Page 3 Chapter 3 Notes

How Do We Read Arguments

The question here is why read?
By being an efficient and effective reader can help you go a long way. It is difficult to write about something you don't understand but with efficient and effective reading it can create a world of options.

Remember you're not the only one having difficulties, expert writers struggle too.

Now a days surfing and skimming the web changes the way read, it's not efficient reading. What you're probably getting out of the skimming would be barely enough compared to how much the author/writer is trying to portray.

Repetition enhances memory.

Questions to come across while reading:

  • What are the main ideas?
  • What is the writer trying to accomplish?
  • How does this reading connect to the course I'm taking?

Having theses questions in mind can help you go a long way.

When reading you should be aware of:

  • Confusing paragraphs, if you encounter them stop and try to figure out what the author is addressing/trying to get across. If you still can't comprehend the confusing paragraph skim to another to see if any new following information the author has provided would help you understand the topic/main idea.
  • Take notes while reading. By writing notes while reading can help you create an outline of what each paragraph may be talking about or the main purpose of that specific paragraph. (It can help you differentiate from extra information vs. main information.)
  • Write down your reactions to the argument. This can help create a response to the writer's ideas.

Reviewing_: Stop reading and recall what you read.

  • This would help you understand what you just read and to see if you are actually obtaining information that is being addressed.
  • Repition needs to happen in a fairly quick succession after you first learn new material.
  • Improves concentration by limiting distractions.

Reading Rhetorically:

  • How is the argument designed?
  • What choices did the author make in designing the argument?
  • Why did she make those choices?

Note that we always come back to the motivation behind the author's writing

This all brings back the terms:
Catalyst
Purpose
Implications

Author and Audience: This brings upon kairos (there's a time and place for everything.)

  • What is the intended audience?

Genre:
If you know the genre, you can figure out it's purpose.

Controversy
Controversy is concetrated on finding, detangling, and categorizing the main points of disagreement that the argument addresses. There are 5 categories of controversy.

  • Existence or fact
  • Definition or interpretation
  • Cause,consequence, or circumstance
  • Evalution
  • Jurisdiction, procedure, policy, or action to be taken.

Catalysts:
The problem or unanswered question, mainly found in the introduction.

Thesis or central claim:
What is potentially controversial, requires support and directly responds to catalyst. Mainly found title,introduction, and conclusion.

Support:
The evidence, verfication, illustration, etc. mainly found in the body paragraphs.

Linkage:
The connection b/w the claim and support and correction of potential misunderstanding of argument (claim/support). Mainly located near the end of all paragraphs & conclusion

Implications:
The consequences and effects of the argument. Mainly found in conclusion.

Page 4 CH 4 Notes

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