Category Archives: Writing Lessons

Worth Sharing—Critical Reading

Posted on February 18, 2015 by davidbdale

Definition Claims/ Category Claims We haven’t talked yet about different types of claims, so I don’t expect you to readily recognize a definition/categorical claim. On the face of it, it’s clearly a claim about how a term is defined or … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Polio

Posted on February 11, 2015 by davidbdale

Why We Still Have Polio Professor’s Foreword Whenever possible, I will provide models of the type and quality of work I hope for from you. Today, I offer a draft of my own White Paper on the hypothesis that despite … Continue reading →

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Pronoun Agreement/Disagreement

Posted on February 8, 2015 by davidbdale

When is their OK? A common confusion for young writers is when it’s acceptable to use the plural pronouns “they,” and “their,” and “them,” and the rest of the genderless plural pronouns. When your subjects are plural. The answer is … Continue reading →

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Quick Writing Tip

Posted on February 7, 2015 by davidbdale

If you write paragraphs like this . . . : My reaction to the use of this version of Charlie Brown in association to the recent Charlie Hebdo attack is that it shows disappointment. Charlie Brown is a famous cartoon … Continue reading →

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Grade Levels

Posted on February 4, 2015 by davidbdale

I won’t always be able to tell you why your essays don’t quite achieve the grades you want. Even after you respond well to feedback and make your essay grammatically correct, provide good sources, and make reasonable arguments, you might … Continue reading →

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Learn from Peers 01

Posted on February 4, 2015 by davidbdale

From Sall’s Stone Money post, here’s a very insightful analysis of the relative benefits of checks and cash in an economy where we can be paid in either. The median of exchange is very similar to what is presently used. … Continue reading →

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Style Lessons from the Posts

Posted on February 2, 2015 by davidbdale

Throat Clearing Even good writing can be slowed down by the perceived need to prepare readers for the point that is about to be made. Such preparation is the written equivalent of clearing our throats, which should be done offstage … Continue reading →

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Cows and Chips

Posted on February 2, 2015 by davidbdale

Nothing enlivens a dry conceptual essay like a cow. So, if you have to keep your readers awake long enough to follow a detailed abstract argument, hire as many cows as you can afford. Also consider providing refreshments. A bag … Continue reading →

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Support for your Je Suis Assignment

Posted on January 23, 2015 by davidbdale

Last Semester’s Static Visual Last semester my Comp II students examined and analyzed a graphic very different than yours. Their reactions were various, eventually. For a while, they stumbled and couldn’t say much of anything at all. They tried these … Continue reading →

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Visual Rhetoric—Thai Life Insurance Ad

Posted on January 21, 2015 by davidbdale

Say What You’ve Seen Before You Say What You Know When I ask you to analyze a visual argument from film or video, imagine you are describing the images to a reader who can’t see what you’re describing. You may … Continue reading →

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