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Practical Argument: Short Edition by Laurie G. Kirszner; Stephen R. Mandell - Fourth Edition, 2020 from Macmillan Student Store
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Practical Argument: Short Edition

Fourth  Edition|©2020  New Edition Available Laurie G. Kirszner; Stephen R. Mandell

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About

When learning argumentation techniques that can be applied to real life issues, you don’t want to get bogged down with technical jargon. Practical Argument makes argumentative writing accessible with a  step-by-step approach and clear, understandable language. The fourth edition includes a contemporary and diverse array of readings, as well as coverage of the kinds of visual arguments you’re likely to encounter in your everyday life.

Digital Options

E-book

Read online (or offline) with all the highlighting and notetaking tools you need to be successful in this course.

Learn More

Achieve

Achieve is a single, easy-to-use platform proven to engage students for better course outcomes

Learn More

Contents

Table of Contents

Part 1—Understanding Argument

An Introduction to Argument

Recognizing Arguments

     Why Instructors Assign Argument [box]

Defining Argument

     What Kinds of Statements Are Not Debatable? [box]

Arguments in Real Life

Winning and Losing Arguments

The Rhetorical Situation

Considering the Writer

Considering the Purpose

Considering the Audience

Considering the Question

Considering the Context

Logos, Pathos, and Ethos

     The Appeal to Reason (logos)

     Logos in Action

     The Appeal to the Emotions (pathos)

     Pathos in Action

     The Appeal to Authority (ethos)

     Ethos in Action

The Rhetorical Triangle

1—The Four Pillars of Argument

AT ISSUE: Is a College Education Worth the Money?

The Elements of Argument

     Thesis Statement

     Evidence

     Refutation

     Concluding Statement

     Checklist: Does Your Argument Stand Up?

     Nia Tuckson, Why Foreign-Language Study Should Be Required [student essay]  

    *Andy Kessler, Learn a Language, But Not a Human One

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Is a College Education Worth the Money?

*Derek Tharp, Is College Worth It? The Answer Isn’t as Simple as You Think

Marty Nemko, We Send Too Many Students to College

Jennie Le, What Does It Mean to Be a College Grad?

*Bryan Caplan, What’s College Good For?

Mary C. Daly and Leila Bengali, Is It Still Worth Going to College?

*University of the People, Does College Still Matter in 2018?

Part 2—Reading and Responding to Arguments

2—Thinking and Reading Critically

AT ISSUE: Does Recycling Really Accomplish Anything?

     Using Critical-Thinking Skills [box]

Reading Critically

     Guidelines for Reading Critically [box]

Becoming an Active Reader

     Previewing

     Close Reading

     Comprehension Clues [box]

    *John Tierney, The Reign of Recycling

     Highlighting

    Suggestions for Highlighting [box]

     Annotating

     Checklist: Questions for Annotating

       *Los Angeles Times, It’s Time to Phase Out All Single-Use Plastic

   *Bob Holmes, Waste Not…

  *Jenny Luna, We Are So Forked

Writing a Critical Response

Checklist: Questions for Critical Reading

    *Neena Thomason, Response to "It’s Time To Phase Out All Single-Use Plastic" [student response]

Template for Writing a Critical Response

3—Reading and Responding to Visual Arguments

AT ISSUE: Does Recycling Really Accomplish Anything? [continued]

Thinking Critically about Visual Arguments

     Visuals versus Visual Arguments [box]

Using Active Reading Strategies with Visual Arguments

     Comprehension Clues [box]

     Appeals: Logos, Pathos, and Ethos [box]

     National Geographic Cover [visual]

    Recycling Bar Graph [graphs]

    Bird Trapped in Plastic [photo]

Recycling cartoon [cartoon]

Waste Pie Chart [chart]

Straws Suck! [infographic]

What Goes in the Ocean Goes in You [advertisement]

Last Earth Day [advertisement]

Responding Critically to Visual Arguments

     Checklist: Questions for Responding to Visual Arguments

    What Goes in the Ocean Goes in You [student response]

     Template for Responding to Visual Arguments

4—Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

AT ISSUE: Is It Ethical to Buy Counterfeit Designer Merchandise?

What Is a Rhetorical Analysis?

