... the planet, is tiny. The satellite which orbits th

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• Argumentation Week 5
• Based on lecture material by R. Kager
• (Painting by K. Norval)

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Announcement

• If you'd prefer to be taught a North American
  English accent in Spoken English, you should sign
  up for this on Riass Argumentation page (by 17
  October at the latest)
• Availability is limited, so this does NOT
  guarantee you a place.

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When to quote(LBH p. 615-6)

• Quote extensively from primary sources such as
  literary works and historical documents (where
  required)
• Quote selectively from secondary sources
• (especially in short essays!)
• See Checklist on p. 616
• Web-only Exercise 43.5
• http//wps.ablongman.com/long_fowler_lbh_11/118/3
  0450/7795256.cw/index.html gt Exercises

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MLA-style documentation (LBH 46a-46c)

• PRINT
• Sinterklaas has argued that Black Peter is my
  best friend (22).
• Some have argued that Black Peter is their best
  friend (Sinterklaas, 22).
• argued gt explained, claimed, admitted
• gt verbs for signal phrases (LBH p. 623)

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Works Cited

• Sinterklaas, G.H.M. Black Peter and I. How to
  Be a Bishop. Madrid Palace Publications, 2009.
  Print.

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MLA-style documentation (LBH 46a-46c)

• WEB (e.g. from Sinterklaass Home Page)
• As Sinterklaas has stated, 5 December is an
  insanely busy day.
• WEB (e.g. from a blog entitled Bishops Log)
• As Sinterklaas and Peter observe, it is important
  to be good friends.

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Works Cited

• Sinterklaas, G.H.M. Home page. Quick Websites for
  Busy Bishops. 6 Dec. 2009. Web. 11 Oct. 2010.
• Sinterklaas, G.H.M., and B. Peter. The One with
  Marzipan. Bishops Log. 6 Dec. 2009. Web. 11
  Oct. 2010.

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SAMPLE MLA IN-TEXT CITATIONS

• LBH 644 ff
• Online version at
• wps.ablongman.com/long_fowler_lbh_10/0,11681,30130
  87-,00.html1

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FUNNEL INTRODUCTIONS(cf. LBH www.real.gold.ac.uk
/images/funnel.gif)
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First example (by Thomas Hartmann)

• SCENE SETTING. Can your home or office computer
  make you sterile? Can it strike you blind or
  dumb? The answer is probably not.
• BRIDGE TO THESIS. Nevertheless, reports of side
  effects relating to computer use should be
  examined, especially in the area of birth
  defects, eye complaints and postural
  difficulties.
• THESIS STATEMENT. Although little conclusive
  evidence exists to establish a causal link
  between computer use and problems of this sort,
  the circumstantial evidence can be disturbing.

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Second example (by Ann Weiss)

• SCENE SETTING. The Declaration of Independence is
  so widely regarded as a statement of American
  ideals that its origins in practical politics
  tend to be forgotten.
• BRIDGE TO THESIS. Thomas Jeffersons draft was
  intensely debated and then revised in the
  Continental Congress. Jefferson was disappointed
  with the result.
• THESIS STATEMENT.
• However, a close reading of both the historical
  context and the revisions themselves indicates
  that the Congress improved the document for its
  intended purpose.

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Third example (by S.B. Jordan)(with
inappropriate register for an academic essay)

• Caesar was right. Thin people need watching. I've
  been watching them for most of my adult life, and
  I don't like what I see. When these narrow
  fellows spring at me, I quiver to my toes. Thin
  people come in all personalities, most of them
  menacing. You've got your "together" thin person,
  your mechanical thin person, your condescending
  thin person, your tsk-tsk thin person, your
  efficiency-expert thin person. All of them are
  dangerous.
• Read the rest at http//www.math.rutgers.edu/suji
  th/lhl.html

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In an argumentative essay,a funnel introduction
should look like this
SCENE SETTING MAIN POINTS THESIS
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USEFUL STRATEGIES FOR OPENING PARAGRAPHS (cf.
LBH)

• Use a vivid quotation.
• Offer a surprising statistic or other fact.
• Outline the argument your thesis refutes.
• Provide background.
• Create a visual image that represents your
  subject.
• Make a historical comparison or contrast.
• Outline a problem or dilemma.

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OPENINGS TO AVOID (cf. LBH)

• A dictionary definition, such as According to
  Webster . . .
• !!
• An apology, such as Im not sure if Im right,
  but . . .
• ?!!
• A vague generality or truth, such as Throughout
  history . . .
• ???!!
• A flat announcement, such as The purpose of this
  essay . . .
• ??????!!!!
• A reference to the essays title, such as This
  is a big problem.
• ??????!!!!??!!!!??

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More on Introductions?

