should college adopt a passfail grading system insted of letter grading system?
Alisha Gurung
1302-EC71.pptxENGL 1302 – FALL 2018
Alex Kurian - NLC
Argumentative Writing – An Overview
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What is argument/arguing?
Not a fight!!
Argumentative writing – taking a strong personal position on a significant, social, controversial issue, and by the use of evidence and specific strategies, explaining that position, defending that position, responding to counterarguments for that position, and suggesting a solution for that position.
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Argumentative Writing as a Process
The aim is to produce something that is understandable and persuasive.
Proper paradigm/perspective
Specific evidence
Clear language/definition of terms (recognizing their denotations and connotations)
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Argument – A Process
No unwarranted assumptions
Logos – information
Pathos - emotions
Ethos - ethics
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Prewriting Stage
Know the purpose – to argue/persuade by informing and analyzing.
Know the genre – formal academic essay (MLA format)
Know your audience – varied and general
Know what resources you need
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Requirements of Essay 1
Must write on first topic in your list of topics
Pick a side (for or against)
Have at least 2 different reasons (but not more than 3) to support your position
Explain reasons (with evidence)
Requirements of Essay 1 (cont’d)
You must have at least 2 print sources in the essay (book, magazine, newspaper, journal, catalog, etc)
They must be accessed in the original printed form (e-book, PDF, or anything else accessed electronically does not count as a print source)
Requirements of Essay 1 (cont’d)
Recommended course textbook does not count as a print source
At least 1of your 2 print sources must be used in the body of your essay (the other can also be used in the body or in the introduction or conclusion)
Requirements of Essay 1 (cont’d)
Must attach photocopy or picture of each print source used (no credit for print sources otherwise)
Photocopy/picture must show the cover along with the page/information you actually used
If the source is from a library, the picture must also show the library barcode/sticker
Requirements of Essay 1 (cont’d)
You must also have at least 2 online sources in the essay. These must be DCCCD academic database sources.
Once you have these, you may add additional sources apart from the database, as long as they are reliable sources
Requirements of Essay 1 (cont’d)
At least 1of your 2 online database sources must be used in the body of your essay (the other can also be used in the body or in the introduction or conclusion)
You do not need to submit pictures or printouts of your online sources
Requirements of Essay 1 (cont’d)
Personal experience – can be used in only one reason, up to ¼ page (5 lines)
How much documented evidence – one documented evidence for every 10 lines in your paragraph.
Any numerical data must be from 2014 onwards
Outline of Essay 1
Intro (1 Para)
Reasons with evidence (multiple paras)
Conclusion (1 para)
Length: 3-4 pages (starts with first word of intro, NOT top of first page!)
Writing Stage
Parts of an Essay
Title
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
Works Cited
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Guidelines for a Proper Title
Purpose of the title is identification
Should indicate subject and position of essay
Should not be more than 6 words
Cliché/slang/humor allowed in title
Cute/clever/funny title does not necessarily indicate a proper title
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Introduction – First Impression
Must not summarize your entire paper
No dictionary/formal definitions
No clichés or overused phrases
No apologies
Must include your thesis statement
Should be a preview/guide to your essay
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Thesis Statement (The Main Idea of Your Paper)
One thesis per paper
Only one sentence
Combination of fact and opinion
Avoid phrases such as – in my opinion, I think, I believe, it seems to me, I feel
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A Thesis Should Contain…
Your topic
Your position on the topic
At least 2 reasons to support your position
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Introductory Techniques
Provide background info
Tell a relevant story
State why your topic is important
Relevant images or description
Present an opposing viewpoint
Relevant quotation(s)
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Techniques(cont’d)
Relevant example(s)
Relevant question(s) [not more than 3]
Finding common ground with the reader/audience
Length of introduction – 1 paragraph, ¼ to ½ page (5-10 lines)
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Body Paragraphs
Where you explain or prove your thesis with evidence.
Every reason must have at least one piece of evidence
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Evidence – Basis of Your Argument
Some types of evidence – observations (real or artificial), statistics, tests/experiments, analogies, expert testimony, examples, analyses, predictions, personal experience, religious views, etc
Note: Statistics must be from 2014 onwards years and contain sample size
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Characteristics of Evidence
Relevant
Specific
Adequate
Accurate
Representative
Verifiable
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Support Your Reasons (cont’d)
Use as many different types as possible (a different one for each reason)
Maintain proper perspective (e.g. movies, stereotypes)
Distinguish between fact, opinion, and false statement
Beware of “the blame game”
Is evidence local or universal?
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Support Your Reasons (cont’d)
Make sure evidence is understandable to audience
Treat all issues as ‘sensitive issues’ (balance between arguing and offending)
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Body Paragraphs
Write paras that are focused, developed and organized
Length of paras: ¼ - ¾ (5-18 lines) of a page. Have variety and balance!
How many paras per reason – you decide
Ask yourself – would my paper be any different if I took this paragraph out?
