DSST English Composition

Toulmin's three elements of an argument

1. Claim (Thesis) 2. Grounds (Evidence) 3. Warrant (Assumption that links claim and grounds)

A well written composition should have three elements;

1. Introduction 2. Body Paragraphs 3. Conclusion

3 elements of an argument;

1. Main Claim (Thesis) 2. Main Points (Sub Claims) 3. Claims support (Evidence)

Three elements to a rhetorical situation.

1. Speaker or author 2. Subject 3. Audience

There are three ways to incorporate material from your sources into a composition:

1. Summarizing 2. Paraphrasing 3. Quoting

Four things to look for when editing;

1. Syntax 2. Work usage 3. Spelling 4. Capitalization & punctuation

Narrative Writing

A narrative is any type of writing that tells a story, usually (but not always) in sequence from beginning to end.

MC In logic, what is a premise?

A. An opinion that the author asserts B. A statement that is assumed to be true*** C. An inference that readers make on their own D. A conclusion that follows directly from the facts

MC: The term for a composition that establishes a position on an issue or topic is;

A. a narrative. B. an argument.*** C. informative writing. D. a critical response.

MC: Neutrally communicating knowledge about a topic is the main purpose of;

A. critical writing. B. narrative writing. C. persuasive writing. D. informative writing.***

MC: Analyzing the significance of an artistic or intellectual work is the main purpose of;

A. critical writing.*** B. narrative writing. C. persuasive writing. D. informative writing.

MC: An author who is writing an argument about how an issue affects people locally could best find supporting examples by

A. drawing from personal experiences. B. interviewing members of the community.*** C. using reference materials at the library. D. reading a book giving an overview of the issue.

MC: The purpose of a good conclusion is not only to sum up the ideas in the composition, but also to

A. give readers recommendations. B. advise readers on actions to take. C. provide readers with additional insight.*** D. tell readers how to feel about the topic.

MC: While revising a composition, an author should consider adding details in order to:

A. provoke the audience to laugh. B. clarify an aspect of the topic for the audience.*** C. reveal the breadth of his or her knowledge of the topic. D. ensure that the length of the composition appears authoritative.

MC: The purpose of addressing counterclaims in an argument is to

A. reveal problems with the counterclaims.*** B. treat opposing ideas with a fair and open mind. C. undermine the counterclaims by ridiculing them. D. inform the audience so that readers can decide on their own.

MC: The editing stage of the writing process can be thought of as the stage in which a composition is

A. trimmed. B. polished.*** C. developed. D. reorganized.

____ are often annual publications. They give factual and statistical information relevant to a particular year, region, or subject, often in lists and tables rather than in articles.

Almanacs

____ are collections of maps. A world atlas includes all kinds of maps that give information about the physical features and political boundaries of all regions of theworld.

Atlases

___ list written materials, such as books, and other sources organized by topic or author.

Bibliographies

____ , which develop and provide support for the thesis. In a coherent composition, each body paragraph relates to the overall topic and is presented in an order that makes sense.

Body paragraphs

The most basic way to plan the organizational structure is called ___ .

Clustering

Hypothesizing

Developing assumptions about or interpretations of your ideas.

____ give information about words, which are typically listed in alphabetical order.

Dictionaries

____ list names, addresses, and associated information about people, organizations, and institutions.

Directories

The second step in composing a written composition

Drafting

____ include articles that provide general, introductory information about a wide variety of subjects, arranged in alphabetical order.

Encyclopedias

An appeal to ethics, is based on the authority and credibility of the speaker or author.

Ethos

___ involves writing without stopping for a limited time period—two, five, or ten minutes,

Freewriting

The first step of the writing process

Generate ideas and plan the general organizational structure of the composition

____ give useful information about a specific subject. Handbooks provide facts and guidance on a subject;

Handbooks or Manuals

____ give information about articles in periodicals.

Indexes and Abstracts

Informative Writing

Informative writing is intended to inform readers about a specific topic. Examples of informative writing include textbooks, instructions, encyclopedia articles, and some newspaper and magazine articles

A chart used to organize brainstorming

K-W-L Chart Know Want to know Learned

Inclusive Language

Language that includes all members of the audience, regardless of their gender, race, religion, orientation, class, or culture. Inclusive language avoids bias and stereotypes and is gender neutral.

An appeal to logic, is based on the reasoning in the piece of writing, including the strength of its content and organization.

Logos

Thesis

Main Idea

Tone

Manner of Expression

A visual way to group organizational structure

Mind Map

An appeal to emotion, is based on the feelings and views of the audience.

Pathos

The purpose of an argument is to ____ readers to agree with the writer's position on a topic or take a specific action.

Persuade

Collecting information with care is necessary to avoid ____

Plagiarism

____ is presenting another person's words or ideas as your own.

Plagiarism

Position

Point of View

Editing can be thought of as ____ your composition

Polishing

the art of using language effectively to influence the audience as intended.

Rhetoric

The three elements to a rhetorical situation are known as the ____.

