IntermediateWriting

Week3

EricRalphForbesToconcedeAdmit,admitdefeat,surrender,grant,failtoprevent,allowTogiveormakeaconcessionTogive,grantoradmitsomething.DebunkToexposesomethingaswrong,false,exaggeratedornonsense.UnitedStatesCongress(1819-1821)FelixWalker,arepresentativefromNorthCarolinawhosedistrictincludedBuncombeCounty,carriedonwithaboringpointlessspeechdespiteprotestsfromcolleagues.Helaterexplainedhehad"tomakeaspeechforBuncombe."Thismasterfulexampleofpointless/emptytalkmadeitswayintothelanguage,butspelledBunkum,latershortenedtobunk,becamesynonymouswithnonsenseorclaptrap.

In1923theworddebunk,isfirstrecorded.ArgumentationWriting5ParagraphEssayParagraph1:

INTRODUCTION.Restatetheassignedtopic,stateyourpositionandbrieflylistsomeorallofthereasonsforyourposition.Endtheparagraphorbeginthenextwithatransitionsentence.Paragraph2:ThefirstofthreeMAINBODYparagraphs.Nameandexplainthemostimportantreasonforyourstatedposition.Introduceanopposingopinionandthenexplainwhyitisnotvalid.Endtheparagraphorbeginthenextwithatransitionsentence.Paragraph3:ThesecondofthreeMAINBODYparagraphs.Nameandexplainthesecondmostimportantreasonforyourstatedposition.Introduceanopposingopinionandthenexplainwhyitisnotvalid.Endtheparagraphorbeginthenextwithatransitionsentence.Paragraph4:ThethirdofthreeMAINBODYparagraphs.Nameandexplainthethirdmostimportantreasonforyourstatedposition.Introduceanopposingopinionandthenexplainwhyitisnotvalid.Endtheparagraphorbeginthenextwithatransitionsentence.Paragraph5:

CONCLUSION.Rephraseandrecapyourpositionontheissueandreasonsforitandthenwriteaconcludingsentence.Theconclusionmightemphasiseyourposition,expandit,offerasolution,orexpressahopeorpredictionforthefuture.5ParagraphEssayParagraph1:

INTRODUCTION.Restatetheassignedtopic,stateyourpositionandbrieflylistsomeorallofthereasonsforyourposition.Endtheparagraphorbeginthenextwithatransitionsentence.Paragraph2:ThefirstofthreeMAINBODYparagraphs.Nameandexplainthemostimportantreasonforyourstatedposition.Introduceanopposingopinion[concession]andthenexplainwhyitisnotvalid[rebuttal].Endtheparagraphorbeginthenextwithatransitionsentence.Paragraph3:ThesecondofthreeMAINBODYparagraphs.Nameandexplainthesecondmostimportantreasonforyourstatedposition.Introduceanopposingopinion[concession]andthenexplainwhyitisnotvalid[rebuttal].Endtheparagraphorbeginthenextwithatransitionsentence.Paragraph4:ThethirdofthreeMAINBODYparagraphs.Nameandexplainthethirdmostimportantreasonforyourstatedposition.Introduceanopposingopinion[concession]andthenexplainwhyitisnotvalid[rebuttal].Endtheparagraphorbeginthenextwithatransitionsentence.Paragraph5:

CONCLUSION.Rephraseandrecapyourpositionontheissueandreasonsforitandthenwriteaconcludingsentence.Theconclusionmightemphasiseyourposition,expandit,offerasolution,orexpressahopeorpredictionforthefuture.ConcessionSentenceMakingaconcessiontotheotherside,canmakeyourargumentstronger—thatis,ratherthanactinglikeanothersideofyourargumentdoesnotexist,youaddressitand“debunk”it.Concedingtosomeofyouropposition’sconcernscandemonstraterespectfortheiropinion.Makingconcessionsalsodemonstratesyourabilityasawriter,bydemonstratingthatyouhaveresearchedandconsideredyouargumentfrommultipleperspectivesinordertocometoaninformeddecision.Whatyoudon’twanttodoispresentacounterargumentandnotaddressit.ConcessionSentenceItisagoodideatokeepitshortandlimityourselftooneperparagraph,atthemost,otherwisetheconcessionsandcounterargumentscanmakethewritingconfusingforthereader.Sometimesitmightbetemptingtomakeabadanalogyortooversimplifyinorderto“dismiss”theotherside.Basically,ifyoucan’tmaketheconcessionstrongly,itmaybebetternottointroduceitatall!ConcessionSentenceSTRUCTUREMAINBODYparagraph.a)Nameandexplainthereasonforyourstatedposition.b)Introduceanopposingopinion.[concession]c)Explainwhyitisnotvalid.[rebuttal]ConcessionSentenceMainBodyparagraph,arguingforaparticularpositionTechnologyistakingoverourlives.Conversationwithpeersandreadingarelostarts.

Itisvitalthatcellphonescontinuetobeprohibitedinschools.Themoretimestudentsareoncellphones,thelesstimetheyarereading,writing,andconversing.Teacherswillhaveahardertimekeepingstudentsinterestedinschoolifastudentcantextassoonashe/sheisbored.[Concession]Manystudentsclaimthattheyneedtheircellphoneswiththematalltimes,incasethereisanemergency.[Rebuttal]However,intheeventofanemergency,itisvitalthatadministratorsandlocalauthoritiesareabletocommunicatequicklyandefficiently.Havingstudentsfranticallycallingparents,textingsiblings,andspreadingpanicwillmakeanemergencymoredangerousandhardertomanage.ConcessionSentenceIntroductions

Admittedly

Granted

Ontheotherhand

Opposingviewsclaim

Itistruethat

Certainly

Ofcourse

Onecannotdenythat

Some/othersmayargue

Therearesomesolidargumentsonbothsidesofthisissue.

Manypeopleseethisissuefromadifferentperspective.

ClassExerciseWriteaconcessionandrebuttalparagraphforanargumentationessay,agreeingwith

thefollowingstatement.WearingschooluniformsshouldbecompulsoryPossiblereasonstodisagree.(Concession)ExpensiveRestrictiononindividualismPossiblereasonstoagree.(Rebuttal)PreventspupilsbeingjudgedbytheirappearanceMakes