Week 1

Question 1

4 kinds of essays

Answer 1

Personal: focus on self (a life experience)
Expository: focus on a subject (description/explanation and/or to “inform”)
Argumentative: focus on reader (writing on a topic/idea with critical thesis)
Analysis: focus on an “idea” with sustained evaluation of that idea to critical form

Question 2

Expository Thesis

Answer 2

provides a descriptive statement without a specific “argument” to be considered.

Question 3

Argumentative Thesis

Answer 3

provides a specific argument (a position, a stand, an idea) that will be discussed or “argued” in the main body of essay

Question 4

Explicit Argumentative Thesis

Answer 4

clearly stated/obvious, and stated in Introduction of an essay or article.

Question 5

Implicit Argumentative Thesis

Answer 5

sometimes harder to distinguish– more involvement of the reader because they are required to determine author’s position, idea, message. It’s not explicitly (clearly) stated.

Question 6

Rhetoric

Answer 6

in contemporary terms, rhetoric has come to mean “devoid by substance,” “puffing” or exaggeration, or even as “already answered” questions. Academically however, it represents “skill in the effective use of speech or writing.” In Aristotelian terms, it means the art of expressing “truth” about an idea, message or argument, clearly and logically.

Question 7

Personal (Model of Rhetoric)

Answer 7

places emphasis on the writer) situation and/or perspective

Question 8

Expository (Model of Rhetoric)

Answer 8

places emphasis on the subject/message (more descriptive).

Question 9

Persuasive (Model of Rhetoric)

Answer 9

places emphasis on the reader (to convince, appeal to, persuade)

Question 10

Didactic voice

Answer 10

strict instruction (a harshness, or severe emphasis in some respects); meant to teach/lecture.

Question 11

Polemic (polemical essays/articles)

Answer 11

an argument that is either contentious or controversial [sometimes the topic itself, but usually seen as contentious through tone (attitude of the author), which can find form in a hostile or passive-aggressive approach towards a subject]. they are oftentimes characterized as attacks. note: not all essays that have a controversial topic are polemics, however. the term is usually applied towards presentations that are “opinionated to a fault” and can be insulting or considered offensive (but not always), or without acknowledgment of alternative perspectives. also note: “balance” doesn’t always have to appear in arguments, but polemics take positions that deliberately defy this, and are usually controversial in doing so.

Question 12

A Summary/ Summaries

Answer 12

A summary concisely re-states the central idea(s) of a reading.
1. they are accurate (no analyzation)
2. they are without judgement (no personal opinion/reflection). just the facts.
a summary can range from a whole paragraph(s) to just a sentence or two for context.

Question 13

Discourse (Dialogue/discussion)

Answer 13

“How one speaks about and names the world.” The conversational voice in writing or in person.

Question 14

Ideology (Ideas/beliefs)

Answer 14

A type of “false consciousness.” personal philosophies/ morals/ attitudes, etc. (discourse becomes part of one’s ideology; it’s how you speak about or write about or share your ideology).