An introduction to the argumentative essay Introduction section.

1. The Introduction - 1
(Week 2)
W R I T I N G I V
(HE285)
Prof. Dr. Ron Martinez
drronmartinez@gmail.com

2. Goals for the week
• Understand the structure of argumentative
essays;
• Develop a greater awareness of academic
stylistic conventions (e.g. grammar, in-text
citation);
• Develop essential tools to help you with your
first essay assignment (due Sunday).

3. Today’s agenda
• Consideration of overall importance of the
Introduction section;
• Analysis of rhetorical moves typical of
Introductions;
• Go over homework.

4. Discuss: Who can an academic writer
be compared to?
• Politician?
• Salesperson?
• Teacher?
• Firefighter?
• Doctor?
• Lecturer?
• Architect?
• Other?

8. A “problem-solution” approach

9. From your quiz last week:

10. • Arguably the most important section in an
essay.

11. Briefly discuss the Miller and Parker
article:
• Who is the article intended for?
• Did you like the article?
• Did you understand the “moves” (“establish
territory” etc.)?

12. “C.A.R.S.” (John Swales)

14. “C.A.R.S.” (John Swales)
YOUR (HIDDEN)
“POSITION”

16. Miller & Parker paper:Where’s the “gap”?
• Hint: Where could you insert the word “however”?
1
2
3
4
5
6

17. Where’s the “gap”?
• Hint: Where could you insert the word “however”?
3

18. Territory, Niche, and Occupation of
Niche

21. High or low score?

23. Key words about academic writing
• ENGAGEMENT
• CRITICALITY
• POSITION
• PROBLEMATIZE
• ARGUMENT
• SUPPORT

24. “problematizing”
• Sunny days
• Pizza
• Kittens
• Losing weight
• Earning more money
• Having a baby
• World peace
• Brushing your teeth
• Carnaval

25. Lack of problematizing
• Sunny days are excellent occasions. Who
doesn’t like a sunny day? On sunny days one
can see people in the park, and generally
seeming like they are in a good mood. Of
course, the sun can also be bad for your skin,
and even cause serious diseases, but overall
sunshine is a positive element to be looked
forward to.

26. SUNNY DAYS “PROBLEMATIZED”

27. SUNNY DAYS “PROBLEMATIZED”
+ -
•People enjoy them
•Can put you in a good mood
•Make people want to go out and enjoy
themselves
•Can make your skin age faster
•Can cause skin cancer
•People have shorter tempers on hot days

28. “problematizing”• Sunny days
There is a general consensus that people enjoy sunny
days. After all, sunny days have been known to positively
affect people’s moods, and to be conducive to outdoor
activity. However, while it is true that sunny days carry a
positive association, it can be argued that not everyone
benefits equally from sunshine. For example, it has been
well established that the sun can also damage one’s skin,
and contribute to premature ageing and skin cancer. There
is also growing evidence that violent crimes tend to
increase on sunny days. Following a careful analysis of
some of the most harmful and beneficial effects of sunny
days, this essay will suggest that while sunny days should
still be thought of as a positive and welcome occurrence in
our lives, there are important caveats to heed.

29. “problematizing”: YOU try! (Choose 1.)
• Sunny days
• Pizza
• Kittens
• Losing weight
• Earning more money
• Having a baby
• World peace
• Brushing your teeth
• Carnaval

30. AM TURMA HOMEWORK for
Wednesday (11/3/15)
• Online: Do Ex. 1 (“Where’s the niche?”) –
Download, print, bring to class (DPBTC)
• Online: Do Ex. 2 (“Analysis of essay introductions)
– DPBTC
• Online: Do Ex. 3 (“The grammar of
introductions”) – DPBTC
• Online: Do Ex. 4 (“To cite or not to cite”) – DPBTC
• “Problematize” (Choose 1 topic to problematize,
develop a first draft Introduction paragraph) –
Email to yourself (and/or bring to class)

31. Academic?

32. Online:

33. Discuss: Where’s the gap (“niche”)?

35. “C.A.R.S.” (John Swales)
YOUR (HIDDEN)
“POSITION”

36. HIDDEN “POSITION”

38. Review of “territory” and “niche”
(“moves”)
• Compare your homework (with the 3 essay
introductions) with a classmate’s. Do you
have the same answers?

