1. COMPOSITION &CRITICAL READINGAn Introduction to Effective WritingStrategies

2. Why do we write? What types of writingLists Social Mediado we do on a dailybasis? All writing seeks toconvey a message.Personal School Work Writing 3. WRITING SKILL IS IMPORTANT As soon as you move one step up from the bottom, youreffectiveness depends on your ability to reach others through thespoken or written word. And the further away your job is frommanual work, the larger the organization of which you are anemployee, the more important it will be that you know how toconvey your thoughts in writing or speaking. In the very largeorganizations, whether it is the government, the large businesscorporation, or the Army, this ability to express oneself is perhapsthe most important of all the skills a person can possess. Peter Drucker, How to Be an Employee Work Related 4. IDENTIFY THE PURPOSE To Inform To Persuade To Express Oneself To Entertain Work from the general to the specific Having a specific purpose assists you at every stage of thewriting process (Reinking & Osten 5). Defining the audience Selecting details, language, and approach Avoiding sidetracked tangents 5. IDENTIFY THE AUDIENCE Purpose and Audience are closely linked. All writing is aimed at an audience. That audience will determine how your writing is shaped. The language you choose. The tone you use. The information you include. Public audience Private or semi-private audience What exactly is a discourse community? 6. KNOWING GOOD WRITING WHENWE SEE IT Fresh Thinking Sense of Style Effective Organization Ethical Truthful Complete Clear Helpful, not harmful 7. CRITICAL READING STRATEGIES Orient your reading what is your purpose for reading? Read multiple times First reading: Read for content comprehension Look for clues Make connections Additional readings: Read carefully and critically Annotate the text Take notes Analyze text Respond to the text 8. CRITICAL READING STRATEGIES All critical reading begins with an accurate summary (Behrens &Rosen 48). Identify the main point, subordinate points, and counterarguments. To what extent does the author succeed in his or her purpose? To what extent do you agree with the author? Identify points of agreement and disagreement. Explore the reasons for agreement and disagreement. 9. CRITICAL EVALUATIONEvaluating Informative Writing Evaluating Persuasive Writing Accuracy of Information Clearly Defined Terms Significance of Information Fair Use of Information Fair Interpretation of No Logical FallaciesInformation What is Logical Fallacy? 10. AVOID LOGICAL FALLACY Emotionally Loaded TermsAd Hominem Argument An attempt to sway readers Rejecting opposing views byopinions by choosingattacking those who hold thatemotionally charged words viewpoint family values Appealing to ones pay the priceprejudices, emotions, or Are the terms being usedspecial interestsdeceptively or to hide the Disregards the central issuefacts?in favor of negative attacks Should NOT be the ONLY(think political advertising)argument in an academicessay 11. AVOID LOGICAL FALLACY Faulty Cause & EffectEither / Or Reasoning Assuming that one event Suggests that there are onlycauses the second andtwo solutions to a problemignoring other possible The correct one that the writercausesis favoring Demonstrates unwillingness The incorrect one that thewriter opposesto thoroughly research anddiscuss the topic Demonstrates an unwillingness to recognize Also known as post hoc, ergo complexityproctor hoc (afterthis, therefore because ofthis) 12. AVOID LOGICAL FALLACY Hasty GeneralizationFalse Analogy Drawing conclusions from Attempting to provide atoo little evidence or from comparison between twounrepresentative evidence things when the differences Demonstrates a lack ofbetween them are greaterresearch and an than the similaritiesunwillingness to thoroughlyanalyze the specifics of aOversimplificationsituation Offering easy solutions tocomplicated problems Ignores the complexity of anissue 13. AVOID LOGICAL FALLACY Circular Reasoning Non Sequitur Assumes as proven fact the Non Sequitur is Latin for itvery thesis being argued does not follow If a thesis is indeed proven Describes a conclusion thatfact, then there is no need to does not logically follow fromwrite the essay in the first a premiseplace. Assumes too much Also known as begging thequestion 14. COMPOSITION STRATEGIESThere are 4 essential skills in composition: Summary Critique Synthesis Analysis 15. SUMMARY 16. SUMMARY A Summary is a brief statement, in your ownwords, of the content of a particular passage. Approximately 25% of the length of the originalmaterial Include the authors thesis (in your ownwords), one-sentence summaries of thesubordinate points, and any significant details. Do NOT include your own personal opinion of thetopic. 17. READ CRITICALLY TO SUMMARIZE Critical Reading for Summary means you should Examine the context. Note the title and subtitle. Identify the main point. Identify the subordinate points. Break the reading into sections or stages of thought. Distinguish between points, examples, and counterarguments. Watch for transitions within and between paragraphs. Read actively and recursively. 18. SUMMARY WRITING Read the passage carefully. Reread. Provide the context for the essay. Introduce the author and the article title. Write a thesis of the entire passage. Write one-sentence summaries of each stage of thought. Write the first draft Combine the thesis with your lists of one-sentence summariesOR Combine the thesis, the one-sentence summaries, and significantdetails Remember that summaries do NOT include your own personalopinion of the topic. 19. INCLUDE CITATIONS FORSummaries Paraphrases Quotes 20. INCLUDE CITATIONS FORSummary Paraphrase Because a summary is a Similar toshortened version of thesummary, paraphrase meansoriginal material, it MUST be conveying a texts messagecited accordingly, even in your own words.though it has been put into Approximately the samethe writers own words. length as the original text. Look for synonyms of the Use a citation at the end oforiginal words and rearrangeevery summarized section or your own sentences so thatparagraph.they read smoothly. Use a citation at the end ofevery paraphrased section orparagraph. 