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EAPP Notes: Cause and Effect, Writing Structures, Critique, Concept Papers, and Rhetorical Strategies

Cause and Effect and Other Writing Concepts

  • Cause and Effect: The results of something are explained.
  • Chronological: Events happen in time order, from the beginning.
  • Compare and Contrast: Show similarities and differences between two things.
  • Order of Importance: Ideas arranged from most to least important.
  • Problem and Solution: Situation explained, then answer or fix given.
  • Sequence Writing: Steps listed in order, like instructions or process.
  • Spatial Writing: Describes where things are located in space.
  • Summary: Is a short version of a longer text.
  • Three Important summarization techniques:
    • Selection: Choosing the best option from many available choices.
    • Rejection: Refusing or dismissing something because it’s not suitable.
    • Substitution: Replacing one thing with another that works.
  • Paraphrase: A restatement clarifying the meaning of the text.
  • Thesis statements: Main idea or argument of the essay.
  • Textual Evidence: Proof or support taken directly from text.
  • Types of Thesis Statements:
    • Direct (Stated) Thesis Statement: Main idea clearly written in text.
    • Indirect (Implied) Thesis Statement: Main idea suggested, not directly stated.

Topic and Structure

  • Topic: The general subject a text is about.
  • Controlling Idea: The author’s specific focus about the topic.
  • Subtopics: Smaller parts that explain or support the main idea.
  • Fact: Information proven true, supported by real evidence.
  • Opinion: Personal belief or feeling, cannot be proven true.
  • Critique Paper: Writing that analyzes, evaluates, and gives opinion.
  • Parts of a Critique Paper:
    1. Introduction: Opens paper, gives background, states thesis clearly.
    2. Summary: Briefly retells main points of the work.
    3. Critical Evaluation: Analyzes strengths, weaknesses, and overall effectiveness fairly.
    4. Conclusion: Ends critique, restates opinion, gives final insights.
    5. Reference List: Sources cited to support ideas and evidence.
  • ACCURATE: Correct, exact, and true without any mistakes.
  • EVALUATIVE: Judge something’s quality by checking its strengths, weaknesses.
  • BALANCED: Fair and equal, not favoring one side.

Critical Approaches to Texts

  • Formalism: Focuses on text’s form, structure, and language only.
  • Psychoanalytic: Analyzes characters’ thoughts, feelings, and unconscious desires.
  • Feminism: Examines gender roles, women’s rights, and inequality issues.
  • Queer Criticism: Studies sexuality, LGBTQ+ themes, and identity representation.
  • Marxism: Looks at class struggles, power, and economic influence.

Concept Papers and Kinds

  • Concept Paper: Short document explaining idea, purpose, and plan.
  • Dual Nature / Two Kinds of Concept Paper:
    1. Extended Definition: Explains a term deeply with details, examples.
    2. Project Proposal: Formal plan suggesting project’s goals, steps, outcomes.

Rhetorical Strategies

  • Comparison and Contrast: Show similarities and differences between two subjects.
  • Giving Details: Add clear, specific information to explain ideas.
  • Giving Historical Background: Provide past context to understand the present topic.
  • Analysis: Break information into parts to understand better.

Styles of Extended Definition

  • Formal Definition: Gives the term's meaning using dictionary-like, structured explanation.
  • Informal Definition: Explains meaning using simple words, examples, comparisons.