Some of Professor Kenneth Pike's tagmemic theory is explained, and an attempt to apply it in freshman English classes at the University of Michigan is described. Two writing subjects (a concrete object and an abstraction) are examined from the aspects of contrast; range of variation; and distribution with respect to class, context, and matrix. The three-week experiment with tagmemic theory in freshman English is briefly described, and its effectiveness is assessed. Remarks are offered on the relative relevance of rhetoric and linguistics to composition classes. (AF)