Glossary
Audience
The intended readers or listeners of a text, whose beliefs, values, and knowledge influence the writer's choices.
Example:
When writing an article about climate change for a scientific journal, the audience would be experts, requiring precise terminology and detailed data.
Claims
The writer's main points or assertions that they are trying to convince the audience to accept.
Example:
In an essay arguing for stricter environmental regulations, the author's central claim might be that current policies are insufficient to combat climate change.
Context
The time, place, and occasion surrounding a piece of writing, including relevant historical, cultural, or social background.
Example:
The context of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech includes the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, which shaped its message and impact.
Evaluating Evidence
The process of assessing whether evidence is relevant, credible, sufficient, and effectively supports the claim.
Example:
Before accepting a claim about a new diet, one should engage in evaluating evidence by checking the source's reputation and the study's methodology.
Evidence
The facts, examples, statistics, anecdotes, or expert opinions used to support and validate a claim.
Example:
To support a claim about the benefits of exercise, a writer might present evidence such as studies showing improved cardiovascular health in active individuals.
Exigence
The specific problem, situation, or event that prompts or inspires the writer to create a text.
Example:
The exigence for a politician's speech on gun control might be a recent mass shooting, creating an urgent need for discussion.
Fallacies and Biases
Flaws in logical reasoning (fallacies) or prejudiced inclinations (biases) that can weaken an argument or mislead an audience.
Example:
An advertisement that uses a celebrity endorsement without relevant expertise might be employing a logical fallacy, while a news report favoring one political party shows bias.
Purpose
The writer's goal or intention in creating a text, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, or call to action.
Example:
The purpose of a public service announcement about recycling is typically to persuade citizens to adopt more environmentally friendly habits.
Reasoning
The logical connections and explanations that link the evidence to the claim, showing how the evidence supports the argument.
Example:
A student's essay might use reasoning to explain that because deforestation leads to habitat loss (evidence), it directly contributes to species extinction (claim).
Rhetorical Situation
The circumstances surrounding a piece of writing, encompassing the speaker, purpose, audience, context, and exigence.
Example:
Understanding the rhetorical situation of a historical speech involves knowing who delivered it, why, to whom, when and where, and what prompted it.
Supporting Sentences
Sentences within a paragraph that provide evidence, explanations, and analysis to elaborate on and prove the topic sentence.
Example:
After stating the main idea, the supporting sentences in a paragraph would offer specific examples, data, or expert quotes to back it up.
Topic Sentence
The sentence that expresses the main idea or central point of a paragraph, typically appearing at the beginning.
Example:
Every body paragraph in an argumentative essay should begin with a clear topic sentence that introduces the specific point to be discussed.
Transitions
Words, phrases, or clauses that create smooth connections between ideas, sentences, and paragraphs, guiding the reader through the text.
Example:
Using transitions like 'furthermore,' 'however,' or 'in conclusion' helps to create a coherent flow between different points in an essay.
Types of Evidence
Various categories of information used to support claims, such as facts, anecdotes, statistics, expert opinions, or personal observations.
Example:
When arguing for a new school policy, a student might use types of evidence like statistics on student performance and anecdotes from teachers.