Rhetorical triangle

Argumentative and Persuasive Writing

The writer of an argument or a piece of persuasive writing does take a position, or point of view, on a topic. The writer's purpose is to persuade readers to agree with this position or take a specific action.

Critical Response Writing

The writer responds to a work of art or literature, summarizing and analyzing it. The analysis may include both an interpretation of the meaning of the work and an evaluation of the quality of the work.

A ____ is a kind of dictionary that lists synonyms (and, sometimes, antonyms) of words.

Thesaurus

Diction

Word Choice

incomplete comparison

a comparison in which one of the items being compared is unnamed;

hasty generalization

a generalization or stereotype based on little evidence;

faulty analogy:

a misleading comparison in which the similarity between two things in one aspect seems to imply a similarity in all aspects

red herring:

a statement that distracts from the real issue;

to ____ is to examine the details of something, as though you are mentally taking it apart, looking at each element of it separately, and thinking about how the elements relate.

analyze

An ____ is a brief story that can be used to illustrate or support an idea. These examples might come from the writer's own memories, experiences, or observations.

anecdote

slippery slope

arguing that if one particular step is taken, it will inevitably lead to an extreme conclusion;

bandwagon appeal

arguing that something is good or true because many people think it is good and true;

ad hominem

attacking the person

post hoc (also called "false cause"):

attributing a result to a specific cause without evidence;

Content generation begins ___ you set pen to paper.

before

Invention techniques, often referred to as ___ , are ways to consider a topic in a free and open way.

brainstorming

appeal to (false) authority:

citing the views of someone who may be well known or even respected, but who lacks relevant expertise regarding the specific argument

A ___, sums up the information or argument in the composition and often restates the thesis with additional insight

conclusion

A good ___ does more than simply sum up the composition and restate its thesis. It leaves readers with additional insight to consider.

conclusion

The ___ might end with a provocative question, a warning or call for action, or a vivid, compelling description or statement.

conclusion

One or more body paragraphs might also address ____. These represent positions that other people might take against the writer's main claim. Anticipating and refuting ____ makes for an even stronger argument.

counter claims

In ____ reasoning, conclusions are drawn about specific cases based on general principles

deductive

The purpose of informative writing is to ___ the reader

describe, explain, and/or inform

The purpose of a narrative is generally to ___ the reader

entertain and/or inform

An ____ is a type of syllogism in which the most obvious details have been left out.

enthymeme

A paper explaining the findings of a scientific study that is produced for a scientific journal is likely to have a ____ tone.

formal

A good introduction begins with a ____ to engage the interest of readers, so that they will wish to keep reading.

hook

In ____ reasoning, the conclusion is a general principle that has been drawn from many specific cases;

inductive

An article detailing the findings of a study that is produced for a general interest magazine might have a more ___ tone.

informal

The ___ includes a clearly stated main idea, or thesis, framing the discussion so that readers will know what kind of information or argument to expect in the composition as a whole.

introduction

A visual arrangement of ideas can be made into a more linear form in an ___, in which groups of ideas are organized in order from beginning to end.

outline

The purpose of argumentative writing is to ___ the reader

persuade

appeal to ignorance

pointing to a lack of evidence as a reason for accepting the author's conclusions;

A ____ is a statement that is assumed or proposed to be true.

premise

circular argument (also called "begging the question"):

restating a claim without actually providing any support for it

To ____ a composition is to examine its content, structure, and language critically and improve it as needed. You might find yourself reordering, rewriting, adding, or deleting entire sentences and paragraphs as you clarify your thinking about your subject.

revise

Whereas ____ a composition involves thinking about the piece as a whole, ____ and proofreading involve thinking about the piece sentence by sentence and word by word.

revising / editing

straw man

setting up a false scenario and then attacking it;

false dilemma

setting up an argument as though only two options are possible, and then eliminating one of the options;

equivocation:

shifting between different meanings of a single word or phrase

tu quoque ("you, too!"):

similar to an ad hominem argument, saying that the person making an argument is guilty of doing the thing him or herself;

Any other text (including non-print texts) from which a writer draws information and evidence is called a ____.

source

After you have defined a question to investigate, the next step in a research project is to find the ____ that will help you to refine and answer your question

sources

The use of ____ can strengthen an argument, because it shows that the argument is based on more than the writer's personal knowledge and opinions

sources

The ____ are the reasons or main points that the writer presents in support of the main claim.

sub claims

The purpose of critical writing is to ___.

summarize and analyze

A ____ is based on one or more premises that lead to a conclusion

syllogism

Sentence structure is called _____

syntax

Reviewing its ____ , index, and preface or introduction can help you determine the relevance of a source.

table of contents

The ____, or main idea, of an argument is often called the claim. It's the sentence in the introduction in which you state your position on the topic of the argument.

thesis

One way to get a sense of the institutional affiliation of any website is by checking out the ____

top level domain (TLD).

_____ help to maintain coherence from paragraph to paragraph as well as within paragraphs. ____ are words, phrases, and sentences that show how ideas are linked

transitions

The ___ is the assumption, stated or implied, that links the grounds to the claim.

warrant