The document provides an agenda for an English writing class that includes:
- A vocabulary test
- Reviewing essay #1 and discussing counterarguments and conclusions
- Learning about rhetorical strategies including aphorisms and chiasmus
- An in-class writing assignment applying counterarguments, conclusions, aphorisms and chiasmus.
It then provides detailed explanations and examples of counterarguments, conclusions, aphorisms and chiasmus including how to identify and address counterarguments, strategies for writing effective conclusions, methods for writing aphorisms and examples of different types of chiasmus. The class will then visit the library before the next meeting.
Essay #1Taking a Position on Food Due by 1159pm on Sunday.docxSALU18
Essay #1:Taking a Position on Food
Due by 11:59pm on Sunday April 23rd
We manipulate the planet and all of its creatures. We create, we consume, we build, and we
destroy, but how often do we consider the processes and people that provide unceasingly for our
unquenchable appetites? How often do we consider the consequences? This essay asks that you
consider the inner (and outer) workings of the US food system and then take a position on a
narrowed down aspect of it.
During this project we might ask ourselves any combination of the following: where does our food
come from, and at what cost? How have our foods been processed, conceived, even constructed, and then shipped and
stored? How do we treat the animals we eat? How should we treat them? How are they killed? How conscious are
we of the world we are taking from every single day? Where do we fit in? What do we have to say?
To accomplish your task, you will be using pairings of articles I provide in order to take part in
an ongoing conversation about food. These readings will require you to look closely at what we
eat and how our consumption shapes the world, in both positive and negative ways.
You will need to first consider our relationship with food and the consequences of our eating
habits, on individuals, societies, and the planet that we share, then narrow down your focus to an
individual and focused topic/idea, which you will then research independently so that you might
enter into a scholarly conversation. The goal of this essay is to either make your own claim about
your subject, or to support an already established claim with rational and logical reasons and
evidence in order to convince your reader to take up the same position that you hold.
This essay need not be a soapbox for any political agenda; instead, we are looking for a balance
in rhetorical strategies. Using ethos, pathos, and logos effectively means respecting all viewpoints
while backing up your claims with reputable sources and logical insights/analysis.
In the wise words of Christopher Hitchens: “That which can be asserted without
evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
While I value each and every one of your opinions, scholarly readers are less forgiving. Imagine
your audience to be educated readers who are familiar with the topic and themes we will be
exploring. These readers will expect you to back up your claims, and to use reputable sources.
See the end of this prompt for paper specifics / requirements.
Reading and Research
I am providing you with a group of food-related readings. Some of the readings will be
mandatory, as in I expect everyone to read them and use them in their papers. The others are
paired options that you will choose from. Each reading will be labeled on the Module I introduce
it as either mandatory or optional. They are also listed at the end of this prompt.
Make sure to take detailed notes of the sources you do read. It is alw ...
Paper GuidelinesPhilosophy is about using arguments to exp.docxbunyansaturnina
Paper Guidelines
Philosophy is about using arguments to express ideas, and doing philosophy requires engag-
ing the arguments and ideas of others. Its value is found in the fact that by articulating
the reasons that others use to support their views, and by engaging those reasons critically,
we’re able to figure out what we ourselves think. Your papers are your chance to think and
to express ideas, but to do that, you’ll need to engage the arguments of others with your
own. I’ve provided a few pointers to help you do that.
Paper Requirement Checklist
• The following are conditions that must be met in order for your essay to qualify for
more than 50% of the available points. If you fail to meet these standards, I will grade
your essay on the basis of 1/2 the available points. As an example: a paper would earn
80% of 5 points rather than of 10 points if it was ‘B-’ quality and failed to meet the
conditions below.
Cover Page with your name and word count.
Your name appears ONLY on the cover page.
Word count falls within the assigned range.
Times New Roman, 12pt font.
Double spaced (no extra spacing between paragraphs).
1-inch margins.
Physical copy is printed single sided and handed to me.
Paper is on the assigned reading.
The first paragraph:
• The opening paragraph’s purpose is to give your reader the information necessary to
understand your paper’s aim and purpose. It’s a good place to say what the problem
you aim to address is and why it’s a problem. It’s also a good place to introduce
terminology that is potentially vague, ambiguous, or controversial.
• Avoid trite opening statements. For example, “Philosophers have always . . . ” or “The
fundamental problem of philosophy is . . . ” or “Mill was one of the greatest minds
ever.” Cut to the chase!
