Chapter 2: Evidence
Turning Your Lists Into Your Blueprint
When preparing to write your analytical essay, make sure you have more information than you need. It is better to find yourself debating which observations to include rather than being a couple of paragraphs into your essay and realizing you have exhausted all the evidence you have gathered. In the following exercise, we’ll learn how to avoid this type of situation.
Look back at the information you have gathered in your examination of Charles Justice’s “The Ultimate Communication App” and then answer the following questions.
Taking Measure
Have you annotated the article you are analyzing? (i.e written in the margins and underlined interesting words and phrases; drawn connecting arrows between aspects of the text you believe work together to deliver a central message)
Y/N
Have you made a list of at least 7–10 interesting words or phrases found in the article?
Y/N
Have you made a list of at least 7–10 words or phrases that are new to you?
Y/N
Have you created at least 7–10 lists of synonyms and patterns?
Y/N
Does each of your lists of synonyms and patterns contain at least 3 different words of phrases?
Y/N
Have you created a list of 7–10 contrasts you noticed within the article?
Y/N
Have you selected 2 pieces of evidence from your data and composed an observational paragraph?
Y/N
Are these 2 pieces of evidence literal textual evidence you can put your finger on?
Y/N
Have you made your lists and your observational paragraph on a separate piece of paper ready for the next step of analysis?
Y/N
Do you have the beginnings of an idea of this article’s purpose and the direction your analysis will take?
Y/N
If you answered “No” to any questions, return to the Justice article and do the work needed to change every “No” response into a “Yes”.