Define Thesis
Thesis is defined as topic or the main idea.
Rhetorical Questions- Getting the person to think for themselves is highly motivating and can therefore be extremely persuasive.
Eg: How would you feel if you had 2 hours of homework every night?
Consistency- We don’t want to appear inconsistent, since, whether fair or not, that characteristic is associated with instability and flightiness, while consistency is associated with integrity and rational behavior.
Metaphors- Similes- Analogies- are the persuasive writer’s best friends. When you can relate your scenario to something that the reader already accepts as true
Testimonial- Famous people endorse a product or idea.
E.g. I’m professional football player Marcus Browning, and I use Wash Out window cleaner.
Repetition- Repeating words or phrases so that they stick in your audience’s mind.
Eg: remember what is was like to be at school, remember how much work you had.
Alliteration- Repeating the consonant sounds at the beginning of words to make them stand out.
E.g. Health, happiness and hope for the New Year!
Exaggeration- To go over the top and make things sound better or worse than they are.
E.g. If I get set one more homework I am going to move to the moon!
Using Evidence- using trustworthy, reliable and recognizable evidences would obviously support you arguments, (evidences from independent experts or statistical evidences)
Persuasive words- Positive words and adjectives such as “Definitely”, “Most” and “Effective” are very persuasive all on their own.
E.g. “think about”.
Storytelling- Stories allow people to persuade themselves.
Emotive Language- When words are used to make the reader feel a certain emotion, like sadness or anger
E.g. We are the poor, helpless children who are forced to do hours and hours of homework every night.
Comparisons- you can be more persuasive by comparing things.
Facts and Statistics- When truthful information is given to back up a point.
E.g. 95% of pupils feel that there is too much homework.
- Question 2: I gave her 4/15 for the first passage (Part A) and 5/10 for the second (Part B).
Question 3: I think part A of question 3 deserves 9/10 and 7/15 for part B.
2. I gave her a 4 in part A of question 2 because I think she didn’t include much information in her essay. She didn’t state the genre and the purpose of the writer. She didn’t put much of her effort in writing as well.
I gave her 5 in part B since her writing sounds relatively appealing and persuasive. She did a fairly good job in persuading the audience. However, the passage didn’t convey enough information and the writing was not very alluring.
I gave her 9 in part A of question 3 because I think she really did a good job in describing the places as well as the character’s feelings. Her writing is very interesting and how she structured her short essay is also very logical.
3. The marks for question 3 are pretty close but not the marks for question 2.
4. I think I have to be more specific in stating the literacy devices. I also have to use more vocabularies in my writings as well.
Topic: Write a drama script which involves conflict between a parent and child.
Hansen: Hi Mom, I’m home!
Mom: Hansen, I have something to discuss with you.
Hansen: Can you save it for later Mom, I just got back from school.
Mom: Sit down darling, it’s just a talk.
Hansen: Right…
Mom: Hansen, your school called me today; they said you had skipped homeroom this morning aye?
Hansen: What? They said that I had ditched class this morning?
Mom: Yea, They asked me to come to school tomorrow and have a talk with your principle about this issue. I was so ashamed Hansen. Why did you skip class?
Hansen: I did nott!! I didn’t skip or ditch class. I just simply came to school late and when I arrived, everyone had gone to their next class already, so I had to attend my next lesson as well.
Mom: Oh I see, so that’s the reason. Why didn’t you to wake up earlier?
Hansen: I did try many times, Mom.
Mom: It’s not the first time darling, this is the third time. And I don’t want to talk with your principle anymore. That’s really annoyed me and the school as well. The principle has much more work to accomplish instead of wasting her time talking about these issues times after times.
Hansen: I have schoolwork to finish Mom; I wouldn’t stay up late doing nothing. I’m not crazyyy.
Mom: Stop giving me those pathetic reasons, Hansen. You think I’m that easily tricked? You think I’m that silly? You know best what makes you sleep late, Hansen. Both of us know it’s the video games not the homework!
Hansen: I wonder if you ever trust me mom, I’m tired of explaining, as I have said already, I just got back from school and I’m exhausted.
Mom: Hansen, aren’t you tired of justifying? Of giving those stupid reasons that no one is going to believe?
Mom: Why don’t you just admit your mistake and fix it. Why did you bother everyone? Don’t you feel embarrassed Hansen?
Hansen: Until when could you understand Mom? I’m not intending to waste anyone’s time. And I’m not justifying for anything.
Mom: Understand what? All of us are tired of it. Could you please just behave more mature and take responsibilities for your action? Stop rationalizing your behavior, Hansen. Just shut up and admit it. Then fix it.
Hansen: Are you finished Mom? I want to go to my room.
Mom: I’m talking to you Hansen. And you are not allowed to go anywhere until we solve this matter.
Hansen: What do you want me to do Mom? Just say it out.
Mom: Who are you giving demand on? I’m your Mom not you girlfriend, Hansen! I guess you just forget what respect mean aren’t you?
