is important. He implements this move in sentences such as “Why am I picking the popular genres to discuss?” (254) or simply, “Why?” (255) This move is useful in providing support for his claims and explaining his reasoning, so that his argument seems more legitimate. In another move that I call “The Aside,” Dirk implements dashes within sentences in order to expand on what he’s saying and give more details. This move is useful in clarifying a point, such as when he writes “…you have been participating in many different genres – whether you are telling a joke…” (235). Another one of Dirk’s moves is the “Self,” which is when he uses the word “I” a lot and explains his own thoughts and opinions. The use of this move is to make the writing feel more personal and informal, and will seem more interesting to readers. Rather than teach concepts in a boring fashion, Dirk attempts to connect with the readers and make the article more personal in order to secure the readers’ attention. Another one of Dirk’s personal moves is “Applying to Real Life,” which is when he relates a concept to something we’ve experience before in life and can relate to. For example, he wrote that when we write a Facebook status, we “were recognizing the rhetorical situation of [our] action and choosing to act in a manner that would result in the outcome [we] desired” (253). This move is used to explain concepts in ways that are applicable to our lives and in ways we can understand. Overall, Dirk uses various moves in his writing to help strengthen his points and make a logical, well-written article.