• Leads (Jackson Community College)
• http//www.jccmi.edu/academics/languageliteraturea
  rts/writingworkshop/On20line20workshops/Leads.pp
  t4
• Fear not the Introduction (by Tina Blue)
• http//www.essayisay.homestead.com/introductions.h
  tml

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Fear not the Introduction

• Students have to write papers all the time--all
  sorts of papers, in all sorts of classes.  After
  a while, you'd think they'd get over their
  deer-in-the-headlights panic at the sight of a
  blank sheet of paper or a blank computer screen. 
  But most of them never do.  Even if they can
  write fairly comfortably once they get started,
  most students continue to find that getting
  started is the hardest, scariest part of writing.

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Fear not the Introduction (ctd)

• I have a quick, easy cure for that problem
  Don't start.
• No, no, no--I don't mean you shouldn't write
  whatever it is that you are supposed to write. 
  You have to do that.  What I mean is skip the
  introduction, at least for a while, and maybe
  even until everything else is already written. 

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Conclusion

• review concluding statement
• The conclusion starts with a review of the main
  arguments in the essay and finishes with a
  concluding statement. This should have similar
  content to the thesis statement but be reworded
  to give the reader the impression that the
  argument has been developed during the essay.

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Appropriate openings for a review or a concluding
statement (note the commas!)

• In conclusion,
• Clearly,
• In summary,
• In short,
• Consequently,
• As a result,
• In view of this,

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Inappropriate openings

• Thus,
• Therefore,

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CLOSINGS TO AVOID (cf. LBH)

• A repeat of the introduction
• Dont simply replay your introduction.
• A new direction
• Dont introduce a subject different from the one
  your essay has been about.
• A sweeping generalization
• Dont conclude more than you reasonably can
  from the evidence you have presented.
• An apology
• Dont cast doubt on your essay.

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(No Transcript)
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RITE

• Rapid Intensive Text Evaluation
• A set of codes for
• structure, content, argumentation
• language
• Goals of RITE codes
• giving feedback (positive/negative) on essays
• basis for determining essay marks.

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Codes should help you learn from your errors

• Hence, we do not give you full details about how
  to repair an error
• (e.g. Insert a comma here),
• but just a RITE code in the margin, which you
  will have to interpret in order to correct the
  error.
• (e.g. P punctuation error).

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Sample codes (1)

• TI TItle
• absent
• full sentence
• incorrect capitalization
• misrepresents essay
• TH Thesis Statement / Main Claim
• Omitted / undetectable
• Not argumentative
• Otherwise unacceptable

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Sample codes (2)

• MP Main Points
• Not apparent in introduction or concluding
  review
• Literal repetitions of body topics Subsumed
  in thesis statement
• Incoherently placed
• TO Topic Sentences
• Omitted
• Misplaced
• Ill-formulated

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Sample codes (3)

• AR ARgument
• (faulty argument, evidence not pertinent,
  unwarranted claim, logical fallacy)
• FI Factual Inaccuracy

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RITE codes Examples from a corrected essay

• American Bombing not JustifiedTI
• The events of September 11 last have startled
  the whole world. The terrorist attacks on the
  World Trade Centre in New York were unexpected
  and are inexplicable to most people. The
  political climate of the entire world changed in
  one horrible moment. In reaction to these
  assaults the United States, supported by the
  Nato, started bombing Afghanistan. This country
  is hiding Osama bin Laden and the Taliban regime
  who allegedly are responsible for these terrorist
  attacksFI.

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RITE codes Examples from a corrected essay (ctd)

• The ultimate goal of the bombing by the United
  States is to find and to pursue the Taliban and
  bin Laden and eventually dissolve the entire
  terrorist movement throughout the world. The USA
  has chosen violence as its main means to fight
  world-wide terrorism. However, the terrorist
  attacks on the United States do not justify the
  bombing of Afghanistan. Several reasons surface
  indicating that the military actions might not be
  the best solution in a battle against
  terrorism.TH They may lead to an escalation of
  violence leading to long lasting wars, to further
  loss of innocent lives and confusion amongst
  civiliansMP and to unforeseen negative
  developments such as the Northern Alliance trying
  to seize the power. MP

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Thesis The terrorist attacks on the United
States do not justify the bombing of
Afghanistan.

• Sentence linking thesis to the main points
  Several reasons surface indicating that the
  military actions might not be the best solution
  in a battle against terrorism.
• Comment weak link after such a strong thesis
  statement. (Justify to prove or show to be
  just, right, or reasonable to show to have had a
  sufficient legal reason. Websters)

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• Main point 1 Military actions may lead to an
  escalation of violence leading to long lasting
  wars.
• Main point 2 Military actions may lead to
  further loss of innocent lives and confusion
  amongst civilians.
• Comment a bit vague.
• Main point 3 Military actions may lead to to
  unforeseen negative developments such as the
  Northern Alliance trying to seize the power.
• Comment These main points are all good but do
  not really speak directly to the main idea in the
  thesis, which is that the attacks are not
  justified.

