2. AGENDA
• GPU: Subject-Verb agreement
• Review:
• Thesis
• Body Paragraphs
• New:
• Introductions: revised and expanded
• Anticipating Opposing Positions and
Objections (counterargument)
3. GPU: Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject: The part of a clause that identifies
who or what is being discussed: At the
checkpoint, we unloaded the canoes.
Verb: A word or phrase that expresses action
or being and, along with a subject, is a basic
component of a sentence: At the checkpoint,
we unloaded the canoes.
Person: The form of a word that shows whether
it refers to I or we (first person), to you (second
person), or to he, she, it, or they (third person).
Use subjects and verbs that agree in person and number. Agreement
problems often occur when a sentence has a complicated subject or verb,
especially when the subject and verb are separated by other words.
Number: The form of a word that shows whether it
refers to one thing (singular) or more than one
(plural): parent, parents; child, children.
4. Make sure the subject and verb agree even if they are separated by other
words.
5. Use a singular verb with a subject that is a
collective noun.
Collective noun: A noun
(such as class or family)
that refers to a group as
a unit and is usually
considered singular.
6. Use a plural verb with a
compound subject.
Compound subject: Two
or more words acting
as a subject and linked
by and.
7. Use a singular verb with an
indefinite pronoun.
Indefinite pronoun: A pronoun that does not
refer to a particular person or object, such
as anybody, each, one, everyone,
everything, somebody, something, neither,
none, or nobody (which take the singular);
few, many, and several (which take the
plural); and all, most, and some(which can
take either the singular or plural).
9. Review: Thesis Construction
• Remember that a strong thesis statement should be clear, arguable,
and appropriately qualified. As you consider your overall judgment,
keep in mind that readers of evaluative essays expect writers to
present a balanced evaluation of a subject by pointing out strengths
as well as weaknesses. At the same time, however, readers expect to
encounter a definitive judgment, not a vague, wishy-washy, or
undecided judgment.
• In you initial draft of your thesis, you might want to make some
reference to the four criteria you plan to evaluation for the out-of-class
essay.
10. Review: essay #2 Justifying an
Evaluation
The Writing Assignment:
• Using both your in-class essay and the basic features of a “justifying an
evaluation” essay write a new essay evaluating the film Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone. Examine your subject closely, and make a judgment about it
in a clear and concise thesis statement. Give reasons for your judgment that
are based on at least four widely recognized criteria or standards for evaluating
a film like this one. Support your reasons with examples and other details from
your subject. Your final essay should be between three and five
pages. (This means you should have at least one line on page four to ensure
you have filled three complete pages). Do not rely on your in-class essay to
substitute for this new essay. As you will see, this essay assignment requires
both more complex thinking and writing.
• Outside sources: this essay requires at least two direct quotations in addition
to other examples.
11. Review: Developing your argument
• Establish the criteria upon which you will judge the film. Choose at least four:
• Story: Does the movie have a plot that tells both an intriguing and unusual story? Does the plot
make sense? Is the story line logical? Is the narrative arc well shaped and stay focused on the
climax? Or is it drawn out and boring with time-killing pointlessness? Are the character’s actions
justified? Are their motives reasonable? Do characters behave with consistency? Or do some
words, thoughts, or actions ring false?
• Acting: Do the actors convince the audience they are the characters they are portraying. Do
they meet the expectations dictated by the plot and other story elements? If not, is it their own
acting deficiencies that hold them back? Or are they hampered by a poor script? What could the
actors have done differently to make the movie work better?
• Special Effects: Do film visuals maintain a professional quality and stimulate the audience? Or
are they phony looking and unbelievable? Are special effects used appropriately? Do they
compliment the emotions of a scene and support the setting?
12. Review: More criteria
• Suspense: does the film must keep the audience on edge and make them
eagerly anticipate a resolution? Are there particular elements of suspense that
you can name? For example, does the cinematography make it suspenseful?
The dialogue? The film cuts?
• Realism/accuracy: is the film believable? Even fantasy films must operate
inside of the realm of possibility that viewers can accept. Does the film portray
events, people, and events as they are in real-word settings as much as
possible? Are actions and interactions believable, plausible, and at least
somewhat relatable given the genre of the film?
• Setting: are the characters in an environment that contributes to or supports
their actions and interactions. Does the setting emphasize the themes and
moods of the film? Is the scenery aesthetically pleasant? Or does it detracting
from the main focus of the scene?
