Reasoning from Evidence to Claims
Rosenwasser, David and Jill Stephen. “Reasoning from Evidence to Claims” Writing Analytically. 8th ed., Cengage, 2019, pp. 148-160.
Synopsis
The chapter addresses a common issue with the reasoning in writing which occurs from lack of connection or insufficient organization of evidence and claims. The chapter starts by exploring the importance of evidence and claims and the significance of their connection to writing. Next, the authors provide definitions for evidence and claims and explore their distinctions and functions to ensure the elimination of all misunderstandings in further chapters. The chapter also provides valuable examples which emphasize the differences between evidence and features an overview of common mistakes people make in connecting the components, resulting in unsubstantiated claims or lack of relevance. Lastly, the chapter provides necessary instructions for writing argumentation through exploration of different argumentation models, such as Aristotle’s and Toulmin’s use of syllogism and the practical reasoning used by Rogers and Booth.
Quotes
- “Ask such people why they thought a new acquaintance is pretentions and they will rephrase the generalization rather than offer evidence that led to it.” (p.150).
- “Readers are far more likely to accept your views if you give them the chance to think with you about the evidence.” (p.150)
- “Evidence is never some free-floating, absolutely reliable, objective entity for the causal observer to sample at random.” (p.154)
- “Americans typically seek to explain such problems as poverty in individualistic terms, a view consistent with our liberal heritage, rather than in terms of class structure, as a Marxist would.” (p. 155).
- “Syllogisms can only demonstrate that the form of argument is valid.” (p.156).
- “The form of argument when a person begins to add more supporting information.” (p. 159).
Personal Reflection
The chapter provides significant information emphasizing the importance of claims and evidence in writing. Before reading the chapter, I acknowledged that writing is important for augmentative pieces such as public speeches and legal documentation. However, I did not fully understand that argumentation presents an essential writing component that provides the foundation of connection between the reader and writer. After reading the authors’ explanations of claims, evidence, their logical connection, and argumentation in the text, I understood that they provide an opportunity for readers to participate in the thinking process with the author.
Therefore, insufficient logical connection between claim and evidence or absence thereof, implying its obviousness, creates for the reader the impression of personal detachment from the text. The authors even compared the unpleasant feeling of rejecting obviousness to negative remnants from a conversation with an inconsistent person who builds conclusions on speculation without knowing specific “evidence that led to it” (150). The detachment explains why “readers are far more likely to accept your views if you give them the chance to think with you about the evidence,” as consecutive writing thoroughly accompanies thought process (150). Furthermore, the chapter included important information about different methods of argumentation execution for purposes besides corroboration, deduction, and induction. I also enjoyed how the authors defined the requirements for claims and evidence as relevant to the situation, objective, and using the proper form of argument construction.
Responding to Traditional Writing Assignments More Analytically
Rosenwasser, David and Jill Stephen. “Responding to Traditional Writing Assignments More Analytically” Writing Analytically. 8th ed., Cengage, 2019, pp. 98-113.
Synopsis
The chapter focuses on summarizing the knowledge about writing acquired from the previous chapters and applying that knowledge to specific types of writing assignments, such as summary or personal responses. The chapter starts by providing general recommendations that can help improve the writing for assignments. The recommendations mainly focus on predetermining the general scope of writing work and paying close attention to assignment instructions’ wording to understand the requirements. The recommendations also include different suggestions which can positively influence the writing approach by making it easier, such as practicing through written consolidation of the accomplished educational material. Furthermore, the chapter explores different types of written assignments and introduces different strategies which can ease the writing process and provide clearer goals and objectives for the assignment. In total, the chapter provides recommendations for writing assignments, including summaries, personal responses (reaction essays), definition, argumentation, and comparison essays.
Quotes
- “The analytical component in a topic is often not apparent.” (p. 99)
- “Whenever possible, reduce drastically the scope of your inquiry.” (p. 100)
- “Mixture of wide-angle coverage with more narrowly focused discussion is the best way to cover the ground without sacrificing depth.” (p. 100)
- “First responses – usually pieces of conventional wisdom – can blind you to rival explanations.” (p. 101)
- “Writing gives you the opportunity to cultivate your curiosity by thinking exploratively.” (p. 101)
- “When invited to respond personally, you are being asked for more than your endorsement or critique of the subject.” (p. 105)
Personal Reflection
In my opinion, there are two significant ways in which reading the chapter can improve the students’ skills for traditional writing assignments. Firstly, the authors provide helpful recommendations regarding the assignments’ instructions, suggesting that the main questions for discussion are often included in the instructions. Therefore, in this case, the writer’s objective is to cover all questions without diving too deep into the topic and providing excessively external coverage of the assigned problem. Furthermore, the recommendations also included an important component of explorative thinking and how it can improve the quality of writing as it can “cultivate your curiosity” (101). In my experience, the impact of explorative thinking is often overlooked in writing, even though it provides a substantial basis for the author’s curiosity and investment in the topic. I often experienced that writing an essay on an assigned topic is troublesome to me because requirements can affect the creative process. However, the feeling fades when I start exploring the topic, gain base-level knowledge, and thus become personally invested in the subject. Therefore, I understand why the authors included the recommendation to think exploratively before writing.
