What type of writing assignment is appropriate for teaching rhetorical patterns to students?

The choice of comparing life in the twenty-first century with life in the nineteenth century is an appropriate writing assignment for teaching rhetorical patterns because it inherently encourages students to employ various modes of argumentation and analytical techniques. When students engage in this type of assignment, they must effectively use comparison and contrast as a rhetorical strategy, which is key to developing their analytical writing skills.

This assignment requires students to not only identify similarities and differences between the two time periods but also to structure their arguments logically and cohesively. They learn to organize their thoughts in a manner that highlights relevant points, supporting their comparisons with evidence and examples. As students explore how social, technological, and cultural contexts have shifted over time, they also gain insights into the broader implications of such changes.

In contrast, the other options focus on skills that do not directly engage with rhetorical patterns. Changing the tense of a passage deals more with grammatical structure than with rhetorical analysis. Writing down free associations primarily deals with brainstorming and creative thinking, lacking the structured approach required for rhetorical exploration. Lastly, practicing skimming and summarizing is essential for comprehension but does not focus on the development of argumentation or rhetorical structures necessary for in-depth writing assignments.