Argument, Analysis, and Evidence in Academic Writing in ...
Course Pack
TCORE 101- Introduction to Composition
table of contents
|introduction | |
|argument, analysis, and evidence in academic writing in the Humanities |1 |
|terms & definitions |7 |
| | |
|rhetorical components of writing | |
|the rhetorical triangle |9 |
|writing & rhetoric |12 |
|writing about reading | |
|close reading |13 |
|summary guide |15 |
|annotated bibliography |17 |
|academic argument | |
|Toulmin’s ideas about argument |20 |
|low down on academic argument conventions |21 |
|recognizing warrants |21 |
|notes to remember for arguing a position |22 |
|making concessions & counterarguments |23 |
|thesis statements vs. arguable claims |25 |
|coming up with a juicy & arguable claim |27 |
|top 6 myths about claims for argument papers |29 |
|generating a claim |30 |
|how to tell a strong claim from a weak one |31 |
| | |
|evidence | |
|better use of textual evidence |32 |
|evaluation of effective quoting |33 |
|3-step quotation analysis |34 |
| | |
|organization & style | |
|writing effective introductions & conclusions |35 |
|organization and cohesion |38 |
|using transitions effectively |39 |
|common transitional words and phrases |40 |
|collocation sets |40 |
|writing good titles |41 |
|Peer review- providing feedback |42 |
|faulty logic- fun with fallacies |43 |
|technological components of writing | |
|formatting your academic essay |45 |
|mla documentation |46 |
|sample works cited page |50 |
|evaluating your work | |
|daily participation |51 |
|response papers |52 |
|annotated bibliography |53 |
|summary |54 |
|draft evaluation- essays |55 |
|essay checklist |57 |
|understanding your final grade |58 |
Course Pack
TCORE 101- Introduction to Composition
Updated on 10/12/2008
You will find handouts and rubrics for evaluation in this packet.
Use the “find” option to search for concepts and terms.
I will periodically add handouts to the end of this packet as needed.
Argument, Analysis, and Evidence in Academic Writing in the Humanities
Section excerpted from a handout written by Dr. Cathy McDonald (WWU).
Academics are known for always analyzing everything. It’s true: they have a habit of asking probing questions, a practice that is sometimes called “the spirit of inquiry.” One of the biggest differences between college literate practices and other discourses is that asking why—digging into the deeper meaning of things and questioning traditional knowledge—is a story frame prized by scholars. An analysis is an explanation of meaning beneath the surface. People who have been conditioned by academic inquiry use it to make sense of reality.
I want to offer a word of praise for academic argument. The spirit of inquiry that analysis demands teaches us to expect proof from all the competing voices in life that vie for our acceptance. There are countless people/systems trying to get us to buy into their ideologies. Whether they are commercials trying to get us to buy their products, salespeople trying to get us to buy their programs, in-laws trying to get us to do things their way, politicians trying to justify their actions, or preachers/teachers trying to get us to buy their ideas, they all want to sell us their beliefs. But the price we pay may be too expensive, because we must give them not only our money, but our minds (and sometimes our lives). If we don’t know how to listen with an open mind but still read in-between the lines and think for ourselves, we will always need others to think for us. Critical thinking—listening with an open mind but thinking for ourselves—is probably the best benefit we gain from habits of academic analysis.
What is Academic Argument?
Because academic thinkers are used to finding reasons why, they are also used to working with new and controversial ideas. Consequently, they are aware that their findings are open to debate, their claims will be read by a skeptical audience. Academic readers expect a writer to demonstrate an understanding of diversity of human experience and ideology, and to use logical explanations and substantial data to support an assertion. I always say that good writing has three E’s. It’s explicit, elaborated, and has exigency (an urgency or need to be said—the writer is engaged with the topic so that the message matters).
In a verbal conversation, you might call your argument just your opinion and leave it at that. In academic writing, your “opinion” is more than your preference, it’s your theory or your interpretation, backed up with credible evidence, the kind that constitutes academic proof.
Often the terms analysis and argument are used synonymously, but they are slightly different.
Your “argument” is your theory (claim, thesis, interpretation, assertion), backed up by credible evidence (proof, support, analysis). In order to be credible to an academic audience, convincing evidence is usually some kind of detailed analysis that looks for meaning beneath the surface. An analysis is a break down of an issue’s parts that helps us understand the meaning beneath: an analysis examines causes, the answer to the question why. Remember that just announcing or declaring your claim does not constitute evidence that supports it. Also, telling similarities/differences (compare/ contrast) rather than arguing reasons why is not an analysis of meaning (telling is a kind of “obvious claim” that is not good argument).
What good academic argument is NOT:
• An undebatable opinion or preference that “just is” (“I believe college athletes should get paid.” Or “I like college sports.”—No one can debate that you believe it or what you like.)
• A statement of fact or obvious claim that “just is” (“College athletes do not get paid beyond their scholarship assistance.” Or “College athletics brings in millions of dollars of revenue for the university.”—No new knowledge here; the data is a verifiable report from public records)
• A quarrel. This implies the winner has the right answer, the loser the wrong viewpoint. In academic argument, opposing viewpoints are both assertable, given credible evidence for support.
• Written to people who agree with you and who are like you (“Everybody loves college sports.”—This is not true for everybody.)
• Automatically controversial. Some argumentative essays do try to convince readers to agree with the author on a controversial issue (often called a “position paper”), such as a pro-life/anti-abortion essay, but those kinds of essays are rare in college writing. Better to think of it this way: An argument = your theory + credible evidence to back it up.
What counts as valid evidence?
That depends on the discipline, but for the humanities, here are kinds of good evidence:
1. Reader-based writing rather than writer-based writing. “Reader-based” means that the reader does not have to do the work to figure out the meaning, why topics were brought up, how ideas connect to each other, etc. because the writer has done all the work in composing meaning and clarity. “Writer-based” means that the text seems to have been written for the writer’s use (like a diary entry, a grocery list, notes taken in class, etc.) and the reader has to do more work to figure it out.
2. Elaborated development. Credible writing has ideas elaborated enough to thoroughly prove both the thesis claim and each single paragraph that discusses it. Imagine me at your elbow as you write every sentence, asking about each idea: “Why?” “What causes that?” “So What? What’s the significance of that?” “What evidence can you offer to prove it?” “How does this fit in with others have already written on your subject?” “Who is this not true for?” “Doesn’t your audience already know this?” “Why do those who oppose this view point think you’re wrong?” “What else is this connected to?” (The length of elaborated development makes humanities writing different from business writing or typical verbal discourse, both of which prefer a short, concise use of words.)
3. Precise, exact wording; concrete and specific assertions; explicit claims. This is a factor of Western writing’s love for direct, up-front assertions instead of anything that makes the text indirect or vague.
4. An essay body consisting of a strong chain of reasoning: the flow of paragraph topics that coherently follow each other and progressively develop the thesis.
5. Logic and reasons that conform to accepted values of a discipline (physical sciences, social sciences, or the humanities). A good way to check for logical integrity is by the pneumonic STAR: the evidence has to be sufficient, typical of the subject it represents, accurate, and relevant. Beware logical fallacies here like the “post hoc fallacy,” which is a faulty cause and effect argument. Just because you tell two things next to each other does not mean the first caused the second (“When ice cream sales go up in New York City, so does the crime rate; therefore, ice cream causes crime” is a post hoc fallacy). Be careful not to be “preachy,” but show understanding of the diversity of other perspectives
6. Examples, data, statistics. Depending on what discipline you are writing in, this quantification is more or less crucial. Charts, numbers, etc. are most expected in the natural and social sciences. But just reporting quantifiable information is still not enough to articulate a compelling argument because you must go one step further to also express what the statistics mean. Merely stating some data, for instance that twenty-five percent of today’s population are college graduates, does not speak for itself; you must push and interpret what that percentage means and how it connects to your topic.
7. The authority of experts (quotes, paraphrases, summaries), which I call credible textual support, well-chosen and smoothly integrated. A tricky way to smoothly work somebody else’s ideas into your writing is to make a “quote sandwich”—a three part package that introduces the author you’re referring to, then paraphrases or quotes the expert, and is followed by your explanation of what the reference means (or how it demonstrates your point). For example: “Genre scholar Frances Christie explains that language generates meaning. She argues for ‘a view of language as something with which we construct the thing which is experience or reality’ (23). This view of the way words work sees language as not some neutral, natural reflection of meaning but a force that makes meaning itself.” Textual authority is probably the most important form of academic evidence, so always plan on using strong textual support. It usually requires some research to find relevant support, either in our assigned readings or from the library. A note of caution is in order, however, because even an article in a scholarly journal does not in itself constitute irrefutable proof because good evidence is plural. (We belong to a library system with hundreds of thousands of contradictory reports; finding one study that backs up your point may not convince supporters of the opposing viewpoint.)
Just to explain textual authority further, let me tell you how not to use it.
• Quotes, paraphrases, summaries that don’t fit into your argument for any apparent reason (other than teacher said I had to quote someone, so I’ll throw one in). Nothing will prove you don’t know what you’re doing faster than using research that you don’t understand to discuss an issue that you’re clueless about in the first place.
• Quotes, paraphrases, summaries taken out of context of what the author really meant
• Quotes, paraphrases, summaries of questionable authors or sources (such as suspicious Web sites as opposed to scholarly journals, etc.)
8. Concessions. Scholars from the humanities privilege a plural perspective, so they prefer writers to show thoughtful consideration of multiple sides of a topic rather than pretend certainty, which might be viewed as simplistic thinking. Further ideas that complicate the argument, acknowledge ambiguities, and make concessions when necessary are valued as evidence of intellectual rigor.
9. The personal touch of (infrequently used) personal experience or narrative can be appropriate, too, as long as you don’t imply that your story represents everyone’s; a story can be an example. Often your experience makes you a “local expert” on your topic. This means that the word I can be useful in some college writing, despite what you may have been told in high school. (Note: this is true for humanities writing more than other disciplines.)
10. Close reading. Many of the assignment prompts in humanities classes ask for some kind of interpretation, some kind of critical thinking, some kind of original analysis. Usually this comes in response to some “text” in the broad sense of the word, be it written (either literary or a non-fiction writing) or cultural (such as a movie, advertisement, etc.). Since this interpretation is a response to the text being analyzed, the process is often called “doing a close reading.” Evidence must come directly from many places in the text under investigation.
11. Qualified wording rather than absolute statements. Words such as all, none, every are absolutes. All it takes is one example to the contrary to disprove an absolute claim. Some, many, most are qualifiers and make your idea seem more reasonable. “Leading scholars such as Schryer and Miller argue that…” instead of “Science has proven that…”
12. Warrant. Explicit warrants are clear statements that explain why the sentence(s) immediately before make sense. In Craft of Research, the author says a warrant is an explanation that tells why the evidence counts. Think of a warrant as a piggy-back rider, a sentence that follows something and tells why the thing it follows is justified. Not surprisingly, warrants often contain the words therefore, because of, or since, etc.
Use a warrant to show 1) why the paragraph topic does indeed prove the thesis, 2) why the evidence in the middle of a paragraph does indeed prove the paragraph topic, and 3) what the unspoken assumptions are behind any single claim. For instance, the unwarranted claim “The color white in the ad suggests that the people are young” rests on the author’s presuppositions, and must have an explanation to warrant its logic. “Because white symbolizes purity and innocence, and youth is associated with innocence, the color white in the ad suggests that the people are young.”
If you are addressing people who already agree with your thesis, the reasons your claim makes sense are already apparent, but readers who differ from you do not share common beliefs and your very task is to convince them of your argument. (That’s why “preachy” writing fails in college essays: preachy statements rely on unspoken beliefs that you assume readers already agree with.) The more controversial your assertion, the more you need a warrant.
Think of argument this way:
Argument- “Not a disagreement, but the reasons, evidence, and explanations used in an attempt to encourage readers to agree with the theory of the writer.” This is similar to what a lawyer does in a courtroom because the lawyer knows that he or she must convince the jury in the presence of the opposing lawyer’s arguments.
