SAT Writing

Directory

• Structure
  • intro
    • template
    • example
  • body
  • conclusion
    • template

• Logos
  • template & example
• Ethos
  • points
  • template
  • example
• Pathos
  • points
  • template
  • example

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Structure

• intro
  • template
    • 主题：In response to (setting), (the author's name), in "(title)", argues that (the conclusion).
    • 技术：He/she tactically combines ( technique 1), ( technique 2) and (technique 3) to persuade his/her audience.
    • 影响：After reading the passage, (overall effects) on (different target audience)
  • example
    • 主题+影响+技术：In his argument “The lovely Stones” originally published in Wired, July 2009, Christopher Hitchens tries to persuade in his readers that the original Parthenon Sculptures should be returned to Greece. After reading this passage, the readers can find themselves standing aside with Hitchens not only because he invests great passion in this topic, but also because he combined rhetorical strategies of logos, ethos and pathos.
    • 主题+技术+影响：Before bed time, will your kids read books peacefully, or just watch cartoons, being couch potatoes? Frank Bruni, a staff writer at New York Times, argues in his article, “Read, Kids, Read” that reading among children must remain a valued activity, otherwise the future outcome will be irredeemable. At the end of the article, the readers will nod with Bruni, but this isn’t just because he’s right! Bruni, like any good writer, employs logical reasoning, considering the overall aspects, enumerated authoritarian survey conducted by experts, and appeals to emotion through carefully chosen words. Through these, Bruni successfully makes his audience, especially parents, become aware of the marked situation, and consequently, join in to raise their kids in the world of books.
    • 主题+影响+技术：Seeking a balanced compromise between conservatives and liberals and trying to figure out a solution for effectively reducing the carbon emission, the author, Sita Slavov, argues that a carbon tax is far better than a vacuum ban, in her article “A carbon Tax beats a Vacuum Ban” published by U.S. News and Word Report in 2014. Sita Slavov successfully persuaded her audience by using rhetorical questions, quoting the authorities and utilizing emotional appeals in her passage.
• body
• conclusion
  • template
    • 同意+技术：After reading the argument, the audience will find them nod along with (the author) under the influence of (tech 1), (tech 2), and (tech 3).
    • 影响：So next time when they weigh in mind such issue, they might have a clearer answer.

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Logos

• points
  • identification
    • Facts
    • Examples
    • Result from survey / research / experiment / study / trail
    • Data / number / statistics
    • Hypothetical scenario / speculation
  • organization
    • Exordium
      • intro of issue
    • Narratio
      • narration or a story
    • Perititio
      • outline of key points
    • Confirmatio
      • main body of key points
    • Refutatio
      • refutation of counter claim
    • Peroratio
      • restatement of conclusion

• template & example【不一定4元素全部写完，但是最好能】
  • 引入：introduction
  • 对象：claim + evidence[element] [+ connection]
    • **claim: **He/she first states that (paraphrase and quotation of the claim).
    • claim: Then he/she claims that (paraphrase and quotation of the claim).
    • evidence: To support the first claim, the author describes / mentions / recalls (paraphrase and quotation of the evidence). The author exploits an argument from authority to support the second claim.
  • 分析：analysis = purpose + effect [+ how 如果要，请避免和ethos重复]
    • example 1:
      • initial
        • The argument is rationally persuasive because no one can deny that…
        • Such direct claims help readers to arrive at the conclusion since a rational mind would easily agree/concur with the underlying statement that (hidden premise.)
      • further
        • Therefore, as long as the audience accepts the claims, they have to accept the conclusion as well.
    • example 2 :
      • The author deliberately selects such fact familiar to the general public. If one finds the evidence compatible with his or her personal experience and observation, then one finds the evidence persuasive.
      • The data / statistic in the evidence increase its credibility / persuasiveness. Because the data is clear and readily verifiable, the audience, at the exact moment of reading, if not possessing exact counter evidence, will find it difficult to resist its persuasive power.
    • full example 3 :
      • First of all, the author tries to utilize strong claim backed up with solid evidence to explain to his reader’s that human population will not negatively affect the availability of natural resources. He first states that it’s quite likely that population will be falling by the end of the century, contributing to more natural resource per person. In order to support his claim, the author employs statistical evidence that “the rate at which world population grows has roughly halved from more than 2% a year to 1% a year now,” and “if those declines continue, they will hit zero in about 2070.” By clearly using statistics to illustrate the future decreasing population growth, the author successfully points out that human population shows a gradually decreasing trend and will stabilize in the future, thus dismissing the possibility that a rapidly growing population will worsen the natural resources. Once the readers know that the human population will stop to grow and even fall in the future, they’ll reject the possibility that increasing population will lead to serious environmental problems and recognize what the author has stated about the effect of human population on future actual wildlife. To fully convince his readers who still have doubts on the possibility for human population to fall, the author then claims that “even with population continuing to grow, and even with people eating more meat”, we will still have lots more wilderness to explore than today. In order to support his claim, the author exploits statistical evidence to illustrate a current trend in increasing wildlife that “wildlife populations are booming in Europe (deer, bears, boars, others)…happening fastest in the richest countries,” and that “animal population grow by 6% in Europe…between 1970 and 2012.” A fact like this is undeniable, and the author deliberately points out the recent rapid growth rate wildlife in almost everywhere around the world (Europe, north America and Northern Asia), engaging the readers with the long-term trend of increasing wildlife. Once the readers recognize this fact, they’ll gradually believe what the author has stated. Therefore, with such credible evidence supporting the claims and on conclusion, the readers will be subdued under the rational appeal.
  • 结尾：summary
    • With the solid evidence backing up the claims and direct claims supporting the conclusion, a rational reader will be subdued under the rational appeal.

