Essay Terms Review
1. Essay A well-organized piece of writing that develops a thesis (central idea) on a subject In OUR class, we are especially interested in argument essays, synthesis essays, and rhetorical analysis essays
2. Introduction The first section of an essay. Should engage the reader and end with thesis idea. Strategies you use in your introduction should be based on your purpose For a rhetorical analysis timed writing, your intro should be your CAPP statement For your argument and synthesis timed writings, since you are writing an argument, it is a good idea to establish the context and your persona in your intro
3. Attention getter The hook at the beginning of your introduction that draws your reader in For a process paper, you should have a well-thoughtout introduction (100-150 words) that uses a clear strategy For rhetorical analysis, do the CAPP For argument / synthesis, your attention getter is part of your argument, so be sure it is thoughtful. Establishing context (warrants) is a good idea. Remember all of the AMERICA! essays? Pennies, USPS, etc.
4. Bridge The transition between your attention getter and thesis statement Since your introduction should not be arguing your thesis, you need a transition to get us there You won t really have this in a rhetorical analysis timed writing
5. Thesis Statement The central idea of your essay An opinion / subjective idea Located at the end of the introduction (before any ideas to argue thesis appear) For an argument essay (argument / synthesis), this should be the position you want to prove For a rhetorical analysis essay, this should be your statement of the central purpose of the passage you are analyzing
6. Body Paragraph The section of an essay that makes the argument to support the thesis Should include a topic sentence, summary sentence, and at least two chunks to make its case Process papers should have at least three welldeveloped body paragraphs A timed writing should have at least two welldeveloped body paragraphs; essays scoring 8 or 9 usually have three
7. Topic Sentence Sentence that begins a body paragraph which conveys what specific idea the paragraph will develop An opinion / subjective idea Resembles thesis, but provides a reason why the thesis is true All examples in the body paragraph support the topic sentence
8. Chunk A block of ideas in a paragraph that present evidence and explanation to support the topic sentence Several options for organization: Eight sentence Majors / minors Quotation sandwich C/E/W
9. Transition / summary sentence A sentence after your last chunk that brings your body paragraph to a clear close Can summarize paragraph or provide a transition to the next paragraph Note: Paragraphs should not end with evidence or explanation. It seems like you have abandoned the paragraph if you do this.
10. Conclusion Paragraph to close your essay / argument Resembles introduction in reverse Avoid summarizing your paper here Rhetorical analysis: Go back to CAPP Argument (synthesis): Call to action can work
11. Big idea Strategy for ending your conclusion with something for readers to ponder (call to action / CAPP)
12. 8 sentence format chunk A strategy for organizing ideas within a paragraph Good when you want to provide more explanation than evidence 13. Concrete detail A fact (documented when possible) to support your topic sentence 14. Commentary Explanation / argument detailing how your fact (concrete detail) supports the claims in your topic sentence / thesis
15. Majors-minors chunk A strategy for organizing ideas within a paragraph Good when you want to provide more evidence than explanation (e.g. research paper) Basically the opposite of 8 sentence format 16. Major Your claim to support the topic sentence 17. Minor Evidence (documented when possible) to support the minor Embed this in a way that provides some context / explanation
18. Quotation sandwich chunk A strategy for organizing ideas within a paragraph Good for rhetorical analysis since it presents your idea, then evidence, then explanation 19. Top slice Your claim to support the topic sentence 20. Filling Evidence (quote or paraphrase) to support the top slice Embed this in a way that provides some context / explanation 21. Bottom slice Your explanation* of how the evidence you provided accomplishes what you claimed it did For rhetorical analysis, includes connection to rhetorical situation
22. C/E/W chunk A strategy for organizing ideas within a paragraph Good for argumentation 23. Claim An idea of yours to support your topic sentence 24. Evidence Evidence (quote or paraphrase) to support the claim Embed this in a way that provides some context / explanation 25. Warrant Argument of how your evidence proves your claim due to a connection of a big idea or overall shared principle that is hard for your audience to disagree with
Rhetorical Web Terms Review
1. Appeals Different strategies for convincing an audience Chosen based on rhetorical situation 2. Audience Immediate: to whom the message is directed (recipient of letter, audience of a speech) Mediated: others likely to encounter the text Authors decide who their audience will be, and base other aspects of their writing on this decision Influences and is influenced by context, persona, and purpose 3. Context What is going on that made the writer decide to write AND affects how he/she writes (time, place, events, etc.) Influences and is influenced by audience, persona, and purpose 4. Diction Word choice (pick apples, not branches) Chosen based on rhetorical situation
5. Ethos Attempts to build credibility in order to convince the audience Chosen based on rhetorical situation Language like we, us Citing sources to show their credibility (and therefore the credibility of the author) Providing information to show the author s own credibility 6. Figurative language Language not intended to be taken literally Chosen based on rhetorical situation
7. Form / structure The overall type of composition the writer chooses (letter, speech, editorial, article, blog post, etc. Chosen based on the rhetorical situation 8. Logos Presentation of logical, reasonable evidence in order to coinvince the audience Chosen based on the rhetorical situation Reliable data (figures, numbers, statistics, etc.) Cause/effect relationships that make sense Anecdotes that explain a similar situation Comparisons 9. Organization The order in which ideas are presented (chronological, cause/effect, problem/solution, flashback, putting appeals in a certain order) Includes what is in the introduction, body, and conclusion of a piece (what ideas are where and why) Chosen based on the rhetorical situation
10. Pathos Attempts to engage the audience emotionally in order to convince them Chosen based on the rhetorical situation Humor, guilt, patriotism, anger, protectiveness, fear, etc. Often achieved through diction and detail 11. Persona How the author tries to come across to the audience Influence and is influenced by context, audience, and purpose Chosen based on the rhetorical situation Tone and ethos come into play here Often established through diction 12. Purpose The overall goal the writer wants to accomplish Influences and is influenced by context, audience, and persona Stated as an infinitive phrase (to + strong verb + important details) To humorously guilt the audience into donating to his cause To unveil the horrors of child labor to an influential audience Should never include a neutral verb like show, tell, explain, convey
13. Rhetorical situation The context, audience, purpose, and persona that produces a piece of writing The most important thing to discuss when doing rhetorical analysis When writing an argument, you must make sure yours is clear so that your argument will be strong 14. Sensory details Details that appeal to the five senses Chosen based on the rhetorical situation
15. Surface features Language choices an author makes based on the rhetorical situation These are called surface features because you can identify them by understanding the text on a surface level. Analysis must go deeper than merely identifying these elements. 16. Syntax The arrangement of words into phrases, sentences, paragraphs, etc. These choices are made based on the rhetorical situation 17. The rhetorical web The range of elements an effective author considers when writing an argument