     Overview: "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. [box]

Considering the Rhetorical Situation

     Analyzing the Rhetorical Situation [box]

     The Writer

    Analyzing the Writer [box]

     The Writer’s Purpose

    Analyzing the Writer’s Purpose [box]

     The Writer’s Audience

    Analyzing the Writer’s Audience [box]

     The Question

Analyzing the Question [box]

     The Context

    Analyzing the Context [box]

Considering the Means of Persuasion: Logos, Pathos, Ethos

     The Appeal to Reason (logos)

     The Appeal to the Emotions (pathos)

     The Appeal to Authority (ethos)

Considering the Writer’s Rhetorical Strategies

     Thesis

     Organization

     Evidence

     Stylistic Techniques

Assessing the Argument

     Checklist: Preparing to Write a Rhetorical Analysis

Sample Rhetorical Analysis

     Dana Thomas, Terror's Purse Strings

     Deniz Bilgutay, A Powerful Call to Action [student essay]

     Rajeev Ravisankar, Sweatshop Oppression

    Template for Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

     *Bobby Zitzmann, Sweatshops Are Good

5—Understanding Logic and Recognizing Logical Fallacies

AT ISSUE: How Free Should Free Speech Be?

What Is Deductive Reasoning?

Constructing Sound Syllogisms

     Syllogism with an Illogical Middle Term

     Syllogism with a Key Term Whose Meaning Shifts

     Syllogisms with Negative Premise

Recognizing Enthymemes

     Bumper-Sticker Thinking [box]

Writing Deductive Arguments

     Crystal Sanchez, College Should Be for Everyone [student essay]

What Is Inductive Reasoning?

     Reaching Inductive Conclusions [box]

Making Inferences

Constructing Strong Inductive Arguments

     Generalization Too Broad

     Insufficient Evidence

     Irrelevant Evidence

     Exceptions to the Rule

Writing Inductive Arguments

     William Saletan, Please Do Not Feed the Humans

Recognizing Logical Fallacies

     Begging the Question

     Circular Reasoning

     Weak Analogy

     Ad Hominem Fallacy (Personal Attack)

     Creating a Straw Man

     Hasty or Sweeping Generalization (Jumping to a Conclusion)

     Either/Or Fallacy (False Dilemma)

     Equivocation

     Red Herring

     Slippery Slope

     You Also (Tu Quoque)

     Appeal to Doubtful Authority

     Misuse of Statistics

     Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc (After This, Therefore Because of This)

     Non Sequitur (It Does Not Follow)

     Bandwagon Fallacy

Patrick J. Buchanan, Immigration Time-Out

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: How Free Should Free Speech Be?

*Thane Rosenbaum, Should Neo-Nazis Be Allowed Free Speech?  

*Sol Stern, The Unfree Speech Movement

*American Association of University Professors, On Freedom of Expression and Campus Speech Codes  

*Wendy Kaminer, Progressive Ideas Have Killed Free Speech on Campus

*Judith Shulevitz, In College and Hiding from Scary Ideas

*Eric Posner, Universities Are Right to Crack Down on Speech and Behavior

Template for Writing a Deductive Argument

Template for Writing an Inductive Argument

6—Rogerian Argument, Toulmin Logic, and Oral Arguments

AT ISSUE: Why Are So Few Women in STEM Fields?

Understanding Rogerian Argument

Structuring Rogerian Arguments

Writing Rogerian Arguments

     Zoya Kahn, Why Cell Phones Do Not Belong in the Classroom [student essay]

Understanding Toulmin Logic

Constructing Toulmin Arguments

Writing Toulmin Arguments

     Jen Davis, Competitive Cheerleaders Are Athletes [student essay]

Understanding Oral Arguments

Planning an Oral Argument

Checklist: Designing and Displaying Visuals

Delivering Oral Arguments

Dealing with Nervousness [box]

Composing an Oral Argument

     Chantee Steele, An Argument in Support of the "Gap Year" [student speech]  

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Why Are So Few Women in STEM Fields?    

     *Joan Williams, The Five Biases Pushing Women out of STEM

     *Adam Mastroianni and Dakota McKoy, Countries with Less Gender Equality Have More Women in Stem- Huh?