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Ethos

• points
  • first
    • virtue and goodness
    • appropriate interest
  • second
    • common ground
    • acknowledge value or belief of opponent
  • third
    • qualification, expertise, and wisdom
    • reliable, credible sources
  • others【基本不考，考到基本不写】
    • accurate citation
    • explicitness in expression

• template
  • 引入：introduction
    • Ethical appeal as part of the irrational persuasiveness permeates the essay, boosting the persuasiveness of the author by subtly establishing the credibility.
  • 对象：claim + evidence[element]
    • In paragraph xxx, the author mentions that he "had written a whole book about this and won't oppress the readers with it."
  • 分析：analysis = purpose + effect [+ how]
    • purpose: The qualification represented in art-related field from the fact that he was able to write a book about it and the good will of not oppressing the audience simultaneously help him in garnering some approval from the audience. After all, who will underestimate an expert, and who will turn their back against a good guy?
    • effect: Once the audience considers him credible, his credibility will be passed down to his words.
  • 结尾：summary
• example
  • first
    • virtue and goodness
    • appropriate interest
      • example 1
        • He also shows a good intention to write this argument which concern for the influence and importance of teenagers’ reading issue. His intention can arouse people to think he as a kind and good person who thinks a lot for the young generation in the whole world, helping author to gain the credibility, and also strengthen the persuasiveness the whole argument.
      • example 2
        • Not only has the author established the common ground, he has also been able to his virtue and goodness, as well as his good will of protecting the libraries. He stresses the importance of libraries to general public throughout the passage, thus lets people understand that the argues for libraries in favor of public interest. Once the people understand that Zadir Smith support libraries not for his self-interest but for society as a whole, the author can easily garner support from general public.
  • second
    • common ground
      • example 1
        • By using the collective voice “we” in different parts of the essay, the author has successfully established the common ground which makes the readers feel, in a certain way, that the author understands deeply their suffering in Vietnam war. Therefore, affiliated with author’s position, the readers will easily consider what the author has stated credible.
      • example 2
        • By using the collective voice “we” throughout the passage, the author affiliate the readers with his position as a supporter for opening the libraries. The author successfully brings the readers together, and lets them consider the physical value and emotional value to people with him, thus making the readers felling empathetic with the significance of libraries. Once the readers can empathize with the author Zadir Smith, they’ll consider what he was stated credible
    • acknowledge value or belief of opponent
  • third
    • qualification, expertise, and wisdom
    • reliable, credible sources
    • example 1
      • Frank cites “The guardian by Dan Hurley,” the neuroscientists at Emory University,” and the Success Academy Charter Schools in New York city” to show audience that he did lots of researches toward this reading issue, helping readers to think his expertise and knowledge about the influence of reading. They will trust the author who gains the reliable source.
    • example 2
      • The support against light pollution comes from a reliable source, American Medical Association, a world-wide well known medical organization, whose reliability derives from its authority in health-related field and whose credibility consequently enhances the evidence.
  • others【基本不考，考到基本不写】
    • accurate citation
    • explicitness in expression