• Your first paragraph should end by stating your purpose, which is a signpost that tells
the reader where you aim to take him. Without such a statement, your reader will be
lost.
• The aim of your paper isn’t your argument; it’s a statement of purpose. Conse-
quently, it shouldn’t include your reasons for resisting your target. This means that
you shouldn’t have reason-indicator words in there—words like, ‘because’, ‘since’, and
so on.
1
The Paper’s Substance:
• An argument is the backbone of a philosophy paper, and serves to give shape to your
thesis. Everything in your paper is done for your argument. If you have a sentence, a
word, or a paragraph that isn’t filling in your argument, it should be deleted.
• Your paper should use plausible reasons to support a conclusion that your reader (if he
accepts your reasons) is forced to believe. Be clear about your reasons and how they
work together to support your conclusion.
• Although your argument gives expression to an idea that is all your own, it should
engage another philosopher’s views. Since I require your papers to be critical, it’s
helpful to think of the person you’re engaging as an opponent.
• To engage another philos.
1 How to Write a Analytical Essay Writing an analyti.docxhoney725342
1
How to Write a Analytical Essay
Writing an analytical essay can seem daunting, especially if you've never done it before. Don't
worry! Take a deep breath, buy yourself a caffeinated beverage, and follow these steps to create
a well-crafted analytical essay.
What do you want to analyze?
Your analysis must have the following four sections:
Introduction
Summary
Analysis
Conclusion (optional)
Part 1: Prewriting your essay
1. Understand the objective of an analytical essay. An analytical essay means you will
need to present some type of argument, or claim, about what you are analyzing. Most
often you will have to analyze another piece of writing or a film, but you could also be
asked to analyze an issue, or an idea. To do this, you must break the topic down into parts
and provide evidence, either from the text/film or from your own research, that supports
your claim.
For example, "Stanley Kubrick's The Shining uses a repeating motif of Native American
culture and art to comment on America's history of colonizing Native Americans' lands" is an
analytical thesis. It is analyzing a particular text and setting forth an argument about it in the
form of a thesis statement.
2. Decide what to write about. If you are writing this for a class, your teacher will
generally assign you a topic (or topics) to write about. Read the prompt carefully. What is
the prompt asking you to do? However, sometimes you will have to come up with your
own topic.
If you're writing an analytical essay about a work of fiction, you could focus your
argument on what motivates a specific character or group of characters. Or, you could
argue why a certain line or paragraph is central to the work as a whole. For example:
Explore the concept of vengeance in the epic poem Beowulf.
If you're writing about a historical event, try focusing on the forces that contributed to
what happened.
If you're writing about scientific research or findings, analyze your results.
2
3. Brainstorm. You may not immediately know what your thesis statement should be, even
once you've chosen your topic. That's okay! Doing some brainstorming can help you
discover what you think about your topic. Consider it from as many angles as you can.
[2]
Look for repeated imagery, metaphors, phrases, or ideas. Things that repeat are often
important. See if you can decipher why these things are so crucial. Do they repeat in the
same way each time, or differently?
How does the text work? If you're writing a rhetorical analysis, for example, you might
analyze how the author uses logical appeals to support her argument and decide whether
you think the argument is effective. If you're analyzing a creative work, consider things
like imagery, visuals in a film, etc. If you're analyzing research, you may want to
consider the methods and results and analyze whether the experiment is a good design.
A mind map can be hel ...
How to Create Map Views in the Odoo 17 ERPCeline George
The map views are useful for providing a geographical representation of data. They allow users to visualize and analyze the data in a more intuitive manner.
Ethnobotany and Ethnopharmacology:
Ethnobotany in herbal drug evaluation,
Impact of Ethnobotany in traditional medicine,
New development in herbals,
Bio-prospecting tools for drug discovery,
Role of Ethnopharmacology in drug evaluation,
Reverse Pharmacology.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
Students, digital devices and success - Andreas Schleicher - 27 May 2024..pptxEduSkills OECD
Andreas Schleicher presents at the OECD webinar ‘Digital devices in schools: detrimental distraction or secret to success?’ on 27 May 2024. The presentation was based on findings from PISA 2022 results and the webinar helped launch the PISA in Focus ‘Managing screen time: How to protect and equip students against distraction’ https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/managing-screen-time_7c225af4-en and the OECD Education Policy Perspective ‘Students, digital devices and success’ can be found here - https://oe.cd/il/5yV
This is a presentation by Dada Robert in a Your Skill Boost masterclass organised by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) on Saturday, the 25th and Sunday, the 26th of May 2024.
