Essays and Arguments: A Handbook for Writing Student Essays

ISBN-13: 9781554812578 / Angielski / Miękka / 2015 / 336 str.

Johnston, Ian

Opis

A clear, concise, and classroom-tested guide to writing argumentative essays in college and university.

Spis treści

Author’s Note

1.0 Introduction

1. The Purpose of This Text
2. A Word to the Student Reader:
   Why Essay Writing Matters

2.0 Some Basic First Principles

1. Initial Comments on Arguments
2. Trivial Arguments
3. More Complex Arguments
4. The Importance of Reason
5. An Overview of the Major Tools
1. Definition
2. Deduction
3. Induction
4. Deduction and Induction in Combination
6. Recognizing the Form of Simple Arguments
7. Exercises in Deduction and Induction
8. Further Observations on Deduction and Induction
1. The Strength or Persuasiveness of an Argument
2. Agreed-Upon Principles and Facts
3. Applying General Principles to Particular Claims
4. Falsification Theories of Science
5. The Problem of Hidden or Misleading Assumptions
6. Negative Proofs: Eliminating the Alternatives
7. Overstating the Conclusion
8. Exercise in Simple Inductive Arguments
9. Some Potential Problems in Arguments
10. Exercise in Evaluating Short Arguments

3.0 Organizing a Written Argument

1. Understanding the Assignment
2. The Importance of Structure: Paragraphs
3. A Note on the Tone of the Argument

4.0 Setting Up the Argument

1. Defining the Argument
1. Two Simple Examples
2. General Features of an Introductory Paragraph
2. The Importance of Identifying a Focus
3. The Importance of Establishing a Thesis
1. Forming Good Thesis Statements
2. Exercise: Recognizing Potentially Useful Thesis Statements
3. Thesis Statements with a Scientific or Historical Focus
4. The Start of an Outline for the Argument
5. Writing Introductory Paragraphs
1. Exercises in Opening Paragraphs

5.0 Explaining Key Terms

1. Organizing Definitions
1. Sample Definition Paragraphs
2. Disputed Definitions
3. Self-Serving Definitions
2. Descriptive and Narrative Background
3. Extended Definitions
4. Summary Points on Establishing the Argument

6.0 Organizing the Main Body of an Argument

1. General Remarks
2. Selecting the Topics for the Main Body
3. Rethinking the Focus and Thesis of the Argument
4. Developing an Outline: Argumentative Topic Sentences
1. A Common Error in Argumentative Topic Sentences
2. Exercise in Argumentative Topic Sentences
5. Drawing Up a Simple Outline (For a Short Essay)
1. Checking the Outline
6. Some Sample Formats for Topic Sentences
1. Topic Sentences to Avoid
7. More Complex Structures
1. Depth versus Breadth
2. Interrupting the Argument
8. Organizing Paragraph Clusters
1. Inserting a Detailed Illustration or Example into the Argument
2. Acknowledging Alternative Arguments
3. Introducing Analogies
4. Paragraphs of Narration, Description, and Definition
5. Setting Up a Narrative or Descriptive “Hook”
9. Guiding the Reader through a Paragraph Cluster
1. An Example

7.0 Paragraph Structure

1. Argumentative Paragraphs in the Main Body of the Essay
1. Paragraphs Arguing from General Principles
2. Paragraphs Providing and Interpreting Evidence
3. Interpreting Evidence
2. Paragraph Unity
3. Paragraph Coherence
1. Achieving Paragraph Coherence
2. Transition Words as Logical Indicators
3. A Short Catalogue of Transition Words
4. Concluding Paragraphs
1. Conclusions
2. Sample Conclusions
3. More Substantial Conclusions
4. Recommendations
5. Structuring a Comparative Essay
6. Writing Reviews of Fine and Performing Arts Events
1. Sample Short Review of a Dramatic Production

8.0 Essays about Literature

1. Preliminary Considerations
1. Imposing Snap Judgements
2. Summarizing and Interpreting
3. Interpreting and Explaining Away
2. Interpreting from the Outside and from the Inside
1. Clarifying the Assignment
2. Appealing to Context
3. Appealing to Sources
4. Appealing to Authorial Intentions
5. Appealing to Literary Conventions
6. Arguing about What Is Missing in a Text
7. Using a Conceptual Framework as the Basis for an Interpretation
3. Writing Essays about Arguments
1. Dealing with Arguments on Their Own Terms
2. Focus on Something Specific in the Argument
3. Using Examples and Counterexamples
4. Sample Outlines
5. Evaluating the Style in Assessing Arguments
4. Writing Essays about Fiction
1. Selecting a Focus
2. Avoiding a Structure that Is a List of Examples
3. Dealing with Themes in Fictions
5. Writing Essays on Lyric Poetry
1. What Is a Lyric Poem?
2. Interpreting a Lyric Poem
3. Structuring a Short Interpretative Essay on a Lyric Poem
4. Interpreting the Evidence in a Lyric Poem
5. Interpreting Symbolic Meanings in a Lyric Poem
6. Dealing with Ideas in Lyric Poems

9.0 Answers to Exercises

2.6 Recognizing the Form of Simple Arguments
2.7 Exercises in Deduction and Induction
2.8.8 Exercise in Simple Inductive Arguments
2.10 Exercise in Evaluating Short Arguments
4.3.2 Exercise: Recognizing PotentiallyUseful Thesis Statements
4.5.1 Exercises in Opening Paragraphs
6.4.2 Exercise in Argumentative Topic Sentences

Index