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Pathos

• points
  • slanters
    • euphemism
    • dysphemism
    • weaselers
    • downplayers
  • unwarranted assumption
    • stereotype
    • ? innuendo
    • loaded question
  • hyperbole / exaggeration
  • rhetorical
    • rhetorical definition
    • rhetorical explanation
    • ? rhetorical analogy
    • ? 反问 设问 rhetorical question
  • 广义analogy
    • metaphor
    • simile
    • 狭义analogy
  • proof surrogate
  • repetition
  • parallelism
  • comparison / contrast
  • irony
  • ? satire [expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or society]
  • ? sarcasm
  • word play
    • double entendre
    • pun (利用同一个词的不同意思 或 利用不同词的相近意思或发音)
  • personification
  • imagery
  • alliteration
  • onomatopoeia
  • paradox
  • oxymoron
  • appeal to emotion
    • Appeal to anxiety
    • Appeal to outrage
    • Appeal to fear
    • Appeal to envy
    • Appeal to pity
    • Appeal to popularity
    • Appeal to common practice
    • Appeal to ignorance
• template
  • 同logos, ethos
• example
  • full example
    • In addition to logos, the author also tries to strengthen his persuasiveness by subtly establishing its credibility. He first demonstrates his acknowledgement of his opponent at the beginning of the passage that the author appreciates David’s concerns about environment and even the author himself used to share common view with sir David. By acknowledging that “sir David longs for people to enjoy…enough to see,” the author demonstrates his generally critical attitude towards opponents’ view and presents that he is willing and accepting for different views, instead of rejecting all what his opponent has stated, further garnering support form his readers. After all, who will not believe a good guy who is willing to accept his opponents and be critical of the counter argument? Not only does the author show his acknowledgement of the opponents, but also employs evidence from reliable source to further his persuasiveness. In order to illustrate the point that even with population continuing to grow, the wildlife will increase, the author deliberately employs evidence from an ingenious study led by scientists at Rockefeller University in New York, leading experts in environmental science-related field, whose authority has enhanced the credibility of evidence and thus the conclusion. Once the readers believe what the author has stated, the credibility will pass down through words.
  • slanters
    • euphemism
    • dysphemism
    • weaselers
    • downplayers
  • unwarranted assumption
    • stereotype
    • ? innuendo
    • loaded question
  • hyperbole / exaggeration
  • rhetorical
    • rhetorical definition
    • rhetorical explanation
    • ? rhetorical analogy
    • ? 反问 设问 rhetorical question
  • 广义analogy
    • metaphor
      • Moreover, he utilizes vivid language to persuade his audience to stand in his line. He applies that “vigorous reading are dinosaurs begging for a last breath” to show his readers that reading is very influential to all people who should try to gain as much as knowledge by reading every books. This sentence vividly show people a imagery that people should use all their power and time to gain more knowledge. This sentence is the most vivid in this passage to help author add persuasiveness in reader’s mind.
    • simile
    • 狭义analogy
  • proof surrogate
  • repetition
  • parallelism
  • comparison / contrast
  • irony
  • ? satire [expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or society]
  • ? sarcasm
  • word play
    • double entendre
    • pun (利用同一个词的不同意思 或 利用不同词的相近意思或发音)
  • personification
  • imagery
    • Carter also use Pathos to furnish his reasoning and to manipulate readers’ psychological feelings to enhance his persuasiveness. “grunting animals and clicking hooves”contains Onomatopoeia which can be bound to have an effect on the readers’ senses, which also helps create emphasis. This device is used to depicts the biodiversity of this refuge, using the sentence “A place polar bears and caribou give birth and Dall sleep cling to cliffs and wolves howl in the midnight sun.” Using imagery, Carter generates a vibrant and graphic presentation of a scene, aiding he readers’ imagination to envision the characters and scenes in the literary clearly. Imaging they are surrounded by natural scenery, Readers will appeal to pity if the beautiful wildlife is no longer exists. These uses with strong emotional charge tug readers heartstring at once, so readers are more likely to stand aside with Carter.
  • alliteration
  • onomatopoeia
  • paradox
  • oxymoron
  • vivid words ? diction
    • It is with word choice such as “recycled rather than trashed” that the author reveals that legislations intent to stir up a repeat bill. Because the issue at hand is one of waste and environmental protection, his humorous diction provides a link between he and the audience, revealing not only an opportunity to laugh, but also reinforcement of the concept that Summers is trustworthy and just like everyone else. Negative words with specifically poor connotations also aid Summers in his persuasive struggle. “ Reprieve”, “dubious”, “bureaucracy”, and “evil incarnate” all depict a disparaging tone of annoyance and anger, surely helping Summers to spread his message.
  • appeal to emotion
    • Appeal to anxiety
    • Appeal to outrage
    • Appeal to fear
    • Appeal to envy
    • Appeal to pity
    • Appeal to popularity
    • Appeal to common practice
    • Appeal to ignorance