English Composition II
Professor Beamen
Why do you need to take Composition II?
After taking the course, and once you understand
the informal logic model,
 You will find that you have a means to better
articulating opinions, views, and knowledge in public
discussion.
 What you have learned can be taken into other
classrooms as a means for analyzing readings and
writings.
 You will be able to more easily utilize practical,
everyday logic that is so often missing from public
discussion of issues.
Why Study Comp II (cont’d)
Comp I was consistency
within a form (rhetorical
strategies)
Comp II has a real
audience…and your
writing can make a
difference in campuswide issues, elections,
or even in the
classroom.
The structures taught in Composition I
support those taught in Composition II.
-Persuasion is one such structure that does not
require using sources.
We will discuss “controversial”
topics in this class—politics,
sex/ gender, and religion—and
these issues will illustrate the
various approaches to argumentation.
Objectives
The student will:
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Present ideas in traditional rhetorical format;
Learn the structures of formal argument, including the proposition,
induction, deduction, the syllogism, the enthymeme, and the example;
Learn to analyze difficult prose passages to uncover the structure of the
argument and to use that structure as a model in writing;
Learn (1) to locate and select data, (2) to collect information from several
sources, (3) to evaluate various kinds of evidence in light of a thesis, and (4)
to synthesize the information into an acceptable research paper in support
of an argumentative thesis;
Focus on such elements as tone, structure, thesis, and theme in reading a
variety of assignments, which may include poetry, fiction, and drama;
Learn to use the knowledge of grammar, rhetoric, and diction as aids in
making stylistic choices;
Learn to recognize figurative language, irony, and point of view;
Demonstrate the ability to work independently.
Argument Basics
Syllogism: a formula of deductive argument developed
by Aristotle over two thousand years ago. Useful for
laying out the basic elements of an argument.
Example:
Major Premise: Advertising of things harmful to our
health should be legally banned.
Minor Premise: Cigarettes are harmful to our
health.
Conclusion: Therefore, advertising of cigarettes
should be legally banned.
Argument Basics (cont’d)
The Toulmin Model: Developed by British Philosopher
Steven Toulmin. He suggests that his model may be more
effective for writers who want to know what questions to
ask before and during development of arguments.
Example:
Claim/ Proposition: Advertising of cigarettes should be
legally banned.
Support or Evidence: Cigarettes are harmful to our
health.
Warrant (underlying belief): Advertising of things harmful
to our health should be legally banned.
Research Paper
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Write an eight- to ten-page paper on a controversial,
arguable topic of your choice, using at least ten
sources to support your views.
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Use MLA Style (MLA is more commonly used in the
humanities, APA is used in the Sciences; there are also
other documentation formats as well).
Present your findings to the class in an oral
presentation
Regarding Research…
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Say GOODBYE to
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Formal research involves scholarly and/or professional journals and other such items
written by people who are authorities on their subjects (who are often paid to write).
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Wikipedia.com is not an acceptable research source. Anyone can write an entry, but is the
information always valid?
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There are regular internet sites that are good sources:
.org
.gov
.edu
.com websites may not always be a viable source of information.
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NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES ARE NOT RESEARCH—use journal articles
which are geared for research rather than periodicals, which are eared for entertainment
or information dissemination
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Never trust a site unless you can prove its validity (if it is linked to a library page, it’s
usually a good site to use).
Three rules you must abide by
when writing:
1)
DO NOT USE FIRST PERSON (“I”). Instead of saying “I think” “I feel” “I believe” that (for example) abortion is wrong,
just say “abortion is wrong.” Get used to using the formal third person. In argument, using first person often shifts the
focus from the argument itself to the writer of the argument (which is not a good thing).
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2)
For example, an essay that states “I believe abortion should be legal (or illegal)” becomes more about what you think and less about the rationale behind the
argument. On the other hand, an essay on abortion written in the third person could be anyone’s ideas (but obviously they are your ideas because your name appears
on the paper). Instead of saying, for example, “I THINK Brown’s view is the strongest” say “Brown presents the strongest view because…”
DO NOT USE SECOND PERSON (“YOU”). Don’t have a conversation with or directly involve the reader; it is too
informal. In any formal essay, use third person (he, she, it, they, etc.). So, instead of saying, “You may think that
abortion should be a woman’s choice…” say “One may think that…” OR “a person may think that…”. Although
informality is a problem with using second person, the bigger problem is that most of the time the writer was using
first or third person and switched to second person, leaving the reader confused.
For example:
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NO: Some people believe that you should vote either all democrat or all republican, but on election ballots you see people voting for candidates from both parties.
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YES: Some people believe that one should vote either all democrat or all republican, but on elections ballots, people vote for candidates from both parties.
3)
AVOID A TYPICAL, PREDICTABLE 5-PARAGRAPH ESSAY. This is Comp II and basic, unelaborated writing will not
be rewarded; you should be moving beyond five paragraphs to better develop your ideas. Don’t tie yourself down to a
number. Loosely following the organizational pattern of a 5 paragraph essay is fine, but there is no rule that says one
cannot elaborate and provide two paragraphs or more on one major essay idea.
Good Luck This Semester!