     *Stuart Reges, Why Women Don’t Code

     *Rosalind C. Barnett and Caryl Rivers, The Science Doesn’t Support the Google Memo

    *Barbara Oakley, Why Do Women Shun STEM? It’s Complicated

     Template for Writing a Rogerian Argument

Template for Writing a Toulmin Argument

Part 3—Writing an Argumentative Essay

7—Planning, Drafting, and Revising an Argumentative Essay

AT ISSUE: Should College Campuses Go Green?

Choosing a Topic

     Topics to Avoid [box]

Thinking about Your Topic

     Freewriting

     Brainstorming

     Clustering

     Informal Outline

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Understanding Your Purpose and Audience

Gathering Evidence

     Evaluating the Evidence in Your Sources

     Detecting Bias in Your Sources

    Using Analogies as Evidence [box]

Refuting Opposing Arguments

     Strategies for Refuting Opposing Arguments

Revising Your Thesis Statement

Structuring Your Essay

     Supplying Background Information [box]

     Using Induction and Deduction

Identifying a Strategy for Your Argument

     Constructing a Formal Outline

Establishing Credibility

     Being Well-Informed

     Being Reasonable

     Being Fair

     Maintaining Your Credibility [box]

Drafting Your Essay

     Suggested Transitions for Argument [box]

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Using Parallelism

Revising Your Essay

     Asking Questions

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Purpose and Audience

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Structure and Style

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Supporting Evidence

     Using Outlines and Templates

     Getting Feedback

     Guidelines for Peer Review

Polishing Your Essay

     Editing and Proofreading

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Contractions vs. Possessive Pronouns

     Choosing a Title

     Checking Format

Shawn Holton, Going Green [student essay]

Part 4—Using Sources to Support Your Argument

8—Finding and Evaluating Sources

AT ISSUE: Is Technology a Serious Threat to Our Privacy?

Finding Sources

     Finding Information in the Library

     Finding Information on the Internet

Evaluating Sources

*Zeynep Tufekci, The Privacy Debacle

*David N. Cicilline and Terrell McSweeny, Competition is at the Heart of Facebook’s Privacy Problem

    *Daniel Lyons, Facebook: Privacy Problems and PR Nightmare 

Evaluating Websites

     Using a Site’s URL to Assess Its Objectivity [box]

     Avoiding Confirmation Bias [box]    

*The Chronicle of Higher Education, Home Page [website]

     *Glamour Magazine, Home Page [website]

   *The Chronicle of Higher Education, About The Chronicle [website]

     *Glamour Magazine, About Glamour [website]

 *Bart Lazar, Why We Need a Privacy Label on the Internet

  *Douglas Rushkoff, You Are Not Facebook’s Customer

    *Igor Kuksov, All Ears: The Dangers of Voice Assistants

  Sam Laird, Should Athletes Have Social Media Privacy? One Bill Says Yes

9—Summarizing, Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Synthesizing Sources

AT ISSUE: Is Technology a Serious Threat to Our Privacy? (continued)

Summarizing Sources

     When to Summarize [box]

     Summarizing Sources [box]

Paraphrasing Sources

     When to Paraphrase [box]

     Paraphrasing Sources [box]

Quoting Sources

     When to Quote [box]

     Quoting Sources [box]

   Shelley Fralic, Don’t Fall for the Myths about Online Privacy

Working Source Material into Your Argument

     Using Identifying Tags

     Template for Using Identifying Tags [box]

     Working Quotations into Your Sentences

     Distorting Quotations [box]

Synthesizing Sources

10—Documenting Sources: MLA

Using Parenthetical References

Preparing the Works-Cited List

     Periodicals     

    Books

Audiovisual Sources

     Internet Sources

     Legal Case

     Government Document

MLA Paper Guidelines [box]

     Erin Blaine, Should Data Posted on Social Networking Sites Be "Fair Game" for Employers? [Model MLA Paper]

11—Using Sources Responsibly

AT ISSUE: Where Should We Draw the Line with Plagiarism?

