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What rhetorical strategies What rhetorical strategies make this sentence make this sentence effectively fulfill its effectively fulfill its purpose?purpose? ““The attempt therefore, to determine the The attempt therefore, to determine the
effect of a single teacher on the effect of a single teacher on the performance of a single student over the performance of a single student over the course of a single school year in a single course of a single school year in a single subject using an assessment that tests subject using an assessment that tests only the components of the curriculum only the components of the curriculum that are conveniently assessable, is a that are conveniently assessable, is a fool’s errand.”fool’s errand.”
Powerful syntax:Powerful syntax: ““Those who desire true accountability for teachers Those who desire true accountability for teachers
may do well to remember a few things: no may do well to remember a few things: no competent administrator would grant tenure to an competent administrator would grant tenure to an ineffective teacher; no responsible community ineffective teacher; no responsible community would withhold resources from schools that would would withhold resources from schools that would attract and hire the teachers most likely to succeed attract and hire the teachers most likely to succeed in the classroom; and no capable government in the classroom; and no capable government agency would issue certificates to prospective agency would issue certificates to prospective teachers who have not undergone rigorous teachers who have not undergone rigorous preparation that is aligned with the challenges of preparation that is aligned with the challenges of
the modern classroom.”the modern classroom.” (75 words)(75 words) How does the writer use parallelism, How does the writer use parallelism,
punctuation, ever-lengthening clauses and punctuation, ever-lengthening clauses and negation to build a solid argument?negation to build a solid argument?
Identify her tone. Which rhetorical element Identify her tone. Which rhetorical element conveys it most powerfully?conveys it most powerfully?
And now for something And now for something different…(syntax & different…(syntax & analogy)analogy)
The following slides are from a column by The following slides are from a column by Paul Krugman. He uses an Paul Krugman. He uses an analogyanalogy, , criticizing President Bush’s war in Iraq criticizing President Bush’s war in Iraq through the story, “The Emperor’s New through the story, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.Clothes”.
=
Hans Christian AndersonHans Christian Anderson ““Hans Christian Anderson understood Hans Christian Anderson understood
bad rulers. ‘The Emperor’s New bad rulers. ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ doesn’t end with everyone Clothes’ doesn’t end with everyone acclaiming the little boy for telling the acclaiming the little boy for telling the truth. It ends with the emperor and his truth. It ends with the emperor and his officials refusing to admit their officials refusing to admit their mistakes.” mistakes.”
What type of sentence begins this What type of sentence begins this paragraph?paragraph?
Which is the longest sentence, and Which is the longest sentence, and how is its placement effective?how is its placement effective?
How does the writer use How does the writer use negation negation effectively?effectively?
The power of innocence:The power of innocence:
In the original story, a king was In the original story, a king was convinced that he was wearing convinced that he was wearing beautiful clothes, but he was beautiful clothes, but he was really wearing nothing at all (or really wearing nothing at all (or long underwear here).long underwear here).
An innocent child points this out An innocent child points this out to the king during a parade, to the king during a parade, causing great embarrassment for causing great embarrassment for the tailor and all the king’s men. the tailor and all the king’s men.
How does the writer use quotes and a switch How does the writer use quotes and a switch from semi-formal to colloquial diction to from semi-formal to colloquial diction to maintain emotional distance?maintain emotional distance?
““I’ve laid my hands on additional material, which I’ve laid my hands on additional material, which Andersen failed to publish, describing what Andersen failed to publish, describing what happened after the imperial procession was over.happened after the imperial procession was over.
The talk-show host, Bill O’Reilly yelled, ‘Shut up! The talk-show host, Bill O’Reilly yelled, ‘Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!’ at the little boy. Calling the boy a Shut up! Shut up!’ at the little boy. Calling the boy a nut, he threatened to go to the boy’s house and nut, he threatened to go to the boy’s house and ‘surprise’ him.”‘surprise’ him.”