Here is a chart that divides academic writing from how we often use words in other contexts.
|Academic Audience Expectations |Non-Academic Audience Allowances |
|Direct/assertive/point driven |Indirect/rambling |
|Logic-based/ objective/ |Emotion-based/ intuitive/ subjective/ personal used indiscriminately |
|Personal used carefully as example | |
|Explicit/all topics are fully explained |Implied/asks the reader to read in-between the lines |
|Assumed audience is skeptical |Assumed audience already agrees with writer |
|Formal diction/ Standard Written English/ no slang |Informal diction/ conversational tone/ slang ok |
|Elaborated development/in-depth analysis with specific support |Superficial development/reductive discussion with sketchy support |
|Analytic approach/ expressive style only used to clarify meaning |Descriptive narrative/ stories told to show personal experience or |
| |opinion |
|Organized and structured on purpose |Random / shot-gun structure |
|Error free in order to be credible |Errors allowed (can be corrected in speech) |
Different Disciplines= Different Expectations
Not all college writing is argument, but much is. The difference, however—and this is what makes undergraduate writing difficult—is that what constitutes good evidence in one discipline is not the same for all disciplines. In Pat Currie’s article “What Counts as ‘Good’ Writing?” her research shows that different professors hold different expectations for evidence. And papers in the natural sciences are not usually argument essays. In expository writing for instance, such as scientific reporting, you do not assert your own interpretation of the meaning beneath the facts. (Note the beginning of the word “expose” in expository.) Your job there is to expose or reveal the facts, not analyze them. It is as if you imply to the readers: “Here’s a combination of data for you, but I’m just the reporter.” It is important for students to recognize that what makes sense in one discipline in the university may not work in a different discipline. A good essay for your engineering professor will not work for English courses. What you did in high school will not work in college. We will study these differences when we talk about “disciplinarity.” The big point that you can learn in this writing class is that in order to write well, first you must analyze the writing scene and situation, and then employ the genre conventions that best suit the need to write.
Sometimes students have trouble seeing the connection between argument papers assigned in a writing class and the tasks other professors ask them to write about. Why do composition courses assign argument and analysis? While a whole paper devoted to one central argument may be more common in English classes, the skill of argumentation, analysis, and presenting credible evidence is expected in many other courses. A point-driven assertion backed up by evidence convincing to a particular discourse community is a very common rhetorical expectation in multiple writing assignments across the academy, even though it takes various forms in different disciplines.
Terms & Definitions
Rhetoric: I define rhetoric as “using communication (language, form, visuals, signs) in such a way as to influence listeners to hear your side, favor you, agree to your position, or understand you.” One textbook says: “Rhetoric is the use of language to accomplish something.” Rhetoric, which used to be thought of as “the art of persuasion,” is more appropriately seen as the practices that we all use to make meaning, which usually involves words in some way or another. If you think about it, it’s hard—if not impossible—to NOT use words rhetorically; rhetoric is how we make meaning with words.
Discourse: Communication (language, form, visuals, signs)
2 aspects: linguistic and social. Linguistic = types of communication such as verbal discourse, electronic discourse, classroom discourse, courtroom discourse; Social = more than just talk, but the way something gets talked about and the eventual social forces that control the way of thinking about it, such as the discourse of femininity, the discourse of war, etc. James Gee says that “a Discourse is a sort of ‘identity kit’ which comes complete with the appropriate costume and instructions on how to act, talk, and often write, so as to take on a particular role that others will recognize.”
Discourse Community: A group of people who use discourse in a common way: they have shared aims of communication, social concerns, rules of language, etc. Examples are users on a discussion board, professors of the same discipline, journalists, employees of one workplace, etc. TCORE 101 is another example of a discourse community.
Genres: Genres are typical rhetorical ways of responding to a repeated situation. Genres are the structured patterns that start in our mental maps of what makes sense to do, and they are also what we do with those mental ideas. Genres are socially constructed “shapes of meaning” shared by people living and communicating in the same discourse community. Scholars utilize academic discourse to communicate within their discourse community, utilizing generic ways of writing such as the academic argument, to respond to situations in recognizable ways.
Text(s): Some coded message that gets “read” or interpreted. Usually texts are written, but they can be anything that communicates a message, such as a movie, an ad, a party, a sign, a classroom, a handshake.
Ideology: Your whole system of beliefs, ideals, and values. Although they start out as ideas, these beliefs and values go down to our subconscious and become part of our emotions and identity. Ideology performs the function to tell us 1) what exists/what is real, 2) what is good and right, 3) what is possible.
Claim: The claim is the main idea, or thesis, that is being focused on and examined in an academic argument.
Evidence: The details that support your claim. Appropriate evidence in an academic argument ranges from, but is not restricted to, facts, data, expert opinion, personal experience, and evidence from other texts or sources.
Warrants: Explicitly worded statements that follow either a claim or evidence; they tell why the information they follow is valid or why the evidence they follow counts as proof for the claim.
Signposts: Markers within a text that help guide the reader through the chain of reasoning. Ex. “Although teasing is affectionate when used by my immediate family, the same teasing is not affectionate but disrespectful when used by my cousin.” The repeated words guide the reader.
Wild Claims: Broad generalizations asserted with insufficient proof used to back them up. Remember that just announcing or declaring your claim does not constitute giving evidence to support it. You will see this term used in the sections “Argument, Analysis, and Evidence in Academic Writing in the Humanities.”
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The Rhetorical Triangle
Aristotle taught that a speaker's ability to persuade is based on how well the speaker appeals to his or her audience in three different areas: ethos (ethical appeals), pathos (emotional appeals), and logos (logical appeals).
|Logos |Appeal based on logic or reason. |Syllogisms |
| | |Facts |
| | |Statistics |
| | |Mathematical proofs |
| | |Scientific evidence |
|Ethos |Appeal based on the character of the source. |Reputation |
| | |Credibility |
| | |Expertise |
| | |Education |
| | |Celebrity |
|Pathos |Appeal based on an emotional response. |Pride |
| | |Pity |
| | |Joy |
| | |Sympathy |
| | |Morality |
| | |Envy |
| | |Companionship |
| | |Camaraderie |
Rhetoricians have labeled these areas the rhetorical triangle.
[pic]
We could also illustrate the concept this way:
[pic]
Ethos refers to the writer's "ethical appeal." In other words, how well does the writer presents herself? Does she seem knowledgeable and reasonable? Does she seem trustworthy? Does she treat her opponents, people who might disagree, with fairness and respect, or does she take cheap shots at them? Does she try to establish common ground with the reader? Why do you think essays that lack this kind of appeal are likely to be unconvincing? What effect do you think it would have if a writer included nothing but ethical appeals?
Pathos refers to the argument's "emotional appeals." Many times, this appeal is how a writer will make an argument "matter" to readers. Advertisements do it all the time. Perhaps a writer will offer an anecdote to illustrate suffering or appeal to readers as parents concerned for their children. Does the writer appeal to your emotions--feelings of sadness, pride, fear, being young, anger, patriotism, love, justice? Or is the essay loaded with facts, figures, and nothing else? Is the emotional appeal effective, or overwhelming?
Logos corresponds with the argument's "logical appeals." Effective arguments will probably include facts and other supporting details to back up the author's claims. They may contain testimony from authorities and will demonstrate the writer's carefulness in choosing and considering evidence. They are likely to be well organized, skillfully written, and well edited/proofread. Questions to consider: What is being argued here, or, what is the author's thesis? What points does he offer to support this idea? Has he presented arguments that seem logical, or does he seem to be jumping to conclusions? Can you think of kinds of writing that rely exclusively on logical appeals? Do they bore you?
Note that this triangle is essentially equilateral. Why? Again, the equal sides and angles illustrate the concept that each appeal is as important as the others. It also suggests that a BALANCE of the three is important. Too much of one is likely to produce an argument that readers will either find unconvincing or, worse yet, cause them to stop reading.
Finally, note how each of the areas potentially affects the others. An illogical argument may move us emotionally, but only in the sense that it makes us angry at the author for wasting our time. An overwhelming emotional argument may make us feel that the author is relying exclusively on emotions rather than offering solid reasoning. Or, if an argument contains only facts and figures and no emotional appeals, we may simply get bored. All these defects may in turn affect the author's ethical appeal: how can we trust a writer who appeals only to our emotions? What common ground do we have with a writer who doesn't appeal to our emotions at all?
What positions do you think the following people are speaking from (there can be more than one)?
← Oprah telling you to buy Toni Morrison’s Beloved.
← Martin Luther King Jr. giving his “I Have a Dream” speech.
← Jerry Springer’s guest on the “My father married my principal!” show.
← Rosie O’Donnell convincing mothers to march for gun control.
← You writing a letter home about your first week of college.
Copyright 1997 Joseph Sigalas - Rhetorical Triangle
Writing & Rhetoric
Ask yourself these questions as you are writing & when you are you are reading the writing of your peers.
o What are my motives for writing? That is, what am I trying to achieve in this text and how do I expect this text to help me achieve my goals?
o In what ways and how have I met these expectations?
o What do readers expect from a writer of this text? How do I want to be “invented” by my readers? Does the writer I project match the one readers expect? Why or why not? What cues identify me (make me most visible) to them?
o Who do I expect will read this text and for what purposes? Have I given them what they need and expect? How and why not?
o What audience role/stance have I created for my readers? What cues do I give my readers to help them adopt that role/stance?
o What relationship have I created between me as writer and my readers?
o What questions do I want readers to ask of my text? How do I get them to ask the questions I consider important?
o What conventions (level of formality, simple or complex sentences, specialized vocabulary, kinds of words, style, citation system, etc.) do writers of this sort of text usually use? In what ways does my text match these conventions? If it does not, why? If it does not, how do I help readers accept me text?
"A writer keeps surprising himself... he doesn't know what his is saying until he sees it on the page." -- Thomas Williams
Close Reading
Close reading means reading a text closely: looking at the details and discussing how those details lead you to make conclusions about the text. The idea is to look at the little pieces and see how they connect to the whole. Close reading is a writing strategy meant to help you gain a better understanding of your reading of a text and to provide you will the necessary textual evidence to support that reading.
When doing a close reading, the goal is to closely analyze the material and explain why details are significant. Therefore, close reading does not try to summarize the author’s main points, rather, it focuses on “picking apart” and closely looking at the what the author makes his/her argument, why is it interesting, etc. Here, you will begin with the details and move outward, which is an essential skill in supporting an argument. Using quotation analysis can help you do this as it demands that you remain close to the text. However, a close reading is NOT only one piece of quotation analysis, as it demands that you further develop your ideas.
The tips below will help you effectively develop and organize your ideas and produce a close reading. Your approach will vary, depending on if you are just doing a general close reading, or whether you are adapting the instructions below to accommodate an assignment.
How do I do it?
1. First, gather data. By this, I mean identify the details (the little pieces) that you want to analyze. Keep your focus narrow. Either look at a small section of the text (a few sentences or a paragraph or two) or look at a single repeating detail (a term or stylistic choice that occurs a number of times in different places). If you are choosing to look at a specific detail, then scan back through the text and make sure that you have noticed all the instances in which it takes place. Reread the sections you are working with at least four or five times, so you don’t miss anything. It may help to list the details—the data—on a separate page so you can see clearly what you are working with.
2. Next, look for ways that the data is connected. Look for patterns, See if there are parallel structures or ideas. Note the structure of the passage and see if the structure is related to the content in any way. Do you see anything being compared or contrasted? Do these pieces fit together in any meaningful ways?
3. Finally, report your findings. This is when you communicate the conclusions you have made. You will always need to refer to your data to illustrate, support, and explain your findings. That means paraphrasing or using quotes from the original text. Along with explanations of why those details are important to your discussion. A good rule of thumb is “introduce, quote, explain” when using others’ words in an essay. First, introduce the quote and give it some context, then quote the essential part of the passage, and then explain how that quote ties into your conclusions. Remember, your goal is to show how these small details contribute to the overall meaning of the text.
Tips for close reading:
1. Read the passage several times. Annotate and outline.
2. What stands out to you about the passage? Why did you choose it? What relevance does it have to the rest of the text?
3. Take very specific notes on the passage—remember, this time you are not summarizing main points (though you will need to contextualize your discussion so it makes sense.)
4. Now that you have some notes on the specific language of the piece, see how your ideas might tie into larger themes of the texts as a whole.
5. Remember to focus on the “how” and “why”—don’t just say that the passage does this or that—interact with the text and figure out and explain how the language is doing what it’s doing.
6. Make it relevant: Ask yourself why you need to tell the reader about these observations—what’s the point? So what? Answering these questions leads you toward an argument (and that you beyond summary, which is description). However, keep your argument SMALL and Specific at this point. Make it clear in the first few sentences why the passage is relevant and what you will say about it.
7. Rethink and regroup, organizing your thoughts from questions into logical paragraphs (each paragraph might contain a “point”). Decide where it is relevant to include summary (you’re going to need to summarize the piece before writing about it), introduce the author and piece, use quotes, etc. As this is a short piece, no formal conclusion is necessary, though the piece should “wrap up” at the end.
Writing the Summary Essay:
A summary essay should be organized so that others can understand the source or evaluate your comprehension of it. The following format works well:
Introduction (usually one paragraph)
1. Contains a one-sentence thesis statement that sums up the main point of the source.
This thesis statement is not your main point; it is the main point of your source. Usually, though, you have to write this statement rather than quote it from the source text. It is a one-sentence summary of the entire text that your essay summarizes.
2. Also introduces the text to be summarized:
(i) Gives the title of the source (following the citation guidelines of whatever style sheet you are using);
(ii) Provides the name of the author of the source;
(ii) Sometimes also provides pertinent background information about the author of the source or about the text to be summarized.
