Lecture1Introductiontoessaydevelopment&ArgumentationBy韓芳hanfang369369@163.comTelatternsofessaydevelopmentPatternsofessaydevelopmentIndescription,thewritermakesaverbalpictureofaperson,place,orthing.Innarration,awritertellsthestoryofsomethingthathappened.Inexposition,

thewriterprovidesinformationaboutandexplainsaparticularsubject.Inargumentation,awriterattemptstosupportacontroversialpointortodefendapositiononwhichthereisadifferenceofopinion.Twopointsinpractice

Whileeachessaythatyouwritewillinvolveonepredominantpattern,veryoften

oneormoreadditionalpatternsmaybeinvolved.Nomatterwhichpatternorpatternsyouuse,eachessaywillprobablyinvolvesomeformofargumentation.ImportantConsiderationsinEssayDevelopmentUnderstandingtheNatureandLengthofanAssignmentKnowingYourSubjectKnowingYourPurposeandAudienceDeterminingYourPointofViewUsingPeerReviewDoingaPersonalReviewUnderstandingtheNatureandLengthofanAssignmentFirstofall,beclearaboutwhatkindofpapertheinstructorhasinmind.findoutrightatthestarthowlongapaperisexpectedtobe.KnowingYourSubject

trytowriteonasubjectthatinterestsyou.Trytowriteonasubjectthatyoualready

knowsomethingabout.(directorindirectexperience—knowledgegainedthroughthinking,reading,ortalkingaboutthesubjectaswellasfromprewriting)KnowingYourPurposeandAudienceThreemostcommonpurposesofwritingaretoinform,topersuade,andtoentertain.Youraudiencewillbeprimarilyyourinstructorandsometimesotherstudents----asymbolofthelargeraudience—educatedadultreaderswhoexpectyoutopresentyourideasinaclear,direct,organizedway.A

morespecificaudience--developanabilitytochoosewordsandadoptatoneandpointofviewthatarejustrightforagivenaudience.DeterminingYourPointofViewThefirst-personapproach:narrativeessaysbasedonpersonalexperienceorpersonalobservation.Thesecond-personapproach:directinstructionsandexplanationstothereader(processessay).Thethird-personapproach:academicwriting(observingandreportingonmattersofpublicratherthanprivateimportance;informationachievedthroughobservation,thinking,orreading).PatternOneArgumentationWhydowelearnargumentation?Theabilitytoputforthsoundandcompellingargumentsisanimportantskillineverydaylife.Tomakeapointwhennecessary(discussionorpersuasion,etc.)Toseethroughfaultyargumentsthatothersmaymake.Tobecomeabettercritic(advertisements,newspaperarticles,politicalspeeches,andtheotherpersuasiveappeals).FeaturesofArgumentationawell-defined,controversialissueAclearpositiontakenbythewriterAconvincingargumentAreasonabletone.WhyChinashouldjoininWTO？

EveryChineseislookingforwardtoChina'sentryintoWTO,widelyseenasablessingandapromiseofprosperity.Itseemstobesoatfirstsight,however,onreflection,we'reconvincedthatit'sjustanothercoinwithtwosides.

Ontheonehand,boththenationandpeoplewillbenefitgreatlyfromChina'sentryintoWTO.ShutoutofWTO,ChinaDusedtobedeprivedofequaltradeopportunitiesandwasplacedatadistinctdisadvantageinworldtrade.ThissituationwillchangeifChinaentersWTO.Inaddition,foreigncompanieswillstreamintoChinaandoffergreatjobopportunities,which,inasense,willrelievetheunemploymentproblem.

Ontheotherhand,theentrywillimposesomenegativeeffectsonChina.State-ownedenterprisesinChinaareundergoinggreatdifficulties,whichwillbemoreacutewiththeflowofforeigncompetitorsintoChina.

Inshort,excitedabouttheadvantagescausedbytheentry,weshouldnotlosesightoftheseverechallengesposedbyit.StrategiesforArgumentationUseTactful,CourteousLanguagePointOutCommonGroundAcknowledgeDifferingViewpointsWhenAppropriate,GranttheMeritsofDifferingViewpoints.RebutDifferingViewpoints1.UseTactful,CourteousLanguageItisimportant,therefore,nottoangerthembyreferringtothemortheiropinionsinrudeorbelittlingterms.1)Stayawayfromsweepingstatements.

(like“Everybodyknowsthat...”or“Peoplewithanyintelligenceagreethat....”)2)keepthefocusontheissueyouarediscussing,notonthepeopleinvolvedinthedebate.

