memo
Write a memo to me that explains in your own words Bitzer’s essay “The Rhetorical Situation.” http://www.arts.uwaterloo.ca/~raha/309CWeb/Bitzer(1968).pdf (Links to an external site.)
In your memo, you need to define the rhetorical situation, exigence, rhetorial audience, and constraints. You can then draw on your own experience to discuss an exigence in your own life related to business. I would suggest that you locate a problem that you might examine in your final business report.
Please note that you need to paraphrase Bitzer’s text, which means that you need to change the diction, sentence structure, order of ideas, and include a citation. The memo should be cited appropriately using APA 6 or 7 as discussed in class. In the memo, you also need to demonstrate how Bitzer’s essay can be used to analyze the problem that you will be discussing in your final report for this course. Please do not forget to include a References section.
Word limit: 500 words
Remember a memo follows these SIDCRA principles:
Summary (the re: line)
Introduction (build relation with the audience and includes an aim sentence. In this memo, I aim to…)
Discussion (here you need to divide your topics up into short subsections)
Conclusion (re-establish relation with your audience)
R
A
For a memo, you do not have to worry about the “R’ and “A” above.
When we consider report writing, we will also use this SIDCRA approach to help us to structure our report. The memo thus helps us to develop as report writers.
Summary
Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
Recommendations
Appendices
Rubric
1) Does the student use the SIDCRA form to structure their memo?
2) Is the writing clear and free of sentence-level errors
3) Does the student establish relation with the prof at the beginning and end of the memo?
4) Does the student summarize, paraphrase, and analyze Bitzer’s “The Rhetorical Situation”?
5) Does the student apply the concepts in the essay to a business problem and articulate an exigence, rhetorical audience, and constraints?