Although many studies modelled writing quality by analysing basic skills (spelling, grammar, etc.), few focused on top-down compositional strategies at the discourse level. We propose that using both narrative and argument discourse modes in an argumentative essay (a multi-discourse mode [MDM] strategy) capitalizes on their complementary…

Muriel Spark's "Miss Pinkerton's Apocalypse" deploys major elements of narrative organization to demonstrate, in a very brief text, the nature of literary discourse. Analysis of the narrator's voice, the relationship between the story and the text, and the dialogue show how each explores the narrative's essentially fictive nature. (Author/CB)