Understanding Plagiarism

     Two Definitions of Plagiarism [box]

Avoiding Unintentional Plagiarism

  Internet Sources and Plagiarism [box]

     Intentional Plagiarism [box]

Knowing What to Document

     Loos Diallo, Plagiarism Policy [image]

*Erika Ramirez, When Beyonce’s Inspiration Turns Into Imitation

Revising to Eliminate Plagiarism

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Where Should We Draw the Line with Plagiarism?

      Trip Gabriel, Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age

     *Jennifer Mott-Smith, Bad Idea about Writing: Plagiarism Deserves to be Punished

     Richard A. Posner, The Truth about Plagiarism

   *Helen Rubinstein, When Plagiarism is a Plea for Help

    Dan Ariely, Essay Mills: A Coarse Lesson in Cheating

Term Papers for Sale Advertisement [Web page]

Template for Writing an Argument about Plagiarism

Writing Assignments: Using Sources Responsibly


Appendix A—Writing Literary Arguments

What Is a Literary Argument?

Stating an Argumentative Thesis

Choosing Evidence

Writing a Literary Argument

Megan McGovern, Confessions of a Misunderstood Poem: An Analysis of "The Road Not Taken" [student essay]

Loren Martinez, Not Just a "Girl"[student essay]


Appendix B—Documenting Sources: APA

 

Authors

Laurie G. Kirszner

During their long collaboration, Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell have written a number of best-selling college texts for Bedford/St. Martin's, including Patterns for College Writing, Foundations First, Writing First, Focus on Writing, and, most recently, Practical Argument. Laurie Kirszner is a Professor of English, Emerita at St. Joseph University, where she has taught composition, literature, creative writing, and scientific writing, and served as coordinator of the first-year writing program. Stephen Mandell is a Professor of English, Emeritus at Drexel University, where he founded and directed the basic writing program and has taught composition, literature, speech, and technical and business writing.


Stephen R. Mandell

During their long collaboration, Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell have written a number of best-selling college texts for Bedford/St. Martin's, including Patterns for College Writing, Foundations First, Writing First, Focus on Writing, and, most recently, Practical Argument. Laurie Kirszner is a Professor of English, Emerita at St. Joseph University, where she has taught composition, literature, creative writing, and scientific writing, and served as coordinator of the first-year writing program. Stephen Mandell is a Professor of English, Emeritus at Drexel University, where he founded and directed the basic writing program and has taught composition, literature, speech, and technical and business writing.


When learning argumentation techniques that can be applied to real life issues, you don’t want to get bogged down with technical jargon. Practical Argument makes argumentative writing accessible with a  step-by-step approach and clear, understandable language. The fourth edition includes a contemporary and diverse array of readings, as well as coverage of the kinds of visual arguments you’re likely to encounter in your everyday life.

E-book

Read online (or offline) with all the highlighting and notetaking tools you need to be successful in this course.

Learn More

Achieve

Achieve is a single, easy-to-use platform proven to engage students for better course outcomes

Learn More

Table of Contents

Part 1—Understanding Argument

An Introduction to Argument

Recognizing Arguments

     Why Instructors Assign Argument [box]

Defining Argument

     What Kinds of Statements Are Not Debatable? [box]

Arguments in Real Life

Winning and Losing Arguments

The Rhetorical Situation

Considering the Writer

Considering the Purpose

Considering the Audience

Considering the Question

Considering the Context

Logos, Pathos, and Ethos

     The Appeal to Reason (logos)

     Logos in Action

     The Appeal to the Emotions (pathos)

     Pathos in Action

     The Appeal to Authority (ethos)

     Ethos in Action

The Rhetorical Triangle

1—The Four Pillars of Argument

AT ISSUE: Is a College Education Worth the Money?

The Elements of Argument

     Thesis Statement

     Evidence

     Refutation

     Concluding Statement

     Checklist: Does Your Argument Stand Up?

     Nia Tuckson, Why Foreign-Language Study Should Be Required [student essay]  

    *Andy Kessler, Learn a Language, But Not a Human One

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Is a College Education Worth the Money?

*Derek Tharp, Is College Worth It? The Answer Isn’t as Simple as You Think

Marty Nemko, We Send Too Many Students to College

Jennie Le, What Does It Mean to Be a College Grad?

*Bryan Caplan, What’s College Good For?

Mary C. Daly and Leila Bengali, Is It Still Worth Going to College?

