Assignment

Author's Strategies in Writing (NOTE: the strategies may and often do overlap)

Logical appeal (logos)

• Using facts, statistics, numbers or logic statements to appeal to the reader's sense of logic and reason

• "More than one hundred peer-reviewed studies have been conducted over the past decade, and none of them suggests that this is an effective treatment for hair loss."

Moral/ethical appeal (ethos)

• Means of convincing readers of the character or credibility of the author or sources used by the author

• "As a doctor, I am qualified to tell you that this course of treatment will likely generate the best results."

• "He is a forensics and ballistics expert for the federal government - if anyone's qualified to determine the murder weapon, it's him."

Emotional appeal (pathos)

• Means of convincing readers by creating an emotional response

• "Where would we be without this tradition? Ever since our forefathers landed at Plymouth Rock, we've celebrated Thanksgiving without fail, making more than cherished recipes. We've made memories."

• "You will never be satisfied in life if you don't seize this opportunity. Do you want to live the rest of your years yearning to know what would have happened if you just jumped when you had the chance?"

Repetition

• Repeating a word or phrase several times in order to emphasize its importance

• Obama uses repetition similarly. He uses repetition to stress, specifically, what our ancestors did for us; for the future.

• "For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the west; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and KheSahn."

Metaphor/simile

• Comparison of two things that are unrelated but share some common characteristic (similes do this using the word "like" or "as"

• When I'm at school, I look Minnesota, but I feel California. I'm forced to wear this lovely plaid skirt and white blouse. I'd like to do away with the dress code at this school.

I am the same person in plaid or in my jeans. The way I dress is not the measure of how much I learn. I am forced to be like everyone else rather than displaying the independent me - the person who wants to think for herself. Uniforms are expensive. My parents not only have to buy my regular clothes, but also have to spend money on uniforms.

For these reasons, I feel I should have the right to select what I want to wear to school. I'd like the cold realities of Minnesota replaced with the independent-thinking, "groovy" realities of California.

Word choice (diction)

• Choosing/using specific words to reach a specific audience. Denotation (dictionary definition) and connotation (implied meaning) come into play here sometimes.

• "Second, the state has decimated the DEQ's budget. In the past 15 years, state general fund contributions to the DEQ have been cut by an incredible 59 percent." (Choice to use the word "decimated" is purposeful and adds to impact of author's stance.)

Tone

• The overall attitude of the author in a piece of writing. May be objective, subjective, logical, emotional, serious, forma, informal, humorous, sarcastic, etc. This is usually conveyed through word choice, sentence length and syntax).

• "Sanctuary cities are a menace to public safety, and a recent move in the House of Representatives to cut their funding is long overdue." (This writer's stance is made clear in his angry tone, as can be seen with the use of words like "menace" and "long overdue.")

Organization of information

• How the author chooses to organize the information within a text. Usually fits a pattern of some kind to impact the reader, like compare/contrast, order of importance, etc.

Has The U.S. Lost The American Dream? By Kevin Maggiacomo.