How does the first sentence create emphasis? How does the first sentence create emphasis? How does the subordination function in the How does the subordination function in the second sentence?second sentence?
““Fox News repeatedly played up possible finds of Fox News repeatedly played up possible finds of imperial clothing, then buried reports discrediting imperial clothing, then buried reports discrediting these stories. Months after the naked procession, these stories. Months after the naked procession, a poll found that many of those getting most of a poll found that many of those getting most of their news from Fox believed that the emperor had their news from Fox believed that the emperor had in fact been clothed.”in fact been clothed.”
The power of “but”…The power of “but”…
Imperial officials eventually Imperial officials eventually admitted that they couldn’t admitted that they couldn’t find any evidence that the find any evidence that the suit ever existed, or that suit ever existed, or that there had even been an there had even been an effort to produce a suit. But effort to produce a suit. But they insisted that they had they insisted that they had found evidence of wardrobe found evidence of wardrobe manufacturing-and-manufacturing-and-distribution related distribution related programs. programs.
What is the “suit”? What is the “suit”? What is the “evidence”?What is the “evidence”?
Clause placement power!Clause placement power!
After the naked procession, After the naked procession, pro-wardrobe pundits denied pro-wardrobe pundits denied that he emperor was at fault. that he emperor was at fault. The blame, they said, rested The blame, they said, rested with the CIA, which had with the CIA, which had provided the emperor with provided the emperor with bad intelligence about the bad intelligence about the potential for a suit.potential for a suit.
Would the impact of the first Would the impact of the first sentence be reduced if the sentence be reduced if the clauses were switched?clauses were switched?
Remind readers of your Remind readers of your analogy now and then:analogy now and then:
Even a quick Web search shows Even a quick Web search shows that before the procession, those that before the procession, those same pundits had written articles same pundits had written articles attacking CIA analysts because attacking CIA analysts because those analysts had refused to those analysts had refused to support strong administration support strong administration assertions about the invisible suit.assertions about the invisible suit.
What three words remind you that What three words remind you that you are looking at WMD’s in Iraq you are looking at WMD’s in Iraq through a fairy tale lens?through a fairy tale lens?
How is a dash powerful How is a dash powerful here?here?
Although the imperial administration was Although the imperial administration was conservative, its wardrobe plans drew conservative, its wardrobe plans drew crucial support from a group of liberal crucial support from a group of liberal pundits. After the emperor’s nakedness pundits. After the emperor’s nakedness was revealed, the online magazine Slate was revealed, the online magazine Slate held a symposium in which eight of held a symposium in which eight of these pundits were asked whether the these pundits were asked whether the facts that there was no suit had led them facts that there was no suit had led them to reconsider their views. Only one to reconsider their views. Only one admitted that he had been wrong—and admitted that he had been wrong—and he had changed his mind about the suit he had changed his mind about the suit before the procession.before the procession.
How are we reminded of the analogy?How are we reminded of the analogy? How does the dash function?How does the dash function?
Is Helen Thomas the little Is Helen Thomas the little boy in the fairy tale?boy in the fairy tale?
Helen Thomas, the veteran Helen Thomas, the veteran palace correspondent, palace correspondent, opposed the suit project from opposed the suit project from the beginning. When she the beginning. When she pointed out that the pointed out that the emperor’s clothes had turned emperor’s clothes had turned out not to exist, the imperial out not to exist, the imperial press secretary accused her press secretary accused her of being, “opposed to the of being, “opposed to the broader war on nakedness.”broader war on nakedness.”
How is a resigned How is a resigned tone achieved?tone achieved?
Even though skeptics about the emperor’s suit Even though skeptics about the emperor’s suit had been vindicated, TV new programs had been vindicated, TV new programs continue to portray those skeptics as crazy continue to portray those skeptics as crazy people. For example, the news networks people. For example, the news networks showed, over and over, a clip of the little boy showed, over and over, a clip of the little boy shouting at a party. The clip was deeply shouting at a party. The clip was deeply misleading: he had been shouting to be heard misleading: he had been shouting to be heard over background noise, which the ambient over background noise, which the ambient microphone didn’t pick up. Nonetheless, “the microphone didn’t pick up. Nonetheless, “the scream” became a staple of political discourse.scream” became a staple of political discourse.