Next, the chapter included significant recommendations on how to improve traditional writing essays through analytical thinking. It was interesting to learn that even summary writing assignment can include analytical thinking through the use of different strategies, such as locating areas of uncertainty and defining the underlying structure for the summary. The authors suggested that a summary is perceived as a simple “unanalytical reporting of information” (103). Like many other students, I also experienced difficulties with understanding how writing summaries can be more exciting and creative when its primary goal is to present information in a concise form. After reading the chapter, I realized that, like any other writing piece, summaries could be improved with the use of different writing strategies and consistent analytical explanations.
Finding and Evolving a Thesis
Rosenwasser, David and Jill Stephen. “Finding and Evolving a Thesis” Writing Analytically. 8th ed., Cengage, 2019, pp. 178-211.
Synopsis
In student writing, a thesis is acknowledged as a vital component that must occur at the end of the first paragraph and act as both author’s claim statement and evidence summary. However, in the chapter focused on thesis development, the authors perceive the thesis as a component of logical connection between claim and evidence, covered in earlier chapters. Furthermore, the authors explain that the school writing requirements to place a thesis at the end of the first paragraph can disrupt the logical flow of the paper. Thus, the authors suggest defining different types of theses which can be placed throughout the text to improve its logical consistency by connecting the claim with evidence and leading readers to specific ideas. In particular, the working thesis at the beginning of the paper should evolve throughout the paper as new pieces of evidence are introduced in the text. Thus, the working thesis evolves into several revised theses, logically guiding the reader to a conclusion. Lastly, the chapter discusses the functions of the introduction and conclusion in the text and explains how a thesis can be successfully placed in the introduction and conclusion using different thesis types.
Quotes
- “It is something of a myth that all good writing must have a fully formed thesis statement at the end of paragraph one, which the writer will then go on to support.” (p. 179)
- A good thesis comes from carefully examining and questioning your subject in order to arrive at some point about its meaning and significance that would not have been immediately obvious to your readers.” (p.180)
- “Single-sentence thesis statement, usually occurring at the end of a paper’s first paragraph, as prescribed in writing textbooks, is a rather rare specimen.” (p. 181)
- “Developing a thesis, in other words, means making the paper’s thinking evolve, pruning and shaping it in response to evidence.” (p. 183)
- “In practice, good thinking is always a blend of induction and deduction.” (p. 184)
- “A productive thesis usually contains tension, the balance of this against that.” (p. 205).
Personal Reflection
In my opinion, the chapter provides significant insight into the limitations that the school writing requirements impose on students’ creativity and development of writing skills. In my experience, I also encountered cases when placing a thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph felt wrong due to a lack of connection with the observing introductory part. In such cases, I had to substantially narrow the background to the topic in order to provide enough space for connecting the background with the thesis. The authors suggested that a more suitable place for the thesis statement is at the end of the second paragraph, as it guarantees that the introduction will thoroughly cover the topic, its background, and relevance. Even though I agree with the authors’ statement, I understand that schools impose thesis writing requirements on students to ease the teachers’ work.
Next, the chapter included an extensive discussion of thesis types, their development through the paper, and their connection with claims and evidence. Reading the chapter provided me with a substantial guide on what a good thesis is and which aspects it should reflect to lead readers to the conclusion productively. The authors successfully integrated examples of thesis statements that emphasize the importance of the thesis’ correlation with the induction or deduction method used in the paper. Lastly, the authors addressed the tension aspect in the thesis by emphasizing the importance of tension balance between arguments to attract readers’ attention.
Conversing with Sources: Writing the Researched Paper
Rosenwasser, David and Jill Stephen. “Conversing with Sources: Writing the Researched Paper” Writing Analytically. 8th ed., Cengage, 2019, pp.213-238.
Synopsis
In this chapter, the authors elaborate on the topic of writing using additional resources. The chapter starts with the authors’ explanation of the purpose of including citations in papers to incorporate different points of view. Furthermore, the authors suggest that interacting with the existing learning community presents an essential component of any research work. Next, the chapter includes important information about differences in functions of primary and secondary sources and provides helpful recommendations for their use. Furthermore, the materials include the issue of source anxiety, which occurs when writers experience a lack of ideas due to increased pressure from existing knowledge. The authors provide valuable insights into the analytical component of sources in writing, suggesting incorporating opposing points of view in papers to provide a synthesis or analysis of differences in two perspectives. Lastly, the chapter identifies different techniques and methods to use quotations in paper and discusses how quotations correlate with plagiarism.
Quotes
- “All knowledge is the product of learning communities and in such communities you will encounter different points of view on a given topic.” (p. 213)
- “Your first goal is to apprehend the primary viewpoints that are evident inside a scholarly community.” (p.213)
- “By remaining unaware of existing thinking, you choose, in effect, to stand outside of the conversation that others interested in the subject are having.” (p.215)
- “The aim of the nonevaluative summary of a source known as an abstract is to represent a source’s arguments as fairly and accurately as possible, not to critique them.” (p.234)
- “Plagiarism gets in the way of trust, fairness, intellectual development, and, ultimately, the attitude toward learning that sets the tone for a college or university community.” (p.236)
- “Paraphrasing is a useful activity because it helps you to better understand what you are reading, but paraphrases and summaries have to be documented and carefully distinguished from ideas and information you are representing as your own.”