13. Review: A Few More
• Technical elements: how do the cinematography, editing, lighting, sound, and
other components support or detract from the film? Does the camera crew capture
the scenes in a manner that best illustrates the story? How do these elements
contribute to or detract from the film?
• Soundtrack: is music appropriate and effectively employed? Does the sound
compliment the visuals? Does it help convey the emotion of each scene?
• Originality: does the film present some new concept or idea that has hardly been
explored by its predecessors? Is there creativity and innovation? Is it fresh
content? Or does it tell an old story in a conventional way?
• Message: is there a message, moral, or ethic in the story? Is the message
important or compelling to contemporary audiences?
15. Introductions: “Star Trek or Star Wreck”
One of the most famous (and probably most loved) stories about outer space, interstellar
journeys, distant galaxies, and new discoveries and dangers is Star Trek, which includes both a TV
series and a number of movies telling the story of the spaceship Enterprise and its crew, led by
captain James T. Kirk. In 2013, another movie was released—Star Trek Into Darkness, directed by
J.J. Abrams, famous for both his directing and for his work with visual effects.
In general, I am more enthusiastic about Star Wars films, but I admit to the epic nature of the
saga developed in numerous Star Trek episodes and films. Star Trek Into Darkness tells the story of
a three-way conflict between Captain Kirk and the Enterprise crew, Admiral Marcus, and the central
protagonist Khan, aka John Harrison, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. The cast includes Chris
Pine as Captain Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, and Zoe Saldana as Uhura. The film premiered in
Singapore, on April 23, 2013. Box Office Mojo listed its domestic gross at $228+ million, excluding
disc sales, with the production costs pegged at $190 million (“Star Trek Into Darkness” Box Office),
which seems to indicate it is a successful film, at least economically.
To avoid revealing all of the movie plot, I will just hit the highlights. Khan, a genetically improved
human, is awakened from cryogenic sleep by Admiral Marcus (played by Peter Weller), who wants
to use him in his fight against Klingons (an alien race). Khan escapes, commits several crimes, kills
several members of the Star Fleet council, and then escapes to planet Chronos. Captain Kirk and
his crew chase Khan and ultimately take him captive. Marcus threatens to destroy the Enterprise if
Kirk does not turn Khan over to him. Kirk refuses. Their conflict escalates until Khan kills Marcus.
17. Counterargument/Alternative Judgment: From “Star
Trek or Star Wreck”
[Cumberbatch’s] emotionless, yet compelling delivery, marks this as
a brilliant performance. His demeanor is chilling, and at times, just
scary. I was not just engaged, but rather riveted. I would like to,
here, acknowledge Ricardo Montalban’s earlier performance as
Khan in Star Trek films. Many people regard Montalban as one of
the greatest villains of all time. I acknowledge that Montalban is
truly excellent as Khan, but I don’t think that his performance
detracts from Cumberbatch’ s excellent work in playing the same
character.
18. New: Anticipate a Likely Objection or
Alternative Judgment:
Write a few sentences describing an objection or an alternative
judgment you expect some readers to raise.
“Some people might say that the film lacks cutting edge
special effects…..”
Consider whether readers base their criticism on different
criteria or whether they analyze the movie criteria differently
than you do.
“There are some critics who cite the child actors as a
problem in this film. Though I haven’t mentioned them. . .
”
Objection
Alternative
Judgment
19. Write a few sentences trying out a possible counterargument. You may
be able simply to acknowledge an objection or alternative judgment. If
the criticism is serious, consider conceding the point and qualifying
your judgment.
“There are some critics who cite the child actors as a problem
in this film, and I understand that the acting is not perfect, but
they are only 11 years old. They don’t have much experience,
but most kids this old don’t.”
You might also try to refute it by arguing that the standards you are
using are appropriate and important.
“Some people might say that the film lacks cutting edge special
effects, but I don’t agree. Given that the film was made in 2001,
the effects, particularly _______, are truly great!”
Consider Whether to Concede or Refute
the Objection
Concession
“I understand”
Refutation
“I don’t agree”
20. HOMEWORK
Read HP COS Chapter 13
HW Discussion 10: Post the following:
1.Your revised directed introduction:
(this can be a revised and
expanded version of your essay 1
introduction).
2.Your thesis
3.Your counterargument (anticipating
opposing positions and objections).