The introduction should not offer your own opinions or evaluation of the text you are summarizing.
Body (one or more paragraphs):
This paraphrases and condenses the original piece. In your summary, be sure that you:
1. Include important data but omit minor points;
2. Include one or more of the author’s examples or illustrations (these will bring your summary to life);
3. Do not include your own ideas, illustrations, metaphors, or interpretations. Look upon yourself as a summarizing machine; you are simply repeating what the source text says, in fewer words and in your own words. But the fact that you are using your own words does not mean that you are including your own ideas.
Conclusion
There is customarily no conclusion to a summary essay.
When you have summarized the source text, your summary essay is finished. Do not add your own concluding paragraph unless your teacher specifically tells you to.
Characteristics:
← Summaries identify the source of original text.
← Summaries demonstrate your understanding of a text's subject matter.
← Summaries are shorter (at least 60% shorter) than the original text--they omit the original text's "examples, asides, analogies, and rhetorical strategies: (
← Summaries differ from paraphrases--paraphrases more closely follow the original text's presentation (they still use your words, but they are longer than summaries).
← Summaries focus exclusively on the presentation of the writer's main ideas--they do not include your interpretations or opinions.
← Summaries normally are written in your own words--they do not contain extended quotes or paraphrases.
← Summaries rely on the use of standard signal phrases ("According to the author..."; "The author believes..."; etc.).
Tips on Writing Summaries
Step One (Prewriting):
Read the article quickly.
Try to get a sense of the article's general focus and content.
Step Two (Drafting):
Restate the article's thesis simply and in your own words.
Restate each paragraph's topic simply and in your own words.
Step Three (Revising):
Combine sentences in Step Two to form your summary; organize your summary sentences in the same order as the main ideas in the original text.
Edit very carefully for neatness and correctness.
Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.
ANNOTATIONS VS. ABSTRACTS
Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they expose the author's point of view, clarity and appropriateness of expression, and authority.
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THE PROCESS
Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research.
First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.
Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.
Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) summarize the work and comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or (d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic.
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CRITICALLY APPRAISING THE BOOK, ARTICLE, OR DOCUMENT
For guidance in critically appraising and analyzing the sources for your bibliography, see How to Critically Analyze Information Sources. For information on the author's background and views, ask at the reference desk for help finding appropriate biographical reference materials and book review sources.
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CHOOSING THE CORRECT FORMAT FOR THE CITATIONS
CUL Publications 7 and 8, MLA Citation Style and APA Citation Style, are available at the Uris and Olin Reference desks. Style manuals for these and other formats are also kept in the reference collections. Check with your instructor to find out which style is preferred for your class. Online citation guides for both Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) are available in the Library Gateway's Help section, under the "Research Strategy and Process: Citing sources" link.
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SAMPLE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRY FOR A JOURNAL ARTICLE
The following example uses the APA format for the journal citation. NOTE: APA requires double spacing within citations.
Waite, L. J., Goldschneider, F. K., & Witsberger, C. (1986). Nonfamily living and the erosion of traditional family orientations among young adults. American Sociological Review,51, 541-554.
The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.
This example uses the MLA format for the journal citation. NOTE: Standard MLA practice requires double spacing within citations.
Waite, Linda J., Frances Kobrin Goldscheider, and Christina Witsberger. "Nonfamily Living and the Erosion of Traditional Family Orientations Among Young Adults." American Sociological Review 51 (1986): 541-554.
The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.
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Revised 6 March 2007 [MOE]
Michael Engle, Amy Blumenthal, and Tony Cosgrave
Reference Department
URL:
Toulmin’s Ideas About Argument
Back in 1958, a guy named Stephen Toulmin, originally a British logician and now a professor at USC, spelled out what he considered the basic elements of an argument. The First Triad of his model consists of three basic elements: The Claim, the SUPPORT and the Warrant.
Claim: The claim is the main idea, or thesis, that you are focusing on. Basically, the claim answers the question, “What’s your point? Why does it matter?”
One claim I make in my syllabus is that the portfolio system allows you to be graded on your best work.
Support: Support are the statements given to back up your claim. This may take many forms: facts, data, personal experience, expert opinion, evidence from other texts and sources, emotional appeals. The more reliable and comprehensive your support, the more likely your audience is to accept your claim.
I support my claim about the portfolio system be referring to “experts” whose actions give evidence that my argument is true, mostly gained from personal experience and the directions of my department.
Warrant: The warrants are the beliefs, values, inferences, and/or experiences that you are assuming your audience has in common with you. If your audience doesn’t have the assumptions you are making about your support, than it won’t be effective.
The syllabus relies on a number of assumptions. One is that you will trust my knowledge of writing. Another is that you wouldn’t automatically assume that the portfolio system is best. I also assume that you care about how you are graded and that you can understand the way I write.
1. Someone warns you, “Don’t eat that mushroom—it’s poisonous!”
Claim: You shouldn’t eat that mushroom.
Support: The mushroom is poisonous.
Warrants: You aren’t immune to poisonous mushrooms.
You want to live.
You don’t know it’s poisonous.
You trust my knowledge of mushrooms…
2. Two women are talking. One says to the other: “You’d better start watching your weight, or you’ll never find yourself a man.
Claim: She needs to be careful not to gain anymore weight.
Support: She won’t be able to find “a man” if she gets fat.
Warrants: She doesn’t already have a man.
Men aren’t attracted to fat women.
She wants to be in a relationship.
She’s heterosexual.
She lives in a culture that values thinness.
That never finding a man is a bad thing.
That she is able to watch her weight (there isn’t a medical reason, etc.)
Low Down on Academic Argument Conventions
Claim/Thesis
← Provides the purpose of your paper
← Gives a roadmap of where your paper is going
← Identifies the argument that will be developed and supported in your essay.
The Claim Identifies (ie, clearly states using specific language) the following:
← WHAT the argument (point) of your paper is.
← HOW you will prove the argument (identify key claims you will make to prove the argument)
← WHY your argument is significant (or, what the implications are)
Development/Support
← Develops and supports your argument by using logically progressing interpretive claims and evidence from the text.
← You must interpret and analyze. In other words, show your readers how the claims and evidence support and develop your argument.
Recognizing Warrants
Assumptions are crucial to your argument, for, if any of your assumptions aren’t true, the argument breaks down. When developing an argument, it is important to think through the assumptions you are making. Often times one of the assumptions you are making might be just as interesting as what you are discussing and you can make it part of your argument.
Under each statement, note the warrants.
← If we don’t stop underpaying our teachers, fewer and fewer people will go into this field.
← You shouldn’t major in the humanities because you will never get a job.
← We don’t need to have bilingual education because everyone should learn English.
Notes to Remember for Arguing a Position
1. Remember to define your terms. Definition by example is one of the best ways to argue your position.
2. Consider the necessary counterarguments to your claims. Counterarguments allow you to complicate and elevate your thinking. They are not an admission that your idea is weak.
3. Avoid abstractions. Don’t speak in generalities. Speak of what you know. Use your knowledge. Being academic means never leaving the personal behind.
4. IDEA—the mighty idea—let it reign supreme in your essays. Introduce it without giving it away. Keep exploring and elevating your idea as you and your reader journey through your essay. It is your idea that guides you as you question and explore your sources. There is no questioning or arguing for its own sake. Your questions and arguments gain their power and persuasion through the context of your idea.
5. Don’t forget your readers and their need to be invited into the exploration of your idea. Show respect for your reader’s intelligence by inviting your readers to consider the questions and evidence you are exploring. Ask yourself: how might my readers oppose my argument? How might my readers misunderstand my argument? What kind of evidence will my readers find most persuasive?
Making Concessions & Counterarguments
In your papers, it is often important to make a concession to the other side to make your argument stronger—that is, rather than acting like another side of your argument does not exist, you address it and “debunk” it. In fact, in an argument paper, presenting the other side and then “tearing it apart” can often be a very effective strategy. Conceding to some of your opposition’s concerns can demonstrate respect for their opinion. Making concessions also demonstrates your ability as a writer by showing that you have researched and considered you argument from multiple perspectives in order to come to an informed decision.
Naturally, what you don’t want to do is present a counterargument and not address it. It might be tempting to do this in your conclusion; you may feel that you’ve made your point pretty strongly and that it is okay to just say something about the “other side” and just leave it there. But resist—the conclusion is what the reader is left with.
There is no surefire way to make concessions, but it is likely a good idea to keep it short, limiting yourself to one per paragraph at the most (otherwise the counterarguments and concessions start to become your argument). Also, watch out for fallacies—sometimes it might be tempting to make a bad analogy or to oversimplify in order to “dismiss” the other side. Basically, if you can’t make the concession strongly, it may be better not to address it all.
Tips for Making Counterarguments and Concessions Effectively
← Consider your audience when you make your counterargument or concession.
← Remain tactful and respectful yet firm on your position.
← Using rude and/or deprecating language can alienate your reader and cause them to reject your position without carefully considering your claim.
See this example:
“League Officials and Female Athletes: Manipulating Image for Profit”
(Emily Hauenstein)
“Differentiating the women’s game from the men’s game through sponsors and skimpier uniforms is unsettling for many current players. “Anyone who thinks that a uniform will draw people to the game is severely off base,” Brandi Chastain said. “The game of football [soccer] itself is what brings people to the stadium, not what the players are wearing. He should continue to focus on the development of the women’s game rather than trying to sexualize it” (Associated Press par. 7). Interestingly, this statement by Brandi Chastain contradicts some of her previous actions that resulted in added media attention for Women’s soccer. At the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Chastain scored a game-winning penalty kick and proceeded to fall to her knees and peel off her jersey revealing her sports bra as shown in Figure 2. Following the event, many speculated whether this was either an act of “momentary insanity” (as Chastain herself claimed), a blow for gender equality (as shirt shedding by male soccer players in celebration of a victorious moment is something of a tradition in soccer), or a shrewd and calculated marketing ploy (since the sports bra in question was a Nike prototype planned for mass production) (Markovitz & Hellerman 178). Though this game was one of the strongest finishes in the history of US Women’s Soccer, the focus of the media’s attention quickly changed the moment Chastain stripped off her jersey. Women’s professional tennis has shown that femininity and revealing uniforms have aided in building up a large fan base, contrary to Ms. Chastain’s statement, therefore sexualizing the women’s game could potentially result in pay increases and larger audiences for women’s soccer as well.
Why it Works
← Hauenstein uses the counterargument to consider the other sides of the debate, using a quote from an insider to the community to situate her discussion of the possibilities.
← Hauenstein offers multiple perspectives on the situation
← Hauenstein attributes her counterargument/concession to someone—“ Markovitz & Hellerman” & “Chastain herself.” Remember that making a concession that is vague is probably going to end up being a fallacy. Make it clear who is arguing with you (and why, thought here this is implied).
← Hauenstein returns back to the original point in her paragraph (underlined). He refutes the counterargument both immediately afterwards, and goes on to make more points. She doesn’t present the counterargument too late or too early.
Thesis Statements vs. Arguable Claims
The following are examples of the “descriptive” thesis statements, drawn from the top scoring AP English Language and Composition papers posted on the College Board website, that are common to high school writing, but are not acceptable for the academic argument paper.
To be a writer one must have an elite understanding of diction, syntax and tone. These literary devices are utilized by writers, including Eudora Welty, as a method for expressing the message that they wish to convey to readers.
In the excerpt from One Writer’s Beginnings, Eudora Welty conveys a positive tone toward her childhood experience. She accomplishes this through the use of descriptive diction, impressionable images, and unusual syntax.
The language she employs to relate anecdotes of her childhood love affair with reading is invested with the same passion and value that she applied to books.
The author’s response to nature is strong and vivid.
Oliver recognizes the overwhelming power and mystery of nature visible in this passage about the great horned owl. This concept is carried over to the reader by the effective use of detail and syntax.
Kincaid, instead of openly displaying her ideas, uses a clever mix of syntax and rhetorical structure to let us gradually realize that something is wrong is such a seeming paradise.
The two passages given describe the swamp in very different lights. Although they are in some ways similar, the styles of the authors of these paragraphs are very different.
Rather than being strong argumentative claims, the strategy here is to create a thesis statement that describes what the reader will find in the essay. As readers, it is quite difficult to find a motivation to read what’s here—in none of these thesis statements is there a connection to anything beyond the text itself. The writers of these thesis statements aren’t investigating anything, nor are they applying what they’ve read to a new text of idea. Another aspect important to notice here is the formula for describing non-fiction writing: tone, diction, syntax, and rhetorical strategies. While the application of an idea—tone, diction, syntax—to a text is a step in the right direction, there is no sense of the communication of important ideas to a reading audience.
Let’s compare these thesis statements with some arguable claims produced from English 131. While the sentences listed above constitute, for the most part, the entire opening paragraphs of the essays, in the arguable claims below, students have created a context for their argument, explained important concepts from an essay, and then, after either a lengthy paragraph or paragraphs, declared their claims.
