What Writing Students Get From the Net: Using Synchronous Communication to Develop Writerly Skills

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Lara Whelan's E110 -- University of Delaware, Spring 1999

Length: 3-5 pages

Argue why it either IS or IS NOT important to understand and/or acknowledge gender differences in language.Include in your discussion an explanation of what these differences might be or how they might be defined, but do not simply write a paper detailing these differences. Make an argument about why we should/should not care about them.

In constructing this paper, be aware of the following:

• Thesis: You must have a thesis for this paper, and it must be clear. It must take a stand, even if the paper discusses the pros and cons of the issue. In other words, your paper must have a point to make, something to argue for. Don't be wishy-washy and don't preface your thesis with "I believe" or any similar phrase. Make a statement.
• Main points: As always, you should have at least three, and they all must be directly relevant to your thesis. Further, your writing should make it absolutely clear for your audience how, exactly, each main point supports your thesis.
• Development of main points: For evidence, you should use a combination of personal experience, good reasons, and expert opinion as represented in the articles we have read for this class. This means you must be responsible about how you use the ideas of others: put direct quotations in quotes; identify paraphrases or summaries with phrases like "According to Tannen...". However, don't depend entirely on quotations from other sources. No one wants to read a paper made entirely of quotes (*yawn*).
• Detail: Make sure that each point is illustrated (think specific mental picture for the reader) with a variety of concrete detail. Avoid generalities, especially given that your audience does not share your experiences or knowledge of the subject.
• Audience: Think hard about how you will convince your audience that you are right. Impersonal lectures probably aren't going to work. Specific, age-related, experience-related examples probably have a better shot. Speaking directly to your audience is always effective, as long as you really are speaking to them, and not at them. Think about what kinds of arguments convince YOU.
• Concessions: You must make concessions. You must think about and acknowledge areas where your argument is open to attack, and you must answer your opposition by explaining why those objections are null and void. Even if your audience is friendly to what you are saying, you still must have concessions.