Glossary
Absolute Claims
Statements that assert something is true in all cases, without exception or qualification, often using words like "always," "never," "all," or "none."
Example:
Making absolute claims like "Social media always harms teenagers" can weaken an argument by ignoring nuance and potential counter-evidence.
Alternative Perspective
A different viewpoint or interpretation of the same topic that doesn't necessarily oppose your argument but offers a different angle.
Example:
While discussing the benefits of renewable energy, an alternative perspective could focus on the economic challenges of transitioning away from fossil fuels, rather than directly opposing renewables.
Argument Essay
An essay type that requires students to develop and support their own position on a given issue, using their own knowledge, experience, and observations as evidence.
Example:
The Argument Essay prompt asked students to take a stance on whether privacy is still possible in the digital age.
Audience
The specific group of people the author intends to reach with their writing, influencing the author's rhetorical choices and message.
Example:
The formal tone and technical vocabulary indicated that the audience for the scientific paper was composed of fellow researchers.
Author's Purpose
The reason an author writes a particular piece, which could be to persuade, inform, entertain, or express an opinion.
Example:
The author's purpose in writing the editorial was clearly to persuade readers to vote for the proposed city ordinance.
Confirmation Bias
The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's pre-existing beliefs or hypotheses.
Example:
A researcher exhibiting confirmation bias might only cite studies that support their initial hypothesis, ignoring contradictory evidence.
Context
The circumstances, background, or setting in which a text is created or interpreted, influencing its meaning and the author's choices.
Example:
Understanding the historical context of the speech, delivered during a time of war, helps explain the speaker's urgent tone.
Counterargument
An argument that opposes your main argument, challenging its validity and highlighting its weaknesses.
Example:
When arguing that online learning is superior, a counterargument might be that it lacks the immediate social interaction crucial for some students' development.
Elaboration
The process of developing or presenting a theory, argument, or subject in detail, often by adding more information or explanation.
Example:
The essay provided further elaboration on the historical context, connecting it to the modern-day implications of the policy.
Qualify (an argument)
To modify or limit the scope of an argument with words or phrases to make it more precise, nuanced, and defensible.
Example:
To qualify her claim, the student added, "While social media can be detrimental to mental health, it also offers platforms for community building for some individuals."
Refutation
The act of proving a statement or theory to be wrong or false, often by presenting evidence or logical reasoning.
Example:
After presenting the refutation that standardized tests don't fully capture student intelligence, the essay then offers alternative assessment methods.
Rhetorical Analysis Essay
An essay type that requires students to analyze how an author uses rhetorical choices to achieve a particular purpose for a specific audience.
Example:
In the Rhetorical Analysis Essay, the student examined how the president's use of anaphora in his address inspired hope in the nation.
Rhetorical Strategies
The specific techniques or choices an author uses to persuade, inform, or entertain an audience, such as appeals to ethos, pathos, or logos, or the use of figurative language.
Example:
The speaker employed various rhetorical strategies, including vivid imagery and emotional appeals, to sway the audience.
Synthesis Essay
An essay type that requires students to read several provided sources and then use information from at least three of them to support a coherent argument on a given topic.
Example:
For the Synthesis Essay, students had to argue for or against the use of artificial intelligence in education, drawing evidence from the provided texts.
Synthesizing Information
The process of combining information from multiple sources to form a new, coherent understanding or argument.
Example:
In her essay, the student effectively synthesized information from three different articles to build a comprehensive argument about climate change.
Thesis Statement
A concise sentence, usually in the introduction, that presents the main argument or controlling idea of an essay and indicates the essay's purpose.
Example:
The thesis statement argued that mandatory community service should be implemented in high schools to foster civic engagement.