Chapter 2: Objectives

Following are the main learning objectives from the chapter.  To help you coordinate your studies, these objectives are organized into sub-sections (2-1, 2-2, etc.) and listed with the relevant page numbers from the textbook. 

2-1 (pgs. 39-44).
Understand that an argumentative essay tries to support a position on an issue.

• Recognize that essays can be persuasive without good reasons.
• Understand the elements that make an essay persuasive.

2-2 (pgs. 44-49).
Understand how clarity is essential to good argumentative writing.

• Differentiate between the following kinds of definitions: stipulative, explanatory, precising, and persuasive.
• Understand the roles of each of these types of definitions, when they are useful, and how their proper use leads to clarity in writing.
• Be familiar with the following structures of definitions: definition by example, definition by synonym, definition by analysis.
• Recognize the various meanings or implications that the word "meaning" can have.

2-3 (pgs. 49-67).
Understand how ambiguity and vagueness can threaten clarity at the level of words and phrases.

• Differentiate between the following types of ambiguities: semantical, syntactical, and grouping.
• Understand how to avoid each of these types of ambiguities in your writing.
• Realize that the fallacies of composition and division are types of grouping ambiguities.
• Differentiate between vagueness and ambiguity.
• Understand the problems inherent with vague comparisons and the five criteria which can help us evaluate such comparisons.
• Differentiate between the terms "mean," "median," and "mode."

2-4 (pgs. 67-69).
Differentiate between persuasive writing and argumentative writing.

• Be familiar with the principles of persuasion and how understanding them can improve your writing and help you think critically about what others write.
• Identify ad hominem arguments (fallacies) and understand their role in persuasive writing.

2-5 (pgs. 69-71).
Realize why good writing avoids reinforcing biases about race and gender.

• Be familiar with the tenets of gender neutral writing.