Chapter 18: Taking a Position

CHAPTER 18: TAKING A POSITION

This chapter goes over writing an essay about taking a position. Your goal is to take a stand on a controversial issue, explain what you believe and why you believe it, and encourage readers to respect or adopt your position.

Keys for success

· Explore all positions.

· Go beyond pure opinion; opinions and positions are different.

· Take a measured stand: concede points to your opponent, address objections to your view, let evidence weigh in your favor.

Topics to consider: current affairs, burning issues, divided lines, and fresh fare.

Guidelines on writing an essay on taking a stand

1. Select a topic. Explore current issues you care about.

2. Take stock. Assess your starting point, what is your current position and why, and what evidence do you have

3. Get inside the issue. Investigate all positions, consider doing first hand research, write positions on the top of the page and list pros and cons, and develop a line of reasoning.

4. Refine your position. Clarify your position.

5. Organize your development and support. Use a traditional pattern, blatant confession, delayed gratification, changed mind and winning over.

6. Write first draft.

a. Opening: Seize reader’s imagination and raise concern for the issue.

b. Development: deepen, clarify, and support position.

c. Closing: end on a lively note that stresses your commitment

7. Share your position. Have a peer reviewer see if they can accept your position.

8. Revise your writing. Is your position clearly stated, how your stand affects you and others, are reasons and support reasoning and complete, does it show awareness of questions, concerns, and other positions, does ideas flow smoothly, and is the tone confident and sincere.

9. Edit and proofread.

10. Publish your final essay.

Chapter 17: Strategies for Argumentaion and Persuasion

CHAPTER 17: STRATEGIES FOR ARGUMENTATION AND PERSUATION

1. Prepare your argument. Identify your audience and purpose, generate ideas, gather solid evidence, and develop line of reason.

2. Make and qualify your claim. Draw reasonable conclusions from the evidence and add qualifiers. Make a strong claim that is clearly arguable, defendable, responsible, understandable, and interesting. Distinguish fact from opinion. Develop supportable claims that avoid all or nothing, make truly meaningful claims, use qualifiers to temper your claim.

Types of claims

· Claims of truth

· Claims of values

· Claims of policy

3. Support your claim. Support each point. Gather evidence by using observations, anecdotes, statistics, tests and experiments, graphics, analogies, expert testimony, illustrations, examples, demonstrations, analyses, and predictions. Use evidence; go for quality and variation, not quantity, use inductive and deductive patterns of logic, and reason using valid warrants.

4. Engage the opposition. Make concessions. Develop rebuttals by pointing out the counterargument’s limits, telling the other side of the story, and addressing logical fallacies. Consolidate your claim.

5. Use appropriate appeals. Build credibility by being thoroughly honest, making realistic claims, projections, and promises, and developing and maintaining trust. Make logical appeals by: engaging readers positively, using a fitting tone, aim to motivate not manipulate, don’t trash talk the opposition, and use arguments and evidence that are understandable and readers can appreciate. Focus on readers need by knowing your real readers, picture readers that resist, and use appeals that match needs and values.

Unit II Essay

City by the Bay vs. The Big Apple

Want to live the city life? But don’t know what city life you want to live? It’s the life long battle of East Coast versus West Coast. Some might say that San Francisco is known for their laid back attitude found on Haight-Ashbury, where the hippie revolution began in the late 60’s. As for New York City, it’s more known for their fast paced Wall Street suit-wearing attitude and the packed “shoulder to shoulder” streets of Time Square. Both cities have a huge “melting pot” of cultures, which give the city its mass appeal and likeability. Another aspect is the weather, which in both cities is as diverse as the people that live there and for some it may be the deciding factor.

San Francisco is “Everybody’s Favorite City.” This eco-friendly place is to some people, the center of the green universe. People here encourage you to use public transportation, bike, or the most popular form of transportation; walking. This city was rated the “most walk-able” city by walkscore.com. New York City in the other hand is known as “The City That Never Sleeps.” In this fast paced metropolis you’ll find the crowded sidewalks filled with people with raised arms trying to wave down one of the hundreds of cabs on the street. Cab drivers weave their way through the sea of yellow and white checkered cars to get to their destinations.

Both cities are well known for being very multicultural. Ellis Island and Angel Island brought immigrants from all over the world that made the cities what they are today. You can practically dip your toes in the waters of many different cultures in either one of these places. Whether it’s the millions of dinning choices, museums, or mingling with the locals, it will be like traveling around the world.

The weather in San Francisco and New York City are very different and can be the ultimate decision maker in choosing between the two cities. It comes down to preference. San Francisco is known for its fog, mild, damp winters, and cooler summers but it’s unpredictable and you should always have a jacket with you just in case. New York City is known for their extremes. They are known for their winter storms, school closures, and overall harsh conditions. Summers are hot and humid with long heat waves that range from 100-120 degrees Fahrenheit.

San Francisco and New York City are two wonderful places to live. Whichever one you choose, you’ll have an experience of a lifetime. Emerge yourself in the in the sights from the hills, beaches, wine country and people of San Francisco or explore the bright lights in Time Square, exciting shows on Broadway and busy streets of New York. Wherever you go, you’ll be surrounded by cultures from around the world, and neither choice is ever the wrong choice.