Does Krugman over work Does Krugman over work the analogy?the analogy?
The emperor gave many The emperor gave many speeches in which he speeches in which he declared that his declared that his wardrobe was the wardrobe was the “central front” in the war “central front” in the war on nakedness.on nakedness.
So who is the emperor, So who is the emperor, what is the wardrobe, and what is the wardrobe, and what is nakedness?what is nakedness?
Would “unabashed” work Would “unabashed” work better in another part of the better in another part of the sentence?sentence?
The editor of one liberal but pro-The editor of one liberal but pro-wardrobe magazine admitted that he wardrobe magazine admitted that he had known from the beginning that had known from the beginning that there were good reasons to doubt the there were good reasons to doubt the emperor’s trustworthiness. But he said emperor’s trustworthiness. But he said that he had put those doubts aside that he had put those doubts aside because doing so made him “feel because doing so made him “feel superior to the Democrats.” superior to the Democrats.” UnabashedUnabashed, he continued to , he continued to denounce those who had opposed the denounce those who had opposed the suit as soft on sartorial security.suit as soft on sartorial security.
Some…most…Some…most…
At the Radio and Television At the Radio and Television Correspondents’ annual dinner, the Correspondents’ annual dinner, the emperor entertained the emperor entertained the assembled journalists with a bit of assembled journalists with a bit of humor; he showed slides of himself humor; he showed slides of himself looking under furniture in his office, looking under furniture in his office, searching for the non-existent suit. searching for the non-existent suit. Some of the guests were aghast, Some of the guests were aghast, but most of the audience roared but most of the audience roared with laughter.with laughter.
How is the last clause in the last How is the last clause in the last sentence strategically placed?sentence strategically placed?
The chairman of the Senate The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee oversaw Intelligence Committee oversaw an inquiry into how the an inquiry into how the government had come to believe government had come to believe in a nonexistent suit. The first part in a nonexistent suit. The first part focused on the mistakes made by focused on the mistakes made by career government tailors. But the career government tailors. But the second part of the inquiry on the second part of the inquiry on the role of the imperial administration role of the imperial administration in promoting faulty tailoring, in promoting faulty tailoring, appeared to vanish from the appeared to vanish from the agenda.agenda.
How does the adverb “deliberately” How does the adverb “deliberately” affect the tone of this passage? Does affect the tone of this passage? Does syntax affect it in any way? (Hint: clause syntax affect it in any way? (Hint: clause placement)placement)
Two and a half years after Two and a half years after the emperor’s naked the emperor’s naked procession, a majority of procession, a majority of citizens believed that the citizens believed that the imperial administration had imperial administration had deliberatelydeliberately misled the misled the country. Several former country. Several former officials had gone public officials had gone public with tales of an with tales of an administration obsessed administration obsessed with its wardrobe from Day with its wardrobe from Day One.One.
How does “after all” affect How does “after all” affect the tone?the tone?
But apologists for the But apologists for the emperor continued to emperor continued to dismiss any suggestion that dismiss any suggestion that officials had lied to the officials had lied to the nation. It was, nation. It was, they said,they said, a a crazy conspiracy theory. crazy conspiracy theory. After all, back in 1998 Bill After all, back in 1998 Bill Clinton thought there was a Clinton thought there was a suit.suit.
How does the insertion of How does the insertion of “they said” in the middle of “they said” in the middle of the second sentence, convey the second sentence, convey tone?tone?
How does the dash How does the dash convey a skeptical tone?convey a skeptical tone?
And they all lived And they all lived happily ever afterhappily ever after—in the story. —in the story. Here in reality, a Here in reality, a large and large and growing number growing number are being killed are being killed by roadside by roadside bombs.bombs.
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