Swaying the Audience: Sharpening Your Writing Skills

【Writing Series📝】

[Swaying the Audience: Sharpening Your Writing Skills]

We have previously mentioned several commonly written genres, especially in an academic context. We’ve seen how to structure a cause-effect essay, classification essay, and more. Now, you must be wondering “How do I strengthen my writing when the time comes?” In this post, I’ll be sharing how rhetorical strategies can help you sway the audience to believe in your argument.

First, we need to understand what ‘rhetorical’ is.  

The term rhetoric has different meanings, but the following definition, derived from the Greek philosopher Aristotle, offers the most practical approach: "The art of using language effectively, to demonstrate, to persuade, to convince." Consequently, we engage in argument. The structure of written argument today has roots in the speeches of the Greeks and Romans. Classical argument elements, adapted by modern rhetoric, can be beneficial as long as we understand they are choices, not mandatory elements. Above all, our goal is to communicate, not to conform to a formula or meet specific expectations.

How you start your argument relies on the topic, the audience, and your personal style. The crucial question is: How much background knowledge can you assume your readers have regarding the issue at hand? If your topic has been heavily covered in the media recently, you may not need to provide much context. Conversely, if your topic is complex or specialized, you will need to offer the required background details, such as the case history or specific circumstances leading to the current problem. This enables your reader to grasp the forthcoming argument. If minimal background is needed, you can begin your essay with a relevant anecdote, real or fictional, that highlights your topic. For instance, when discussing euthanasia, you could depict a day in the life of a terminally ill patient. Such a scenario captures the reader's attention, serving as a valuable rhetorical strategy. Alternatively, a quotation can offer an engaging entry point to your argument. You might also opt to start with a counterargument and base your case on a rebuttal of the prevailing opinion on the issue. Regardless of your chosen approach, you have significant flexibility. Your introduction could be a single paragraph or extend to two or three paragraphs, depending on the strategies and background needed. Typically, you will present your thesis statement in the introduction to clarify the essay's purpose.

There are numerous possibilities for developing your argument. You must provide strong supporting premises for your stance. These premises should be detailed, explained, and defended with specific examples, details, and illustrations. Your position can be reinforced with personal experiences and research. At times, a single premise may take up an entire paragraph or more. Other premises may only require a few sentences and can be grouped effectively with additional supporting points. Audience, purpose, and topic all influence your decisions. Below are two examples of paragraphs from student essays. One that develops a single premise in some detail, and the other develops a series of premises together in one paragraph.

A single premise paragraph: 

Since the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) policy of random drug testing was begun some years ago, public debate on this issue has increased, and the idea of drug testing for college athletes has been challenged for a variety of reasons. The strongest argument against drug testing of college athletes is that it is unconstitutional. An athlete should be entitled to the same constitutional rights as other citizens, and drug testing violates both the Fourth Amendment's provisions against unreasonable search and seizure and the Fifth Amendment's provision of the right to refuse to furnish potentially incriminating evidence about one’s self. Time magazine reported that “…a number of judges have already ruled that mass testing violates workers' constitutional rights to privacy and protection from self-incrimination." In the case of Simone LeVant, the Stanford diver who has, so far, been the only athlete to challenge the NCAA drug tests in court, the New York Times reported that Judge Peter G. Stone of the Santa Clara County Superior Court agreed with the athlete and her attorney that mandatory urine tests were an obtrusive, unreasonable, and unconstitutional invasion of privacy.

A multipremise paragraph: 

Although it is a controversial proposition, legalizing drugs has many advantages. First of all, it will free the now overburdened legal system to do its job dispensing justice. Cases will be processed with greater speed because the system won't be overwhelmed with drug cases. With the legalization of drugs, violent drug-related crimes will decrease. As a result, prisons will be less crowded, which in turn will allow serious offenders to serve longer terms. Legalizing drugs will free law enforcement officials to combat other serious crimes more effectively. With the money saved from law enforcement and legal procedures, a more effective campaign of educating the public on the maladies of drugs can be mounted, and more money will be available for the rehabilitation of drug addicts. Finally, by legalizing drugs, we can slow down the spread of AIDS among IV drug users, who will be able to get clean needles and not have to share with other drug addicts, many of whom are infected with the AIDS virus. The positive results of legalizing drugs definitely outweigh the negative consequences. 

By reading the two paragraphs, it might appear that a stronger argument is achieved with a greater number of premises, but prioritizing quantity over quality should be avoided. In other words, weak or doubtful premises should not be added simply to boost the count. A compelling argument can be made with just two or three convincing and detailed premises.

In conclusion, there is no straightforward guideline. For lengthy and intricate papers, it is crucial to guide your reader by summarizing briefly the path taken and the proposed ideas. If your introduction presents a preliminary or incomplete thesis, ensure that your final stance is clearly stated in the conclusion. If your argument leads to specific action recommendations, these can be included in the conclusion. Both you and your readers should feel content by the end of your paper. Not every paper requires a lengthy and repetitive formulaic conclusion.

Reference: Cooper, S., & Patton, R. (2006). Writing logically, thinking critically. Longman Publishing Group.

Your EMI Friend, JJ

Signing off