EVALUATING, JUSTIFYING AND PRESENTING ARGUMENTS

1. EVALUATING, JUSTIFYING AND PRESENTING ARGUMENTS ENGLISH 1121: POPULAR MUSIC COLLABORATIVE PAPER

2. Collaborative Writing • Our third paper, the Popular Music Paper, is unique in two ways: • First, you will be writing this paper collaboratively, with your Discussion and Writing Group, and the entire group will submit a single paper for this assignment. • Second, this paper is more complex than the previous two, in that your Writing Group must accomplish 2 things in the paper: evaluating and arguing.

3. Your 2 Paper Goals • For this collaborative assignment, your group must first select which of the assigned Popular Music articles you want to analyze in writing this paper. • Then your two jobs as writers are to • evaluate how well written that Common Culture article is, and • present either a supporting argument or a counter-argument of your own about that article’s topic.

4. Paper Organization • To successfully accomplish your two paper goals, you’ll follow a specific, prescribed organizational format.

5. Paper Organization • To organize your paper effectively, you will divide the body of your paper in half. • After the introduction, you will spend the first half of the paper evaluating the article, discussing whether it is well-written or not. • For the second half of the paper, you will argue for or against the original author’s thesis, indicating your overall agreement or disagreement with it.

6. Introduction • Your introduction will be the same as it is for all good writing, and consist of the following components: • Attention-getter • Brief summary of original article that you’re analyzing (be sure to include the article title , the writer’s full name, his or her thesis, and his or her main points) • Thesis: Your thesis is a bit more complex for this paper, because it must contain two components. You may cover these two halves in a single thesis statement, or over the course of two sentences. • Evaluation portion: Indicate whether you are giving the original article a positive or negative evaluation: indicate whether is it well-written, or poorly written, overall. • Even if, as reasonable evaluators, you can see good and bad points about the writing, be sure to lean heavily toward one side or the other for your overall thesis. • Argumentation portion: Indicate either your agreement or disagreement with the writer’s thesis, and briefly summarize your reasons why.

7. First Half of Body: Evaluation • Evaluate the original article for first half of your paper. • Using the standards of good writing, judge whether this article is or is not a piece of good writing. • Be sure to support your evaluation using • widely held tenants of good writing (such as those on our paper-grading rubrics) • very specific examples from the original argument • very clear explanations as to what about the writing is well- or poorly done

8. Halfway Point of Body: Transition • At the halfway point of your paper, include a brief transition paragraph, creating a smooth bridge for your reader between the evaluation and argumentation halves of your paper. • Summarize your overall evaluation • Remind the reader of your argumentation thesis

9. Second Half of Body: Argumentation • For the second half of your paper, present and defend your own argument about the original paper’s topic, making clear either your agreement or disagreement with the original writer. • Provide plenty of support for your argument, using all of the techniques that you usually do to prove your theses: • Clear explanations • Illustrative examples • Data and statistics • Facts • Citations from authorities on the subject • Anecdotes • Scenarios • Cases • Textual Evidence

10. Conclusion • Your conclusion will be the same as it is for all good writing, and consist of the following components: • Restate the original author’s argument • Restate both parts of your thesis: • Your overall evaluation of how well the article is written, and • Your overall agreement or disagreement with the original writer about his or her topic • As always, briefly summarize your supporting reasons • Remember to end on a strong, solid-sounding note—strive to make the reader think about the issue

11. Additional Argumentative Strategies • Qualifications • Keep in mind that life, the world, people, arguments, and many other things are rarely black-or-white; right-or-wrong; either-or; always one way, but never that way. Instead, there are lots of shades of gray. • To this end, when presenting your argument, you’ll sound most reasonable and balanced if you openly acknowledge this. To do so, • Avoid phrases that imply an ignorance of this realization. Temper your statements by using qualifying words and phrases like • “many” or “most,” instead of “all” • “sometimes” or “oftentimes,” instead of “always” • “infrequently” or “rarely,” instead of “never” • “some people” or “most people,” instead of “all people” or “everybody” • “few people” instead of “nobody”

12. Additional Argumentative Strategies • Refuting Objections/Addressing Concerns • In order to come across as a credible, honest, logical judge and arguer, it is always best if you bring up any objections, concerns, or counter-arguments that your reader may have when reading your ideas. • If you anticipate and bring up their objections first, you do several positive things for your thesis: • You avoid having a reader who is distracted by their own concerns, instead of focusing on your argument. • You can calmly and reasonably explain why your stance is preferable, more logical, or more reasonable. • You will end up being more persuasive, and may even win converts over to your side.

13. Additional Argumentative Strategies • Throughout your paper, ensure that the reader can EASILY, CLEARLY tell what is article summary or an idea of the original writer’s, and what is the group's opinion.  • To do this effectively, always clearly indicate when you are summarizing the original writer by using a signal phrase (“According to . . .” “Writer X argues that . . .”). • When you are moving from what the original writer says to presenting your own ideas, include a transitional phrase that both reiterates your stance and indicates that what appears next are your own theories (“He is right (or wrong).” “He is correct (or incorrect).” “This is true (or untrue).” “This is accurate (or inaccurate).”). Then present your own outside research, with your own, original examples to support your group’s argumentative thesis on the issue. • Follow this pattern throughout the body paragraphs.