104 pages • 3 hours read
Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. RuszkiewiczEverything's an Argument
Nonfiction | Reference/Text Book | Adult | Published in 1998A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Part 3, Chapters 13-16Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 3: “Style and Presentation in Arguments”
Introduction to Chapter 13: “Style in Arguments”
This chapter explores the following questions:
- What is style?
- How does style affect an audience?
Part 3, Chapter 13 Summary & Analysis: “Style in Arguments”
Arguments come in various styles. The style of an argument refers to its formality, sentence structure, and word choice. Word choice plays a large role in stylizing an argument. For academic arguments, formal style is appropriate. These arguments use incisive vocabulary and technical language to relay information to a serious audience. A paragraph from Economist magazine argues that digital coursework will be a big competitor for traditional universities. The speaker uses economic terms such as “startup costs” and “economies of scale,” relaying what appears to be distressing information for universities in a level tone. Using colloquial or informal language like slang or first- and second-person narration can build a more intimate relationship with the audience. Some colloquialisms can cause confusion in uninformed audience members, such as the prolific slang and pop culture references in a Rolling Stone song review. Jargon, or vocabulary specific to a particular field, can also confuse or distance an audience.
Word choices also carry connotations, or meanings associated with a word that are not denotations, or dictionary definitions.