He discussed the concept of quality improvement, emphasizing its applicability to various aspects of life, including personal, project, and program improvements. He defined quality as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to achieve the best possible results and discussed the concept of the "gap" between what we know and what we do, and how this gap represents the areas we need to improve. He explained the scientific approach to quality improvement, which involves systematic performance analysis, testing and learning, and implementing change ideas. He also highlighted the importance of client focus and a team approach to quality improvement.
How to Split Bills in the Odoo 17 POS ModuleCeline George
Bills have a main role in point of sale procedure. It will help to track sales, handling payments and giving receipts to customers. Bill splitting also has an important role in POS. For example, If some friends come together for dinner and if they want to divide the bill then it is possible by POS bill splitting. This slide will show how to split bills in odoo 17 POS.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
4. Review
• Characterization
• At least six different methods
• The prompt
• One of five or your own
• Directed Summary
• Working Thesis
• Outline
• Paragraph practice: Quotations with explanations
• An analogy or two
6. What is a Counterargument?
A counterargument is an
argument, with factual
evidence or other kinds of
support, that challenges
either your thesis or a
major argument for it.
7. What is the purpose of
identifying counterarguments?
By identifying counterarguments to your ideas, and seeing
whether you can respond to them adequately, you test
the persuasiveness of the ideas. Some writers avoid
thinking about counterarguments because they fear that
mentioning them will weaken their own arguments.
They're wrong. Even if you don't mention arguments that
might plausibly be used against your own argument, you
can be certain that your readers will think of them and
discount your argument accordingly. A good response to
a counterargument is often the most persuasive part of
your own argument.
8. How do I think through arguments
and counterarguments?
• 1. You come up with a thesis that expresses your view of the
evidence and of the conclusions that should be drawn from it.
• 2. You clearly identify your evidence and arguments in your
own mind.
• 3. You seek evidence or logic on the other side, evidence or
logic that might undermine your thesis; you anticipate what
critics might say to attack your case.
• 4. You state the opposing argument or arguments, and you
show that they don't succeed in refuting your own
arguments.
9. Where to Put a Counterargument
Counterargument can appear anywhere in the essay. Try it in several places and see
where it fits best:
1. as part of your introduction—before you propose your thesis—where the
existence of a different view is the motive for your essay, the reason it needs
writing.
2. as a section or paragraph just after your introduction, in which you lay out the
expected reaction or standard position before turning away to develop your
own.
3. as a quick move within a paragraph, where you imagine a counterargument not
to your main idea but to the sub-idea that the paragraph is arguing or is about to
argue.
4. as a section or paragraph just before the conclusion of your essay, in which you
imagine what someone might object to what you have argued.
But watch that you do not overdo it. A turn into counterargument here and there
will sharpen and energize your essay, but too many such turns will have the reverse
effect by obscuring your main idea or suggesting that you are ambivalent.
10. Do you need a counterargument?
1. Is there an obvious argument against your thesis?
2. Is there a different conclusion could be drawn from the
same facts?
3. Do you make a key assumption with which others
might disagree?
4. Do you use a term that someone else might define a
different way?
5. Do you ignore certain evidence that others might
believe you need to address?
6. Is there an alternative explanation or proposal that
some might more readily believe?
11. A Counterargument
• Address alternative opinions your readers might have regarding
your character.
• Think about instances when your character appears to act in a way
that could be perceived as contrary to your thesis. Explain why you
don’t see the behavior as contrary.
• Explain behaviors that are out of the ordinary or out of line with
your thesis by analyzing text to show extenuating circumstances.
Consider the arguing exercises we have
done in class. How might you address
your peers’ questions and comments
without the obvious question/answer
format?
13. Strategies for Writing a
Conclusion
Conclusions are often the most difficult part of an
essay to write, and many writers feel that they have
nothing left to say after having written the paper. A
writer needs to keep in mind that the conclusion is
often what a reader remembers best. Your conclusion
should be the best part of your paper.
A conclusion should
• stress the importance of the thesis statement,
• give the essay a sense of completeness, and
• leave a final impression on the reader.
14. Strategies to Avoid
1. Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as “in conclusion,”
“in summary,” or “in closing.” Although these phrases can work in
speeches, they come across as wooden and trite in writing.