The media is an influential force in our society. It carries the power to shape our thoughts and close or accommodate our perception of a particular event. In many cases, the media will shape an event around norms in society focused on a particular group of people, many times masking real and complex social issues that truly give rise to the incident. These “master narratives” oversimplify events and fail to tell the whole story in order to provide predictability and comfort to society or a group of people. This was the case during the Los Angeles riot of 1992.
In her essay, “Teaching Children to Discriminate: What we learn from the Big Bad Wolf,” Lippi-Green states specific criteria she used to determine whether a film should be included in her study. These criteria include that the film is full length, not made of up individual shorts put together for theatrical release, fully animated, and not specifically aimed at an adult audience; both The Black Cauldron and Oliver and Company meet all of these criteria and thus should have been included in the study.
While these personal accounts give people’s opinions on how contact zones are formed and supported, the Articles of Confederation was a document that actually created contact zones, instead of merely describing them. These contact zones are worthy to note because they are important in shaping early American history.
I claim that the constant training to conform into a disciplined society to avoid danger is the first step to individuals becoming more automated or compliant. Furthermore, it is this disciplinary society that is responsible for producing our robotic behavior.
Both instances, leper colony and plague town, institute processes to solve the issue of the sick, the leper through separation and the town through its meticulous segmentation. These processes are applicable to our experiences, and our public education is a modern example of Foucault’s processes of panopticism, drawing eerie parallels with Stephen King’s short story, “Quitter’s Inc.”
The essays used here come from readings used in a previous writing class. In each case, the student draws from a concept in the essay and makes a new application. The first student uses Didion’s essay and its concept of the sentimental narrative and applies it to the media accounts of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The second student considers the archive of movies used by Lippi-Green and argues that the archive is incomplete and therefore problematic. The third student draws from May Louise Pratt’s concept of the contact zone and applies it to a moment in U.S. history. The fourth student applies Foucault to compliant nature of contemporary behavior, while the last uses Foucault to focus on public education and a story. In each case, the students move from one text to another, applying concepts from one to the other instances.
Coming Up with a Juicy (and Arguable) Claim
Opinion and Inappropriate Claims
“I like creative fiction more than academic prose.”
“I think Mary Louise Pratt is just a bleeding heart liberal.”
Opinions (personal preference), and inappropriate claims (sarcastic judgment) are not suitable for academic inquiry. Typically they have little to no evidence to support their validity. Such a statement says in effect, “This is what I believe and that’s that.” It relies too heavily on subjective beliefs and demands little engagement with or analysis of the text. Opinions such as these are not arguable: no one else can offer varying perspectives on your opinion. Inappropriate claims often assume that others will “naturally” feel as you do (they count on a reader sharing your values – your warrants). Such a claim does not anticipate a reader who has different beliefs, and thus shows a lack of audience awareness.
Obvious Claim (Statement of Fact)
“Academic prose is formal and often hard to read.”
“Both scientific and creative writing get revised in the writing process.” (Note comparison.)
“Scientific writing requires data; creative writing requires artistic style.” (Note contrast)
Obvious claims are tricky; they seem arguable. However, with obvious claims, you run out of evidence quickly, because the text resists being boiled down into further levels: after you state the obvious, there’s not much let to say about it. Obvious claims typically describe the text, rather than analyze it–and they don’t tell your readers anything that they don’t already know. Obvious claims, like inappropriate ones, don’t encourage dialogue and often lead to excessive summarizing rather than to a complex and coherent argument. They usually leave your reader thinking, “OK, but so what?” Basically, if your writing is a description or summary of the information – instead of an analysis of or argument about it – then you’ve got an obvious claim. Expository writing falls into this category and is often used in the sciences in undergraduate writing. Most compare/contrast statements are obvious claims because they merely describe similarities or differences. They do not assert an arguable point of view. A good place to look for obvious claims is in introductory paragraphs: “People die every year”; “Advertisements are all around us.” Another place to find obvious claims is amidst too much quoting of your readings.
Arguable Claim
“Writing creates knowledge.”
“Genres reveal the ideologies that first formed them.”
Arguable claims attempt to convince readers of something, change their minds about something, or urge them to think about something in a new way. They typically recognize complexity, and so avoid simplistic, easy explanations. Arguable claims are precise and specific: they don’t just say that you’re going to compare certain texts, they explain exactly how you’re going to compare them and why that matters. I put it this way: a juicy claim passes the “So what?” test. Such claims address a problem to which no easy answer exists. If it sounds risky, if you’re doubtful that you can prove it, it’s probably on its way to becoming a good argument. Such claims also present a position that encourages a variety of perspectives. Arguable claims demand elaborated evidence that helps to convince doubtful readers.
Remember that others are reading your paper and that even the choice of one word can affect their response to it. Try to anticipate their response, and choose your words accordingly. The original is reflective of an opinion, whereas the revision is appropriate for an academic argument.
Original: The media's exploitation of the Watergate scandal showed how biased it was already.
Revision: The media's coverage of the Watergate scandal suggests that perhaps those in the media had already determined Nixon’s guilt.
In addition to being more specific, the revision does not force the reader to defend the media. In the first example, though, the statement is so exaggerated that even the reader who is neutral on the issue may feel it necessary to defend the media. Thus, the writer of the original has made his job of persuading the reader that much harder.
Top 6 Myths about Claims for Argument Papers
Myth #1: A claim should be general so that lots of evidence in the text will support its argument.
Correction: Usually a really broad claim can only be supported by really broad evidence, which ends up describing rather than arguing. So stay sma,, and take the time to unpack quotes and make a specific argument.
Myth #2: A claim shouldn’t include everything the paper is going to say because then it “gives it all away” and eliminates the suspense.
Correction: An argument essay is not a mystery novel—you want to be clear about exactly where you are going with your so the reader can follow, and believe, you. This is not to say that you need to make your claim pages long; state where you are going and you can flesh it out in the paper with specific quotes, etc.
Myth #3: A claim should never be longer than a sentence.
Correction: To present an argument that sustains the whole paper, you will probably need a little more space. All of your points don’t have to be similar, you just need to be able to tie them together.
Myth #4: You can present the essay you are reading and working from and the present your ideas. The connection between them will be obvious.
Correction: Many of these papers are about making connection, so make them explicit.
Myth #5: A claim should present a theme and provide 3 examples of that theme.
Correction: While your claim will present where you need to go, don’t feel trapped inside the 5 paragraph essay. Do present the information in a reasonable manner and place emphasis appropriately so the reader knows what is important and what is not.
Myth #6: A claim should be true or correct beyond a doubt so the reader “buys” the argument.
Correction: An argument paper is not about taking one side or the other—its’ about being able to articulate a position and argue it using academic evidence. Often, you may be disagreeing with sources at one point and agreeing with them later in the essay. Don’t feel that you have to “take” one side or another.
Generating a Claim
A good claim will usually include the following four attributes:
← take on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree
← express one main idea
← assert your conclusions about a subject
← deal with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment
Below is an example of a generated claim, beginning with a broad topic and ending with a specific and arguable claim. The below example is based on an assignment that asks the writer to write a persuasive academic argument that thoroughly explores and carefully supports an arguable claim about the implicit and/or explicit representation of the ways in which language is used to create a community identity through an examination of cultural artifacts. An important part of the assignment was to include considerations of excluded members and/or issues of stigmatization that were relevant to the particular community, analyzing how the community excludes and what the social implications are.
Brainstorm the topic
language of exclusion
Narrow the topic
language of exclusion used by members of my community of practice-a wine club
Take a position on the topic
The wine club uses language to talk about non-wine people in negative ways.
Use specific language
The wine club, known for the purpose of this study as the “Wednesday Winos”, uses language to discriminate against non-wine drinkers.
Make an assertion based on clearly stated support
The Wednesday Winos, a community of practice that engages in weekly wine tastings that I observed, utilize language as a powerful weapon to discriminate against others whom they deem as culturally inferior.
Notice how the claim answers the question:
“So what?” Why should we care about language in this community of practice?
How to Tell a Strong Claim from a Weak One
← A strong claim takes some sort of stand.
← A strong claim justifies discussion.
← A strong claim expresses one main idea.
← A strong claim statement is specific.
|Weak Claims |Strong Claims |
|There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb |Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results|
|Tea Supplement. |in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to |
|It fails to take a stand & the phrase "negative and positive" |customers. |
|aspects" are vague. |It takes a stand |
|My family is an extended family. |While most American families would view consanguineal marriage as a threat|
|It states an observation. Your reader won't be able to tell the |to the nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, |
|point of the statement, and will probably stop reading. |believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended |
| |family. |
| |It shows how your experience contradicts a widely-accepted view. A good |
| |strategy for creating a strong thesis is to show that the topic is |
| |controversial. Readers will be interested in reading the rest of the essay|
| |to see how you support your point. |
|Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the |Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, |
|Internet, and web pages can provide both advertising and customer|companies should exploit this potential by using web pages that offer both|
|support. |advertising and customer support. |
|Because the reader can't decide whether the paper is about |It shows that the two ideas are related. Hint: a great many clear and |
|marketing on the Internet or web pages |engaging thesis statements contain words like "because," "since," "so," |
| |"although," "unless," and "however." |
|World hunger has many causes and effects. |Hunger persists in Appalachia because jobs are scarce and farming in the |
|This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. First, |infertile soil is rarely profitable. |
|"world hunger" can't be discussed thoroughly in five or ten |This is a strong thesis because it narrows the subject to a more specific |
|pages. Second, "many causes and effects" is vague. You should be |and manageable topic and it also identifies the specific causes for the |
|able to identify specific causes and effects. |existence of hunger. |
This page produced by Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Better Use of Textual Evidence
Some things to consider when evaluating the use of textual evidence in an essay:
1. Think about how it “flows”:
✓ Does the quote fit naturally into your prose or does it jar or distract the reader?
✓ Does the quote fit grammatically into the sentence? When you read it out loud, does it make sense?
✓ Is it necessary to use a direct quote, or would paraphrasing be more appropriate (or vice versa)? Would it be more effective to use shorter chunks of the quite (or a longer one)?
2. Think about technical conventions:
✓ Is it properly cited according to MLA guidelines?
✓ How is the punctuation? Are periods and commas inside quotation marks? Are colons and semicolons outside quotation marks? When citing a page number, does the ending quotation mark go before the parenthesis with the period after the parentheses? [Like “this,” “this”; and “this” (25).]
✓ Are all references to the text in present tense?
3. Think about how it fits into your argument:
✓ Is there some sense of context or introduction so that you know where this quote comes from? (Look for lonely quotes: quotes that stand alone as a sentence. It’s usually best to incorporate quotes into your own sentences.)
✓ Is there a clear distinction between the writer’s voice and those of the text(s) that he or she is citing?
✓ Is there sufficient explanation of the writer’s interpretation of the quote’s meaning? (Look for paragraphs that end with a quote. While sometimes it is effective to end a paragraph with a quote, more often doing so means that you haven’t fully explained that quote.)
✓ Is it clear how the quote was important to the original text’s argument?
✓ Is it clear how the quote is important in this essay?
A final hint: One way to check how well you’re using quotes is to have someone read your paper aloud to you (reading it aloud to yourself can also work). Listening to your paper, you’ll hear places where grammatical irregularities or other kinds of “choppiness” show through.
Evaluation of Effective Quoting
Remember that effective quoting:
← Adds Authority
← Adds evidence
← Adds a more sophisticated level of writing
Rate your partner’s use of quoted evidence on a scale of 1-5 according to the following criteria.
In-line (embedded) quotes and blocked quotes:
____ Does the author establish solid context and introduction for the quote? (i.e. does the author incorporate the quote well enough to make sure it does not seem dropped from nowhere?
____ Does the paper smoothly transition between the two voices (the voice of the author of the paper and the voice of the quoted author)?
____ Do you understand why he or she chose the quote? Does the writer take the time to explain the relation between the quote and his or her own argument or does the reader have to figure out how the quote is related?
____ Do you feel satisfied with the level of analysis AFTER the quote?
____ Is there as much analysis as there is quoting? Or, is the quote followed up with a mere “like she said” remark? The paper-writer should be doing as much analytic work as the quoted author?
____ Is each quote connected directly to either the point of the paragraph (check topic sentence) or the thesis of the paper?
MLA format
____ Are the page numbers in the right place and free of excess commas? Ex: (Katz 438)
____ Are the periods in the right place for BLOCK and in-line quotes?
____ Is the quoted author’s name mentioned only once (i.e. not at the beginning AND end of quote)
____ Is just the last name used after the initial introduction of the author?
____ Are necessary grammar changes bracketed? Ex: Katz offers “[v]iolent male icons” (435).
____ Is everything spelled correctly and is the grammar correct?
3-Step Quotation Analysis
First step: Introduce the Quotation
(Write down and cite quotation)
The use of labeling within communities of practice is worthy of consideration, as this linguistic performance has real-life affects. According to Penelope Eckert and Sally McConnell-Ginet, “labels arise in use in relation to real people in real situations: people label as they chat, make observations and judgments about people, point people out to others, challenge people, and so on” (268).