42. AM TURMA HOMEWORK for
Wednesday (11/3/15)
• Online: Do Ex. 1 (“Where’s the niche?”) –
Download, print, bring to class (DPBTC)
• Online: Do Ex. 2 (“Analysis of essay introductions)
– DPBTC
• Online: Do Ex. 3 (“The grammar of
introductions”) – DPBTC
• Online: Do Ex. 4 (“To cite or not to cite”) – DPBTC
• “Problematize” (Choose 1 topic to problematize,
develop a first draft Introduction paragraph) –
Email to yourself (and/or bring to class)

43. “problematizing”
• Sunny days
• Pizza
• Kittens
• Losing weight
• Earning more money
• Having a baby
• World peace
• Brushing you teeth
• Carnaval

44. Review of “moves”
• Compare your homework (with the three
introductions) with a classmate’s. Do you
have the same answers?
• Now show your introduction (from the
“problematizing” exercise) to your partner –
can (s)he find Move 1, Move 2, and Move 3?

45. The Grammar of Introductions
Discuss the homework:
• Which two forms (e.g., present continuous,
past simple, present perfect, etc.) tend to
predominate in the Introduction section?
• Why do you think those forms tend to be most
common?

48. The Grammar of Introductions
Discuss the homework:
• Which two forms (e.g., present continuous,
past simple, present perfect, etc.) tend to
predominate in the Introduction section?
• Why do you think those forms tend to be most
common?

49. Reminder:
• At the end of class, you can (and probably
should) email completed worksheets to
yourselves for your own records.

50. BODY
OF
WORK,
TIME
SPAN &
TREND

51. Focus on grammar
There is a general consensus that people enjoy sunny
days. After all, sunny days have been known to positively
affect people’s moods, and to be conducive to outdoor
activity. However, while it is true that sunny days carry a
positive association, it can be argued that not everyone
benefits equally from sunshine. For example, it has been
well established that the sun can also damage one’s skin,
and contribute to premature ageing and skin cancer. There
is also growing evidence that violent crimes tend to
increase on sunny days. Following a careful analysis of
some of the most harmful and beneficial effects of sunny
days, this essay will suggest that while sunny days should
still be thought of as a positive and welcome occurrence in
our lives, there are important caveats to heed.

52. The Grammar of Introductions
Discuss the homework:
• Which two forms (e.g., present continuous,
past simple, present perfect, etc.) tend to
predominate in the Introduction section?
• Why do you think those forms tend to be most
common?
• Now look at the “Introduction” you wrote for
today’s class: Is the grammar OK?

53. What’s missing?
There is a general consensus that people enjoy sunny
days. After all, sunny days have been known to positively
affect people’s moods, and to be conducive to outdoor
activity. However, while it is true that sunny days carry a
positive association, it can be argued that not everyone
benefits equally from sunshine. For example, it has been
well established that the sun can also damage one’s skin,
and contribute to premature ageing and skin cancer. There
is also growing evidence that violent crimes tend to
increase on sunny days. Following a careful analysis of
some of the most harmful and beneficial effects of sunny
days, this essay will suggest that while sunny days should
still be thought of as a positive and welcome occurrence in
our lives, there are important caveats to heed.

54. To cite or not to cite… (homework)

56. To cite or not to cite (homework)
• Why do people cite sources in academic
writing?
• Were you surprised/confused at any of the
citations in the homework?
• Sometimes authors cite more than one source
for the same statement – why does this
happen?

58. “posse gathering”

60. Where would you cite?
There is a general consensus that people enjoy sunny
days. After all, sunny days have been known to positively
affect people’s moods, and to be conducive to outdoor
activity. However, while it is true that sunny days carry a
positive association, it can be argued that not everyone
benefits equally from sunshine. For example, it has been
well established that the sun can also damage one’s skin,
and contribute to premature ageing and skin cancer. There
is also growing evidence that violent crimes tend to
increase on sunny days. Following a careful analysis of
some of the most harmful and beneficial effects of sunny
days, this essay will suggest that while sunny days should
still be thought of as a positive and welcome occurrence in
our lives, there are important caveats to heed.

