While templates for academic writing, like those offered in the popular textbook "They Say/I Say," have been embraced by some, others still question the extent to which an emphasis on form comes at the expense of substance. But ancient rhetoricians offer a theory of rhetoric that unites style and substance, and Jeanne Fahnestock's modern…

The use of writing models with nonnative English speakers has received a certain amount of criticism--especially from teachers whose students copy models in their entirety or follow them too closely. The misuse of models has brought some teachers to the point where they believe that the best kind of pedagogy is to abandon writing models…

Compares the current use of prose models to those developed by the Greek Sophists. Outlines problems with using professional writing excerpts as examples of rhetorical modes when they were not written as such. Argues that composition texts based on prose models err by implying that all writing fits into modal categories. (HB)

Explores the discourse modes put forth in Bain's nineteenth century college textbook "English Composition and Rhetoric." Discusses his rationale for shifting from the previous belletristic schemes to the forms of description, narration, exposition, persuasion, and poetry. (HTH)

Evaluates James L. Kinneavy's theory of discourse. Suggests that Kinneavy's theory would profit from internal development and shows how his terminology is capable of systematic elaboration. (RBW)

With the advent of the process approach to teaching writing, the use of products or models in the composition classroom has declined, replaced by heuristic exploration of the rhetorical situation, with special emphasis on audience analysis. Some researchers have emphasized the difference between internal audiences and audiences external to the…