The letter of recommendation (LOR) is a stylized form of direct sponsorship, a rhetorical appeal that confers favor on a person or object in keeping with the writer’s—or sponsor’s—character, authority, and expertise. In response to Swales’s call to “unveil” the rhetorical features of occluded genres, this research employs a move-step analysis to determine the rhetorical features of a sample of 83 LORs written by college faculty and administrators for a nationally competitive, postgraduate fellowship. This study finds five core moves expressed in its LOR sample: (1) sponsor positioning, (2) applicant performance, (3) applicant attributes, (4) future projection, and (5) audience appeals. Our discussion offers three key insights and provides macro-level takeaways in an effort to raise rhetorical awareness for LOR writers and requestors alike.

中文翻译：

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定位评估和权威：推荐信中的直接赞助

推荐信 (LOR) 是直接赞助的一种程式化形式，是一种修辞诉求，根据作者（或赞助人）的性格、权威和专业知识，对某人或某物给予支持。为了响应 Swales“揭示”闭塞体裁的修辞特征的号召，本研究采用了一步分析法来确定由大学教师和管理人员为全国性研究生奖学金撰写的 83 篇 LOR 样本的修辞特征。本研究发现其 LOR 样本中表达了五个核心举措：(1) 赞助商定位，(2) 申请人表现，(3) 申请人属性，(4) 未来预测，以及 (5) 受众诉求。我们的讨论提供了三个关键见解，并提供了宏观层面的要点，以努力提高 LOR 作者和请求者的修辞意识。