Argument

• Argumentative Writing - involves gathering information and making it available to the reader so they can draw their own conclusions about the subject
• Author's Purpose - the reason why the author wrote the text.
• To Persuade - To convince the reader to think or act in a certain way
• To Inform - To teach the reader by showing facts
• To Entertain - To amuse the reader and make reading enjoyable
• Why identify Author's Purpose?

  • Help readers to strategize in approaching the text
  • Keeps readers focused on the message the author is trying to share
  • Makes it easier to remember the most important parts in the text
• Tone - the author's attitude towards the subject of the text.
• Tone - how the author feels about a topic
• Mood - the atmosphere of a text
• Mood - how the reader feels while reading the text
• Techniques - strategies for emphasizing points and making the speech more memorable
• Words that describe tone?

  Positive, negative, neutral
• Positive Tone - cheerful, encouraging, excited
• Negative Tone - angry, annoyed, hurtful
• Neutral Tone - informal, formal, mysterious, suspenseful, serious
• Words that describe mood?

  Positive, negative, neutral
• Positive Mood - amazed, amused, happy
• Negative Mood - angry, discouraged, nervous
• Neutral Mood - surprised
• What are the different kinds of techniques for identifying an author's purpose?

  Repetition

  Parallel Structure

  Metaphor & Simile

  Support for argument

  Quotation
• Repetition - repeating a word or phrase

  • "The goal is a goal that we can achieve together"
• Parallel Structure - sentences or clauses with similar structures

  • "Do it for your friends, for your family, and for your community"
• Metaphor & Simile - A comparison of two unlike things

  • "Life is a race. The clouds were like cotton"
• Support for argument - details that show or explain the author's point

  • "We must change the law because..."
• Quotation - Using the words of other famous people

  • Albert Einstein once said, "Life is like a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep going"
• Argumentative Text - used to persuade by arguing one side of an issue
• What is the structure of an argumentative text?

  Opening Statement

  Supporting Points

  Conclusion
• Opening Statement - states the author's position, gives background information, preview of argument
• Opening Statement:

  • Attention Grabber
  • Motivates audience/reader
  • Credible write-up
  • Well established thesis statement/stand of the writer
• Supporting Points - paragraph for each point, with evidence to support each one
• Supporting Points:

  • General Plan
  • Reason and Evidence
• Conclusion - final statement that reinforces the author's position and sums up the arguments for that position
• Conclusion:

  • Well established counterclaim
  • Well established conclusion
• Why do we need to know about arguments?

  To research and think more deeply

  To focus on evidence and logical reasoning

  To put our own beliefs against other beliefs

  To clarify ideas and resolve disputes
• Features of an argument:

  • Personal Pronouns - I, We
  • Connectives and Conjunctions - firstly, however, therefore
  • Evaluative Words - important, valuable
  • Emotive Words - alarmed, worried
  • Repeated Words (for emphasis) - em dash —
  • Thinking and Feeling Words - believe, feel, know
  • Modals (to qualify statements) - certainly, must, should