Second step: Explain what the author is arguing in the quotation.
(The author should agree with how you sum up the quotation—this will help you establish credibility, by demonstrating that you do know what the author is saying even if you don’t agree.)
The use of labeling within communities of practice is worthy of consideration, as this linguistic performance has real-life affects. According to Penelope Eckert and Sally McConnell-Ginet, “labels arise in use in relation to real people in real situations: people label as they chat, make observations and judgments about people, point people out to others, challenge people, and so on. It is through such activities that labels are endowed with meaning” (268). Eckert and McConnell-Ginet spent three years engaged in linguistic ethnographic research, and claim that labels are regularly used in daily life, although people give little thought to their use or impact.
Third step: State the implications of the quotation for your own argument.
(What do you make of the author’s argument?)
The use of labeling within communities of practice is worthy of consideration, as this linguistic performance has real-life affects. According to Penelope Eckert and Sally McConnell-Ginet, “labels arise in use in relation to real people in real situations: people label as they chat, make observations and judgments about people, point people out to others, challenge people, and so on. It is through such activities that labels are endowed with meaning” (268). Eckert and McConnell-Ginet spent 3 years engaged in linguistic ethnographic research of communities of practice, and claim that labeling others is a regular part of daily life, and that these labels take on a specific meaning when they are considered together with the activity of assigning a label. As Eckert and McConnell-Ginet suggest, this practice of labeling has serious consequences as the it often is used by communities of practice that have more inherent or institutional power to discriminate, disparage, and/or exclude individuals that are perceived to be outside of their community of practice.
Writing Effective Introductions & Conclusions
There is no formula for writing effective introductions and conclusions—but below I have listed some strategies that you may find helpful.
Introductions
□ An introduction has two main purposes – to catch the reader’s interest and to indicate the subject of the paper. It needs to perform both of these purposed smoothly, as an awkward introduction will only confuse your reader. Be sure to engage your reader as quickly as possible and to orient them to your attitude toward your subject. Your introduction should draw your readers into your paper and “convince” them to continue reading it.
□ Your introduction should also, of course, include your thesis statement, as well as set out a “roadmap” for your reader. Your thesis statement, usually the last sentence or two of the introduction, should be a clearly articulated statement outlining the specific argument that the rest of your paper will develop. Be the time your reader finishes reading your introduction, they should know what you are going to argue and should have an understanding of how you are going to prove your argument.
□ Do not think of your introduction as an “umbrella” paragraph under which all other points of your essay must fall. Rather, think of your introduction as a “doorway” to the more involved analysis and evidence you provide in the rest of your paper. Make sure that the points that you raise in your introduction relate directly to the subject of your paper. This is not the place to make broad generalizations about society, the world, human beings, etc
□ If you find writing your introduction difficult, try writing it last – sometimes it is easier to write your introduction after you have written the body of your paper. Often, an effective introduction will be easier to write after you have developed your ideas during the course of writing the paper itself.
Conclusions
□ If your conclusion says almost the same thing as your introduction, it may indicate that you have not done enough critical thinking during the course of writing your essay (since you ended up right where you started). By the end of your essay, you should have worked through your ideas enough so that your reader understands what you have argued and is ready to hear the larger point (i.e., the “so what?”) you want to make about your topic. Your conclusion should create a sense of development or movement to a more complex understanding of the subject of the paper.
□ Your conclusion should serve as the climax (not the denouement!) of your paper. So, save your strongest analytical points for the end of your essay, and use them to drive your conclusion.
□ It is fine to introduce new information or quotations in your conclusion, as long as the new points grow from your argument. New points might be more general, answering the “so what” question; they might be quite specific. Just avoid making new claims that need lots of additional support.
□ Vivid, concrete language is as important in a conclusion as it is elsewhere—perhaps more essential, since the conclusion determines the reader’s final impression of your essay. Do not leave them with the impression that your argument was vague or unsure.
Take a look at five different conclusions that grow from the same introduction. How has the author maintained continuity and/or developed the argument from the introduction? How has the author developed a focus over the course of the essay? What impression does each conclusion leave you with as a reader?
INTRODUCTION
We all know that textbooks dry history out completely, dehydrating the gripping stories and critical conflicts of the past to a dusty piece of history leather—tough, nasty, and hard to digest. As I reviewed three conflicts of expansion in the western United States, I found some signs of life in the desert; compared to the texts I reviewed for our last adoption, the new textbooks offered more complete accounts and stronger analysis of the interactions between settlers and Native Americans, race and gender dynamics in the west, and the role of the federal government in all phases of western settlement. We have a much more palatable assortment of facts for our students to chew on, but is it any more substantial? Here, I question which of these texts will allow us to teach not just the facts, but the skills—reading, writing, questioning, and thinking critically—which we as a committee have decided should take precedence in out classes.
CONCLUSION STYLES
QUESTION
Which of these texts is best? The colorful pictures and graphics, the clear prose, the primary documents all have their appeal. But these tasty morsels distract us from asking the real questions—what are we teaching for? If we want our students to think like historians, then Land of the Free’s liberal use of primary documents, the very same documents historians use to construct the past, makes it our best choice. These letters, journals, newspapers and photographs can help us achieve our teaching goals, for they allow us and our students some freedom from textbook’s “facts” and a chance to listen directly to the voices from our past.
QUOTATION
To inspire critical thinking, we need materials that can help us move beyond the textbook and engage our students’ creativity. Of the three texts I reviewed, only Oh Say Can You See included a variety of supplementary materials to spice up our classes, from primary documents and historical film clips art slides and CD-ROMs. More importantly, the publishing company has a resource person available to help us integrate these materials into our lessons. On short, the variety of extra resources makes this textbook our best option, for it allows us the potential to revise John F. Kennedy’s famous plea, “Ask not what your textbook can do for you, but what you can do for your textbook.”
VIVID IMAGE
I remember what made history matter to me; as a high school student, I found the diary my grandmother kept during the depression. I carried that little leather-bound book with me everywhere, poring over its contents, seeking connections between my family’s past, my country’s past, and myself. From there it was a short step to a history major in college and a career dedicated to sharing my interest in the past and present with my students. If we want to inspire our students to move from memorizing facts to developing an interest in history, I recommend A More Perfect Union as our choice. This text’s attention to emotionally touching photographs and personal storied of the west offers us the best hope of enabling our students to make a personal connection with the past.
CALL TO ACTION!
Clearly, all three of the textbooks currently up for adoption have major flaws—but is it our responsibility to take these foundlings in and spend hours of quality time working with them? No! Instead of squandering our economic clout on these sub-standard texts, we can protest. Let’s delay the adoption until next year and lobby the textbooks companies to give us what we want—textbooks that give us history colored in all of its complexity, conflict, and compromise. We need books that will not deaden our minds, but which will rekindle the passion for knowledge that brought us to our field in the first place. In this way, perhaps, we can inspire our students as well.
WARNING
Any of these textbooks would be an adequate choice; certainly any of them is an improvement on the books we currently use. But merely adequate should not be enough. Only Land That I Love, with its blend of optimism and skepticism, models the kind of critical approach we expect our students to take in our classes. If we settle for another text, we face the prospect of another seven years of bored, passive students who simply expect to regurgitate the dry facts of the leather we currently pass off as history.
Organization and Cohesion
The Known-New Contract
The known-new contract is “[t]he common feature of sentences in which old, or known, information (information that is repeated from an earlier sentence or paragraph to provide cohesion, often in the form of a pronoun or related word) will appear in the subject slot, with the new information in the predicate” (Kolln 274)[1]. In other words, the known-new contract recognizes the fact that sentences set up reader expectations and that the most cohesive writing will provide the reader with “known” information that links together the “new” information presented.
How can you go about making sure that you fulfill the known-new contract in your own writing? Listed below are several ways in which to present information that qualifies as “known”.
← Use repeated information, like repeated or related words and synonyms. (Examples: Suburbs/suburbanization, border/edges, ,eastern/western)
← Continue a previously-stated theme or rely on common knowledge information that a reader can be presumed to know. This strategy is more subtle and gives ties that are not as strong as the use of pronouns or noun phrases. (Example: The president delivered his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress last night. Every seat in the gallery was full.)
← Add words or phrases that drop hints about what a reader can expect next and suggest direction. This often turns a statement of fact into an opinion that can then be argued. (Example: The president delivered his much anticipated State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress last night.)
As you write – and especially as you revise – make sure that you do in fact use some of these strategies in order to guide your reader through your argument.
Using Transitions Effectively
What do Transitions Do?
← Transitions link and clarify the relationship of what has been said and what will be said; transitions serve as bridges that link parts of your paper, by establishing logical connections between sentences, paragraphs, and sections of your paper.
← Transitions act as “signposts” to help the reader to think about, organize, and react to your ideas in the way that you, as a writer, want them to.
← Transitions help you carry over a thought from one sentence to another, from one idea to another, or from one paragraph to another with words or phrases.
← Transitions link your sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.
Clear transitions are essential to the coherence of paragraphs and essays. There are several types of transitions, each leading the reader to make certain connections or assumptions about the areas you are connecting, based on the words or phrases you choose. Some lead the reader forward and imply the "building" of an idea or thought, while others make the reader compare ideas or draw conclusions from the preceding thoughts. A list of common transitional words and phrases can be found on the back.
Transitions Between Paragraphs
When linking two paragraphs, the writer must explain how the two paragraphs are connected logically. Transitional words or phrases sometimes will be precisely what you need to underscore for your readers the intellectual relationship between paragraphs—to help them navigate your essay. Very often, such transitions:
← Address an essential similarity or dissimilarity (likewise, in contrast, despite, etc)
← Suggest a meaningful ordering, often temporal (first, in addition) or causal (thus, therefore)
← In a longer paper, remind the reader of what has earlier been argued (in short, as has been said, on the whole).
Tips for Transitioning
Since clarity and effectiveness of your transitions will depend greatly on how well you have organized your paper, you may want to evaluate your paper’s organization before you work on transitions. In the margins of your draft, summarize in a word or two what each paragraph is about or how it fits into your analysis as a whole. This exercise should help you to see the order and connection between your ideas more clearly.
If after doing this exercise you find that you still have difficulty linking your ideas together in a coherent fashion, you problem may not be with transitions but with organization. Perhaps something crucial is missing between this paragraph and it neighbors—most likely an idea o a piece of evidence or both. Maybe the paragraph is misplaced, and logically belongs elsewhere.
Common Transitional Words and Phrases:
Addition and Sequence: after, afterward, and, again, also, and then, besides, consequently, equally important, finally, following this, further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.), now, subsequently, previously, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence
Cause and Effect: Accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for, for this reason, hence, so, then, therefore, thus
Compare and Contrast: whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the other hand, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced against, vis a vis, but, although, conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may be true, similarly, likewise
Exception: yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while, sometimes
Example: for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this situation, specifically, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration, to illustrate
Summarize or Conclude: as has been noted, in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently, on the whole
Collocation Sets
A Collocation set is a group of words that relates to each other conceptually. This idea is most useful in thinking of and fulfilling your reader’s expectations. The example below shows what types of words a reader might expect to see in a paragraph that contains the sentence. Additionally, words that are conceptually related to the ideas in the sentence presented are listed as collocation sets below. Use collocation sets in your own writing to create cohesion.
For example:
On a winter’s night in that first year he woke to hear wolves in the low hills to the west of the house and he knew that they would be coming out onto the plain in the new snow to run the antelope in the moonlight.
Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses
Words a reader might expect: cold, ice, lonely, howl, white, grass, fires, season, month, prey, horns, teeth, paws, number, packs, starts, etc.
Collocation sets: season, temperature, animal, nature, animals, etc.
Apply this exercise to your own essays, by taking a sentence from a given paragraph and thinking of as many words as you can that might appear. Then, associate your list into collocation sets so that you may rework your paragraphs to reflect a paper that flows and guides your reader.
Writing Good Titles
Titles
In the scramble to finish and revise papers, titles often seem to be left behind. This is something worth fixing, as a good title can intrigue the reader and lend unity to your paper. Some tips:
➢ Avoid general summaries, like “Stereotypes in Star Wars” or “The Church as a Community of Practice.” These are not really lending any excitement to your paper.
➢ Be careful with humor and puns – they are greatly overused in titles, so consider them carefully, as they are not necessarily the best choice.
➢ Realize that your title does not have to say everything the paper is about – it may focus on a smaller point or example.
