Thursday 1 December 2011

Revision: Argument

By Argument we mean having the power to  persuade the reader into convincing that your point of view is correct . 
 A young lady presented this argument by first showing the 'miraculous event we call giving birth'.

Click on comments below .

Revision: Narration

Some say this is the easiest of the bunch but let's not be fooled, it could be hard if we don't apply ourselves. So let's practice people. Ensure you know the following:

--Purpose of narration (to relate an event about eg. a woman who is struggling to deal with the loss of her son...)

--Elements/devices of narration (PAD)

--Theme: main or overall idea of the story (the disintegration of the family, death, love (Specify!--What about love? What about death?)

--How to summarize a narrative:
   State theme/what the story is about
   What happens in the beginning (exposition)
   What leads to the climax (rising action)
   What happens during the climax
   What happens immediately after the climax(falling action)
    How the story ends (resolution)

Let's practice! Click on comments below.

Revision: Exposition

 
  Don't be frustrated just follow the instructions.



Firstly: Discourse types (NEAD)

Secondly: Purpose (to inform or explain...)

Thirdly: Exposition devices (DICCCAAP)

Fourthly: Examine 1 expository piece.

Click on comments below and let's revise.

Exposition Analysis: Process and Subject

The analysis pattern involves dividing a subject into various parts so it could be better understood.
We are only looking at two types: Process and Subject. Process is easy.

Process Analysis: involves a step by step explanation of how something is done. Think of how you would tell someone how to ride a bike, bake a cake, use the computer. Process therefore involves giving instruction and some clue words are First, Second, Then, Next, After etc. Look at the example below.

As a lifelong crabber (that is, one who catches crabs, not a chronic complainer), I can tell you that anyone who has patience and a great love for the river is qualified to join the ranks of crabbers. However, if you want your first crabbing experience to be a successful one, you must come prepared.


First, you need a boat, but not just any boat. I recommend a 15-foot-long fiberglass boat complete with a 25-horsepower motor, extra gas in a steel can, two 13-foot-long wooden oars, two steel anchors, and enough cushions for the entire party. You will also need scoops, crab lines, a sturdy crate, and bait. Each crab line, made from heavy-duty string, is attached to a weight, and around each weight is tied the bait--a slimy, smelly, and utterly grotesque chicken neck.


Now, once the tide is low, you are ready to begin crabbing. Drop your lines overboard, but not before you have tied them securely to the boat rail. Because crabs are sensitive to sudden movements, the lines must be slowly lifted until the chicken necks are visible just below the surface of the water. If you spy a crab nibbling the bait, snatch him up with a quick sweep of your scoop. The crab will be furious, snapping its claws and bubbling at the mouth. Drop the crab into the wooden crate before it has a chance to get revenge. You should leave the crabs brooding in the crate as you make your way home.
Back in your kitchen, you will boil the crabs in a large pot until they turn a healthy shade of orange. Just remember to keep the crab pot covered.

Finally, spread newspapers over the kitchen table, deposit the boiled crabs on the newspaper, and enjoy the most delicious meal of your life.

Read (if necessary) more about process analysis on page 212-213 in Writing in English.
 

Subject Analysis: requires an explanation of what something is like e.g cricket, love, and marriage.
Read (if necessary) more about subject analysis on page 209-211 in Writing in English.

Description

While revising Description check A Comprehensive English Course for examples.
Remember the acronym for the Description devices is SAD.

Sense data- words, phrases and expressions that play to the 5 senses: sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste.


Adjectives- descriptive pieces usually have many adjectives. Adjectives describe nouns and remember a noun is the name of a person, place, thing or idea.  She is a pretty girl.


Descriptive sequence- the writer can use a logical sequence by describing for example a building. The writer can first describe the outside of the building and them the inside. Similarly, the writer can also describe how a person looks outside and then describe that person's true personality. Other examples include describing something from top to bottom, east to west etc.

Click on comments and try to identify the different devices

Sunday 20 November 2011

PORTFOLIO


YOUR PORTFOLIO IS DUE ON THE DAY OF YOUR EXAM DECEMBER 5.
NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WOULD BE ACCEPTED.
I DO NOT LIKE TO INTERACT WITH STUDENTS AFTER THE EXAM.

INSTRUCTIONS
1) PUT ALL OF YOUR WORK IN A FOLDER.
2) PRESENT A COVER PAGE WITH YOUR NAME, ID#, TUTOR'S NAME, AND DATE
3) PRESENT A ONE PAGE SUMMARY OF AT LEAST 200 WORDS ON:
    (A)WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED AND
    (B) WHAT IS STILL TROUBLING YOU

I WILL COLLECT THEM ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM.
DO NOT GIVE THEM TO ANYONE AT ABIIT.
I DO NOT WORK AT ABIIT.

