Exercise 5: 
The Essay Analyzing Argumentation
(Return to the Unit 2 Table of Contents)

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Instructions:
Following the sample essay exactly in terms of organization and development, write an essay analyzing one of the arguments from the Stephen Goode article that includes one of the following conclusions:

1) Menchu is hardly a typical Guatemalan.

2) A typical Indian in Central America does not renounce marriage and motherhood.

3) Stanford students and faculty do not want to hear the truth.

4) New courses should not be developed solely for the sake of multiculturalism.

Note that only the first conclusion is actually stated in the book review; the other three are implied but are supported by both stated and unstated claims.

Elements of the Body of the Essay
In your essay, following the second paragraph, you should include the following elements (not necessarily in this order):

1) both the stated and unstated premises, and
2) any intermediate conclusion(s), and
3) an identification and explanation of any deductive argument as sound or unsound, or
4) an identification and explanation of any non-deductive argument as successful or unsuccessful, and
5) an outline of the argument using both standard form and numerical analysis of the argument, and
6) a paragraph explaining your rationale for your evaluation of the argument.

Criteria for Grading:

1) the elements outlined above.
2) the use of standard writing conventions.
3) clear expression of logical relationships between conclusions and premises.

Note: Failure in any one of these areas may constitute failure of the overall exercise.
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Submitting Essays as E-Mail Attachments
It is absolutely essential to the security of your work that you follow exactly these guidelines:

1) Heading on Assignments/Email Message Texts
Place a heading on the first page of your essay in the upper left-hand corner.  Place the same information in each email message window.  The text must include the following information:

First Name-Middle Initial-Last Name
DCCCD Student ID Number
Course-Course Number-Section Number
Month-Date-Year
Name of Assignment

Example:

John R. Pointer
ID 5555555
English 2326: 9543
February 20, 2001
Exercise 3

2) File Name
Save your file exactly according to this model:

JPointer-Ex3

3) Sending Me E-mail Messages
You must include your name and identify your message type in the subject line of each e-mail you send me.  For security reasons, if you fail to do so, I will delete your message without responding.

In the subject line, include your name and exercise number just as you saved your file above.
Example:

JPointer-Ex3

If you are sending me a message that needs immediate attention, then include one of the following formats in the subject line:

JPointer-Question
JPointer-Comment
JPointer-Urgent

Responding to Your E-mails
I always respond to your messages.  However, I always open "Question," "Comment," and "Urgent"  messages first and respond to them usually on the day I receive them. 

I will respond to your assignment messages within a day or two to let you know that I have received your work and files and whether or not I can open them.  To grade them, I open assignment messages in the order in which I received them.

Length of Time Required to Grade Your Work
It usually takes me from one to two weeks to grade essay-length papers and to return them.  Shorter papers I can grade much quicker.  I will return them as e-mail attachments to my response messages.
 

This page was last modified on November 20, 2005,
and is maintained by Dr. Geoffrey A. Grimes.
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