(Don'twrite,“Myopponentssaythatorphanagescostlessthanfostercare.”Instead,write,“Supportersoforphanagessaythatorphanagescostlessthanfostercare.”)2.PointOutCommonGroundReaderswillbemorereceptivetoyourideaoncetheyhaveconsideredhowyouandtheythinkalike.Eg.Viewpoint:thereshouldbean11p.m.curfew(宵禁)forjuvenilesinyourtown.Sharinggoals:asafercity,alowercrimerate,andfewergang-relatedtragedies.3.AcknowledgeDifferingViewpoints(1)Acknowledgingotherviewpointsstrengthensyourpositioninseveralways.Ithelpsyouspotflawsintheopposingposition—aswellasinyourownargument.Itgivestheimpressionthatyouareareasonableperson,willingtolookatanissuefromallsides.Atwhatpointinyouressayshouldyouacknowledgeopposingarguments?Theearlierthebetter—ideally,intheintroduction.Byquicklyestablishingthatyourecognizetheotherside'sposition,yougetyourreadersonboardwithyou,readytohearwhatelseyouhavetosay.Techniquesofacknowledgedifferingviewpointstocitetheopposingviewpointinyourthesisstatement.touseoneortwosentences(separatefromthethesis)intheintroductiontoacknowledgethealternativeposition.touseaparagraphwithinthebodyofyouressaytosummarizeopposingopinionsingreaterdetail.Eg1.Althoughsomestudentsbelievethatstudyingaforeignlanguageisawasteoftime,twoyearsofforeign-languagestudyshouldberequiredofallcollegegraduates.Eg2.Manypeoplearguethatworkingcanbeavaluableexperiencefortheyoung.However,workingmorethanaboutfifteenhoursaweekisharmfultoadolescentsbecauseitreducestheirinvolvementwithschool,encouragesamaterialisticandexpensivelifestyle,andincreasesthechanceofhavingproblemswithdrugsandalcohol.4.WhenAppropriate,GranttheMeritsofDiffering

ViewpointsSometimesanopposingargumentcontainsapointwhosevalidityyoucannotdeny.What

todo?Thestrongeststrategyistoadmitthatthepointisagoodone.Reason:Youwilllosecredibilityifyouargueagainstsomethingthatclearlymakessense.How:Admitthemeritofoneaspectoftheotherargumentwhilemakingitclearthatyoustillbelieveyourargumenttobestrongeroverall.5.RebutDifferingViewpointsTorebutmeanstopointoutproblemswithanopposingview,toshowwhereanopponent'sargumentbreaksdown.Arebuttalcantaketwoforms:Youcanfirstmentionallthepointsraisedbytheothersideandthenpresentyourcounterargumenttoeachofthosepoints.Youcanpresentthefirstpointraisedbytheoppositionandrebutthatpoint,thenmoveontothesecondopposingpointandrebutthat,andsoon.Studentessay--TeenagersandJobs1“Thepressureforteenagerstoworkisgreat,andnotjustbecauseoftheeconomicplightintheworldtoday.Muchofitispeerpressuretohavealittlebitoffreedomandindependence,andtohavetheirownspendingmoney.Theconcernwehaveiswhenthepart-timeworkbecomestheprimaryfocus.”ThesearethewordsofRoxanneBradshaw,educatorandofficeroftheNationalEducationAssociation.Manypeoplearguethatworkingcanbeavaluableexperiencefortheyoung.However,workingmorethanaboutfifteenhoursaweekisharmfultoadolescentsbecauseitreducestheirinvolvementwithschool,encouragesamaterialisticandexpensivelifestyle,andincreasesthechanceofhavingproblemswithdrugsandalcohol.Question:

Twomethodsofintroductionareusedin“TeenagersandJobs.”Circlethelettersofthesetwomethods.a.Broad,generalstatementnarrowingtothesisb.Ideathatistheoppositeoftheonetobedevelopedc.Quotationd.Anecdotee.Questions2Schoolworkandthebenefitsofextracurricularactivitiestendtogobythewaysidewhenadolescentsworklonghours.Asmoreandmoreteenshavefilledthenumerouspart-timejobsofferedbyfast-foodrestaurantsandmalls,teachershavefacedincreasingdifficulties.Theymustbothkeeptheattentionoftiredpupilsandgivehomeworktostudentswhosimplydon'thavetimetodoit.Inaddition,educatorshavenoticedlessinvolvementintheextracurricularactivitiesthatmanyconsiderahealthyinfluenceonyoungpeople.Schoolbandsandathleticteamsarelosingplayerstowork,andsportseventsarepoorlyattendedbyworkingstudents.Thoseteenswhotrytodoitall—homework,extracurricularactivities,andwork—mayfindthemselvesexhaustedandpronetoillness.Arecentnewspaperstory,forexample,describedagirlinPennsylvaniawhocamedownwithmononucleosisasaresultofaimingforgoodgrades,playingontwoschoolathleticteams,andworkingthirtyhoursaweek.3Anotherdrawbackoftoomuchworkisthatitmaypromotematerialismandanunrealisticlifestyle.Someparentsclaimthatworkinghelpsteachadolescentsthevalueofadollar.Undoubtedlythatcanbetrue.It'salsotruethatsometeensworktohelpoutwiththefamilybudgetortosaveforcollege.However,surveyshaveshownthatthemajorityofworkingteensusetheirearningstobuyluxuries—computers,video-gamesystems,clothing,evencars.Theseyoungpeople,someofwhomearn$500ormoreamonth,don'tworryaboutspendingwisely—theycanjustabouthaveitall.Inmanycases,expertspointout,theyarebecomingaccustomedtoalifestyletheywon'tbeabletoaffordseveralyearsdowntheroad,whentheynolongerhaveparentspayingforcarinsurance,food,lodging,andsoon.Atthatpoint,they'llbehard-pressedtopayfornecessitiesaswellasluxuries.Question:Paragraph3raisesanopposingideaandthenarguesagainstthatidea.

Anadditiontransitionisusedinpara.3.Whatisit?Whattransitionwordisusedtosignaltheauthor'schangeofdirection?4Finally,teenagerswhoworkalotaremorelikelythanotherstogetinvolvedwithalcoholanddrugs.Teenswhoputinlonghoursmayseekaquickreleasefromstress,justliketheadultswhoneedtodrinkacoupleofmartinisafteraharddayatwork.Stressisprobablygreaterinoursocietytodaythanithasbeenatanytimeinthepast.Also,teenswhohavemoneyaremorelikelytogetinvolvedwithdrugs.Question:1.Whichsentenceinparagraph4shouldbeomittedintheinterestofparagraphunity?2.Whichsentenceinparagraph4needstobefollowedbymoresupportingdetails?5Teenagerscanenjoythebenefitsofworkwhileavoidingitsdrawbacks,simplybylimitingtheirworkhoursduringtheschoolyear.Asisoftenthecase,amoderateapproachwillbethemosthealthyandrewarding.Question:Whatmethodisusedinconclusion?Summaryonly

SummaryandrecommendationPredictionWritingAssignmentWriteanessayinwhichyouarguefororagainstanyoneofthefourcommentsbelow.Supportanddefendyourargumentbydrawingonyourreasoningabilityandgeneralexperience.Option1Junkfoodisavailableinschoolcafeteriasandschoolvendingmachines,andthecafeteriamenusdonotencouragethebesteatinghabits.Butgoodeducationshouldincludegoodexamplesaswellasclasswork.Schoolsshouldpracticewhattheypreachaboutahealthydietandstopprovidingjunkfood.Option2

Manyoftoday'syoungpeoplearemainlyconcernedwithprestigiouscareers,makingmoney,andowningthings.Itseemswenolongerteachthebenefitsofspendingtimeandmoneytohelpthecommunity,thecountry,ortheworld.Ourcountrycanstrengthenthesehumanvaluesandimprovetheworldbyrequiringyoungpeopletospendayearworkinginsometypeofcommunityservice.Option3

Givingstudentsgradesdoesmoreharmthangood.Schoolsshouldreplacegradeswithwrittenevaluationsofthestudent'sstrengthsandweaknesses.Thesewouldbenefitbothstudentsandparents.Option4

Physicalpunishment“works”inthesensethatitmaystopachildfrommisbehaving,butadultswhofrequentlyspankandhitarealsoteachingchildrenthatviolenceisagoodmethodofaccomplishingagoal.Nonviolentmethodsareamoreeffectivewayoftrainingchildren.Morerequirements1.Wordlimit:over300words

2.Firstdraft:PrewritinganArgumentationTakeafewminutestothinkaboutthefouroptions.Whichoneinparticularareyoufororagainst,andwhy?

Onasheetofpaper,makeabriefoutlineofsupportforyourpositionononeoftheoptions.(Remember,youmaychoosetoargueagainstoneofthethreecomments,aswellasforit.)Preparingtheoutlinewillgiveyouachancetothinkfurtheraboutyourposition.Andtheoutlinewillshow