Academic Writing
This week, we begin a new chapter in our course; namely, we move away from expository writing (like Narrative and Descriptive writing), and into academic argument. Most academic writing takes the form of argument. Persuasive writing, also known as argumentative writing, utilizes logic and reason (and sometimes emotion) to show that one idea is more legitimate than another idea. It attempts to persuade a reader to adopt a certain point of view or to take a particular action. Ideally, the argument should always use sound reasoning and solid evidence by stating facts, giving logical reasons, using examples, and quoting experts.
Use the concepts introduced in the Broadview textbook that pertain to analyzing an argument. Then find an example of some speech or debate (you may check on YouTube) and analyze the speaker’s thesis. Be sure to provide the context for this analysis in your initial post, so your peers have some idea about the nature of the speech or debate.
