Argument structure Disciplines > Argument > Argument Structure Premise | Conclusion | Inference | See also Arguments are the basis of persuasive communication. They are combinations of statements made that are intended to change the minds of other people. All arguments have structure, which can be either deliberately designed or may be discovered through analysis. Premise A premise (or premiss) of an argument is something that is put forward as a truth, but which is not proven. It is hot in here. This is a beautiful car. The people of this town are angry. If you want to attack another person's argument, you can challenge the truth of their premises. As premises are the building blocks of the argument, there may well be two or more premises in any argument. Conclusion The conclusion (or claim) is the statement with which you want the other person to agree. We need to get out. You should buy this car. The new housing should be sited elsewhere. Inference If we don't do something, the peasants will revolt. See also
Three ways to persuade Disciplines > Argument > Three Ways to Persuade Ethos | Pathos | Logos | See also Aristotle, perhaps the most famous arguer, described three routes to change the mind of the other person. Ethos Ethos uses trust, and focuses first on the speaker. showing the speaker as a person of integrity and good character. Reputation The reputation of a person depends on their past, and what is known and spoken about them. Leveraging reputation often means reminding others of your illustrious past, perhaps through stories of your successes, of how you have helped others and been able to see the truth where others have not. Character Character paints you as a three-dimensional human, even with a few flaws (though these should not be important to the audience). Credibility Credibility, depends both on expertize and how this is portrayed. To use credibility, position yourself as an expert. Pathos Pathos appeals to the emotions of the listener, seeking to excite them or otherwise arouse their interest. Logos
Randomly Awesome Words PIE Paragraphs Body paragraphs are the paragraphs between your introduction and conclusion, the ones in which you demonstrate your points. They are the meat of your essay. Strong body paragraphs do the following things: stay on a single topic open with a topic sentence, a sentence that says the main point of your paragraph give concrete examples with descriptive detail to demonstrate your main idea in the paragraph explain how the examples relate to your main point end with a statement about the main point, not on some detail from the example One common way of explaining body paragraph structure is using the image of a pie, or PIE structure. You might notice that this structure is very similar to the structure of an essay. learn more about essay structure The following paragraph from an essay about kickboxing has been divided into its PIE elements. This page was created by Karin Spirn.
Freewriting: A Way Around Writer's Block Freewriting: A Way Around Writer's Block (printable version here) Freewriting is one of our Consultants' favorite techniques for helping writers who cannot get started. Freewriting is analogous to the warm up you might do before exercising. There is no "correct" way to freewrite, so try a variation of these steps: Begin with a blank computer screen and a watch (or the clock on the computer). Focused freewriting follows the same process but begins with a topic: Put a topic of your choice, or even the topic of your next paper, at the top of a blank page. Back to 'Getting Started' Writer's Web | Writing Center | Make an Appointment | Library Copyright Info
50 Most Challenging Words Back in 2010 The New York Times published a list of 50 fancy words that most frequently stump their readership. The New York Times 50 Fancy Words (defined and used) 1. I am glad your inchoate proposals for integrating the company were not accepted this time, thus saving us face. 2. Anderson’s profligacy cost him his job and its better you tighten up your belt before you go the same way. 3. Mr. 4. Every major war on this planet were followed by many years of austerity. 5. The firm’s profligate spending only hastened its downfall. 6. Humpty Dumpty’s antics remain a constant source of baldenfreude for children and adults alike. 7. His ludicrous attempts at mimicry in the office only earned him the opprobrium of his colleagues. 8. The millionaire technocrat and his cronies were publicly derided for being apostates, after they were exposed of polluting the environment while purporting to have spent large sums for water conservation. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
Top 10 things to do before you hand in your essay 10. Spellcheck. It's obvious but often overlooked. Run the grammar checker too. 9. Proofread. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Writing in College - 1. Some crucial differences between high school and college writing From high school to college Some students make very smooth transitions from writing in high school to writing in college, and we heartily wish all of you an easy passage. But other students are puzzled and frustrated by their experiences in writing for college classes. We should note here that a college is a big place and that you'll be asked to use writing to fulfill different tasks. Argument: a key feature of college writing Now by "argument" we do not mean a dispute over a loud stereo. • They expect to see a claim that would encourage them to say, "That's interesting. • They expect to see evidence, reasons for your claim, evidence that would encourage them to agree with your claim, or at least to think it plausible. • They expect to see that you've thought about limits and objections to your claim. At this point, some students ask why they should be required to convince anyone of anything. It is true that we are all entitled to our opinions and that we have no duty to defend them.
12 Awesome Language Resources for the Word Nerd I’m an unabashed word nerd. I majored in English and have been a high school English teacher for almost 30 years. I run an online program helping homeschoolers develop writing skills, and I manage this wordy blog and a wordy Facebook page. I have become, over the years, something of an expert on grammar and usage, but it’s not due to any particular cleverness on my part. I have simply learned how to ask good questions and find reliable answers. Here are a dozen of my favorite resources. I own three fat dictionaries, and on just about every word question, I consult all three. The first Webster’s Dictionary was published in 1928. The last unabridged dictionary published by Merriam-Webster is their rather controversial Third New International Dictionary of the English Language that was published in 1961. In the meantime, they keep revising their abridged but useful Collegiate Dictionary–now in it’s 11th iteration. I particularly like the many usage notes included in this Dictionary.
Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask 1. What can the URL tell you? Techniques for Web Evaluation : 1. Before you leave the list of search results -- before you click and get interested in anything written on the page -- glean all you can from the URLs of each page. 2. 2. 1. INSTRUCTIONS for Truncating back a URL: In the top Location Box, delete the end characters of the URL stopping just before each / (leave the slash). Continue this process, one slash (/) at a time, until you reach the first single / which is preceded by the domain name portion. 3. Check the date on all the pages on the site. 3. 1. What kinds of publications or sites are they? Are they real? 3. Expect a journal article, newspaper article, and some other publications that are recent to come from the original publisher IF the publication is available on the web. Look at the bottom of such articles for copyright information or permissions to reproduce. 4. 1. a. Type or paste the URL into alexa.com's search box. b. 1. 2. 5. 1. 2. WHY?