➢ A good way to lend unity to your paper is to have the title and the conclusion “connect.” You do not want to pick a title that is totally nonsensical until you reach the conclusion, but it can be interesting to have you conclusion lend new insight to a good title (this can also provide some thematic unity at the end). For example:
Title: Discovery and Recovery of the Authentic Self: Rhetoric, Representations and Dr. Phil
Related Concluding Sentences: With Oprah Winfrey as his greatest supporter and promoter, Dr. Phil has the ability to influence a large number of people with his rhetoric and representations. At this point in time, it seems as if Dr. Phil has brought the rhetoric of self-discovery and recovery directly into American households, allowing a once exclusive discourse to circulate with greater range than previously possible, as anyone with a television has access.
Other Example Titles:
➢ Illness, Medicine, Doctor-Patient Discourse, and the Internet: The Uses of Abuses of Metaphor
➢ Dummies, Idiots, & Cowards: Writers in Need of Salvation
➢ Understanding Trauma and the Discourse of Healing:
A Discourse Analysis of Child Sexual Abuse Survivor Narratives
➢ Narration, Storytellers, Colonialism and the (Re) Construction of History:
Intersections of Jamaica Kincaid’s At the Bottom of the River and Leslie Marmon’s Silko’s Storyteller
Why so many colons?
Though most of my examples have colons, this isn’t at all necessary, especially in a shorter period.
Take this knowledge, apply it to your paper, and try to come up with a title that engages your reader.
Peer Review: Providing Feedback
Goals
← To give you feedback about how your paper comes across to other readers.
← To teach you to become a critical reader of academic writing, which will help you to judge and revise your own writing.
← To give you an opportunity to see how other writers approach a similar writing situation.
← To give you new ideas for your own writing.
Thinking About Peer Review
Think of the peer review groups—and the class in general—as a community full of resources. We are all here to help one another. We are all readers, and we are all writers. But we are all at different places in out development, all come from different places, and subsequently all have different writing and reading experiences to share.
When reading or listening to your peer’s comments on your papers, remember that they are trying to give you valuable information about their experiences as readers of your paper. Since they have also been struggling with similar issues in their own papers, they may be able to suggest helpful ways for you to approach yours. Also, remember that you do not have to act on everything that your peers say; take their comments seriously as extra information, but remember that you must make the final choice of what to put in your paper. The process of writing, reflecting, reviewing, and responding is diagrammatically set out below.
Giving Feedback
Think of yourself and your peers as readers, as you respond to your peer’s papers as a reader. It might be useful to begin comments with the phrase, “As a reader, I thought…” Instead of relying on evaluative language (such as “I liked this” or “The paper is good”), put your comments in terms of the effectiveness of the paper (“This was effective because ______”). Instead of telling your peers what to do or where they did something “wrong,” Try to indicate what seemed confusing, unclear, out of place, or irrelevant: or where you, as a reader, were lost, confused, or had questions. If you want to make suggestions to the author, say something like, “At this point, I wanted to know (to her, to see) ______” or “to would have helped me if you had done (explained, showed) ______.” Use language which speaks directly to the writer, as the writer is your audience.
Fun with Fallacies
Examples of Faulty Logic
1. Begging the Question: Offering support for a claim that is really the claim restated.
Example: I’d be a better student if only I got better grades.
2. False Dilemma: Assuming that only certain options exist when more options are available.
Example: The store is out of Chocopuffs, therefore I can’t have breakfast.
3. Guilt by Association: Failing to consider a linking category in its entirety.
Example: Jumping off a cliff can cause injury. Exercise can cause injury. Therefore, jumping off a cliff is a form of exercise.
4. Post Hoc: Treating as a casual relationship what may only be part of a cause or may be merely a coincidence.
Example: I had a nasty hangover when I took my Chem test, and I got an A. I will sure to indulge in binge drinking the night before tests from now on.
5. Lack of Contrary Evidence: Offering the lack of proof for an opposing viewpoint as “proof” of one’s own claim.
Example: No one has objected to my secret plan to destroy the world, so it must be a good idea.
6. Oversimplification: Omitting crucial points or qualifications to make an argument appear unsubstantial or even silly.
Example: The striking workers just want to get big raises.
7. Personal Attack: Disparaging an arguer rather than his or her argument.
Example: My teacher has a foreign accent. Therefore, she can’t know anything about American history.
8. Shifting Ground: Shifting, often subtly, from arguing the point in question to arguing another point.
Example: yes, tossing sacks of kittens into the river is wrong, but I meant only when they’re too sick to survive.
9. Straw Man: Exaggerating premises and conclusions to make another’s argument seem ridiculous.
Example: If Gore gets elected, then we’re only a step away from a Communist dictatorship.
10. Amazingly Bad Analogy
Example: You can train a dog to fetch a stick. Therefore, you can train a potato to dance.
11. Faulty Cause & Effect
Example: On the basic of my observations, wearing huge pants makes you fat.
12. I Am the World
Example: I don’t listen to country music. Therefore, country music isn’t popular.
13. Forgetting that there was a World before You were Born
Example: Women never had it that bad in the United States.
14. The Few are the Same as the Whole
Example: Some Elbonians are animal rights activists. Some Elbonians wear fur coats. Therefore, Elbonians are hypocrites.
15. Hasty Generalization: Generalizing from an inadequate sampling.
Example: The men in my family like baking. Therefore, all men are naturally good cooks.
16. Argument by Bizarre Definition
Example: He’s not a criminal. He just does things that are against the law.
17. Total Logical Disconnect
Example: I enjoy pasta because my house is made of bricks.
18. Judging Things Without Comparison to Alternatives
Example: I don’t invest in U.S. Treasury bills. There’s just too much risk.
19. Anything You Don’t Understand is Easy to Do
Example: If you have the right tools, how hard could it be to generate nuclear fission at home?
20. Ignorance of Statistics
Example: I’m putting ALL my money on the lottery this week because the jackpot is so big.
21. Substituting Famous Quotes for Critical Thought
Example: Remember, “All things come to those who wait.” So, don’t bother looking for a job.
22. Irrelevant Comparisons
Example: A hundred dollars is a good price for a toaster, compared to buying a Ferrari.
23. Circular Reasoning
Example: I’m correct because I’m smarter than you. And I must be smarter than you because I am correct. OR: Marijuana shouldn’t be legalized because it’s against the law.
24. Incompleteness as Proof of Defect
Example: Your theory of gravity doesn’t address the question of why there are no unicorns, so it must be wrong.
25. Ignoring the Advice of Experts without Good Reason
Example: Sure, the experts think you shouldn’t ride a bicycle into the ete of a hurricane, but I have my own theory.
26. Following the Advice of Known Idiots
Example: Uncle Billy says pork makes you smarter. That’s good enough for me.
27. Reaching Bizarre Conclusions without Any Information
Example: The car won’t start. I’m certain the spark plugs have been stolen by rogue clowns.
28. Faulty Pattern Recognition/Ignoring History’s Impact on the Present
Example: His last six wives were murdered mysteriously. I hope to be wife number seven.
29. Failure to Recognize What is Important
Example: My house is on fire! Quick, call the post office and tell them to hold my mail!
30. Ignoring All Anecdotal Evidence
Example: I always get hives immediately after eating strawberries. But without a scientifically controlled experiment, it’s not reliable data. So I continue to eat strawberries everyday, since I can’t tell if they cause hives.
31. Inability to Understand that Some Things have Multiple Causes
Example: The Beatles were popular for one reason only: They were good singers.
Design Form for Academic Essay Writing (rules of layout)
Academic writing is formal writing (like a résumé) and demands the use of “manuscript form,” a design layout that is error-free.
1. The paper copy should be clean and clearly printed: free of smudges, lines across text, etc.
2. Design set-up. A word about visual rhetoric: the visual appearance of your text hits the reader before they can read your ideas. If you try to make a short paper appear longer by adjusting the margins and font size, you risk insulting the reader (who can tell at a glance what you’re up to). That’s not skillful audience awareness. Observe normal rules of layout.
a) Black, 11 or 12 point, standard font
b) 1-1.25 inch margins on all sides (computers default to this automatically)
c) Double spacing throughout essay (Do NOT space more than double-spacing anywhere in
essay: no more than double spacing between heading, title, and paragraphs within the text)
d) No printing on the back
3. A separate title page is unnecessary. On the first four lines of your first page, put this heading:
Riki Thompson
TCORE 101d
November 22, 2008
Draft: Rhetorical Analysis
Your Name
Course
Date assignment is due
Name of assignment
4. Title: Do NOT bold, underline, use larger font, italicize, or put quotation marks around your own title when it is on the essay. Capitalize all main words and center.
5. Insert page numbers (this is usually done in the top right corner of every page after the first)[2]
4. Avoid the use of abbreviations, symbols, numerals (spell out numbers: two, forty-nine, etc.).
5. Avoid the use of graphics, shading, boxes, unusual fonts, boxes, etc.
6. Avoid the use of subheadings, lists, numbering, bullets, etc.
8. Staple the pages together before you come to class (do NOT tear or fold corner).
Your Name
TCORE e 101
Due Date
Draft: Rhetorical Analsys
Creative Essay Title
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MLA Documentation
The Modern Language Association establishes parameters for proper documentation of sources for writing in the humanities. It is your task as a writer to use these rules correctly, both to avoid plagiarism and to allow the reader to investigate the validity of your sources. This handout has an overview, but if you have any questions, you should look further in any good English handbook or the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
What’s a citation ?—It’s a place in your writing that you name, or cite, the author whose information you are using. The citation is done in a pair of parentheses right in your paragraph.
When do you cite a source?
1. When you quote directly. Use this sparingly—use only if
• the wording is so eloquent that you cannot say it more vividly
• the name of the author lends credibility to your point
• you wish to highlight the author’s opinion or phrasing
2. When you paraphrase—reword someone else’s idea in your own words
3. When you summarize—explain just the main point(s) of someone’s idea
4. When you use ideas from an author that are not common knowledge
5. When you cite statistics
The important element to use is the last name of the author, because it tells the reader how to find the citation alphabetically in the Works Cited page, which gives full publication information at the end of your essay. (This used to be called the “Bibliography,” but since the word means only books and today we use other kinds of texts, it is no longer used.) Here are samples you’ll use in the body of your essay.
Some common tricky cases
Remember that Works Cited pages are listed alphabetically. However you word the citation in your text, you must give the first letter of the last name of the author (if there is no author’s name, then use the first letter of the title of the article you are citing). In the above four examples, the reader would look under the letter T, for Thompson, in the Works Cited. Below are some more tricky cases:
Finding credible sources often means using the library databases instead of Web searches. Although much scholarly work is published on the Web, so are a lot of sites by fifth-graders. The ending letters of the URL/address can help you evaluate a Web site because indicates an educational domain, but even that doesn’t guarantee academic rigor. It is up to you to evaluate any textual source you find. Bottom line means that you must become familiar and skillful at finding, evaluating, and citing outside sources.
If mechanical correctness is valued by your reader, you hurt your credibility for not knowing how to control documentation.
Works Cited
Author. “Title of Essay.” Title of Journal. volume.number (year): pages.
Bleich, David. “Readings and Feelings: An Introduction to Subjective Criticism.” Harvard Education Review. 2.32 (1982): 125-47.
--------. “The Subjective Paradigm in Science, Psychology, and Criticism.” New Literary History. 7.1 (1976): 313-34.
“Title of article.” Title of Web site. Date the site was created . Date you accessed the site.
“Clever Stories and Crafty Story Tellers.” Just World Organization 22 Nov. 2001. . 3 Dec. 2001.
Author, Last name first. “Title of Essay.” Title of Book. Ed. Name of editor or editors. Headquarter City: Publisher, Year. page numbers.
Dwyer, Richard. “The Case of Cool Reception.” Recasting: Gone with the Wind in American Culture. Ed. Darden Pyron. Miami: UP Florida, 1983. 21-31.
Name. Personal Interview. Date.
Gozit, Ada. Personal Interview. 25 February 2001.
Author. “Title of handout.” Class Handout. Course. School. Date.
Thompson, Riki. “Making Arguments.” Class Handout. TCORE 101d. University of Washington Tacoma. 16 March 2007.
1. Entries are alphabetized by last name of author (or first word of title)
2. The MLA handbook says to double space the works cited page.
3. Proper indentation is called “hanging indent,” and Word will do it automatically for you:
in the menu bar, click on ‘format’ ( ‘paragraph’ ( ‘line spacing’( ‘hanging indent’
4. Works Cited pages are numbered consecutively from the last page of the essay.
Rubrics & Evaluation
Daily Participation
Participation includes coming to class prepared (that is, having done the readings and other homework), speaking during class by asking questions and contributing to discussions, and discussing course issues online. I will assign a number grade (0-3 per week, no half grades) based on your level of participation both inside and outside of class. Tardiness will be noted and have an adverse effect on your participation grade. Separate marks will be assigned for completion of specific homework assignments. Any homework which is not turned in by the due date will be marked as 0.
