PB2B

Academic writing is not only a process of critical thinking but also a process of making different moves. After revisiting articles we have read so far and re-reading them like a writer, we can find many moves the author make on purpose. In the following, we will discuss why the author may have chosen these moves and their effectiveness.

·        Introducing Quotations: “Lloyd Bitzer wrote the following:..”(Dirk 19)/”Devitt argues that…”(Dirk 21)

Using quotations is a very common strategy to support the author’s own argument. The reason is very obvious. The author wants to increase the credibility of his own piece by borrowing similar opinions from other reputable scholars. Also, articles only containing words from the author are subject to bias, whereas articles having a powerful use of a variety of quotations seem objective and plausible. Therefore, using quotation is a very effective way to establish the reliability of article.

·        Signaling Who Is Saying What: “Anne Freadman, a specialist in genre theory, points out that …”(Dirk 19)/”Perhaps the shift started when the rhetorician Lloyd Bitzer wrote the following:..”(Dirk 19)

Similarly, the author intentionally mentioning who is the owner of words he quotes is meant to increase the reliability of the quotation itself. If Anne Freadman were a physicist and Lloyd Bitzer were only a middle school student, do their quotation still seem powerful? The answer is definitely “No!” because physicist and middle school student are not even related to topic of genre and their words about genre are not consultable. Therefore, pointing out who is saying what is very critical when we using a quotation.

·        Explaining Quotations:” In other words, Bitzer is saying that…”(Dirk 20)

Paraphrasing the quotation is a process of establishing the connection and transition between your quotations and your argument. Quotations are not isolated. It has its own function under a certain context—supporting an opinion, introducing a new one and etc. When we come back from the quotation, paraphrasing it can help the article smoothly transit from the stage of listing evidences to the stage of analysis. In this course, author also answers the question why this quotation support his idea, connecting the resource back the article.  Moreover, since readers may skip the quotation, explaining quotations makes sure that they don’t get lost.

·        Introducing What “They Say”:” When pressed, for instance, most academics will tell you that..” (Graff 92)

This move introduces an idea which will be contradicted by author in the following article. I think such move can emphasis the importance of author’s point of view. By proving that what people commonly do/think is wrong, author successfully grabs the attention of his reader and convinces them that they should read through this article because they might be one of the people who are doing/thinking wrong.  This move is very effective when we are attempting to refute a standard (but may be incorrect) view.

            

·        Agreeing and Disagreeing Simultaneously:” Though this statement is clear and easy to follow, it lacks any indication that anyone needs to hear it” (Graff 96)

Disagreement comes with agreement bringing objectivity. Denying what is wrong while acknowledging what is right indicates that author’s judgement is unbiased. Also, this move highlights the importance of author’s argument. In this case, it implies that “who cares” has the priority to be concerned over the clearness of a statement.

·        Question and Answer:” So why was I talking about country songs? I think that using such references can help you to see, in a quite concrete way, how genres function.”(Dirk 18)

Such way to write is meant to give readers a feeling that the author is having a personal conversation with you. The tone become less formal and less didactic when we pose a question then answer it because such casual way to talk usually occurs in our daily conversations. Using “Question and Answer” brings the author and his argument closer to the reader; but it should be utilized with caution because it is not appropriate in academic writing. In non-academic writing, whether or not using it is totally dependent on genre and personal preference.

·        Bullet Shooting: using bullets to make something stand out.

The author uses bullet to separate some ideas of examples from the main paragraph for the sake of clearness or highlighting. As I used in this blog, this move makes your piece seem organized and easy to follow. Also, Instead of squeezing everything together into lines and paragraphs, using bullet to make something stand out is refreshing to the reader. Highlighting what you think is important and make sure readers clearly understand your point of view is the primary goal of a communication. This move contribute to both, and hence it is very effective.

·        Laughing First: using joke as the opening.

There are many strategies to start an article, but using joke is not an orthodox one. It depends on the topic. If we are talking about a heavy topic, such as warfare and death, trying to grab readers’ attention by using joke seems unadvisable. However, in most case, this move draws readers’ attention really quickly.

·        Question Shotgun: “All writing is conversational. So what? Who cares? Why does any of this matter? (Graff 92)

The author poses a series of questions which is essentially related to his main argument at the beginning. Leaving them unanswered is meant to encourage readers to read through the article and find the answer. These questions serve as the backbone/rope because as the article unfolds, these questions get answered one by one until the end, which is just like a backbone/rope connects each paragraph into a whole.

·        Slang Sling:” If you use any kind of slang words, you, too, use jargon, but if you studied these words in a book, they are probably not very hip..” (Janet 89)

Article is conversational. Relating context, the author uses a slang, hip, here because he is addressing a topic about slang and jargon; using a slang can give readers a good example about what is a slang. Regardless of context, making good use of slangs can make an appeal to those who speak slang as well. However, for those who do not know slangs, use of them is not an effective way to communicate.

Work Cited:        

Carroll, Laura Bolin. "Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps tpward Rhetorical Analysis." WritingSpaces: Readings on Writing. Vol.1. Parlor Press, 2010. 45-58. Document.

Dirk, Kerry."Navigating Genres." WritingSpaces: Readings on Writing. Vol. 1.Parlor Press, 2010. 249-262. Document.

Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. “So What?/ Who cares?” They Say/I Say: the Moves that                       Matter in Academic Writing. New York: Norton, 2010. Pp. 92-101.

“Rhetoric.” The American Heritage Dictionary of English Language, Fourth Edition. 2003.                             Houghton Mifflin Company, n.d. Web. 24 July 2009.