Hansen: I’m not giving demand on anyone Mom. Why do you have to be so corky?
Mom: Oh so if you want me to stop being mean to you, start fixing your problems so they don’t bother the others.
Mom: You’re 17 Hansen; you’re old enough to THINK. Think maturely. You better be more mature and responsible. I hope this would be the last time we talk about this issue; you understand Hansen?
Hansen: Yes Mom, I understood.
Mom: You may go now, Hansen.
1. This short extract is written by a third person, who is not directly involved in the story but simply told about what had happened in the story. The genre of this short extract is tragedy, biography and relatively sad- romance. The story evoked sympathy for Martha and her life at the very first lines where it stated that “she had loved, borne children- a boy had died”. The tense of the phrase “had loved” indicated that Martha is no longer in love with anyone and that feeling had stopped and completed in the past. A dash in that sentence was used to add more information, “a boy had died”, which heightened our sympathy for Martha. The author used the words “travail”, “aches” and “heartbrokenness” to emphasize Martha’s grief as she slowly moving towards the endless road of life.
The metaphor between Martha and the wheat somehow conveyed to the audience clearer details of Martha’s miserable life, where there is no respite but frantic and unavailing struggles. The metaphor of the rains in June and July coincides with Martha’s hopes for a better and brighter future. The simile between John and the “parched wheat” signified how helpless Martha was while watching her husband died slowly and tantalizingly. “Living in the heart of thing” is another metaphor used by the author to demonstrate how happy Martha was when her husband was healthy and happy. “It would make him young again, lift his head, give him spirit” is another metaphor used by the author to indicates how happy and delight John was when the price of wheat rise. This would mean that they could have extra money for their children to be educated thus would give them a better future, at least brighter than their parents.; that was John’s one and only concern and sense of responsibility. John wasn’t seemed to care and worry about Martha as she did to him. This was indicated in line 46, where it stated: “he never seemed to feel that he owned her anything, never worried about her future. She could sweat, grown flat-footed and shapeless, but that never bothered him”. This would also one of the main factors that lead to the unspeakable grief of Martha’s life.
“Running wild in barefoot, what would she be like in few years? Who would ever want to marry her but some stupid country lout?” is a rhetorical question used by the author in lines 36 and 37. This showed Martha’s worries and cares for her little ones’ futures. She obviously would hope that they could have a better life than hers, a life without debts and sweats.
“Mightn’t there be a little of life left for them too?” is another rhetorical question that no answer is expected in line 52. This somehow evoked the audience sympathy since Martha has no clue for her future as well as the relationship between John and her. In the last paragraph, the author gave clear descriptions of Nipper, a family dog: “lanky”, “sunburned”… which provided a clearer image of the subject that Joe (Martha’s son) has some unknown affair with.
2. Memories fade as time travels. What are left on my mind were the sweats on mom’s face like beads oil. Spontaneous thoughts suddenly emerge in my head, tangled and hurried. Wheat and farm, grasshopper and July’s rain, acres follow acres… all comes back at once. The sun slowly fell and left behind the atmosphere of emptiness that was overcast by the vagueness of tranquility. Suddenly I want to be young again, to be able to cast my body in mom’s arms, listen to her lullaby and run wild in barefoot on the endless farms. Dad left long ago, his leaving was predictable, and somehow tantalizing. The happy days ended there, at the point where dad left.
Vocabulary:
What is Shangri-La?
Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton.
Define the following:
Canopies- a covering (usually of cloth) that serves as a roof to shelter an area from the weather
Wedged- squeeze like a wedge into a tight space
Do you think this is an effective opening for a novel? Why? Why not?
I think this is a very effective opening since it hooks the audience at the very first line. The use of language is also very effective. This opening captures my attention right away and it makes me want to read more.
Does Marchetta engage your attention as a reader? Why? Why not?
Personally I think this opening is pretty interesting and somehow i am connected to the story as a reader. I really enjoyed how she structured her writing since it gives me curiosity and it motivates me to find out what is happening in this story
List the techniques used by the author? Which ones work the best and why?
Rhetorical Question- “Did i wonder?”
simile- “…where trees made breezy canopies like a tunnel to Shangri-La”
metaphor- “…where trees made breezy canopies like a tunnel to Shangri-La”
personification- “Wonder dies”
I think the use of personification works best since “wonder dies” had successfully transfered to the audience the feelings that it ought to deliver. The combination of those two words is also very rare and unique.
What does the author mean by “Wonder dies.”?
In my opinion, “Wonder dies” indicates the feelings which the character experienced at the moment; hopeless and absolutely lost. She didn’t put much effort in questioning why haven’t anyone came and saved her parents since it just doesn’t matter anymore (her parents had already passed away).
Argumentative Essay- Discursive Essay
Argumentative Essay: points for OR against
Ex: why boxing is a barbaric sport and should be banned?
Smoking: A menace in society
Discursive Essay: providing points both for and agaisnt
Ex: Being an only child, good or bad?
Advantages and disadvantages of school uniform?