2. Stating the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion.
3. Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion.
4. Ending with a rephrased thesis statement without any substantive
changes.
5. Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the
rest of an analytical paper.
6. Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body
of the paper.
15. The Conclusion
You can discuss how this character fits into
the work as a whole.
You might address how the work would be
changed if your character were gone.
You can apply insights about this character
to a real-world situation. Do we grow as
readers from interacting with your
character?
You might SUBTLY remind the reader of
your central idea and thesis.
17. Aphorism
• An aphorism is a
saying—a concise
statement of a
principle—that has
been accepted (or we
want to be accepted)
as true.
• Familiar example
• “A penny saved is a
penny earned”
• There is no fool like an
old fool”
18. Aphorisms
•Such statements have important
qualities:
• They are pithy: they say a great deal in
a few words.
• They appear to contain wisdom: they
are delivered as truth and they have
the ring of other aphorisms we accept
as true.
19.
20.
21. Writing Aphorisms:
Method One
• There is the ‘spontaneous combustion’ method, in which the
aphorism flares out fully formed at unexpected moments, sending
the writer scrabbling for napkins, envelopes or any other scrap of
paper on which to write it down. Stanislaw Jerzy Lec was a great
practitioner of this method:
No snowflake in an avalanche
ever feels responsible.
Thanks to author and journalist James Geary for the
information and examples of aphorisms:
http://www.jamesgeary.com/blog/how-to-write-an-
aphorism/
22. Method Two
• Then there is the “deliberate
composition” method as practiced by
the likes of La Rochefoucauld. He would
attend a swanky salon, discuss all
manner of subjects, such as love and
friendship, then retire for hours to his
room where he would produce several
sheets of prose, all of which he would
eventually distill down to one or two
sharp, shining sentences:
In the adversity of even our best
friends we always find something
not wholly displeasing.
23. Method Three
• And then there are the “accidental
aphorists,” those writers who never
intend to compose aphorisms but
just can’t help themselves—
aphorisms occur naturally within
longer stretches of text, such as
essays, novels, or poems. Ralph
Waldo Emerson was a classic
accidental aphorist:
What is a weed? A plant whose
virtues have yet to be discovered.
24. Rules to Consider
•Keep it short (after all, only a fool
gives a speech in a burning house),
•Definitive (no ifs, ands, or buts),
•Philosophical (it should make you
think), and give it a twist.
25. Not fancy, just
thoughtful
• What is a bastard? A man whose
birth right overshadows his human
rights.
• Bravery conquers fear; otherwise,
it is stupidity.
• If Arya cannot save herself, she
cannot hope to be saved.
26. Give it a try: Choose a word and write a
short, pointed statement expressing a
truth, doctrine, or principle.
• Power
• Execution
• Death
• Betrayal
• Prostitution
• Hostage
• Bastard
• Winter
• Brave
• Fear
• Throne
• Honor
Example: Marriage
A lottery in which men
stake their liberty and
women their happiness.
-- Madame DiRieux
One long conversation,
checkered by disputes.
-- Robert Louis Stevenson
27. Chiasmus
"to mark with an
X.”
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
defines chiasmus as, "A grammatical
figure by which the order of words in one
of two of parallel clauses is inverted in the
other.” This may involve a repetition of
the same words ("Pleasure's a sin, and
sometimes sin's a pleasure" —Byron) or
just a reversed parallel between two
corresponding pairs of ideas.
28. A reversed order of the grammar in two or more clauses in a
sentence will yield a chiasmus.
Consider the example of a parallel sentence:
“He knowingly led and we blindly followed”
Inverting into chiasmus:
“He knowingly led and we followed blindly”
Simple Grammatical
Chiasmus
29. From Writing with Clarity and style: Chapter 1 by Robert A. Harris
Parallelism: The code breakers worked constantly but succeeded rarely.
Chiasmus: The code breakers worked constantly but rarely succeeded.
Chiasmus is effective for bringing two elements close together for
contrast or emphasis, as you can see with the adverbs constantly and
rarely in the example above. The chiastic structure places them
almost next to each other for greater contrast than would be
provided by a strictly parallel structure.
30. Another useful effect of chiasmus results from the natural
emphasis given to the end of a sentence. Note in the
example below how the word forgotten receives greater
stress when it appears as the last word of the sentence.
