Towards a Common Vocabulary...

Here are some of the terms that we came up with in class. Feel free to add and amend throughout the semester.

The Trinity of Argument:

1. Thesis Moment: In more formal, academic writing this concise and argumentative statement is located at the end of the first paragraph. It clearly outlines the writer's purpose. In short, it states what the paper will be about. I like to think of the thesis as a "promise" to the reader. Whatever you say you'll be writing about and proving, you better prove it! A "thesis moment" appears in all genres and can be less formal and found in various parts of the text. For example, a television ad. has a thesis moment. It may be as simple as Drink Coke or more subtle, such as if you drink this drink you'll be healthier and have more energy. Different genres have different ways of giving the thesis moment to the reader. We will be working with this term throughout the semester. For the letter genre, the thesis moment should come near the beginning of the document.

2. Evidence: All the information you use to back your thesis. Why do you think what you think and why should the audience believe you? Evidence consists of scholarly research, such as journal articles and expert opinion and fieldwork, which is observation, interview, surveys...more hands-on research. Both are good, but you should always keep the genre and the the rhetorical situation in mind.

3. Analysis/Evaluation: This is the "meat" of the argument. The analysis is your reasons for fighting your argument. Analysis connects the overarching thesis and the evidence. Without analysis/evaluation, it doesn't matter how much evidence you have or how eloquently you state your thesis...the analysis will be where YOUR voice is heard and shines. How does the evidence connect to the thesis? Why does it matter? Trimbur calls this the enabling assumption.