DSST PRINCIPLES OF ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION

usually appears at the end of the introductory paragraph of a paper, and it offers a concise summary of the main point or claim of the essay, research paper, etc

Thesis sentence

a character, group of characters, institution, or concept that stands in or represents opposition against which the protagonist must contend

antagonist

• The main claim of the essay.

• Usually one sentence.

• Everything in the essay supports it.

thesis statement

• A statement that needs evidence.

• It can be argued.

• Strong claims are specific.

claim

• Facts

• Statistics

• Examples

• Expert opinions

• Research

evidence

The reasoning that connects evidence to the claim.

warrant

The opposing viewpoint.

Good essays acknowledge it before responding.

counterargument

The response that explains why the counterargument is weak.

rebuttal

• Find common ground.

• Respect the opposing side.

• Persuade gently.

Rogerian argument

• Claim

• Evidence (Grounds)

• Warrant

• Backing

• Qualifier

• Rebuttal

Toulmin Model

The people the writer wants to persuade.

Always ask:

Who is reading this?

Audience

The writer's attitude.

Examples

• skeptical

• optimistic

• cautious

• objective

• humorous

• critical

Tone

Why the writer wrote.

Usually

• inform

• persuade

• entertain

• explain

Purpose

Improve ideas and organization.

NOT grammar.

Revision

Correct

• grammar

• spelling

• punctuation

Editing

Every sentence supports the thesis.

unity

Ideas flow logically.

Transitions help coherence.

Coherence

The main idea of a body paragraph.

Topic sentence

Words connecting ideas.

Examples

• however

• therefore

• moreover

• for example

• consequently

Transition

Specific → General

Makes a probable conclusion.

Inductive reasoning

General → Specific

If premises are true,
the conclusion must be true.

Deductive reasoning

A long quotation that is formatted separately from the main text.

Block quotation

Rewrite the author's ideas completely in your own words.

Paraphrase

Short version of the author's main ideas.

Summary

Using another person's ideas or words without proper credit.

Plagiarism

Students learn better with feedback (Smith, 2024).

APA In-text Citation

Students learn better with feedback (Smith 42).

According to Smith, students learn better (42).

MLA In-text Citation

Students learn better with feedback.¹ / ¹ John Smith, Teaching Today (New York: Pearson, 2024), 42.

특징

Chicago Notes Example

Smith, J. (2024). Writing Better Essays.

New York, NY: Pearson.

APA Reference Example

Smith, John.

Writing Better Essays.

Pearson, 2024.

MLA Works Cited Example

Smith, John.

Writing Better Essays.

New York: Pearson, 2024.

Chicago Bibliography Example

APA remembers what?

Year

MLA remembers what?

Page Number

Chicago remembers what?

Source details

Usually

• Footnotes

• Endnotes

Extra support for the warrant.

It strengthens the reasoning.

Backing

A word that limits a claim.

Qualifier

Reliable information from trustworthy experts or organizations.

Credible Source

( ) means unfair preference or prejudice.

A ( ) source may ignore important evidence.

Bias

A method of argument that seeks common ground rather than defeating the opposing side.

Rogerian Argument

A belief, value, or interest shared by both sides of an argument.

Common Ground

A traditional argument structure that presents a claim, supports it with evidence, addresses opposing views, and concludes persuasively.

Classical Argument

An appeal based on the writer's credibility, expertise, or character.

Ethos

An appeal to the audience's emotions.

Pathos

An appeal based on logic, facts, statistics, and reasoning.

Logos

The art of using language effectively to inform or persuade an audience.

Rhetoric

A question asked for effect rather than to receive an answer.

Rhetorical Question

A persuasive technique used to influence an audience.

Appeal

Acknowledging that an opposing argument has some merit before presenting your own position.

Concession

A response that explains why an opposing argument is incorrect or less convincing.

Refutation

An essay written to convince readers to accept a particular opinion or take action.

Persuasive Essay

An essay that supports a claim using evidence and logical reasoning while addressing opposing viewpoints.

Argumentative Essay

An essay that explains, informs, or describes a topic using facts and clear organization.

Expository Essay

An essay that tells a story or describes personal experiences.

Narrative Essay

An essay that creates vivid images using sensory details.

Descriptive Essay

A neutral, unbiased tone based on facts rather than personal opinions.

Objective Tone

A tone influenced by personal opinions, beliefs, or emotions.

Subjective Tone

A formal, precise, objective style of writing appropriate for academic work.

Academic Tone

Language appropriate for academic and professional writing.

Formal Language

A statement or fact used to support a conclusion in an argument.

Premise

The final claim that follows from the premises.

It is what the writer wants readers to accept.

Conclusion

Misrepresenting an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack.

Straw Man

Presenting only two choices when more options actually exist.

Also called a False Either–Or.

False Dilemma

Drawing a broad conclusion from too little evidence.

Hasty Generalization

Claiming that one small event will inevitably lead to a series of extreme consequences without sufficient evidence.

Slippery Slope

Introducing an irrelevant point to distract from the main issue.

Red Herring

Using the conclusion as evidence to support itself.

The argument simply repeats the same idea.

Circular Reasoning

Claiming something is true simply because an authority says so, without adequate supporting evidence.

Appeal to Authority

An organizational pattern that explains why something happened and what resulted from it.

Cause and Effect

An organizational pattern that explains similarities and differences between two or more subjects.

Compare and Contrast

Organizing ideas according to time or sequence of events.

Chronological Order

Organizing information according to physical location or position.

Common in descriptive writing.

Spatial Order

Arranging ideas from least important to most important, or vice versa.

Order of Importance

A pattern that presents a problem and then proposes one or more solutions.

Problem–Solution Organization

An organizational method that groups people, ideas, or objects into categories based on shared characteristics.

Classification

The process of improving the content, organization, and clarity of a piece of writing.

Revision focuses on ideas, not grammar.

Revision

The process of correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage.

( ) focuses on correctness.

Editing

The final review of a document to find and correct minor errors before publication or submission.

Proofreading

Using the same grammatical structure for words, phrases, or clauses with the same function.

Parallelism

Expressing ideas clearly using the fewest necessary words.

Good academic writing is ( ) ness.

Conciseness

Using more words than necessary, making writing less clear and less effective.

Wordiness

A writer's choice of words.

( ) affects tone, style, and clarity.

Diction

The level of formality used in writing or speaking.

Common ( ):

• Formal

• Informal

• Academic

• Technical

register

The specific group of readers or listeners the writer is addressing.

( ) influences tone, vocabulary, and organization.

Audience

The writer's reason for writing.

Common ( )s:

• Inform

• Persuade

• Explain

• Analyze

• Entertain

purpose

The perspective from which a text is written.

Examples:

• First person

• Second person

• Third person

Academic writing usually uses third person.

Point of View

The sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph.

It is usually placed near the beginning of the paragraph.

Topic Sentence

Facts, examples, explanations, and evidence that develop and support the topic sentence.

Supporting Details

The final sentence of a paragraph that reinforces or summarizes the main idea.

Concluding Sentence

A phrase that introduces information from another source.

Examples:

• According to...

• Smith argues that...

• The study found...

Signal Phrase

The exact words taken from a source.

( ) marks and proper citation are required.

Quotation

Restating a source's ideas completely in your own words while preserving the original meaning.

A citation is still required.

Paraphrase

Using another person's words, ideas, or work without giving proper credit.

( ) includes copying, inadequate paraphrasing, and missing citations.

Plagiarism