David Foster Wallace, author of the essay “Authority and American Usage*”, praises and supports “good” writers who have a strong rhetorical ability, which he defines as “the persuasive use of language to influence the thoughts and actions of an audience” (Wallace 628). To have strong rhetorical skill, an author must be aware of who his or her audience is, in order to present his or her information in a way that will have influence on the audience. Wallace recognizes that an author who applies strong rhetorical skill will be able to connect with the audience so that they respond “not only to [their] utterances but also to [them]” (Wallace 641). An author must take into consideration not only the content, syntax and grammatical structure (his “expression”), but also how his character will be perceived by the audience. A positive tone will make the author seem more likeable and relatable, while a negative tone connotes arrogance and pretentiousness. This is why it is critical for an author to recognize that audiences will respond to "them" and not just their "expression," as an author's appearance to readers can also influence the impact of his or her writing. The impact and effectiveness of using correct rhetoric was a “good” writing strategy that I wasn't aware of until my senior year of high school. While taking AP Language and Composition my freshman year, my fellow students and I believed we had survived countless essay workshop activities and writing assignments with emphasis on word choice, grammatical structure, syntax, punctuation, and 'spelling. When we entered AP Literature our senior year, we felt we could achieve success; we already knew how to write in the correct format and structure... middle of the paper... xenophobic old white men don't want anyone from the street joining them for intellectual discussions over Sunday tea. This is why Wallace advocates for high school and college students to learn SWE; if students are able to present themselves in a more erudite and intellectual manner using SWE, this may provide them with greater opportunities to move up the “social ladder” as they will have a stronger foundation for academic and professional success. Using SWE will not guarantee that a student will become a doctor or lawyer, however, they will have the opportunity to expand their education and achieve that position if desired. Works Cited Wallace, David Foster "Authority and American Usage" 2005. Ways of Reading: An Anthology for Writers. Ed. David Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky. 9th edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2011. 622-47. Press.