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The Practical Stylist

The Practical Stylist. Chapters 3 & 4: It’s all about structure. Argumentative tactics. If we ignore the opposition, we run the risk of looking ill-informed. This makes it nearly impossible to persuade the reader of much of anything. Dialectic structure.

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The Practical Stylist

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  1. The Practical Stylist Chapters 3 & 4: It’s all about structure

  2. Argumentative tactics • If we ignore the opposition, we run the risk of looking ill-informed. • This makes it nearly impossible to persuade the reader of much of anything.

  3. Dialectic structure • The balancing of your opinion against the opposing opinion = dialectic structure • This is the most fundamental order of thought. • Our minds naturally swing from one side to the other. • Dialectics simply gives more weight to one side • As writers, we provide an argumentative EDGE to one side over the other.

  4. The beauty of the dialectic thesis Despite their many advantages, battery powered toothbrushes are difficult to handle. • The subordinate clause in the thesis states the subordinate (less important) part of the thesis. This is the “con” side. • The main clause, the independent clause, states the argument and is the “pro” side. • The subordinate clause comes first in the sentence, and the “con” side comes first in your paper. • We get rid of the opposition first so we can concentrate on the real argument. FORM = FUNCTION VERY COOL!

  5. Get rid of the opposition first • Your thesis, in general, should establish the expectations of your paper for your reader. • In argumentative writing, the thesis also establishes the order of your argument for the reader. Get rid of the opposition first!! • Sometimes you can use the opposition to introduce your thesis in the first paragraph. • Sometimes it takes a bit more to get rid of that pesky opposition.

  6. Structure for a simple opposition Pro Con Thesis: “This is so.” “Of course some think this” But that is too high a price And… Moreover… Therefore…

  7. It can get a bit more complicated PRO CON Thesis: Electric toothbrushes are dangerous Surely not for everyone But, they can cause injury Of course, most people Nevertheless, many people drop Small children injure their gums False sense of cleanliness and fewer dentist visits

  8. Final thoughts on essay structure • Often we’re asked to compare/contrast • The principle remains the same, after getting rid of the opposition, compare point by point. • Comparing two poems, two Civil War generals, or two cats allows us to bring fresh insight to the familiar or to illuminate the unfamiliar. • Be sure to run the comparison point by point. • Every time you say something about Greta, say something about Lucy.

  9. Structure for paragraphs The Middle, the Beginning, and the End (Practical Stylist chapter 4)

  10. The Rhetorical message of a Paragraph • Visually, it tells the reader whether or not you have developed your thinking enough to be believable. • Tiny ragged paragraphs send the message of limited, raggedy thinking. • Academic writing is different from journalistic writing. How so?

  11. Beginning paragraphs • Thesis at the end • Start wide, end narrow • Tip: A handy way to find an opening invitation is to take one word from your thesis and then say something about it.

  12. Coherence: the middle • When your topic sentence covers all the sentences in your paragraph, it is coherent. • Beyond a strong topic sentence, we gain coherence through purposeful horizontal transitions, specific illustrative details, and the use of repetition.

  13. those middle paragraphs… • Middle paragraphs are like miniature essays, with a beginning, middle and an end. • Develop these paragraphs with plenty of details, examples, and full explanations. For our purposes, be sure to use apt and specific references to the text. • The big, fully developed middle paragraph is the norm, from which you may decide to vary. • Make sure your paragraphs are coherent with both vertical and horizontal transitions

  14. The end: start narrow, go wide • Topic sentence is usually some version of the thesis • A short paper will need no specific summary of your key points—the renewed thesis and its widening of implications is all you need. • For essays about literature, this would involve making some universal connections.

  15. Essay structure: Keyhole design ending paragraph clincher beginning paragraph lead to strongest argument thesis weakest argument first opening invitation thesis reworded illustrate with examples middle paragraphs generalize

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