Similarities:
Discuss, Arguing around, Persuade readers, giving evidence, linking coherently, present in order, develop arguement
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY– Smoking: A menace in society
There are hundreds of thousands of people die every year as the consequence of smoking. It’s an apparent fact that smoking contributes to the cause of cancers and other tobacco-related illnesses such as heart and lungs diseases. Not only damaging the smoker’s body and cognitive functions, smoking is also very harmful to the community due to the effects of secondhand smoke.
Smoking brings tons of health risks to the smoker. It is the main cause of stroke, vascular diseases, heart attack, lungs and oral cancers, etc. Scientific evidences have indicated that an average smoker would lose 13-14 years of his or her life as the consequence of smoking. A cigarette contains many harmful substances, those included tar, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, heavy metals and free radicals. Each of these damages the body in various ways. The tar is a sticky and brown substance that would destroy the throat and esophagus. It also stains your teeth, fingernails and lung tissues. On the other hand, the mixture of nicotine and carbon monoxide in every cigarette increases the heart rate and blood pressure, thus straining blood vessels and heart. It also causes fat deposits to narrow and block blood vessels thus would lead to stroke and heart attacks. Smoking during pregnancy adversely affects both the mother and the baby. It has been seen as one of the most common factors that lead to miscarriage and lower-birth weight baby. Smoking during pregnancy would lead to numerous health problems for babies such as chronic disabilities, mental retardation, or even death. Smoking is bad for health and is damaging the body. It reduces an average lifetime thus leads to a slow but painful death.
Not just only damaging the body, smoking also has bad influences on the smoker’s cognitive ability by creating addictive behavior patterns thus affecting moods and thinking. Even worse, smokers who develop regular smoking patterns usually find smoking hard to withdraw since they are too dependent on nicotine, an addictive substance contained in cigarettes. Based on scientific researches, the stress levels of smokers are usually higher than normal individual; or nonsmoker as they develop the regular patterns of smoking. So the fallacy that smoking relieves stress is actually false since nicotine actually exacerbates stress due to nicotine dependency. This basically means that smoker needs nicotine to remain normal since they are addicted to such substance. Smokers usually justify their behavior by saying that smoking relieves the feelings of stress, without much knowing that smoking is the main factor which creates stress. To say in another way, smokers just blindly rationalize their action without much conscious of the real harmful effects of smoking.
Cigarette’s smoke is toxic. Inhaled cigarette’s smoke is dangerous so does the environmental tobacco smoke (or the smoke that is exhaled by a smoker). Scientific evidences have demonstrated that the inhalation of secondhand smoke is even more damaging since normal breath takes longer and deeper than direct inhalation of cigarette, or side stream smoke. This would lead to diseases such as lung cancer, for smokers and especially, people who inhaled secondhand smoke; disability or even death. Smoking is a threat, for both smokers and innocent bystanders since it brings serious health risks.
A menace in society and a self-destructive behavior, smoking is never considered a moral and rational act. Although people keeps justify and rationalize their behavior, it’s the actual fact that smoking brings negative effects to the body as well as the community. Tobacco-related diseases have been seen as one of the biggest killers in the world today. So be clever save yourself before it’s too late, because smoking kills.
Watch the tourism advertisements below.
1. What techniques can you identify in each one and how are they intended to make us as consumers feel about the given destination. Write a short analysis of each video and its efficacy.
1st Video
This advertisement successfully portrays its content from every scene of the video. It brings the audience to the actual Greece through its realistic and appealing recording-angle and it makes the audiences feel like they really want to go and visit Greece. However, the content of this ad is not very impressive thus it wouldn’t last long in the audience’s mind and memory.
3rd Video
This video has failed in portraying its content and meaning. The content itself is quite boring and the recording-angle somehow makes the video seem to be more unexciting.
3. Choose your favorite ad and explain why you think it is the most effective. How does it entice you to want to visit?
My favorite video is the “Egyptian offers you their most precious gift” because the video portrays something very realistic and the recording-angle is very beautiful. Besides, by using the image of the sun in every sense of the video, the advertisement stands out from all of the others for their uniqueness in idea and content. The message that the video tries to transfer to the audience is also very meaningful. The message goes well with its title. I’m impressed with how the advertisement-makers coming up with the idea for this video. This video is a very impressive ad and I really enjoy it.
Answer the following questions:
What is advertising?
Advertising is defined as a form of communication used to persuade the audiences to buy or pay for certain products or services. Advertisement aims to change the behavior and thinking patterns of the audiences which would bring profits to the advertisers through the mass consumption affected by such advertisements. The act of advertising can be carries out by the use of media such as TV or newspaper.
What is the purpose of advertising?
The purpose of advertising is to convince the audiences how certain products or services would benefit their lives which lead to the consumption by the audiences.
What is the most effective advertisement you know?
The best advertisement that I’ve seen is the anti-smoking campaign on youtube. Its about the damages and bad side effects of smoking. Even though its short but still the advertisement is very meaningful and interesting.
Who is the target audience?
It could be anyone.
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