*University of the People, Does College Still Matter in 2018?

Part 2—Reading and Responding to Arguments

2—Thinking and Reading Critically

AT ISSUE: Does Recycling Really Accomplish Anything?

     Using Critical-Thinking Skills [box]

Reading Critically

     Guidelines for Reading Critically [box]

Becoming an Active Reader

     Previewing

     Close Reading

     Comprehension Clues [box]

    *John Tierney, The Reign of Recycling

     Highlighting

    Suggestions for Highlighting [box]

     Annotating

     Checklist: Questions for Annotating

       *Los Angeles Times, It’s Time to Phase Out All Single-Use Plastic

   *Bob Holmes, Waste Not…

  *Jenny Luna, We Are So Forked

Writing a Critical Response

Checklist: Questions for Critical Reading

    *Neena Thomason, Response to "It’s Time To Phase Out All Single-Use Plastic" [student response]

Template for Writing a Critical Response

3—Reading and Responding to Visual Arguments

AT ISSUE: Does Recycling Really Accomplish Anything? [continued]

Thinking Critically about Visual Arguments

     Visuals versus Visual Arguments [box]

Using Active Reading Strategies with Visual Arguments

     Comprehension Clues [box]

     Appeals: Logos, Pathos, and Ethos [box]

     National Geographic Cover [visual]

    Recycling Bar Graph [graphs]

    Bird Trapped in Plastic [photo]

Recycling cartoon [cartoon]

Waste Pie Chart [chart]

Straws Suck! [infographic]

What Goes in the Ocean Goes in You [advertisement]

Last Earth Day [advertisement]

Responding Critically to Visual Arguments

     Checklist: Questions for Responding to Visual Arguments

    What Goes in the Ocean Goes in You [student response]

     Template for Responding to Visual Arguments

4—Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

AT ISSUE: Is It Ethical to Buy Counterfeit Designer Merchandise?

What Is a Rhetorical Analysis?

     Overview: "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. [box]

Considering the Rhetorical Situation

     Analyzing the Rhetorical Situation [box]

     The Writer

    Analyzing the Writer [box]

     The Writer’s Purpose

    Analyzing the Writer’s Purpose [box]

     The Writer’s Audience

    Analyzing the Writer’s Audience [box]

     The Question

Analyzing the Question [box]

     The Context

    Analyzing the Context [box]

Considering the Means of Persuasion: Logos, Pathos, Ethos

     The Appeal to Reason (logos)

     The Appeal to the Emotions (pathos)

     The Appeal to Authority (ethos)

Considering the Writer’s Rhetorical Strategies

     Thesis

     Organization

     Evidence

     Stylistic Techniques

Assessing the Argument

     Checklist: Preparing to Write a Rhetorical Analysis

Sample Rhetorical Analysis

     Dana Thomas, Terror's Purse Strings

     Deniz Bilgutay, A Powerful Call to Action [student essay]

     Rajeev Ravisankar, Sweatshop Oppression

    Template for Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

     *Bobby Zitzmann, Sweatshops Are Good

5—Understanding Logic and Recognizing Logical Fallacies

AT ISSUE: How Free Should Free Speech Be?

What Is Deductive Reasoning?

Constructing Sound Syllogisms

     Syllogism with an Illogical Middle Term

     Syllogism with a Key Term Whose Meaning Shifts

     Syllogisms with Negative Premise

Recognizing Enthymemes

     Bumper-Sticker Thinking [box]

Writing Deductive Arguments

     Crystal Sanchez, College Should Be for Everyone [student essay]

What Is Inductive Reasoning?

     Reaching Inductive Conclusions [box]

Making Inferences

Constructing Strong Inductive Arguments

     Generalization Too Broad

     Insufficient Evidence

     Irrelevant Evidence

     Exceptions to the Rule

Writing Inductive Arguments

     William Saletan, Please Do Not Feed the Humans

Recognizing Logical Fallacies

     Begging the Question

     Circular Reasoning

     Weak Analogy

     Ad Hominem Fallacy (Personal Attack)

     Creating a Straw Man

     Hasty or Sweeping Generalization (Jumping to a Conclusion)

     Either/Or Fallacy (False Dilemma)

     Equivocation

     Red Herring

     Slippery Slope

     You Also (Tu Quoque)

     Appeal to Doubtful Authority

     Misuse of Statistics

     Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc (After This, Therefore Because of This)

     Non Sequitur (It Does Not Follow)

     Bandwagon Fallacy

Patrick J. Buchanan, Immigration Time-Out

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: How Free Should Free Speech Be?

