Flashcards: Rhetorical Situations Claims and Evidence — 35 cards

What is Kenneth Burke's metaphor for ongoing arguments?

The unending conversation.

Who introduced the metaphor of the unending conversation?

Kenneth Burke in The Philosophy of Literary Form, 1941.

What do almost all writings respond to?

Something that precedes the writing.

What does academic writing commonly respond to?

Texts the writer has read and discussed with peers.

What is the first step for a writer entering an ongoing conversation?

Listening long enough to understand the argument.

What must a writer do after understanding an ongoing argument?

Contribute a position and respond to others.

What happens when a writer leaves an ongoing conversation?

The discussion continues without them.

What elements collectively form the rhetorical situation?

Exigence, purpose, audience, writer or speaker, context, and message.

What unique contribution does the writer or speaker bring?

A unique voice with particular values and beliefs.

Who makes up the audience in a rhetorical situation?

Receivers who may have varied values and beliefs.

What does the rhetorical situation influence in writing?

The strategic choices individuals make when writing.

What is exigence in writing?

It is the problem or situation that inspires a writer to create a text.

What kind of relationship exists between exigence and writing?

A cause-and-effect relationship where exigence prompts text creation.

What can a low test score prompt a student to do?

Write an email to a teacher.

What can a school board decision to change grading policies prompt a student to do?

Write to the board or speak at a meeting.

What is the purpose of a text according to the writer?

What a writer hopes to accomplish with a text.

What may a writer's purpose include?

Influencing, informing, entertaining, or urging readers to act.

How can a writer's purpose be presented in a text?

Explicitly stated or implied through details and choices.

Can a writer have multiple purposes in one text?

Yes, a writer may have more than one purpose in a single text.

What is an audience in communication?

The group of people who read or hear a writer’s message.

What does a writer assess to target a message effectively?

The audience’s values, beliefs, history or background, needs, and desires.

What does Aristotle define rhetoric as?

The faculty of observing the available means of persuasion in any case.

What is context in writing?

The situation shaping writing including time, place, occasion, and broader conversations.

What is a message in writing or speaking?

The substance of main points influenced by context.

What does the immediate context of writing include?

The time, place, and occasion of writing.

What does the broader context of writing include?

What others have written and discussed about the subject.

What is a claim in writing?

A statement asserted to be true expressing a writer’s position that requires defense.

How do writers develop a defensible claim?

By narrowing a broad subject into a question, forming a specific position, and stating a claim.

How can the broad subject Physical Education be narrowed?

To the claim that requiring PE in high schools harms many students more than it helps them.

What is evidence in writing?

Information used to prove a claim is valid and support the writer’s position.

How does reasoning function in an argument?

It explains how evidence supports a claim by showing the writer’s thinking.

What are the steps in the argumentation cycle?

Gathering information, formulating a claim, providing evidence, and using reasoning.

What are types of evidence?

Different forms of support with varying purposes and reliability.

Name three types of evidence identified in the course.

Analogies, anecdotes, and examples.

Why does using a variety of evidence strengthen an argument?

It makes the argument more well-rounded and accepted by diverse audiences.