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Body Paragraph 1

• Main point 1 Military actions may lead to an
  escalation of violence leading to long lasting
  wars.
• Fighting violence with violence does not seem to
  be the most desirable solutionMP to the terrorist
  problem. Violent actions of one country often
  lead to violent reactions of another, causing
  war. As history shows there have been many
  occasions which prove that striking back with
  force after being assaulted or being attacked
  have let sic to long lasting conflicts. A good
  example is the situation between Palestine and
  Israel. These countries respond to every brutal
  attack by one of them with a counterattack of
  equal force an eye for an eye.

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Body Paragraph 1 (ctd)

• Other solutions that might not lead to battle
  are not easy to find. Nevertheless every other
  possibility of resolution must have been given a
  try before determining on using violence.
  Destructive, military actions should be kept as a
  last resort because using violence mostly just
  leads to acts of retaliation, causing a vicious
  circle to evolve.AR The result being a long
  lasting war exhausting, in every way, all
  countries involved.AR

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• Thesis The terrorist attacks on the United
  States do not justify the bombing of
  Afghanistan.
• Topic sentence 1 Fighting violence with
  violence does not seem to be the most desirable
  solution to the terrorist problem. Violent
  actions of one country often lead to violent
  reactions of another, causing war.
• Comment weak link after such a strong thesis
  statement.

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• Evidence As history shows there have been many
  occasions which prove that striking back with
  force after being assaulted or being attacked
  have let to long lasting conflicts.
• Example A good example is the situation between
  Palestine and Israel. These countries respond to
  every brutal attack by one of them with a
  counterattack of equal force an eye for an eye.
• Comment the essay states that says there have
  been many occasions, but only one example is
  actually provided.

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Acknowledgment Other solutions that might not
lead to battle are not easy to find.

• Response Nevertheless every other possibility
  of resolution must have been given a try before
  determining on using violence. Destructive,
  military actions should be kept as a last resort
  because using violence mostly just leads to acts
  of retaliation, causing a vicious circle to
  evolve. The result being a long lasting war
  exhausting, in every way, all countries involved.

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• Comment repetition rather than new evidence.
• General comment on BP 1 Youve only listed one
  example to support your topic. Include more
  evidence (from different conflicts) to lend
  weight to your argument. It is a bit thin and
  repetitive at the moment.
• The response to an objection to the first topic
  essentially copies the first topic.
• Topic No attacks because of retaliation.
• Objection But no alternatives to attacks
• Response No attacks because of
  retaliation!
• Objection
• Etc.

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PUNCTUATION 5

• Hyphens
• Dutch mainly used for unusual compound
  nouns (undercover-operatie)
• English mainly used for compounding
  adjectives, adverbs and verbs
  (laugh-out-loud funny)

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• well-known adj
• self-important adj
• a handout noun
• to hand out verb
• guilt-inducing adj
• man-eating adj
• a matter-of-fact statement adj
• schoolteacher noun
• to short-circuit verb
• nineteenth-century fiction adj
• bell-like adj
• misspelling noun
• quick-moving runner adj
• quickly moving (adv) adj
• one thousand and twenty-five number
• each other pronoun
• will-o'-the-wisp noun
• a round-the-world voyage adj
• story telling noun

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PUNCTUATION 6 (preview)

• Chocolate, which is edible, is delicious.
• Chocolate which is edible is delicious.
• The satellite, which orbits the planet, is tiny.
• The satellite which orbits the planet is tiny.
• The Pope, who lives in Rome, is German.
• The Pope who lives in Rome is German.

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PUNCTUATION 6 (ctd)

• The students, who cheat, will be expelled.
• The students who cheat will be expelled.
• Brontosauruses, which are extinct, were colossal.
• Brontosauruses which are extinct were colossal.
• Lecturers, who mumble, should speak up.
• Lecturers who mumble should speak up.
• gt restrictive versus non-restrictive

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SPELLING 5

• amended
• commitment
• degradation
• mileage
• suspense
• integrity
• turbulence
• occurs
• its OR it's
• reference
• column
• acutely
• cyberspace
• stanzas
• alliteration

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STYLE 5

• 1. Sadly, the poem comes to an abrupt end.
• 2. Emma uses a variety of devices to retain the
  reader's attention.
• 3. The first six chapters are uneventful, but the
  final chapter is packed with action.
• 4. Surprisingly, Hamlet orders his girlfriend to
  shut herself away, but he is only pretending to
  be insane.
• 5. The death of most of the characters is
  inevitable.

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STYLE 5 (ctd)

• 6. Hamlet is beset with indecision.
• 7. It is unclear why none of the characters enjoy
  each other's company.
• 8. In fact, this poem has no redeeming qualities.
• 9. A first perusal of Macbeth reveals that its
  protagonist commits atrocities because he is
  determined to become king.
• 10.Hamlet's fundamental problem is his
  indecisiveness, which causes his constant
  irritation.