*Thane Rosenbaum, Should Neo-Nazis Be Allowed Free Speech?  

*Sol Stern, The Unfree Speech Movement

*American Association of University Professors, On Freedom of Expression and Campus Speech Codes  

*Wendy Kaminer, Progressive Ideas Have Killed Free Speech on Campus

*Judith Shulevitz, In College and Hiding from Scary Ideas

*Eric Posner, Universities Are Right to Crack Down on Speech and Behavior

Template for Writing a Deductive Argument

Template for Writing an Inductive Argument

6—Rogerian Argument, Toulmin Logic, and Oral Arguments

AT ISSUE: Why Are So Few Women in STEM Fields?

Understanding Rogerian Argument

Structuring Rogerian Arguments

Writing Rogerian Arguments

     Zoya Kahn, Why Cell Phones Do Not Belong in the Classroom [student essay]

Understanding Toulmin Logic

Constructing Toulmin Arguments

Writing Toulmin Arguments

     Jen Davis, Competitive Cheerleaders Are Athletes [student essay]

Understanding Oral Arguments

Planning an Oral Argument

Checklist: Designing and Displaying Visuals

Delivering Oral Arguments

Dealing with Nervousness [box]

Composing an Oral Argument

     Chantee Steele, An Argument in Support of the "Gap Year" [student speech]  

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Why Are So Few Women in STEM Fields?    

     *Joan Williams, The Five Biases Pushing Women out of STEM

     *Adam Mastroianni and Dakota McKoy, Countries with Less Gender Equality Have More Women in Stem- Huh?

     *Stuart Reges, Why Women Don’t Code

     *Rosalind C. Barnett and Caryl Rivers, The Science Doesn’t Support the Google Memo

    *Barbara Oakley, Why Do Women Shun STEM? It’s Complicated

     Template for Writing a Rogerian Argument

Template for Writing a Toulmin Argument

Part 3—Writing an Argumentative Essay

7—Planning, Drafting, and Revising an Argumentative Essay

AT ISSUE: Should College Campuses Go Green?

Choosing a Topic

     Topics to Avoid [box]

Thinking about Your Topic

     Freewriting

     Brainstorming

     Clustering

     Informal Outline

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Understanding Your Purpose and Audience

Gathering Evidence

     Evaluating the Evidence in Your Sources

     Detecting Bias in Your Sources

    Using Analogies as Evidence [box]

Refuting Opposing Arguments

     Strategies for Refuting Opposing Arguments

Revising Your Thesis Statement

Structuring Your Essay

     Supplying Background Information [box]

     Using Induction and Deduction

Identifying a Strategy for Your Argument

     Constructing a Formal Outline

Establishing Credibility

     Being Well-Informed

     Being Reasonable

     Being Fair

     Maintaining Your Credibility [box]

Drafting Your Essay

     Suggested Transitions for Argument [box]

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Using Parallelism

Revising Your Essay

     Asking Questions

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Purpose and Audience

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Structure and Style

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Supporting Evidence

     Using Outlines and Templates

     Getting Feedback

     Guidelines for Peer Review

Polishing Your Essay

     Editing and Proofreading

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Contractions vs. Possessive Pronouns

     Choosing a Title

     Checking Format

Shawn Holton, Going Green [student essay]

Part 4—Using Sources to Support Your Argument

8—Finding and Evaluating Sources

AT ISSUE: Is Technology a Serious Threat to Our Privacy?