61. Prof. Ron’s suggestions:
There is a general consensus that people enjoy sunny days
(Burns, 2001; Rays, 2011). After all, sunny days have been known to
positively affect people’s moods (Prozac, 1999), and to be conducive
to outdoor activity (Jetski, 2009). However, while it is true that
sunny days carry a positive association, it can be argued that not
everyone benefits equally from sunshine. For example, it has been
well established that the sun can also damage one’s skin, and
contribute to premature ageing and skin cancer (Nivea, 1987;
Sundown, 2014). There is also growing evidence that violent crimes
tend to increase on sunny days (Shortfuse, 2002). Following a
careful analysis of some of the most harmful and beneficial effects
of sunny days, this essay will suggest that while sunny days should
still be thought of as a positive and welcome occurrence in our lives,
there are important caveats to heed.

62. Now you try!
1. Read your “problematized” paragraph again,
and this time insert an arrow where you think a
citation should go. (Insert 2 or more arrows if
you think it is relevant.)
2. Show your citation points to a classmate – does
(s)he agree?
3. If time: try to think of names of “authors” for
your citations. (Remember: the focus now is on
when and why to cite, not “who” to cite... yet.)

63. WEEKEND
HOMEWORK

64. By Sunday
1. Write (or paste) your essay (also see “Rubric”
online) using the “Essay Submission Form”
(online), and send it to me using the Essay 1
Assignment Form online.

66. www.lextutor.ca

67. Don’t worry if you forget!!!

69. By Sunday
1. Write (or paste) your essay (also see “Rubric”
online) using the “Essay Submission Form”
(online), and send it to me using the Essay 1
Assignment Form online.
2. Online: Read Thompson (2001) + complete
“Reading Engagement Log” (online) for that
article, and send to me via online Assignment
Form.

70. For example...

71. Why do we have to do this???

72. Key words about academic writing
• ENGAGEMENT
• CRITICALITY
• POSITION
• PROBLEMATIZE
• ARGUMENT
• SUPPORT

73. “engagement”
• Critical engagement
• Involves “power”
• Involves “dialogue”
• Key to developing a “position”
• Key to developing academic literacy (including
vocabulary)

75. Schmitt (2010, p. 28)

76. Lexical Priming (Hoey, 2005)
“As a word is acquired through encounters with
it in speech and writing, it becomes
cumulatively loaded with the contexts and co-
texts in which it is encountered, and our
knowledge of it includes the fact that it co-
occurs with other words in certain kinds of
context.” (p. 8)

77. Example of dialogic engagement

78. A real example of engagement

79. Most common result:

80. What most researchers hope for:

81. A real example of engagement

86. Summary for Week 2
• A good Introduction is extremely important, and worth polishing as much
as possible;
• There are typical “moves” that readers expect to find in academic
Introductions;
• The “niche” (or gap) is often reflective of the author’s “position”;
• It is important to “problematize”; sell your position, but not make a sales
pitch!
• The present perfect and present simple are the two most common
grammatical forms in the Introduction section, in large part because they
help convey relevance to the “now”;
• Citing sources is not (only) about avoiding plagiarism, but is instead a way
of establishing authority. (At this stage knowing why and when to cite is
even more important than know who to cite.)
• Good academic writers know how to (indirectly) dialogue with their
reader; dialogism, and engagement in general is a fundamental part of
academic literacy.

87. By Sunday
1. Write (or paste) your essay (also see “Rubric”
online) using the “Essay Submission Form”
(online), and send it to me using the Essay 1
Assignment Form online.
2. Online: Read Thompson (2001) + complete
“Reading Engagement Log” (online) for that
article, and send to me via online Assignment
Form.

88. Now you try…
1. Open “Writing for the reader” article
2. Open “Reading Engagement Log”
3. Don’t write yet!
4. With a partner, identify where the authors
establish territory, niche, and where they occupy
niche.
5. With a partner, discuss the answers to question
4 (“analysis”).
6. (If time remains) Start filling in the form.