Maclean's Nine Cognate Strategies

Learning a language is one thing and using it effectively is another. To be able to use language as leverage for the success we need to understand standard strategies used in different contexts. MacLean (2010) divides the system of writing into “three classical rhetorics or art of presenting an argument which is: logos( the logic of argument), ethos( credibility and ethics), and pathos (the emotional appeal).”(p.135, para 1) In this essay, we will study five of the nine cognate strategies followed by an example.

Cognate Strategies

The strategies without any specific order are clarity, conciseness, arrangement, credibility, expectation, reference, tone, emphasis, and engagement. As explained earlier, three rhetoric are logos( clarity, conciseness,
arrangement), ethos( reference, credibility, expectation) and pathos(engagement, emphasis, tone). In logos clarity is the most important one, it makes the content easy to understand because if the audience doesn't understand our meaning, then the content is not useful. Rule of thumb right? For instance, I read a book in statistics which says “ it is evident the context of Poisson distribution is hard to grasp but if one keep practicing it won’t be as complicated it looks” the second part of the statement is clarifying something to make the confusions go away because statistics is not an easy topic.

Conciseness is the way in writing to communicate precise information in as few words as possible.
Sometimes we say things like jargons that are not commonly used or understood by the majority. So on these occasions it is helpful to explain them in few words; for example, when you write ml/L on the instruction manual for mixture ratio of a lawn mower, it is better to explain them in few words that you meant milliliter oil per liter of fuel. Credibility is ethos is my first pick because the credibility of the writer is directly being perceived by the audience and if it is not established correctly, then the audience will lose the interest. For instance, when you say use our sleep medicine because Dr. Phil endorsed it, you add the element of credibility to your statement and make it more acceptable and appealing to the audience. Pathos is another crucial element or rhetoric and in my opinion, engagement is the most important strategy. Engagement is something you say to keep the audience following your content right through the end. For instance using humor or famous quote reignite the focus of the audience and attract them to the content again. For example, if the topic of writing is focus I might use this quote from Greg Anderson “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing
it.”

Last if not least we have the tone of our writing. Depend on the context of our wiring we may need to use particular tones or change tones in various parts of our content. When a company is publishing a statement about recalling their faulty products, the tone of the declaration rather be apologetic and humble than defensive.

Conclusion

I think good writing is not difficult, but one can’t write effective content because they fail to incorporate some strategies which help improving it. The number of strategies must work in a synergic manner to boost the attractiveness of the content. As Friedrich Nietzsche says “A good writer possesses not only his own spirit but also the spirit of his friends.”