Finding Sources

     Finding Information in the Library

     Finding Information on the Internet

Evaluating Sources

*Zeynep Tufekci, The Privacy Debacle

*David N. Cicilline and Terrell McSweeny, Competition is at the Heart of Facebook’s Privacy Problem

    *Daniel Lyons, Facebook: Privacy Problems and PR Nightmare 

Evaluating Websites

     Using a Site’s URL to Assess Its Objectivity [box]

     Avoiding Confirmation Bias [box]    

*The Chronicle of Higher Education, Home Page [website]

     *Glamour Magazine, Home Page [website]

   *The Chronicle of Higher Education, About The Chronicle [website]

     *Glamour Magazine, About Glamour [website]

 *Bart Lazar, Why We Need a Privacy Label on the Internet

  *Douglas Rushkoff, You Are Not Facebook’s Customer

    *Igor Kuksov, All Ears: The Dangers of Voice Assistants

  Sam Laird, Should Athletes Have Social Media Privacy? One Bill Says Yes

9—Summarizing, Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Synthesizing Sources

AT ISSUE: Is Technology a Serious Threat to Our Privacy? (continued)

Summarizing Sources

     When to Summarize [box]

     Summarizing Sources [box]

Paraphrasing Sources

     When to Paraphrase [box]

     Paraphrasing Sources [box]

Quoting Sources

     When to Quote [box]

     Quoting Sources [box]

   Shelley Fralic, Don’t Fall for the Myths about Online Privacy

Working Source Material into Your Argument

     Using Identifying Tags

     Template for Using Identifying Tags [box]

     Working Quotations into Your Sentences

     Distorting Quotations [box]

Synthesizing Sources

10—Documenting Sources: MLA

Using Parenthetical References

Preparing the Works-Cited List

     Periodicals     

    Books

Audiovisual Sources

     Internet Sources

     Legal Case

     Government Document

MLA Paper Guidelines [box]

     Erin Blaine, Should Data Posted on Social Networking Sites Be "Fair Game" for Employers? [Model MLA Paper]

11—Using Sources Responsibly

AT ISSUE: Where Should We Draw the Line with Plagiarism?

Understanding Plagiarism

     Two Definitions of Plagiarism [box]

Avoiding Unintentional Plagiarism

  Internet Sources and Plagiarism [box]

     Intentional Plagiarism [box]

Knowing What to Document

     Loos Diallo, Plagiarism Policy [image]

*Erika Ramirez, When Beyonce’s Inspiration Turns Into Imitation

Revising to Eliminate Plagiarism

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Where Should We Draw the Line with Plagiarism?

      Trip Gabriel, Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age

     *Jennifer Mott-Smith, Bad Idea about Writing: Plagiarism Deserves to be Punished

     Richard A. Posner, The Truth about Plagiarism

   *Helen Rubinstein, When Plagiarism is a Plea for Help

    Dan Ariely, Essay Mills: A Coarse Lesson in Cheating

Term Papers for Sale Advertisement [Web page]

Template for Writing an Argument about Plagiarism

Writing Assignments: Using Sources Responsibly


Appendix A—Writing Literary Arguments

What Is a Literary Argument?

Stating an Argumentative Thesis

Choosing Evidence

Writing a Literary Argument

Megan McGovern, Confessions of a Misunderstood Poem: An Analysis of "The Road Not Taken" [student essay]

Loren Martinez, Not Just a "Girl"[student essay]


Appendix B—Documenting Sources: APA

 

Laurie G. Kirszner

During their long collaboration, Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell have written a number of best-selling college texts for Bedford/St. Martin's, including Patterns for College Writing, Foundations First, Writing First, Focus on Writing, and, most recently, Practical Argument. Laurie Kirszner is a Professor of English, Emerita at St. Joseph University, where she has taught composition, literature, creative writing, and scientific writing, and served as coordinator of the first-year writing program. Stephen Mandell is a Professor of English, Emeritus at Drexel University, where he founded and directed the basic writing program and has taught composition, literature, speech, and technical and business writing.


Stephen R. Mandell

During their long collaboration, Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell have written a number of best-selling college texts for Bedford/St. Martin's, including Patterns for College Writing, Foundations First, Writing First, Focus on Writing, and, most recently, Practical Argument. Laurie Kirszner is a Professor of English, Emerita at St. Joseph University, where she has taught composition, literature, creative writing, and scientific writing, and served as coordinator of the first-year writing program. Stephen Mandell is a Professor of English, Emeritus at Drexel University, where he founded and directed the basic writing program and has taught composition, literature, speech, and technical and business writing.


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