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Conclusion – Final Impression
Do not summarize your entire paper
Do not repeat thesis or introduce any new main ideas
Avoid statements like in conclusion, to summarize, in closing, etc.
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Conclusion – Final Impression
Summarize most important reason only (do not even mention other reason/s)
Any introduction technique (other than the one you used in the intro)
Length of conclusion – 1 paragraph, ¼ to ½ page (5-10 lines)
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The Research Process
Research involves finding, evaluating, using & documenting sources
Most important consideration when evaluating a source – who is the author or manager or editor of the information?
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Plagiarism
Plagiarism is using another person’s language or ideas without acknowledging them or using them and acting as if they were your own.
Plagiarism is derived from the Latin word for kidnapper or thief.
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Plagiarism (cont’d)
Plagiarism is treated so seriously because you are trying to be someone you are not and not acknowledging the hard work or effort of someone else.
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Types of Plagiarism
Deliberate plagiarism – with intent
Accidental/unintentional plagiarism – due to carelessness, hurry, or ignorance
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Cite Sources…
When you quote an entire sentence word for word
When you quote part of a sentence word for word
When using your own language but based on someone else’s idea (paraphrasing)
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Works Cited vs Bibliography
Bibliography – can list all sources referenced or referred to even if they do not appear in your paper
Works Cited – can list only those sources actually used in your paper
We are using Works Cited
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Indicating Sources in Paper
I. By name of author
According to name of author, “72% of people that….”
“72% of 300 people surveyed stated that….” (name of author).
Name of author = first & last name or just last name, NOT just first name.
Indicating Sources in Paper
II. By name of source (e.g. book/article).
According to name of source, “72% of people that….”
“72% of 300 people surveyed stated that….” (name of source).
Indicating Sources in Paper
If source is book/magazine/newspaper/ website put in italics.
If source is name of article put in quotation marks.
Indicating Sources in Paper
Can use various verbs for introducing quotes/paraphrases (asserts, believes, claims, reports, observes, etc)
Quote should not be more than 4 lines
Quote should not be in first or last sentence of any paragraph.
For print sources, page number(s) should be indicated.
Indicating Sources in Paper
For the 4 required sources (2 print and 2 database), you must quote something from them, not simply paraphrase.
After you have at least one quote from each of the required sources, if you want to paraphrase, you can.
You should have no more than two paraphrases in the essay.
Times New Roman, size 12 font
1-inch margins all around
Double-spaced
Black ink, white paper
Stapled (in order!)
Layout of first page – see example essay on e-campus
Need last name and page number in top right corner of every page
Formatting (MLA)
Formatting (MLA)
3-4 pages of content (Works Cited page does not count)
Length starts with first word of intro para (NOT top of first page)
Make sure on each full page you have 23 lines total; otherwise, you will have to make up those lines on the last page to meet the minimum length requirement.
Format of entries – must follow current MLA standards (handout on e-campus).
Every entry in works cited page must correspond to an entry in your paper and vice versa.
Formatting (cont’d)
Some Specifics Regarding Formal Writing
Avoid clichés/slang and informal language
Avoid repetition/wordiness
Have correct spelling & punctuation
Use correct rules for capitalization, abbreviations, and numbers
First word in a sentence
A sentence in a direct quotation
Main words in titles/headings (unless the others words are the first or last ones)
Capitalization
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Proper nouns
Companies, holidays, months, days, historical events & documents, religious documents, languages, specific courses
Capitalization (cont’d)
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Seasons of the year
Words like company, department, school, college, government, association when they stand alone
Names of commercial products (e.g. Nike shoes Not Nike Shoes)
Capitalization Pitfalls
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Shortened form of a word
CAN USE common ones for people - Mr. George Smith, Dr. Kathy Lawrence, Jim Jones M.D., Carlos Lopez Jr., J.B. Russell
CAN USE for companies if you are confident that audience will know what they are – AAA, NLC, AT&T, FBI,UPS
Abbreviations
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CAN USE for unit of time – a.m. or A.M. NOT a.M.
CANNOT USE address abbreviations – St., Ave., P.O. Box, DFW, TX (exception:USA)
CANNOT USE for units of measure – cm,ft,in,gal,lb,kg,mph
Abbreviations (cont’d)
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CANNOT USE for days and months
Varies for miscellaneous abbreviations - ASAP, ETA, CEO, DVD, ATM
Abbreviations (cont’d)
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Spell out numbers 1-100
Use numerals, even for numbers less than hundred, with units of measure and with percentages.
In a list, if there are numbers greater than hundred, use numerals for all.
Numbers
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Spell out when numbers occur at the start of the sentence
Spell out indefinite numbers
Years – spell out or use numerals
Ages - Spell out or use numerals
Sums of money are written in numerals
Numbers (cont’d)
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Words and numerals are used for amounts of a million or more
For time, numerals are used with a.m. or p.m. and words must be used with “o’clock”
For dates, the ‘th’ or the ‘st’ or ‘rd’ or ‘nd’ in not needed as long as the month is written first.
Numbers (cont’d)
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