Response to Chapter 6 in Wayne Writer
The main point of this chapter is that are five main types of arguments that are used in writing: definition arguments, causal arguments, evaluation arguments, proposal arguments, and rebuttal arguments.
Upon reading this chapters, I realized that I usually incorporate a mix of these arguments into my writing without really intending to do so. My arguments tend to lean mostly in the direction of counterarguments and definition arguments. The chapter also made me realize that at times I tend to take what my audience knows for granted, so perhaps I should practice to incorporate some form of a definition argument into my writing. My mind usually jumps right past this type of argument.I also noticed that the more diverse the types of arguments a writer uses are, the more solid his or her arguments become. It is as if to support a claim as strongly as possible by answering to every counterargument that could potentially arise before it even does.
The first thing that came to my mind after reading this chapter was Project 2, unsurprisingly. Because my group is analyzing syllabi, it really made me think about what “arguments” a syllabus might contain. I’m excited to be able to look at a document that was previously so mundane to me as a piece of writing that contains arguments. The opportunity to view matters through a new lens is the way to my heart.
As usual, I followed the words in the chapter with a pencil, underlining the main points and circling what I found to be important to remember. Although it was a rather lengthy read, it was very enlightening. I experienced several “Ohhh I had no idea that had a name” moments.
dinacharara 