Examines the sentence-based pedagogies that arose in composition during the 1960s and 1970s (the generative rhetoric of Francis Christensen, imitation exercises, and sentence-combining) and attempts to discern why these three pedagogies have been so completely elided within contemporary composition studies. Concludes that this erasure of sentence…

Lists a number of ways in which writing differs from speech, and encourages writing teachers not to uncritically adapt oral rhetorical techniques to writing. (DD)

Examines some of the cultural and pedagogical forces that shaped nineteenth century rhetorical history and resulted in the obsession with mechanical correctness that for so many years defined the college course in written rhetoric. (HTH)

Examines one element of rhetorical history--the sorts of subjects teachers have assigned students and their change from objective, centripetal writing tasks to subjective, centrifugal tasks. Documents the historical evolution of rhetorical tradition. (AEW)

Examines the relationship of textbooks and writing instruction in America, showing that composition textbooks as they developed since 1820 have always responded to the preferences of the teachers cast up by the culture, meeting their perceived needs and recreating these and other needs in later teachers shaped by the texts. (HTH)

Explores the question of what makes a discourse classification useful or appealing to teachers and examines the rise, reign, and fall of the scheme using narration, description, exposition, and argument as the four modes of discourse. (RL)

Studies writing teachers' rhetorical comments on student papers, including its historical background and as a recent phenomenon. Reviews the findings of an extensive study conducted on a sample of 3,000 student papers concerning instructors' rhetorical commentary. Outlines basic patterns and types of teacher comments. (HB)