Types of Allusions

Allusion is another literary device. It is a reference to a person, place or event beyond the obvious subject matter of the text. Allusion is also used when the writer refers to a text in his writing. Let's examine some of the different types of allusion.

                                                                                                                                         Biblical Allusion
A biblical allusion is when the writer makes reference to someone or event in the Bible. The Bible has also been considered an authoritative source since many people believe it is a true account of past events.

Can you think of biblical references the writer might use if he's talking about what happens to people who are wise or spend their money foolishly?
What about forgiveness? Whom might the writer make reference to in the Bible?


                                                                                                                             Historical Allusion
A Historical allusion is used when someone makes reference to an individual or event in the past. Can you think of someone the writer might refer to if he's talking about non-violence or violence?
What about historical events in 1914 and 1935? The answer is the beginning of World War One and 1935 World War Two. What historical event occurred in 1981 in Antigua?




                                                                                                                                        Literary Allusion
A Literary allusion is used when the writer refers to a book or a person, place or event in a book or play.
For example, if the examiner asks what literary device is used when the writer makes reference to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, it is a literary allusion because Romeo and Juliet is another literary work. What book or literary allusion would you refer to if you are writing about an unsinkable ship or greed?




Click comments for devices you should know before going into the exam.

IDIOMS

 
What does this mean?
If you believe it means actually kicking the bucket you're dead wrong.
 
Now if you said it means before you die, you're spot-on.

An idiom is just an expression and should not be taken literally.

Click the comment link below and check out other types of idioms.

NARRATION

Narration is another discourse type. A narrative is a story that is created in a constructive format that describes a sequence of fictional or non-fictional events. The purpose of this text structure is to relate an event or experience.


Click on the comment button below.

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Some Good Old Proverbs

Study to show thyself approved!

Logical Argument: Death Penalty

Now click on comments and read the argument.
As you read  differentiate between a logical argument and an ordinary persuasive piece.

"The Education of Women"


This essay first appeared in 1719. Observe how Daniel Defoe directs
his appeals to a male audience as he develops his argument that
women should be allowed full and ready access to education. 
Click on comments. Read the essay and answer the questions.


Mary Hopkins: first African American woman to get a PHD in Mathematics

Argument: Identify the devices


Watch the video. If you are having problems viewing it download it to your computer.
Then click comments and identify the different devices. Ensure you give the examples.
Let's see how good you really are!

Monday 31 October 2011

Reflection: Not always Black or White


*Now today's class might have been a little challenging for you. But the most important thing we learned is that we should never look at things from a black or white perspective.

*That simply means that because the discourse is an Argument (or logical argument) we should not assume that it will not have some of the devices you will find in other discourses like cause and effect, analogy etc.

*In order to support your argument you might have to explain the effects.
For example, I want to convince someone why abortion is bad, therefore I am going to tell them about the negative effects like psychological depression, the possibility that you might never have children again etc. Do you understand?

*So the big question now is how do I know if it is Argument or Exposition?
Remember that question Linda asked tonight? A very good question that deserves a very good answer.


I know it is Argument because the author usually is not just giving information or explaining something. The writer is trying to persuade m\e so before I decide what discourse or the purpose of the passage I must first look at my checklist.

Logical Argument (REAP)
Refuting or acknowledging the opponents' argument (counterargument)
Evidence (facts, statistics etc)
Authoritative opinion (quoting/making references to experts)
Personal experience (I had an abortion I so I know it was painful)

Persuasion or persuasive type of argument (ERR)
Emotional appeal (conscience, health, safety etc)
Repetition (of important words, not words like it, have etc)
Rhetorical question

Sometimes an argument can be logical but contains rhetorical question, emotive language plus authoritative opinions, and evidence. You will know when the argument is logical because it will provide evidence, state what the experts say etc.


Therefore the passage can be mixed up with different devices. But just a clue to help you; always look for rhetorical questions. If there are it just might be an Argument.


*For more on persuasive pieces check pages  267-272 in A Comprehensive English Course.
Please apply yourself and remember the old proverb, "Practice makes perfect!"


All the best!

Sunday 30 October 2011

ARGUMENT & DEVICES

 
                                            The purpose of course is to convince or persuade.

We will be examining the characteristics of:

A) devices typical of logical argument
B) devices typical of persuasion

The writer uses a number of devices to persuade or convince the readers that what he has written or is saying is true.