3 Excellent participation:
thorough preparation (by having completed the reading, taken notes, prepared questions)
frequent and supportive contribution to discussion (for example, by asking questions, volunteering answers, offering opinions and ideas, and not dominating discussion) both in class and in online discussions
2 Acceptable participation:
less than expected preparation (by having clearly completed the reading, although may not have prepared notes or questions)
some contribution to discussion (by asking questions volunteering some answers, or may occasionally dominate discussion, or get sidetracked)
1 Minimal participation:
preparation clearly lacking
minimal contribution (by answering questions only when called on)
unsupportive contribution to discussion (by dominating discussion, getting off-track)
late (more than 10 minutes)
0 Unacceptable participation
absent for half of class or more
disruptive (for example, by sleeping in class, refusing to participate, side conversations, web-surfing, texting, disrupting class activities. etc.)
Response Papers
|A+ 10 pts |The post summarizes key themes in the reading and responds to a quote within the text. Themes |
| |and concepts are accurately identified and the text is summarized clearly. The chosen quote is |
| |relevant to the points raised in the response and demonstrates close reading of the text, |
| |including citation of quote. This post is virtually error free and writing is smooth and |
| |concise. |
|A. 9 pts |The post summarizes key themes in the reading and responds to a quote within the text. Themes |
| |and concepts are accurately identified and the text is summarized clearly. The chosen quote is |
| |relevant to the points raised in the response and demonstrates close reading of the text, but |
| |may not cite the quote with a reference page. Writing flows, but may have a few minor |
| |mechanical errors. |
|B. 8 |The post summarizes a key theme in the reading and responds in regard to a specific passage. |
| |Themes and concepts are almost all correctly identified. The paper does end with a brief |
| |response, but the response may be more personal than analytic. This response may refer to a |
| |passage, but it does not include a specific quote or a page number. Writing is clear, but there|
| |may be a number of mechanical errors that make some sentences confusing. |
|C. 7 |The post does describe themes, but there may be serious flaws or misunderstandings in the |
| |themes that the text presents. Or the ideas of the writer are not completely clear on account |
| |of sentence level problems; this response has a number of mechanical errors that slow down the |
| |reader. Or the response is largely personal rather than demonstrating a close analytic reading |
| |of a specific passage. |
|D. 6 |It is evident that some attempt has been made to |
| |read the texts du’ jour, however the writing demonstrates lack of comprehension of key |
| |concepts. It is not clear what the reader thinks the themes are, despite the attempt. |
|E. 5 |Something has been turned in. It shows some effort. |
Annotated Bibliography Rubric
|A+ 10 pts |Provides a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or |
| |article. Themes and concepts are accurately identified and written expression is clear and |
| |virtually error free. Includes an evaluation of the authority or background of the author that |
| |informs readers of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the source(s) cited. Comments on |
| |intended audience, compares or contrasts with other readings or discussion points raised in |
| |class, and explains how work illuminates the topic. Citation format is accurate. |
|A. 9 pts |Meets the same criteria set out by an excellent entry, but may have a few mechanical errors in |
| |the annotation or the citation format may be incorrect. |
|B. 8 |Provides a clear annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article.|
| |Themes and concepts are almost all correctly identified and writing is clear, but there may be |
| |a number of mechanical errors that make some sentences confusing. Considers the authority of |
| |the author, but does not evaluate the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the source(s) cited. |
| |Comments on how work illuminates the topic, but does not necessarily talk about the intended |
| |audience, or compare with other readings or discussion points raised in class. |
|C. 7 |Annotation summarizes some themes, but does not necessarily grasp the scope of the book or |
| |article—there may even be serious flaws or misunderstandings in the themes presented. Or the |
| |ideas of the writer are not completely clear on account of sentence level problems; this |
| |annotation has a number of mechanical errors that slow down the reader. Annotation provides a |
| |minimal evaluation of the text and/or the author. |
|D. 6 |It is evident that some attempt has been made to summarize key themes of the texts, however |
| |writing demonstrates lack of comprehension of key concepts. It is not clear what the reader |
| |thinks the themes are, despite the attempt. This annotation may also demonstrate a lack of |
| |understanding about the genre expectations for the assignment. |
|E. 5 |Something has been turned in. It shows some effort. |
**1 point is automatically deducted for an incorrect bibliographic citation.
Summary Rubric
|A+ 10 pts |Provides a concise summary of the central theme and scope of the book or article. Themes and |
| |concepts are accurately identified and written expression is clear and virtually error free. |
|A. 9 pts |Themes and concepts are accurately identified and the text is summarized clearly. Writing |
| |flows, but may have a few minor mechanical errors. |
|B. 8 |Themes and concepts are almost all correctly identified and writing is clear, but there may be |
| |a number of mechanical errors that make some sentences confusing. |
|C. 7 |Summarizes some themes, but does not necessarily grasp the scope of the book or article—there |
| |may even be serious flaws or misunderstandings in the themes presented. Or the ideas of the |
| |writer are not completely clear on account of sentence level problems. |
|D. 6 |It is evident that some attempt has been made to summarize key themes of the texts, however |
| |writing demonstrates lack of comprehension of key concepts. It is not clear what the reader |
| |thinks the themes are, despite the attempt. |
|E. 5 |Something has been turned in. It shows some effort. |
**1 point is automatically deducted for an incorrect bibliographic citation.
Draft Evaluation - for essay writing in the humanities (and some social sciences)
"Majors" (What you say), "Minors" (How you say it), "Mechanics" (Editing)
Read your paper OUT LOUD to listen for how well it meets the guidelines for majors alone. Then do the same for minors. Only after revision of these should you read for editing corrections.
|Majors—Content |
|Thesis idea (Argument)—Do I know exactly what my main claim is for the whole paper? Is it juicy: arguable (not reporting, opinion, or narrative) and |
|appropriately complex? Does it meet the requirements of the assignment? Does every section of ideas reflect advanced knowledge of the thesis (instead of |
|the thesis only coming out later in the body)? |
| |
|The following boxes describe checkpoints to evaluate the intellectual work of the essay body. |
|Critical thinking and Analysis—Are the ideas I use to develop the thesis perceptive and valid? Are the main points of the body the strongest ones I could |
|use to prove the thesis? In the end, have I proven my thesis to a skeptical audience? Does the writing pass the “So What?” test? |
|Development of Content |
|Elaborated —Are there enough topics in the whole paper to fully develop my analysis? Are there enough sentences in each paragraph to fully develop that |
|topic so that the idea is explored in depth? |
| |
|Chain of Reasoning (coherent flow of strong ideas)—Does the path of my reasoning, the paragraphs that follow each other, make logical sense? Do the |
|paragraphs build on each other and move the essay forward rather than repeat the same ideas over? (Rehashing the same material is often a sign that the |
|writer is trying to understand her or his own meaning.) Do I state how the paragraph topics connect to the thesis? This is a crucial use of a warrant.* |
|Evidence—Do I use valid academic evidence (authority of researched texts, spelled-out warrants,* logical explanations, examples, facts, personal stories |
|only as pertinent examples, qualified claims rather than absolutes)? Have I avoided wild claims/ unsupported generalizations? Does the evidence conform to |
|the rules of logic (one way to check is “STAR—sufficient, typical, accurate, relevant.”)? Do I complicate the subject, acknowledge ambiguities, and make |
|concessions when necessary? Do I make wise choices about what researched material to include (the authority of text from experts in their fields is |
|probably the highest kind of academic evidence), and do I use it effectively, knowing when to quote and when to paraphrase? |
|Rhetoric (Audience Awareness)— Have I adjusted my presentation to fit the needs of my audience? For the humanities, this means: not address readers as if |
|they already agree with me or know the context for the assignment; not assume my experience is common to all by making comments like “We all have a |
|religious upbringing,” but show understanding of the diversity of other perspectives; make direct claims and exact assertions rather than beat around the |
|bush with phrases like “The movie is about what society fears.”; state my ideas clearly in my own words using concrete, specific, explicit statements and |
|not ask the reader to “read in-between the lines”; keep my tone scholarly and not “preachy.” |
| |
|Imagine your audience as your professor, diverse students, and all the English faculty at the college. |
|Exigency (a need to be said) and Voice—Have I made this topic my own or is it a repetition of class discussion? Is my own originality reflected in the |
|paper? Is this me talking (maybe with my newly educated voice)? Did I get engaged with my subject and assert something I personally care about? |
| |
|(Writing without voice sounds empty and mechanical. The biggest difference between an A and a B is often found here, in the creativity and risk-taking of a|
|well-supported original argument.) |
|Revision—Have I revised ideas and content rather than merely correcting wording or editing earlier drafts? Have I responded to feedback from peers, tutors,|
|and instructor? Have I gone beyond feedback and enriched my argument and evidence with my own critical thinking? |
|Minors--Expression |
|Organization—Are the paragraphs in the essay arranged in the most sensible order? Are the sentences in the paragraphs arranged in the most sensible order? |
|(A useful arrangement of sentences in a good paragraph loosely looks like this: General statement of topic ( enough sentences to support it ( general |
|statement to make sense of it all.) |
| |
|One of the benefits of a computer is that it allows a writer to pour out ideas in a pile of words, as fast as they come to you. But the resulting coherence|
|is usually disorganized. Use the cut and paste features to reorganize original ideas so that the presentation flows more smoothly. |
|Clarity—Is my wording spelled out and not implied? Is my wording specific and precise, not vague and inexact? Does the wording sound smooth and not |
|overblown or jumbled? Have I avoided wordiness, or unproductive repetition? |
| |
|Every sentence must speak for itself, must not perplex the reader with garbled wording and need other sentences to make it understandable. |
|Transitions and Sign Posts—Are there clear transitions, or “bridges,” from one paragraph to the next? Are there signposts within the text to help guide the|
|reader through my train of thought? (ex. “Although teasing is affectionate when used by my immediate family, the same teasing is not affectionate but |
|disrespectful when used by my cousin.” The repeated words guide the reader.) |
|Articulation—Have I checked for common writing errors? |
|Minors—Form |
|Title—Does my title capture the essence of my big point? Is the title creative and compelling? Have I typed it correctly? (not underlined, not in quotes, |
|not in a different font; capitalize all main words) |
|Introduction—Is the first sentence (or group of sentences) an attention grabbing “hook”? Do I give necessary background the readers need to know? Is the |
|background related to my thesis? Do I avoid a writer-based background that repeats the steps I went through before I nailed down my thesis? Do I clearly |
|assert my thesis in a statement that directly claims my central point? Do I avoid a commonplace “announcement,” such as “I will now discuss ads”? |
|First impressions are powerful—make the introduction capture your readers. |
|Conclusion—Does my essay have a satisfying finish? Does it tell a “so what” about my topic? Does it avoid empty repetition, getting “preachy” or |
|“drippy,” using clichés, or saying “In conclusion”? (Warning: if your conclusion is merely a point-by-point summary of the main points, it is probably |
|“just plain redundant and boring”) |
|The last word leaves a permanent effect: make yours be the finale that seals your presentation. |
|Mechanics—Grammar Conventions |
|Spell check—Have I put the final copy through spell check? Have I looked for spelling errors myself? |
|Proofreading—Have I read the final, printed copy (not the screen)? |
|MLA format—Have I checked for correct rules of MLA citation and documentation? |
|Correctness—Have I checked for grammar rules? |
|Design form—Have I checked margins, spacing, title form, abbreviations, and other rules of layout form? |
English 101 Essay Checklist
Topic and Purpose
___ Does the thesis statement clearly convey the essay’s topic and purpose?
___ Are the topic and argument appropriate to the assignment?
___ Is the thesis compelling and interesting? arguable (not obvious)?
___ Does the paper stay on topic? (content unity)
___ Does the paper generate a new perspective (show originality and not repeat readings and discussions)?
Argument and Evidence
___ Does the discussion avoid a mere telling of an article’s content, a film plot, or an ad image?
___ Is the evidence sufficient (enough offered)? No wild claims?
___ Is the evidence offered well-developed (what is offered is fully interpreted and not superficial)?
___ Is the evidence sound, logical, analytical, and reason-based (not based on personal opinion)?
___ Is the evidence explicitly connected to the paragraph topic or thesis? (warranted)
___ Are assumptions spelled-out (warranted)?
___ Is the discussion appropriately complex? acknowledge alternative views/make necessary concessions?
___ Does the evidence include citations of textual authorities in the field?
Rhetoric/Disciplines (scholarly persuasion)
___ Is there an awareness and control of the expectations of an academic audience in the humanities?
___ Is the tone appropriate (scholarly)?
___ Is the voice of the writer convincing (knowledgeable, engaged, and serious about the topic)?
Organization and Language strategies
___ Is the chain of reasoning progressive, each paragraph building on the last one (rather than repeating ideas)?
___ Does the order of ideas have overall coherence (or is the organization weak or jumbled)?
___ Does the wording have explicit clarity (the reader never has to read “in between the lines”) ?
___ Are signposts used to lead the reader through the discussion/ effective transitions between paragraph ideas?
Conventions (grammar and mechanical rules)
___ Is the language/wording/expression fluent (or is it awkward and confusing)?
___ Errors do not interfere with understanding the essay (or do errors make it hard to read)?
___ Does the writer cite information (MLA format) correctly in the text?
___ Is the wording of citations smoothly worked into the sentence structure? Are the authors attributed
(named and worked into the discussion) as often as possible?
