Punctuation & Quotation marks
Place periods inside
According to the online article written by Smith, “Textbooks are boring.”
In the online article, the author declares that “Textbooks are boring” (Smith).
Punctuation & Quotation marks
Place commas inside
According to the online article written by Smith, “Textbooks are boring,” and textbooks should be burned.
Punctuation & Quotation marks
Put question marks and exclamation points inside quotation marks unless they apply to the whole sentence
Bedtime at my house is marked by “Mommy, can I tell you a story now?” (Stanko 7).
Have you heard the old proverb “Do not climb the hill until you reach it”? (Stanko 7).
Punctuation & Quotation marks Put colons and semicolons outside Harold wrote, “I regret that I am unable to attend the fundraiser for AIDS research”; his letter, however, came with a substantial contribution (Stanko 7).
Do not use quotation marks to draw attention to familiar slang, to disown trite expressions, or to justify an attempt at humor
It was a “ballpark figure.” http://youtu.be/E-PIidaqCyU
WebMD lists “sleep-driving” as a side effect of prescription sleep aids.
The worker says to himself, “If I didn’t know better I think I have been pink washed”.
November has arrived and we are officially in the “Holidays”, that exciting time of the year when we get to spend time with family, friends and loved ones.
Someone once said that a “small group of determined individuals can change the world”.
Purpose & Audience
Reasoning strategies (Organization)
The rational appeal
The emotional appeal
The ethical appeal
Fallacies
Ethical issues
Demonstrating facts
◦ Nursing is hard work, dorms are poor study places
Defend/oppose a policy, action, or project
◦ Company should drug-test employees
Assert the greater/lesser value of someone/something
◦ Ranking candidates for promotion
Think like a reader (oh wait, you are...)
Consider reader’s interests, expectations, and needs concerning this issue
Identify the evidence most likely to convince readers
Identify the objections readers will have
Identify the consequences of this argument
Decide how objections should be addressed
Induction ◦ General claim is supported by specific
evidence (direct observations, statistical data, scientific studies)
◦ Makes conclusion probable but doesn’t prove
◦ Must demonstrate credibility of evidence
College program effective because most students in it get jobs
Deduction
Analogy
Deduction ◦ Demonstrates how a specific conclusion
follows logically from initial premise
◦ Must make clear how conclusions do actually follow from agreed-upon premises
Politicians assert the benefit to future generations, then policies to favor that
Analogy
Analogy
◦Weakest form of rational appeal
◦Never prove anything, only show probability and sometimes offer explanations
Assumption that humans respond to chemicals as rats do
Present reasons and evidence in a way that readers will find as reasonable or plausible
Established truths
Opinions of authorities
Primary source information
Statistical findings
Personal experience
To Evaluate Evidence
How credible are the sources of information?
How reliable is the evidence?
How much confirming evidence is there?
How much contradictory evidence is there?
How well established is the evidence?
How well does the evidence actually support or fit the claim?
What does the evidence actually allow you to conclude?
Identify stories, scenes, or events of the topic that arouse the strongest emotions
Can lend powerful reinforcement
Tug heartstrings of readers to take actions
Write with genuine concern for topic, commitment to truth and sincere respect for others
◦ Tone is paramount
Offensive, arrogant, or mean-spirited is ineffective
Look for snide comments
◦ Pleasant, fair-minded, decent is effective
Lapses in logic that reflect upon ability to think clearly and weaken argument
Hasty generalization – someone bases a conclusion on too little evidence ◦ Student tries to reach instructor one time and
declares that the instructor is impossible to reach
Non sequitur – draws unwarranted conclusions from seemingly ample evidence ◦ Bill is out every night. I wonder who he is dating?
Stereotyping – attaches one or more supposed characteristics to a group or one of its members ◦ Teenagers are lousy drivers
Lapses in logic that reflect upon ability to think clearly and weaken argument
Card Stacking – only part of available evidence given while deliberately omitting essential info ◦ College students have it easy because they are only in
classes 12 hours per week.
Either/Or Fallacy – only two choices exist when several are available ◦ Either buy tires or get stuck inside this winter
Begging the Question – asserts truth of an unproven statement ◦ Vitamin A is harmful to your health, so all bottles
should have a warning label. If enough of us write to the FDA, this could change. But how do we know it’s harmful when evidence isn’t given?
Lapses in logic that reflect upon ability to think clearly and weaken argument
Circular Argument – supports position merely by restating it ◦ That person is overweight because he is fat.
Red Herring – argues off point ◦ American car is superior but abruptly shifts to the
plight of laid off workers
Ad Hominem – argument attacks an individual rather than opinion ◦ Sam doesn’t deserve a promotion. His divorce was
messy.
Lapses in logic that reflect upon ability to think clearly and weaken argument
Appeal to the Crowd– plays on irrational fears and prejudices of audience ◦ The Red Scare, Adolf Hitler
Guilt by Association – some similarity between one person to another ◦ Similar to poisoning the well
Post Hoc – assuming that because one event follows another, the first caused the second ◦ Coincidence that a black cat ran across the street
right before the car crashed into the telephone pole
Lapses in logic that reflect upon ability to think clearly and weaken argument
Faulty Analogy – error of assuming two circumstances are similar in all respects when they are not ◦ Football coach insists that if he emulates Lombardi’s
techniques that his team will win conference
Doesn’t take players into consideration, level of play, etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXLTQi7vVsI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dln3DJEcghY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8LydU2P7Yw
Argument is an attempt to alter attitudes or spark action
Responsibility for quality of argument and possible consequences
Carefully consider stance and argument ◦ Is it credible? Is it dependent on certain conditions?
Be fair to other positions
Legitimacy of reasons and evidence
Examine fallacies and other possible reader manipulations
Explore the consequences of readers adopting this position
Apply your assigned argumentative element to each of the following readings. Be prepared to extensively discuss your findings with the class.
Marissa Brown – “Teacher Natalie Munroe Has a Right to Call Kids Lazy and Rude”
Jonathan Zimmerman – “When Teachers Talk out of School”
Byron York – “A Carefully Crafted Immigration Law in Arizona”
Conor Friedersdorf – “Immigration Policy Gone Loco”
Purpose & Audience
Ty, Matt, Brittany, Ronaldo
The rational appeal
Mike B., A’Nesshea, Drew, Cody B., Rachel
The emotional appeal
De’Maun, Gene, Meagan, Sara, La’Tae
The ethical appeal & Ethical issues
Lori, Jenna, Chantel, Mike C., Cody W
Fallacies & Reasoning strategies
Mark, Bobby, Chaunte, Nancy, Max,
Purpose & Audience
Tyler, Billy, Arionna, Jake, Chris
The rational appeal
Brittany, Ryan C., Aaron, Sarah, Brian
The emotional appeal
Carina, Kayla, Chaymaa, Jesse
The ethical appeal & Ethical issues
Zach, Erin, Adrienne, Morgan
Fallacies & Reasoning strategies
Ryan M., Julian, Lauren, Ventrice, Lyndsey