Logical Argument Devices 


 1) Evidence: factual evidence is the strongest type since they can be verified


2) Authoritative Opinion: opinions of experts or authorities are also valid

 

3)Personal Experience: not as strong as the others but can be effective

 

4) Refutation of the counter-argument: also considers the opposition's argument and shoots it down.

 

Devices characteristic of Persuasion 
1) Repetition: the writer repeats words and phrases to emphasise his point and convince the readers


2) Rhetorical questions: this question doesn't need an answer; it is obvious what the answer will be. This is used to dramatize the argument and get the readers' attention.


rhetorical questions cartoons, rhetorical questions cartoon, rhetorical questions picture, rhetorical questions pictures, rhetorical questions image, rhetorical questions images, rhetorical questions illustration, rhetorical questions illustrations

3) Emotional or Psychological appeal: these are substitute for the solid support we expect in logical argument. There are many appeals of this sort, ranging from those that appeal to our basic needs to those that appeal to higher order needs. Here is a sample of those that are most often used by writers of persuasive discourse. The writers try to persuade us by appealing to health, sex, economy, comfort, quality, love, status, patriotism, progress etc.
While all of these seem in a way to be positive appeals, persuaders are not beyond using appeals to fear or making us feel guilty in order to persuade us about something.

 
 A new study concludes that television ads for prescription drugs offer limited educational value and   use emotional appeals to suggest to consumers that a medication would help them regain control over some aspect of life. ...


Check the comments below.
Also check your e-mail and listen to the Environment audio.
See how many devices you can identify.

EXPOSITION DEVICE: ANALOGY

Now for those of you who are still troubled about the other technique or device associated with expository pieces, but can also be found in any type of discourse, don't worry. Just bear in mind that Analogy is another form of comparison. But guess what? It is different from a simile or metaphor because:

1) it highlights the similarities between two things you would never expect it to compare,
such as a television addict to a drug addict

2) in the comparison it usually make sure that we are familiar with one of the things like a drug addict but we never really view people who love to watch television as addicts.

What do you think of these analogies?

Analogies make comparisons between two sets of items: “shoe is to foot as tire is to wheel.” The purpose is to clarify the relationships; they do not have to be precisely the same, point by point.


An analogy could be made between two things, one of which is familiar, shedding light on the other: “a heart is like a pump” assumes that everyone knows how a pump works.



Pupils are more like oysters than sausages. The job of teaching is not to stuff them and then seal them up, but to help them open and reveal the riches within. There are pearls in each of us, if only we knew how to cultivate them with ardor and persistence.


Can you think of more analogies? 

    Friday 9 September 2011

    Monday 5 September 2011

    Topic and Main Ideas

    The topic is sometimes referred to as the subject. It may be about pollution, sex, drugs, or crime.

    The Main Idea is different from the topic even though they are related.
    The main idea is the "key concept" being expressed. It is the focus of the passage or work you are reading. For example, is the article just about crime or is it explaining that crime affects the very core of tourism?
    So as you can see the topic is broad, but the main idea gears into the essence or the essential meaning of the passage.

    Now turn to page 320 of A Comprehensive English Course and examine Activity 1.
    What is the main idea?
    What are the supporting details?

    Click on Comments. Post your responses.

    Class 1: Recap of Basics

    Language Register: The passage can either be written in the Formal Standard English (not bombarded with contractions, free of slang, colloquialism) or Informal Standard English (usually casual or intimate; the opposite of the formal register).


    What do we mean by Audience?
    The audience is whom the writer or author is targeting. Who is the author targeting in the 2010 past paper "Dealing with Irrational Anger" or the "Social Networks" article?


    Four types of discourse or rhetorical modes of discourse
    1) Exposition   2) Argument    3) Description  4) Narration

    Purpose of the types of discourse or the author
    Before you determine the purpose you need to identify the discourse type. Is it exposition, argument, description or narration?

    EXPOSITION: to explain or inform. (Writing in English, pages 77-78)

    ARGUMENT:  to convince or persuade the reader. (pages 78-79)

    DESCRIPTION:  to convey to the audience the sense of what a thing (a person, a scene, a feeling) looks like, sounds like, feels like, smells like or tastes like. (pages 74-75)

    NARRATION: to relate to a reader a sequence of events as they happened, or a sequence of acts as they should be performed. (pages 75-76)

    Sometimes writers combine the discourse types. Read more in Writing in English (page 80).

    What is Text Structure?
    Text structure is also known as text patterns. The expository passage can utilize one or more of the following : a) Cause and effect (causal analysis) b) comparison and contrast c) problem solving or problem solution d) description e) sequence.

    Tuesday 16 August 2011