I honestly really love vague sentences (there's a beauty in that lack of specificity), but I do understand why it's out of place in a formal essay. In my less serious writing, however, I make the best of that flexibility.
What always gets me is misrepresentation. I have a slight tendency to mislead the reader by twisting around and cherry-picking evidence to support my own point, but at least that's sort of helpful in persuasive assignments. ...Though, the helpfulness of course varies depending on who your audience is and what the style of the assignment is.
Yep. It's all about context and purpose. If your English teacher is like me, she probably breaks her own rules all the time in informal communication.
As to persuasive writing, I wish more students knew to directly address opposing views early and often. Make the 'other side' defend their own position; don't let them turn the style of your argument against you. Present their argument in neutral terms (represent it accurately), break it down into its component assertions, then use evidence to show why you think each assertion is wrong. I think that's actually easier than cherry-picking evidence and trying to charm the reader.
Overall, avoid the many bad ways to say good things that are literally true and very specific. Throughout history, countless people have done this and actually succeeded. ;-)
Hehe. If you ever need an essay composed of only the finest fluff-writing and BS, ask a teacher who grades essays all the time. I could do 2000 words that say absolutely nothing at the drop of a hat. But my English prof friend is a master at this and regularly send her colleagues birthday cards filled with aimless, terrible writing on the topic "happy birthday."
I was going to post a photo of the card she sent me, but I can't find it. Her best trick is to insert quotes from Shakespeare, Ovid, Chaucer, etc. (she's a Classics/Renaissance type) that have nothing to do with anything - as students so often do - and then ramble about them in a way that seems like it might explain them but doesn't. You could try that!
I honestly really love vague sentences (there's a beauty in that lack of specificity), but I do understand why it's out of place in a formal essay. In my less serious writing, however, I make the best of that flexibility.
What always gets me is misrepresentation. I have a slight tendency to mislead the reader by twisting around and cherry-picking evidence to support my own point, but at least that's sort of helpful in persuasive assignments. ...Though, the helpfulness of course varies depending on who your audience is and what the style of the assignment is.
Yep. It's all about context and purpose. If your English teacher is like me, she probably breaks her own rules all the time in informal communication.
As to persuasive writing, I wish more students knew to directly address opposing views early and often. Make the 'other side' defend their own position; don't let them turn the style of your argument against you. Present their argument in neutral terms (represent it accurately), break it down into its component assertions, then use evidence to show why you think each assertion is wrong. I think that's actually easier than cherry-picking evidence and trying to charm the reader.
Overall, avoid the many bad ways to say good things that are literally true and very specific. Throughout history, countless people have done this and actually succeeded. ;-)
All very true; thank you for the tips! :)
My pleasure. It's nice to be reminded that people outside the teaching profession or out of school still think about this stuff occasionally!
I see what you did there. ;-)
Hehe. If you ever need an essay composed of only the finest fluff-writing and BS, ask a teacher who grades essays all the time. I could do 2000 words that say absolutely nothing at the drop of a hat. But my English prof friend is a master at this and regularly send her colleagues birthday cards filled with aimless, terrible writing on the topic "happy birthday."
I should ask her for a few examples, I'm always short on useless and meaningless words for birthday cards, especially for colleagues I never even met!
I was going to post a photo of the card she sent me, but I can't find it. Her best trick is to insert quotes from Shakespeare, Ovid, Chaucer, etc. (she's a Classics/Renaissance type) that have nothing to do with anything - as students so often do - and then ramble about them in a way that seems like it might explain them but doesn't. You could try that!