21. INCLUDE CITATIONS FOR Use a Direct Quote for:Direct Quotes Memorable language Clear and concise language Authoritative language Use only what is necessary IQ = Incorporate your Quote into your own sentence Avoid free standing quotations Use ellipsis marks to indicate omitted material from within a quoted passage. Use brackets [ ] to add or substitute words within a quote. 22. AvoidPlagiarismAvoiding PlagiarismSafe Practices forAcademic Writing 23. CRITIQUE 24. CRITIQUE A critique is a formalized, critical reading of a passage (Behrensand Rosen 62). Begin with critical reading and turn that into a systematicevaluation in order to deepen your readers (and your own)understanding of that text. Consider What the author says How well the points are made What assumptions underlie the argument What issues are overlooked What implications can be drawn 25. CRITIQUE Critique begins with a summary of the work Whether responding positively or negatively, present a fair andaccurate summary of the work You might draw on and cite other sources Include a statement of your own assumptions your opinion isincluded in a critique State your opinions explicitly 26. READ CRITICALLY TO CRITIQUE Examine the context Establish the authors primary Note the title and subtitlepurpose Identify the main point and Evaluate informative writingsubpoints Accuracy / Significance / Fair Interpretation Break the reading into Evaluate persuasive writingsections Clear Definitions / Significance / Fair Distinguish between points,Interpretationsexamples, and Evaluating writing that entertainscounterarguments Interesting Characters / Believable Watch for transitions within Action, Plot, and Situations /and between paragraphs Communication of Theme / Use of Language Read actively Decide whether you agree or disagree 27. CRITIQUE WRITING Introduce both the author and the article title State the main argument and the points you intend to make about it Use background information to provide context information explaining why the issue isof current interest, a reference to a possible controversy surrounding thetopic, biographical information about the author, circumstances under which the passagewas written, a reference to the intended audience Summarize the main points and state the authors purpose for writing Assess the Presentation Comment on the authors success in achieving his or her purpose by reviewing three or four specific points Consider whether the author as argued logically Respond to the Presentation Where do you agree or disagree? Discuss your reasons for agreement or disagreement Conclude State your conclusions regarding the overall validity of the piece your assessment of the authors success at achieving his or her purpose and your reactions to the authors views. Comment on the weaknesses or strengths of the article. 28. SYNTHESIS 29. SYNTHESISWritten discussion that drawson 2 or more sourcesDemonstrates an ability to inferrelationships between sourcesBuilds on Summary andCritique skills 30. TYPES OF SYNTHESESComparison Explanatory Argumentand Contrast Conveys Conveys Conveys theinformation opinion andsimilaritiesprovides andinterpretation differences between texts 31. SYNTHESIS WRITING Consider your purpose in writing. Select and carefully read your sources. Take notes on your reading. Formulate a thesis. Informative / Mildly Argumentative / Strongly Argumentative Decide how you will use your source material. Develop an organizational plan. Draft. Document sources. Revise and Edit. 32. ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES A Synthesis is a blending of sources organized by ideas, not bysources. Thesis. First idea: Refer to and discuss parts of more than one source in support of the thesis. What do both the sources suggest about idea #1? Second idea: Refer to and discuss parts of more than one source in support of the thesis. What do both the sources suggest about idea #2? Third idea: Refer to and discuss parts of more than one source in support of the thesis. What do both the sources suggest about idea #3? Conclusion. 33. EXPLANATORY SYNTHESISProvide the facts in a reasonably objectivemanner.Do Not attempt to argue a particular point.Convey the relationships between the sources. 34. ARGUMENT SYNTHESIS Claim the proposition or conclusion you are trying to prove Support in the form of fact or expert opinion Assumption linking the supporting evidence to the claim is your assumption 35. ARISTOTLES RHETORICALAPPEALS Plato and Aristotle (Rafaello- The three persuasive appeals:1510) Logos the appeal to logic Pathos the appeal to emotion Ethos the appeal to ethics These three are oftencombined to persuade thereader to agree with a specificpoint of view 36. LOGOS Start with ageneralization The rational appeal Then cite a Deductivespecific case The appeal to reasonrelated to that Reasoninggeneralization Employs consistency and From whichlogic follows aconclusion Includes statistics, facts, data The basis of persuasivewriting in academia Writers must argue logically Begin with severalpieces of specificand supply appropriateevidenceevidence to support their Inductive Draw a conclusion Reasoningfrom the body ofcases evidence Includes Inductive andDeductive Reasoning 37. ETHOS The ethical appeal Employs trust and credibility Based not on the ethicalrationale for the subject orPATHOStopic under discussion The emotional appeal But on the ethical status ofthe person making the Employs emotions andappealimagination Becomes problematic onlywhen it is the sole or primarymethod of argumentation 38. FORMULATE AN ARGUMENTSTRATEGY Summarize, paraphrase, and quote supporting evidence from yoursources Provide various types of evidence and motivational appeal Use climactic order . Use the next most important evidence first. Use logical or conventional order. Present and respond to counterarguments. Remember that good academic writers acknowledge and refute counterarguments. Use concession. Concede that one or more arguments against your position have somevalidity; re-assert, nonetheless, that your argument is the stronger one. 39. WORKS CITED Behrens, Laurence and Leonard J. Rosen. Writing and Reading Acrossthe Curriculum, 11th ed. Boston: Longman, 2011. Reinking, James A. and Robert von der Osten. Strategies for Successful Writing: A Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook, 9th ed. New York: Pearson, 2010.