Purpose, Tone, and Ambiguity in Writing
Purpose, Tone, and Ambiguity in Writing
Please select a text for deeper analysis. You may use the same piece you selected for Lesson 1 or you may choose another one. Some helpful resources include:
- Ad Flip’s print advertising archive
- New York Times editorials
- Arizona Republic editorials
- Super Bowl commercials
- The Word
After you select your text, answer each of the following questions.
- Identify the purpose of the text. In 1-2 paragraphs, provide a clear description of the purpose and relevant examples of why you identified it as such.
- What tone (or tones) does this text have?
- Do you think the tone might vary depending upon the reader or viewer’s position on the issue?
- Provide specific examples to support your choice of tone.
- Chapter four in your textbook discusses the five ways to address problematic vagueness or problematic ambiguity. Critical readers will always encounter moments of vagueness or ambiguity that could be misleading or otherwise problematic. What did you see? Which of these five would be most helpful in fixing the vagueness or ambiguity in the text selected? How might you fix it? Again, please be specific!
Your work will be assessed by the following criteria:
Criteria
Max. Points available
Content: The student identifies the tone,
possible changes depending on viewer’s position, and specific examples
that support his/her choice of tone. An example of vagueness and/or
ambiguity is identified along with an example of how to fix it. The
student uses specific examples to shape the discussion.
20
Analysis: In shaping his/her response, the
student applies vocabulary from the lesson correctly and clearly
identifies the author’s primary purpose and any bias that may be present
in the text.
10
Grammar/Mechanics: The assignment has been proofread and spellchecked prior to submission. There are no errors that impede comprehension.
5
Total Possible Points
35