Example
Parallelism: What is learned unwillingly is forgotten gladly.
Chiasmus: What is learned unwillingly is gladly forgotten.
verb adverb verb adverb
verb adverb adverb verb
31. Try converting these two from
parallelism to chiasmus
• Parallelism: Arya trains Nymeria daily and plays
with her happily
• Parallelism: When Jon Snow arrives at the wall,
he seems happy enough, but when the arms
master treats him badly, he becomes
frustrated and angry.
32. Here are two possibilities
• Parallelism: Arya trains Nymeria daily and plays with
her happily
• Chiasmus: Arya trains Nymeria daily and happily plays
with her
• Parallelism: When Jon Snow arrives at the wall, he
seems happy enough, but when the arms master
treats him badly, he gets frustrated and angry.
• Chiasmus: When Jon Snow arrives at the wall, he
seems happy enough, but he gets frustrated and
angry when the arms master treats him badly.
34. • One of the most fascinating features of chiasmus is this
"marking with an X" notion (word reversal). Take Mae
West's signature line, "It's not the men in my life, it's the
life in my men." By laying out the two clauses parallel to
each other, it's possible to draw two lines connecting the
key words:
It's not the men in my life
X
it's the life in my men.
Thanks to author and psychologist Dr. Mardy Grothe for the information and
examples of chiasmus http://www.drmardy.com/chiasmus/definition.shtml
35. Word Reversal Chiasmus
Home is where the great are small
X
and the small are great
One should eat to live
X
not live to eat
36. Chiasmus can also be achieved by reversing
more than two key words. This observation
from the 18th century English writer, Charles
Caleb Colton, is a good example:
"How strange it is that we of the present day
are constantly praising
that past age which our fathers abused,
and as constantly abusing that present age,
which our children will praise.”
37. Laid out schematically, it looks like this:
A How strange it is that we of the present day
are constantly praising
B that past age
C which our fathers abused,
C' and as constantly abusing
B' that present age,
A' which our children will praise
Word Reversal
38. Phrase Reversal
• "Lust is what makes you keep wanting to
do it,
even when you have no desire to be with
each other.
Love is what makes you keep wanting to be
with each other,
even when you have no desire to do it."
• — Judith Viorst
39. More Examples
• "We do not stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing." --
Benjamin Franklin
• "The absence of evidence is not the evidence of
absence." -- Carl Sagan
• “All for one and one for all” --Alexandre Dumas
• "I am stuck on Band-Aid, and Band-Aid's stuck on
me."
(advertising jingle for Band-Aid bandages)
40. Review and Practice: Try to use words
and phrases that link to your character
• Word Reversal:
• One should eat to live not live to eat
• Home is where the great are small and the small are great
• Phrase Reversal:
• "The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence." --
Carl Sagan
• “All for one and one for all” --Alexandre Dumas
• "I am stuck on Band-Aid, and Band-Aid's stuck on me."
42. Letter Reversal
• "A magician is a person who pulls rabbits
out of hats.
An experimental psychologist is a person
who pulls habits out of rats.”
• "a doe and fawn" hide from "their foe at
dawn."
43. Sound Reversal
•"I'd rather have a bottle in front
of me
Than a frontal lobotomy."
— Randy Hanzlick, title of song
44. Reversal of Homonyms
• "Why do we drive on a parkway
and park on a driveway?”
— Richard Lederer
• "Here's champagne for our real friends
and real pain for our sham friends.”
— Edwardian Toast
45. Number Reversal
• "A lawyer starts life giving $500 worth of law
for $5 and ends giving $5 worth for $500.”
— Benjamin H. Brewster
• "Errol Flynn died on a 70-foot boat with a 17-
year-old girl.
Walter has always wanted to go that way,
but he's going to settle for a 17-footer with a
70-year-old.
— Betsy Maxwell Cronkite, wife of Walter
Cronkite.
46. Review and Practice: Try to use words
and phrases that link to your character
• Letter Reversal: "A magician is a person who pulls rabbits out of hats.
An experimental psychologist is a person who pulls habits out of
rats.”
• Sound Reversal: "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me
Than a frontal lobotomy.”
• Reversal of Homonyms: "Why do we drive on a parkway
and park on a driveway?”
• Number Reversal: "Errol Flynn died on a 70-foot boat with a 17-year-
old girl. Walter has always wanted to go that way, but he's going to
settle for a 17-footer with a 70-year-old.