English 103

P it ré

R h et or ic al P ré ci s

A su m m ar y st at es th e m ai n id ea s fo un d in a s ou rc e co nc is el y an d in y ou r ow

n w or ds . A s um

m ar y

do es n o t p re se nt a ll th e de ta ils , s o it is g en er al ly a s b ri ef a s p os si bl e. A rh et or ic al p ré ci s d iff er s f ro m

a su m m ar y in th at it is a le ss n eu tr al , m or e an al yt ic al c on de ns at io n of b ot h th e co nt en t a nd m et ho d

of t he o ri gi na l te xt . ( Pr éc is m

ea ns “ co nc is e su m m ar y. ”) I f yo u th in k of a s um

m ar y as a b ri ef

re pr es en ta tio n of w ha t a te xt s ay s, th en y ou m

ig ht t hi nk o f th e rh et or ic al p ré ci s as a b ri ef

re pr es en ta tio n of w ha t a te xt b ot h sa ys a nd d oe s.

Th e rh et or ic al p ré ci s is a h ig hl y st ru ct ur ed f ou r- se n te n ce p ar ag ra ph t ha t re co rd s th e es se nt ia l

el em

en ts o f a n ar tic le , e ac h se nt en ce re qu ir in g ve ry sp ec ifi c i nf or m at io n.

(1 ) W h at : I n a si ng le , c oh er en t s en te nc e, in cl ud e th e fo llo w in g:

• N am

e of th e au th or , t itl e of th e w or k, so ur ce , a nd p ub lic at io n da te in p ar en th es es ;

• An a cc ur at e ve rb (s uc h as a ss er ts , a rg ue s, re fu te s, pr ov es , o r e xp la in s) ;

• A “t ha t c la us e” co nt ai ni ng th e m aj or cl ai m (t he si s s ta te m en t) o f t he w or k.

Ex am

pl e: In h e r o n li n e a r t ic le “ W h o C a r e s if Jo h n n y C a n ’t R e a d ? ” ( 1 9 9 7 ) , L a r is s a M a c F a r q u h a r

a s s e r t s t h a t A m e r ic a n s a r e r e a d in g m o r e t h a n e v e r d e s p it e c la im s t o t h e c o n t r a r y a n d t h a t i t i s

t im e t o r e c o n s id e r w h y w e v a lu e r e a d in g s o m u c h , e s p e c ia ll y c e r t a in k in d s o f “ h ig h c u lt u r e ”

r e a d in g .

(2 ) H ow

: In a s in gl e se nt en ce , g iv e an e xp la na tio n of h ow

t he w ri te r de ve lo ps a nd s up po rt s th e

m aj or cl ai m .

Ex am

pl e: M

a c F a r q u h a r s u p p o r t s h e r c la im s a b o u t A m e r ic a n r e a d in g h a b it s w it h fa c t s a n d

s t a t is t ic s t h a t c o m p a r e p a s t a n d p r e s e n t r e a d in g p r a c t ic e s , a n d s h e c h a ll e n g e s c o m m o n

a s s u m p t io n s b y r a is in g q u e s t io n s a b o u t r e a d in g ’s i n t r in s ic v a lu e .

(3 ) W h y: In a si ng le se nt en ce , g iv e a st at em

en t o f t he a ut ho r’s p ur po se , f ol lo w ed b y an “i n or de r t o”

ph ra se .

Ex am

pl e: H e r p u r p o s e is t o d is p e l c e r t a in m y t h s a b o u t r e a d in g in o r d e r t o r a is e n e w a n d m o r e

im p o r t a n t q u e s t io n s a b o u t t h e v a lu e o f r e a d in g a n d o t h e r m e d ia i n o u r c u lt u r e .

(4 ) W h o: In a s in gl e se nt en ce , g iv e a de sc ri pt io n of th e in te nd ed a ud ie nc e an d/ or th e re la tio ns hi p

th e au th or e st ab lis he s w

ith th e au di en ce .

Ex am

pl e: S h e s e e m s t o h a v e a y o u n g , h ip , s o m e w h a t i r r e v e r e n t a u d ie n c e i n m in d b e c a u s e h e r t o n e

is s a r c a s t ic , a n d s h e s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e i d e a s s h e o p p o s e s a r e o ld -f a s h io n e d p o s it io n s .