Personal Reflection
In my opinion, the chapter successfully explains why a research paper need the use of additional resources while also requiring correct and adequate quotation. From personal experience, I know that many students initially experience difficulties with a citation because the use of additional sources is often required by instructions. The instructions distort the creative process and add additional work to the organization of the paper. However, insufficient work with sources can result in an inattentive selection of sources that do not benefit the paper’s knowledge basis. Furthermore, the use of unreliable sources can distort the student’s understanding of the topic through misuse of terminology or the creation of scientifically unfounded theories and conjectures. I think that learning the information included in the paper can improve students’ understanding of interactions within the scientific community. I liked that the authors explained the nature of the existing learning community and what role the learning communities play in the overall development of science. Thus, the requirements for additional sources and appropriate citations in writing assignments’ instructions target instilling respect for the existing learning communities in students rather than strict academic requirements.
Furthermore, the chapter provided a range of helpful recommendations on how to include analytic thinking and incorporate other perspectives on the topic while clearly distinguishing the writer’s viewpoint. While proper integration of quotations implies the right use of punctuation, it was interesting to learn that different quotation sentence structures can be used to improve the quality and structure of the text. Furthermore, I liked that the authors distinguished a separate segment for the research paper’s abstract portion that explained the abstract as a nonevaluative summary. I previously experienced a misunderstanding in defining the difference between summary and abstract, so the new information was very helpful for me. Lastly, the authors successfully conveyed to me the idea of negativity that plagiarism use brings to the scientific community. Thus, reading the chapter made a positive impression on me as the content mostly covered practical knowledge rather than theoretical aspects of writing.
Style: Choosing Words, Shaping Sentences
Rosenwasser, David and Jill Stephen. “Style: Choosing Words, Shaping Sentences” Writing Analytically. 8th ed., Cengage, 2019, pp.299-340.
Synopsis
This chapter focuses on the style aspect of writing and, in particular, defining the right or more effective ways writers can form sentences in text. The authors start the chapter by explaining the meaning of style within writing skills and present it as a combination of all writer’s decisions in the selection, arrangement, and expressions of the text. Furthermore, the authors explain that writing style cannot be separated from the meaning of the text, implying that stylistic considerations can improve the text and make it more accessible or more attractive for reading.
Next, the authors explain the theory behind sentence structure in defining key elements of sentences and identifying specific characteristics and functions of verbs in sentences. The chapter provides a significant amount of valuable information with examples showing different types of connections between sentence parts and words which can improve those connections and make sentences less complicated. After exploring different elements of sentences, the authors add to the chapter’s practical knowledge by exploring the use of commas and other punctuation marks. In addition, the chapter covers different types of sentences considering the nature of the information, such as periodic, parallelism, and active or passive sentences. Lastly, the authors discuss the importance of the right words and language in writing to set the tone and effectively convey the main ideas to the audience.
Quotes
- “Many people mistakenly assume that style is separate from meaning.” (p.299)
- “The decision you make about how to phrase your meaning inevitably exert a powerful influence on the meaning you make.” (p.300)
- “A piece of thinking that provides careful specification of the way that ideas relate to each other will require a sentence structure that states these relationships explicitly.” (p.308)
- “Parallelism uses repetition to organize and emphasize certain elements in the sentence, so that readers can perceive ore clearly the shape of your thought.” (p.320)
- “One of the best ways to pay attention to words as words is to practice making subtle distinctions among related words.” (p.330)
- “Words don’t simply reflect a neutral world that is out there in some objective way that we can universally agree upon.” (p.333)
Personal Reflection
In my opinion, the chapter provided the necessary addition to the basis of practical knowledge about writing accumulated from the previous chapters. I find it helpful that all theory and recommendations in word choice and sentence structures were included in one chapter. Including many different writing styles subjects in one chapter allowed a more consistent and comprehensive coverage of the topic. For example, in addressing the use of passive sentence constructions, the authors promptly emphasized that the styling choice is recommended for scientific papers. Thus, I appreciated how the chapter provided the necessary complementary information for previous chapters and addressed all the possible questions students might have while reading the previous chapters.
From my personal experience, I can say that styling presents a vital component in writing as it defines readers’ experience. Styling decisions simultaneously reflect the author’s intentions, the text’s meaning, and the audience that the writing piece targets. I often experienced troubles with my writing where a lack of clear understanding of the target audience or assigned theme resulted in inefficient use of styling choices. In addition, the inclusion of comprehensive examples in the materials clearly demonstrated the difference that styling makes for the readers’ experiences and reactions and the author’s ability to express his thoughts accurately. Thus, after learning the information from the chapter, I am inspired to improve my writing with a more thoughtful choice of stylistic strategies and methods.