Recap for the exam •  Decide on a text-­‐type •  Formulate a thesis statement that signals both the intent and text-­‐type •  Make sure to include all elements of that text-­‐
type •  One idea/thought per paragraph •  Express the purpose of the paragraph in a topic sentence •  Use blank line or indenta@on to signal a new paragraph Introduc@on Can be considered the most important part of your text for the following three reasons: 1.  It provides the reader with the necessary background informa@on. 2.  It states what your topic is and how it relates to a general context. 3.  It either captures the readers or turns them away. Introduc@on •  Funnel introduc@on: moving from the general to the specific. •  ALen@on-­‐geMng introduc@on: starts with a thought-­‐provoking statement and then moves on to give background informa@on. Whichever you choose, you’ll need to provide adequate informa@on to set up your thesis statement. Thesis statement •  The thesis should express the topic and purpose of the text, some@mes also the method used (i.e. the text type). •  The thesis governs the en@re essay. •  The thesis is placed somewhere in the introduc@on, usually last. The A,rac/veness of a Pirate Captain A swashbuckling rogue of the seven seas, Jack—sorry, Captain Jack Sparrow entered the lives of many unsuspec@ng viewers with the surprisingly popular Pirates of the Caribbean. Arrogantly swaggering around, gracefully moving hands and tongue at the same speed, he brought forth many a wisXul sigh from a cap@vated audience. And who did not root for him in the end? Yes, the aLrac@on is clear. But why? Why are people drawn so such a scandalous scallywag?
The A,rac/veness of a Pirate Captain A swashbuckling rogue of the seven seas, Jack—sorry, Captain Jack Sparrow entered the lives of many unsuspec@ng viewers with the surprisingly popular Pirates of the Caribbean. Arrogantly swaggering around, gracefully moving hands and tongue at the same speed, he brought forth many a wisXul sigh from a cap@vated audience. And who did not root for him in the end? Yes, the aLrac@on is clear. But why? Why are people drawn so such a scandalous scallywag?
Freedom – the More the Be,er? We hardly use any other word so passionately in so many different contexts: the USA waged a war called Enduring Freedom; we break up partnerships when we consider our personal freedom being narrowed; we appreciate so different things as the freedom of speech as well as the possibility to choose among several dozen brands of toothpaste. Freedom is so precious that people fight and even die for it. Hence, we can assume that more and more freedom makes this world a beLer place. However, let us face it: we are not able to cope with this achievement! Aaer centuries of baLles for freedom, it makes our everyday life even more complicated today. More is not necessarily beLer. Freedom – the More the Be,er? We hardly use any other word so passionately in so many different contexts: the USA waged a war called Enduring Freedom; we break up partnerships when we consider our personal freedom being narrowed; we appreciate so different things as the freedom of speech as well as the possibility to choose among several dozen brands of toothpaste. Freedom is so precious that people fight and even die for it. Hence, we can assume that more and more freedom makes this world a beLer place. However, let us face it: we are not able to cope with this achievement! Aaer centuries of baLles for freedom, it makes our everyday life even more complicated today. More is not necessarily beLer. Paragraphing There are two ways to paragraph a text: blank line . . . Almost everywhere we go today, we are likely to come across a fast-­‐food restaurant of some kind. Only fiay years ago, they were quite scarce; people ate in their homes or in tradi@onal restaurants. Since the Second World War, however, so called fast food has become increasingly common in the West. What are the reasons? One major factor is the forma@on of a new, mobile lifestyle in the 1940s, -­‐50s and 60s. Technological advances in car produc@on resulted in cheaper products, and along with general economic growth it enabled ordinary people to buy cars, thereby gaining increased mobility. This new way of life brought on a whole range of new phenomena. One of them was the drive-­‐in restaurant, whose business concept partly was, and s@ll is, to serve food quickly at almost any hour. The most famous example is probably McDonald’s, which was established in 1948. Now, people could go where they liked and get their needs fulfilled whenever they liked. . . . or indenta@on Almost everywhere we go today, we are likely to come across a fast-­‐food restaurant of some kind. Only fiay years ago, they were quite scarce; people ate in their homes or in tradi@onal restaurants. Since the Second World War, however, so called fast food has become increasingly common in the West. What are the reasons? One major factor is the forma@on of a new, mobile lifestyle in the 1940s, -­‐50s and 60s. Technological advances in car produc@on resulted in cheaper products, and along with general economic growth it enabled ordinary people to buy cars, thereby gaining increased mobility. This new way of life brought on a whole range of new phenomena. One of them was the drive-­‐in restaurant, whose business concept partly was, and s@ll is, to serve food quickly at almost any hour. The most famous example is probably McDonald’s, which was established in 1948. Now, people could go where they liked and get their needs fulfilled whenever they liked. Text-­‐Types Purpose determines text-­‐type •  Process: used to describe procedures or relate historical sequences •  Cause/effect: used to analyze a phenomenon; its causes and/or its effects •  Comparison/contrast: describes the similari@es and differences between two or more items •  Argumenta9ve: to convince the reader of your opinion on something that you agree or disagree with Process •  A defini@on the phenomenon or process described •  A chronological descrip@on of the process Cause/effect •  Presenta@on of a trend or phenomenon •  Causes of the trend/phenomenon + support for the presented causes •  Effects of the trend or phenomenon + support for the presented effects (usually cause and effect in conjunc@on) Comparison/contrast •  Presenta@on of the two [or more] items that you will compare •  Points of comparison •  Statements of similari@es/dissimilari@es •  Possibly: Discussion of the causes and effects of the similari@es/dissimilari@es Argumenta@ve •  A clearly stated opinion or claim for or against something •  Arguments suppor@ng the claim •  Counterarguments showing the opposite viewpoint (shows your exper@se and strengthens your argument) •  RebuLal of the counterargument Topic: the use of mobile phones –  Process: How has the use of mobile phones developed since their incep@on in the late 1970s? –  Cause/effect: Why are mobile phones so popular? What are the effects of their popularity (health, social, traffic, etc.)? –  Compare/contrast: Have mobile phones changed the way we socialize? A comparison of family life in the 1980s and 2000s. –  Argumenta9ve: Tex@ng (SMS) improves/
deteriorates people’s language skills and should be taught in schools/be abolished. Process Intro: Everywhere you go you see someone talking on the phone or sending text messages. Our whole social behavior has changed since the incep@on of mobile phones . . . Thesis statement: In order to understand the popularity of mobile phones today it is necessary to look at the historical development from their original incep@on. Body (in chronological order): 1970s and 1980s launch of 1G and 2G networks in Japan. The launch in 1981 of the Nordic Mobil Telephone (NMT). /-­‐-­‐-­‐/ Most recently 4G networks. Cause/effect Thesis: Why are mobile phones so popular and what are the effects of this popularity? 1st cause: Mobile phones make life easier and have therefore caught on quickly. E.g. you can be reached wherever you are. 1st effect: People expect you to be available 24/7. It’s harder to differen@ate between private life and work. 2nd cause: They have become lifestyle gadgets. 1st effect: Children whose families can’t afford phones feel ostracized. Compare/contrast Thesis: Have mobile phones changed the way we socialize? A comparison of social networks in the 1980s and 2000s. Points of comparison: Family, friends Similari@es/dissimilari@es: Argumenta@ve Thesis (pro): Mobile phones make life easier. Arguments: You can always get in touch with people. Availability gives you more freedom both professionally and privately. Counterargument: But some say the radia@on causes cancer. Refuta@on: This is as yet unproven, and will likely be proven wrong. Titles and Capitaliza@on •  Capitalize all words except ar@cles, preposi@ons, coordina@ng conjunc@ons, or to in infini@ves. •  Capitalize the first word of main @tle and first word of the sub@tle, even if it’s one of the above. Ex. Travesty and Sa9re: A Historical Analysis of Two Genres from the Perspec9ve of Class Subversion The ’s-­‐geni@ve -­‐ singular Simply add apostrophe + s ('s) Examples: The child’s book. The girl’s room is nice. John Smith’s car. Peter’s glass is half empty but John’s is half full. Special case: names that end with –s can have either apostrophe + s or just apostrophe. Example: Dickens’s or Dickens’ •  Note that the geni@ve of it is its not it’s •  And note the difference between who’s and whose The ’s-­‐geni@ve -­‐ plural Add the apostrophe (’) to regular plural forms: The girls' room. The Smiths' car is black. Add 's to irregular plural forms: The children's books. Men's clothes. If there are mul@ple nouns, add an 's only to the last noun: Peter and John's mother is a teacher. Contrac@ons •  Contracted forms—i.e. don’t instead of do not, or it’s instead of it is—is not used in formal wri@ng (read: essays). Affect vs. Effect The two uses of affect/effect (meaning ‘influence’) that seems to confuse people: •  as a noun: The weather has an effect on my mood. •  as a verb: The weather affects my mood. Subject-­‐verb agreement Third person singular, present tense = -­‐s: He/she/it/the dog runs. They/you/the dogs run. Subject-­‐Verb Agreement Verb forms with singular and plural forms: is (3rd p)/am (1st p)
was does has -­‐
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are were do (1st p sing) have (1st p sing!) Grade criteria: exam essay G The student is well versed in academic wri@ng and knows how to dis@nguish between and use the text-­‐types treated during the course. The essay is well composed, containing the proper elements from the level of organiza@on (introduc@on with thesis statement – body – conclusion) down to paragraph construc@on (topic sentence – suppor@ng sentences). The language is coherent, largely fluent, and without repeated serious errors (e.g. no more than three subject-­‐verb agreement errors). The essay exhibits a vocabulary that is adequate for the task at hand. VG The student meets all the requirements for G. In addi@on, the student’s wri@ng manifests a rich and varied language that is without serious errors and with very few minor errors. The student also displays a good sense of style.