RHETORICAL PATTERNS & ARGUMENTATIVE STRATEGIES

Writing Today Ch. 21 & 22

RHETORICAL PATTERNS: DEFINITION

Definition: Like description, but very precise use definitions to explain an unknown term to your readers. Ways to use definition:
Word Origin where did the word come form? How has it come to mean what it means? Examples useful for explaining idioms. The book cites the phrase drank the Kool - Aid Negation explain something by saying what it is not. Division explaining various meanings of a word (only when the multiple meanings are all relevant. Comparison bring in similar examples to show how the word youre defining compares and contrasts. Analogy analogies can help explain complex terms: the books example is the analogy of the human circulatory as a city

RHETORICAL PATTERNS: CLASSIFICATION

Classification allows you to divide objects and people into groups, so they can be discussed in greater depth (431). You can use classification for a single paragraph or to structure a larger section of your paper. To write a classification, W T breaks the process down:
1. List everything that fits into the whole class. 2. Decide on a principle of classification. (how to sort the classes) 3. Sort into major and minor groups. (Sort your list using the principle. Ideally there everything you came up with in your list will fit neatly into only one category.

RHETORICAL PATTERNS: CAUSE & EFFECT

When explaining causes and ef fects, identify both causes and ef fects and then explain how and why specific causes led to those ef fects (433). Sometimes you will present causes and ef fects in a straightforward way when the how and why are clear (i.e. factual/obvious). EX: A tornado hit Joplin, MO. The town was destroyed.

RHETORICAL PATTERNS: CAUSE & EFFECT

When you present arguable causes and ef fects, youll need to make sure your presentation of the how and the why is as straightforward and understandable as possible. This is a complex cause and ef fect relationship, and you dont want your readers to get confused or feel mislead. W T uses an example of the current scientific theory of tornado formation to make the presentation of cause and ef fect clear, the writer uses a narrative rhetorical pattern to explain the theory. That means they tell the story of a tornado from formation onward in a chronological order.

RHETORICAL PATTERNS: COMPARISON & CONTRAST

B a s i c a l l y, to use this r h eto r i c a l p a t te r n yo u m a ke a w r i t te n v e n n d i a g r am . Before writing a comparison, yo u s h o u l d s ket c h o u t a v e n n d i a g r am and fill it out.

MIXING!
Most importantly, use multiple rhetorical patterns in your writing in dif ferent combinations to make it interesting! (Interesting for you to write, and interesting for your reader to read. Everyone wins.) COMING UP: Argumentative strategies -- youll notice that the following strategies for your entire argument are very similar to the previous rhetorical patterns that you can use to structure the info used in your paper.

ARGUMENTS & ARGUABILIT Y

Remember, arguments in our context do not connote fighting over something silly, like whether or not your friend likes Justin Bieber. We are dealing with arguable claims, which exist in the broad area between personal judgments (I <3 Biebs) and proven facts (JB was born in 1994).

WHAT MAKES FOR AN ARGUABLE CLAIM

In your writing youll want to attempt to define an arguable claim remember the purpose of our papers is to give you practice collecting and synthesizing information in order to form your own well-supported and well-reasoned conclusion. A claim is arguable if it cant be proven factually true or false, and neither the true nor false side of the argument is based solely on personal opinion. Your goal in inventing your argument and drafting your paper is to support your position to the best of your ability (441). But you also need to keep other viewpoints in mind. Thinking about people who might disagree with your view as you write will help you clarify your ideas and make them stronger by building in defenses.

EXAMPLE PROJECT: AUTO-TUNE

How would you support this thesis? The few benefits offered by Auto-Tune software are highly outweighed by its negative repercussions on music culture.

4 SOURCES OF ARGUABLE CLAIMS

(REMEMBER EAA CH. 1)

DEFINITION
A pregnant woman who chooses to smoke is a child abuser who needs to be stopped before she further harms her unborn child.

EVALUATION
Although both are dangerous, drinking alcohol in moderation while pregnant is less damaging to an unborn child than smoking in moderation.

CAUSATION
Pregnant mothers who choose to smoke are responsible for an unacceptable number of birth defects in children.

RECOMMENDATION
We must help pregnant women to stop smoking by developing smokingcessation programs that are specifically targeted towards this population.

REASON, AUTHORIT Y, EMOTION

G o o d o l d et h o s , pathos, and logos. All three of these a r g u m en t a t iv e s t r a te g i es c a n b e u s e d to s u p p o r t yo ur position.

E, P, L
A good argument will employ all three strategies thereby leaving no possible opportunity for persuading your audience untouched. However, youll probably find that one mode of argument is more useful than the other two depending on your topic. Consult W T Ch. 22 p. 444 -446 for examples of E, P, L in action.

ILLOGICAL FALLACIES
Avoid illogical fallacies by hunting out the weak spots in your argument and patching those holes. IFs occur for three major reasons:
A false or weak premise a position based on faulty reasoning, authorities that are not credible, comparisons that are inappropriate Irrelevance bringing up issues that are beside the point or distracting by being inflammatory Ambiguity any time the writer intentionally clouds the issue to confuse readers into being persuaded

W T p. 448 has a chart that defines 13 common IFs and defines them.

COUNTER-ARGUMENT
To further bolster your argument for your position, you should, as mentioned before, keep the opposing view in mind. To really drive your point home, you can even acknowledge and rebut the opposing point that proves youve really done your homework. Methods of counter-argument
Objective summary of your opponents position Recognizing validity in the opposing position Conceding some opposing points Refuting or absorbing your opponents major points QUALIFY YOUR CLAIMS!!

QUALIFYING YOUR CLAIMS

This is an important thing to do throughout your paper, not just when countering potential opponents. If you feel strongly about your position or want readers to think you have strong conviction, you may be tempted to overstate your claims using strong language that betrays bias and immediately alerts the reader to your stance. By qualifying your claims, you soften your position and the reader will feel that you are asking them to make up their own mind.
It shows your reader that your position has some flexibility It acknowledges (when relevant) the difficulties or limitations of your position Your argument will come across as reasonable if you present your claims with a more balanced viewpoint