Sept 6, 2007 - Issues/Conclusion/Reasons


  1. Brief review of the text
    1. Issue - usually in the form of a question.
      1. Another way to look at it is that it is the underlying problem.
      2. May be explicit or implicit
        1. Title
        2. Specific statement of issue
        3. An opening question
      3. May be descriptive or prescriptive - see book definitions
      4. Example
    2. Thesis (conclusion) - the overarching response to the issue. What does the author or speaker want you to believe?
      1. Remeber that there may be mini-arguments that are used to support an overall conclusion
      2. Once you know the issue, the conclusion will address that issue.  Once you find the conclusion, you can figure out what the issue is.
      3. Clues to a conclusion
        1. Find the issue, then you will be able to find the conclusion (that which answers the conclusion)
        2. Indicator words
        3. Look in the end or the beginning.
        4. Conclusions are not examples, facts, statistics, definitions, evidence
        5. Who is the author?  What might their biases be?  What might they be concerned about?
        6. Is the conclusion implied?  Maybe there is no statement, but if you read the evidence, does that lead to the writer's assumed conclusion?
    3. Reasons
      1. Support the conclusion
      2. Lead us through a process of convincing
      3. Start with the conclusion, then look for those statements (or arguments) that are supporting the conclusion.
      4. Clues:
        1. as a result of
        2. because
        3. is supported by, etc.
      5. Reasons may support the thesis well or they may not.  We will discuss good and bad reasons and reasoning later.
    4. Look at Passage 3 in the book - Chapter 3.
      1. What is the issue?  explicit or implicit
      2. What is the conclusion? 
      3. What are the reasons given?
  2. More practice (worksheet)
    1. Look at each article in the group.  Each person should read each article.
    2. Identify for each article, the issue.  Identify why you believe that this is the issue.
    3. Identify for each article, the thesis.  Identify why you believe that this is the thesis.
    4. What reasons are given?  List the reasons from the article.
  3. Homework - Due September 11
    1. Reach chapters 4 - 6.
    2. Write a brief (1 page or less) argument about an issue on this JMU campus. 
    3. Bring a hardcopy to class on Monday.