ISE Read, Reason, Write

Dorothy Seyler holds advanced degrees from Columbia University and the State University of New York at Albany and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the College of William and Mary. Dr. Seyler is professor emerita of English at Northern Virginia Community College and has taught at Ohio State University, the University of Kentucky, and Nassau Community College. In addition to articles published in both scholarly journals and popular magazines, Dr. Seyler is the author of 10 college textbooks, including Introduction to Literature, Doing Research, Steps to College Reading, and Patterns of Reflection. Read, Reason, Write was first published in 1984. In 2007, Dr. Seyler was elected to membership in the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., for excellence in education.

CONTENTS

 

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About the Authors

From the Authors

 

SECTION 1   CRITICAL READING AND ANALYSIS

Chapter 1       Writers and Their Sources

                        Reading, Writing, and the Contexts of Argument

                        Responding to Sources

                        Abraham Lincoln, “The Gettysburg Address”

                                    The Response to Content

                                    The Analytic Response

                                    The Evaluation Response

                                    The Research Response

                        Deborah Tannen, “Who Does the Talking Here?”

                        Writing Summaries

                                    Guidelines for Writing Summaries

                        Active Reading: Use Your Mind!

                                    Guidelines for Active Reading

                        Ruth Whippman, “Actually, Let’s Not Be in the Moment”

                        Using Paraphrase

                        Acknowledging Sources Informally

                                    Referring to People and Sources

                        Joel Achenbach, “The Future Is Now: It’s Heading Right At Us, But We Never

                                                See It Coming”

                        Presenting Direct Quotations: A Guide to Form and Style

                                    Reasons for Using Quotation Marks

                                    A Brief Guide to Quoting

                        For Reading and Analysis

                        Alex Knapp, “Five Leadership Lessons from James T. Kirk”

                        Suggestions for Discussion and Writing

Chapter 2       Responding Critically to Sources

                        Traits of the Critical Reader/Thinker

                        Examining the Rhetorical Context of a Source

                                    Who Is the Author?

                                    What Type—or Genre—of Source Is It?

                                    What Kind of Audience Does the Author Anticipate?

                                    What is the Author’s Primary Purpose?

                                    What Are the Author’s Sources of Information?

                        Analyzing the Style of a Source

                                    Denotative and Connotative Word Choice

                                    Tone

                                    Level of Diction

                                    Sentence Structure

                                    Metaphors

                                    Organization and Examples

                                    Repetition                    
          

                                    Hyperbole, Understatement, and Irony

                                    Quotation Marks, Italics, and Capital Letters

                        Alexandra Petri, “Nasty Women Have Much Work to Do”

                        Writing about Style

                                    Understanding Purpose and Audience

                                    Planning the Essay

                                    Drafting the Style Analysis

                                    A Checklist for Revision

                        Ellen Goodman, “In Praise of a Snail’s Pace”

                        Student Essay: James, Goode, “A Convincing Style”

                        Analyzing Two or More Sources

                                    Guidelines for Preparing a Contrast Essay

                        For Reading and Analysis

                        Adam Grant, “Why I Taught Myself to Procrastinate”

                        Suggestions for Discussion and Writing

 

SECTION 2   THE WORLD OF ARGUMENT

Chapter 3       Understanding the Basics of Argument

                        Characteristics of Argument

                                    Argument Is Conversation with a Goal

                                    Argument Takes a Stand on an Arguable Issue

                                    Argument Uses Reasons and Evidence

                                    Argument Incorporates Values

                                    Argument Recognizes the Topic’s Complexity

                        The Shape of Argument: What We Can Learn from Aristotle

                                    Ethos (about the Writer/Speaker)

                                    Logos (about the Logic of the Argument)

                                    Pathos (about Appeals to the Audience)

                                    Kairos (about the Occasion or Situation)

                        The Language of Argument

                                    Facts

                                    Inferences

                                    Judgments

                        Sam Wang and Sandra Aamodt, “Your Brain Lies to You”

                        The Shape of Argument: What We Can Learn from Toulmin

                                    Claims

                                    Grounds (or Data or Evidence)

                                    Warrants

                                    Backing

                                    Qualifiers

                                    Rebuttals

                        Using Toulmin’s Terms to Analyze Arguments

                        Erin Brodwin, “The Secret to Efficient Teamwork Is Ridiculously Simple”

                        For Analysis and Debate

                        Christina Paxson, “A Safe Space for Freedom of Expression”

                        Geoffrey R. Stone, “Free Speech on Campus”

                        Suggestions for Discussion and Writing

Chapter 4       Writing Effective Arguments

                        Know Your Audience

                                    Who Is My Audience?

                                    What Will My Audience Know about My Topic?                

                                    Where Does My Audience Stand on the Issue?

                                    How Should I Speak to My Audience?

                        Understanding Your Writing Purpose

                                    What Type (Genre) of Argument Am I Preparing?

                                    What Is My Goal?

                                    Will the Rogerian or Conciliatory Approach Work for Me?

                        Move from Topic to Claim to Possible Support

                                    Selecting a Topic

                                    Drafting a Claim

                                    Listing Possible Grounds

                                    Listing Grounds for the Other Side or Another Perspective

                                    Planning Your Approach

                        Draft Your Argument

                                    Guidelines for Drafting

                        Revise Your Draft

                                    Rewriting

                                    Editing

                                    A Few Words about Words and Tone

                                    Proofreading

                                    A Checklist for Revision

                        For Analysis and Debate

                        Darius Rejali, “Five Myths about Torture and Truth”



Gregg Bloche, “Torture Is Wrong—But It Might Work”

                        Suggestions for Discussion and Writing

Chapter 5       Reading, Analyzing, and Using Visuals and Statistics in Argument

                        Responding to Visual Arguments

                                    Visual Rhetoric and Visual Literacy

                                    Guidelines for Reading Photographs

                                    Guidelines for Reading Political Cartoons

                                    Guidelines for Reading Advertisements

                        Reading Graphics

                                    Understanding How Graphics Differ

                                    Guidelines for Reading Graphics

                        The Uses of Authority and Statistics

                                    Judging Authorities

                                    Understanding and Evaluating Statistics

      &nb
sp;                             Guidelines for Evaluating Statistics

                        Writing the Investigative Argument

                                    Gathering and Analyzing Evidence

                                    Planning and Drafting the Essay

                                    Guidelines for Writing an Investigative Argument

                                    Analyzing Evidence: The Key to an Effective Argument

                                    Preparing Graphic for Your Essay

                                    A Checklist for Re