___ Does the writer document information correctly on the Works Cited page?
Revision
___ Does the writer revise ideas rather than merely edit or correct earlier drafts?
___ Does the writer respond to feedback from peers and instructor?
Understanding Your Final Grade
3.5-4.0 A terrific accomplishment
A score in this range indicate true proficiency and superior achievement: the portfolio us interesting, fully developed, insightful, and perhaps even provocative. Your essays may take a new approach to the topic, or add new depth and complexity to an old one. The use of sources and supporting material is smooth, complete, and persuasive, and the organization flows logically and clearly, showing readers exactly how the different parts of the argument fit together without being obtrusive. Sentences are skillfully formed, and give readers a strong sense that they are in the hands of a skilled writer.
4. Good solid work
A portfolio in this range displays clear, solid competence in all the criteria. Your essays are clear, easy to read, logical, and make a substantial point about the topic, though they may not demonstrate a full awareness of its complexities or be as original as those in the 3.5-4.0 range; or, they make particularly insightful or challenging arguments that are a little hard to follow because of organizational problems and/or because of the difficulty of the issues they tackle.
4. Competent
A score in this range is perfectly respectable, and means that you have achieved some degree of skill in all areas. You may have written essays with interesting and persuasive content that are weakened by problems with grammar and style (grammar errors, wordy or awkward sentences, inappropriate or vague word choices). Or your essays may meet the formal and organizational conventions and standards of good academic writing, but be lacking in originality, depth, or complexity. For example, your thesis may be too simple, general, or obvious; you may not have supported your claims in enough detail or related each claim clearly to your thesis.
9. Almost there
A grade in this range means that you have almost achieved what you needed to, but the portfolio does not yet demonstrate consistent college level work. You are on the right track, bit more substantial work has needed on one more of the necessary criteria, or you may have been extremely sloppy in presentation, or not quite gotten the hang of the assignments. Or you may need to improve the flow and clarity of your sentenced.
5. Unsatisfactory
A grade in this range shows some effort, but does not meet the minimum standards or the basic requirements of the assignment. Often, essays in this range do not have a thesis, or the thesis fails to address the terms of the assignment.
UW Grade Schedule
|Letter |Percentage Grade |UW decimal grade |
|A |91-100 |4.0 |
|A- |88-90 |3.8 |
|B+ |85-87 |3.4 |
|B |81-84 |3.1 |
|B- |78-80 |2.8 |
|C+ |75-77 |2.4 |
|C |71-74 |2.1 |
|C- |68-70 |1.8 |
|D+ |65-67 |1.4 |
|D |61-64 |1.1 |
|D- |50-60 |0.8 |
|E |< 50 |0.0 |
General policies
Additional Handouts will be added throughout the quarter. They will not be in the Table of Contents.
Making a Convincing argument
through
Classical Means of Persuasion
In general, this handout is designed to get you thinking about how to use evidence to make a convincing argument. Specifically, this activity offers you rhetorical tools to apply to your own writing.
Objectives
• Identify Aristotelian appeals
• Recognize evidence
• Evaluate evidence for relevance and persuasiveness
Task
For this activity you will need to read through the shared text we are all reading for this class with the goal of identifying evidence that is used by the author to support his or her argument(s). As you read you will want to consider the types of evidence that are considered relevant and persuasive (and those that are not). You will work in small groups to discuss your initial findings. Next, we will reconvene as a class and focus on a few points of evidence to work with further. Finally, we will experiment with the original text to consider how modifications make the argument more or less convincing.
Background: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
According to Aristotle there are basically three ways to appeal to people and thus to induce them to agree with you. The Greek terms for the three types of appeals are: ethos, pathos, and logos, usually translated as ethical, emotional, and logical (although the words have somewhat different connotations in English).
Persuasion by ethos is based on persona, on your image as projected by your speech or writing. Audiences that perceive you as wise, knowledgeable, and trustworthy are more likely to be persuaded by you.
Persuasion by pathos is based on the feelings and desires of audiences. Not only do emotions aroused in audiences affect the ease with which they are persuaded, but all successful persuasion must ultimately identify itself with something its audience desires—be that truth, justice or a larger piece of the pie.
Persuasion by logos is based on evidence and reasoning. If what you present at least seems to be well founded and logical, that should help persuade.
Ethical Appeal: The first type of appeal is called ethical because it turns on the ethical judgment readers make about the character of the writer. Readers who trust you may be persuaded even by unsupported assertion. That trust may be based on the personal you project on readers’ previous knowledge of you. Thus, a recognized authority, such as a certified expert or a leader who is perceived as having been right often in the past, may be able to persuade people without providing detailed argumentation.
Aristotle says that the ethical appeal is based on your ability to project yourself.
1. as a sensible person who understands the subject
2. as a good and forthright person who would not lie to readers, and
3. as an unselfish and benevolent person who has the readers’ best interests at heart.
Emotional Appeal: Appeals to pathos persuade audiences by arousing the emotions. Because our culture emphasizes the virtues of empiricism and rationality, appeals to emotions tend to be valued less in intellectual environments. Therefore, emotional appeals must be used wisely to be persuasive.
George Campbell asserted in The Philosophy of Rhetoric, “so far…is it from being an unfair method of persuasion to move the passions, that there is not persuasions without moving them.”
Logical Appeal: The third appeal is to reason. Aristotle reminds us that what persuades is not logic, but apparent logic, the verbal representation of logic. To an honest writer, this distinction ordinarily makes little difference, except as a reminder that the logic must be made apparent to readers. There are two types of ways to organize appeals to reason.
Deductive argument begins with a generalization and moves toward a specific conclusion.
Inductive argument begins with pieces of specific evidence and draws a general conclusion from this.
Rhetorical Analysis Tip Sheet—Part I
Here is a brief checklist of different linguistic and structural tools that writers often use to get readers engaged with the text and to get their meaning across powerfully.
Concrete, Descriptive Language
creates human interest (pathos), and can also carry important details/evidence (logos) and demonstrate the author’s credibility (ethos) by conveying the sense of his/her close observation of details.
✓ Strong verbs…"he slouched down in his chair, half-closed his eyes, and flicked his hanging wrist."
✓ Metaphorical language and symbols…"The question of race was like the power of the moon in my house." James McBride, The Color of Water
✓ Sensory details (you can see it, hear it, feel it)…"She wore a flower-print dress and black loafers, her head swiveling back and forth as she rode shakily past the triangle curve where I played stickball with my friends." James McBride, The Color of Water
✓ Concrete, specific examples…"We had a toaster that shocked you every time you touched it …" James McBride, The Color of Water
✓ "Telling" facts that are revealing of larger truths…"We would hide food from one another, squirreling away a precious grilled cheese or fried bologna sandwiches…" James McBride, The Color of Water
Narrative techniques: Creating tension and surprise
creates human interest (pathos)
✓ Oppositions between facts or ideas: One thing and its opposite, a positive and a negative, two ideas that antagonize each other. …"I was one of the bigger, healthier boys in the class--and also one of the biggest, smoothest liars…"
✓ Variety in language: long and short sentences, fast and slow rhythms, "kitchen " language and elevated language…"lots of folks grow up Italian in America, lots more grow up capitalist in America, and legions of us have grown up middle class, working class, poor, or even rich in America. But white?" Grover, "Growing Up White in America?"
✓ Surprising expressions… "And the driver had a lot to lose--his truck and perhaps a few teeth"
Structural devices
These allow the writer to guide the reader to his/her point(s)--logos
✓ Overview statements (thesis statements, etc.)
✓ Sequential devices (time sequence, numbering of points, before/after)
✓ Logical connections (how the points/parts of the essay fit together logically)
✓ Graphic organizers (sub heads, bullets, diagrams, changes in typeface)
✓ Strong repetitions/patterns…"I don't like to combine the civilized way of eating with uncivilized surroundings."
✓ Transitional devices (phrases like "next" or "however" or "in addition;" connecting new information to previous information)
✓ The fish hook: a word, action, or symbol at the beginning of the piece that is repeated at the end.
Rhetorical Analysis Tip Sheet—Part II
Here is a brief checklist of different analytical tools for assessing the rhetorical effectiveness of the content of a piece of writing. Of course, a writer who is rhetorically savvy also is consciously employing these tools.
Logos—Claims, Reasons, and Evidence
Strong writers back up claims with reasons and evidence that demonstrate the reasonableness of the claims.
✓ facts
✓ statistics
✓ examples
✓ reasoned sequence of ideas (no logical fallacies)
✓ data from personal experience
✓ quotations from credible sources, subject matter experts
Ethos—Author Credibility, Believability
This factor lends weight to the writing. Writers sometimes weave in their personal experience, or their credentials. Sometimes, if they are well-known to their audience, name-recognition is enough to build ethos.
✓ education
✓ other publications
✓ awards or recognized expertise
✓ first-hand experience
✓ social position—in an institution or society at large
✓ reasonableness--acknowledgement of other points of view
Pathos
Use of evidence, examples, situations, language that evokes empathy from the reader, or stirs other strong emotions
✓ “human interest” anecdotes
✓ personal experience of the writer
✓ emotional language (this can be overused and undermine effective writing)
✓ appeals to values, beliefs of the audience
-----------------------
[1] The definition, and many of the examples given here, are quoted or adapted from Martha Kolln’s book Rhetorical Grammar Third Edition, Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999.
[2] I just hate it when there are no page numbers; it’s a pet peeve of mine, so I might as well confess it.
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If in one paragraph, you quote several times from the same page, do not keep repeating the same page number in parenthesis after all of your sentences. Clearly attribute the author in the first sentence and put the page number after the last citation.
Herbalist Riki Thompson notes the “medicinal power” of herbs, although she notes that not all herbs are created equally: “My research shows that organically crafted herbs that are grown and processed under strict conditions are most powerful.” She goes on to claim that quality control used by the manufacturer makes the differences in “herbs that work and those that don’t”(215).
If the quote fills more than three lines of your paper, then you must follow the rules for using long quotes. There are no quotation marks needed because a double indentation on the left margin (hit TAB twice) indicates the use of a quotation. Continue to use double spacing. The period at the end of a long quote does go after the sentence, not the parenthesis:
Thompson’s argument becomes clear near the end of her essay:
Herbs are nature’s medicine. They are powerful and effectively, but only when used correctly and in adequate amounts. Most people who do not buy quality brands or take the herbs in proper dosages do not experience the full efficacy of the botanicals. My own research verifies what the majority of trustworthy work in the field of botanical medicine has also concluded: herbs have the power of medicine.(50)
Sometimes you need to alter a quote to fit the flow and structure of your sentence. Use brackets [like this] to show your changes to the original:
Original: Gingko biloba taken regularly for two months establishes noticeable results.
Yours: Research has shown that when “[g]ingko biloba[is] taken regularly for two months” results can then be established(Bowers 617).
If you have a “quote within a quote,” use a single quotation mark for the inner one:
Original in article by Nielsen: “Organic farming produces superior quality because it is natural.”
Example: “Others disagree with Nielsen who says that organics is a method that ‘produces superior quality’ because it is ‘natural.’”
(Note that the period goes inside both quotes.)
If you have two sources by the same author, use the first word of the title:
Thompson asserts that herbs are medicinal (Herbs, 47).
Thompson notes that herbs must be used correctly to be effective (“Power” 325).
Note that the first title indicates a book (in italics) and the second an essay (in quotes).
Paraphrasing a source that you do not attribute. If it is not convenient to work the author’s name into your sentence, put the last name in the parentheses followed by the page number (with no comma between):
Example: One botanist concludes that herbs are medicinally effective (Thompson 47).
Paraphrasing a source that you do attribute:
Example: In conclusion to her research, Riki Thompson claims that herbs make effective medicinal remedies (45).
Quoting a source that you do not introduce (attribute)
Example: Expert botanists assert that “herbs have the power of medicine” (Thompson 47).
Quoting a source that you do introduce. Generally, it is better to attribute, or mention in your own sentence, the author you are citing. It is stronger to tell who the author is and why readers should value their reference.
Example: The distinguished herbalist Riki Thompson concludes: “My research proves that herbs have the power of medicine” (47). (Notice that the period is not inside the quotation mark, but outside the closing parenthesis at the end of your sentence.)
Note page number continuation
An article in a journal
Note punctuation differences for “essays” and books. Essays in quotations, books italicized.
2nd entry by same author
Web site/ unknown author
Article in a col-lection
Interview
Class handout
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