academic english iii
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Academic english iii. September 10, 2012. Today. Arguments. Academic Writing I was more concerned with grammar and the basics of writing: - Sentence/paragraph structure. - Topic sentences. - Thesis statements. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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ACADEMIC ENGLISH IIISeptember 10, 2012
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Today• Arguments
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• Academic Writing I was more concerned with grammar and the basics of writing:
• - Sentence/paragraph structure.• - Topic sentences.• - Thesis statements.
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• In this class, we will continue looking at those basics, but we will also look at content.
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Arguments• One of the key elements of academic writing is being able
to support your claims effectively.
• “Cats are superior pets to dogs because I said so.”
• What’s wrong with this support?
position support
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What is an argument?• An argument involves the process of establishing a claim
and then proving it with the use of:
• logical reasoning.
• examples.
• research.
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Importance of arguments• If a paper has perfect grammar and has well organized
ideas, but does not have proof, it is of no value.
• A strong argument aims to convince your reader (audience) of your position.
• - Rhetoric.
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ArgumentsAristotle’s Appeals:
- Ethos (credibility)- An ethical appeal.
- Pathos (emotional)- An emotional appeal.
- Logos (logical) Persuasion through reasoning.
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Logical reasoning• An argument is much stronger when based on a solid
reason.
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Constructing an argument• What is the first thing you need in order to argue
something?
• A thesis statement.
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Thesis statement• The most important sentence in a paper.
• Tells the reader the paper’s main idea.
• Answers the question “What am I trying to prove?”
• Is NOT a factual statement, it is a claim that must be proven throughout the paper.
• - i.e., Korea is a country in Asia Not a thesis statement.
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Thesis statement• The thesis statement is your overall position.
To help parents monitor their children’s web browsing habits, web-monitoring software should be a required feature for computers in Korea.
- The body paragraphs are then used to support this position (using strong, well-organized arguments, of course).
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Logical reasoning• Logos: Is the argument logically sound? Does the
argument make sense? Do the reasons supporting the argument have no conflict? Do the reasons support a conclusion?
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Logical reasoning• Is sometimes compared with math.
Consider the syllogism:
major premise, minor premise, and conclusion.
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Logical reasoning• Only people eat cake. (major premise)
• Tim eats cake. (minor premise)
• Therefore, Tim is a person. (conclusion)
• - This conclusion is logical and based on the premises.
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Logical reasoning• Be careful of faulty logic, though.
• Only people eat cake. (major premise)
• Ann does not eat cake. (minor premise)
• Therefore, Ann is not a person. (conclusion)
• - These premises do not support the conclusion.
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Faulty logic• Here are several examples of faulty logic.
• What is wrong with each?
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Faulty logic
Why do I need to go to school? Dogs do not go to school and they go through life just fine.
- Fault: Humans and dogs are not the same thing.
- False analogy
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Faulty logic
Everyone wants to live to old age. Fitness and good eating habits are essential to longevity. Therefore, everyone should exercise and eat well.
- Fault: Although this may possibly be true, not everyone wants to live for a long time.
- False premise
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Faulty logic
Merritt’s Burgers is a great place to get a hamburger: you can see how clean the kitchens are and how handsome the waiters are.
- Fault: These factors have no connection with the quality of the food.
- Red Herring- A clue (or clues) that are misleading or distracting from the actual issue.
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Faulty logic
Professor Oxford is a terrible French professor. She has bad hair and wears ugly shoes.
- Fault: Attacking Prof. Oxford’s appearance is unfair and is not related to her teaching ability).
- Ad Hominem- An attempt to support a claim (or refute it) by pointing out a negative characteristic or unrelated point.
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Faulty logic
I had to jump off that bridge. All of my friends were doing it!
- Fault: A belief is not true/correct just because it is widely believed.
- Bandwagon
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Faulty logic
The problem of spam e-mail has been greatly exaggerated. Johnson’s (1995) study shows that few internet users actually receive spam.
- Fault: The study’s findings are (very) old and are not relevant to the present.
- Dated evidence- Always try to have the most current evidence.
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Faulty logic
Either you like the Samsung Lions or you are a Lotte Giants fan.
- Fault: This claim pretends there are only two choices.
- Either/ Or Fallacy
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Faulty logic
All the prisoners in the jail have tattoos. Therefore, if you have a tattoo, you will go to jail.
- Fault: One condition does not necessarily cause the second.
- Coincidence Fallacy- Correlations and causation are different animals.
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Faulty logic
Joe Camel, a researcher for Camel Cigarettes, stated that smoking can actually make people healthier.
- Fault: This “expert” may have a biased interest in providing this information.
- Biased Evidence
- It is important to evaluate the sources of your evidence.
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Faulty logic
According to Steve Jobs, grasshoppers evolved from tigers.
- Fault: An expert in one field is not an expert in all fields.
- Expert fallacy- Again, evaluate your sources before using them.
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Faulty logic
Salad is healthier than pizza because it is better for you.
- Fault: This “reason” just re-states the argument.
- Circular Argument
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Faulty logic
Hitler was an excellent leader. Under his leadership, Germany built a wonderful highway and introduced the Volkswagen automobile company.
- Fault: This may be true, but it is selective and ignores larger evidence.
- Cherry Picking- Suppressing evidence; pointing out individual data that supports a position while ignoring significant data that contradicts the position.
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Faulty logic
The five students we surveyed prove that 90% of students think that studying Academic English is great fun.
- Fault: There are many students, and this tiny sample (5) may not represent the general opinion.
- Sample Error
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ArgumentsAristotle’s Appeals:
- Ethos (credibility)- An ethical appeal.
- Pathos (emotional)- An emotional appeal.
- Logos (logical) Persuasion through reasoning.
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Ethos• Credibility and authority.
• Does the writing give the sense that the writer knows what he/she is talking about?
• This is about the reader’s perception of the writer’s competence.
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Credibility• Several factors can add to a paper’s credibility.
Can be visual:
i.e.) plain white paper, Times New Roman font, black ink, title page.
vs.
Pink paper with smiley face border with Comic Sans font in blue ink.
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CredibilityMore specifically, SUPPORT for an argument.
- examples
- statistics
- relevant quotes
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• These are often a problem for students.
• You may have a clear thesis statement, good organization, and a solid argument, but still lack proof.
• Support for your arguments is what makes your argument “fly.”
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• To help parents monitor their children’s web browsing habits, web-monitoring software should be a required feature for computers in Korea.
• Monitoring children’s web browsing will help children because the internet is bad for kids.
• - This may be true, but it needs proper PROOF!
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Next class• More about arguments.
• Sources of evidence (adding support and credibility).
• Making summaries.
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• Check website for a reading about logic.