GENRE ANALYSIS Lesson #9

WRITING TIP OF THE DAY – SEMICOLONS  The semicolon takes the place of a period when joining two closely related independent clauses when there’s no coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet). Example: He was beginning to heal ; the doctor had decided to take out the stitches.

 A semicolon also links two independent clauses when the second clause begins with a conjunctive adverb (e.g. additionally, finally, consequently, however, therefore). Example: He thought he had failed the test ; however, he passed.

 Semicolons separate items in a list that have internal punctuation. Example: The participants included Ann, my aunt ; Daniel, my cousin ; and James, my brother.

Would you use a semicolon for this sentence? Fuji apples are delicious. However, green apples are my favorite.

 “Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college.” – Kurt Vonnegut

FREEWRITING EXERCISE  Pick a person you despise (roommate, politician, celebrity, teacher, etc.) that’s doing something you hate.  Write an angry, bitter, possibly profanity- laced rant telling them to stop.

 NOW replace that person with someone you respect or admire (like your grandmother, the Pope, a different teacher, etc.)  Rewrite that rant by turning it into a short but formal message (issue must remain the same).

GROUP DISCUSSION  From what you can gather, what does Stanley Fish have to say about recognizing poems?  What does his argument suggest about creating and interpreting genres and their audiences?

SUBJECTIVE/OBJECTIVE  What’s the subject of this sentence? What is its object? John threw the apple.

 A subjective approach focuses only on the subject (on John).  An objective approach focuses on the object and leaves the subject out (on the apple).

GENRE ANALYSIS  Genre analysis : A tool used to create genre awareness and understand the conventions of new writing situations and contexts  Allows you to make effective communication choices and approach your audience and rhetorical situation appropriately

DISCOURSE COMMUNITIES  Discourse communities : social and professional groups that share common values, goals, beliefs, assumptions and standards  Targets of specialized genres and language use appropriate for the type of communication and actions that the group produces  Think of them as a means to more critically examine the way language facilitates your interactions in difference communities.

 Discourse communities can be found in any field or discipline, especially at the university level.  Think about how and why members of your discourse community communicate the way they do.  These reasons are closely tied with your understanding of the discipline’s genres and the functions these genres serve.

 What are the values, goals, and beliefs of the discourse communities in the following fields?  Humanities  Biology  Business  Sociology  Psychology

 Writing style and conventions of a genre make more sense when you consider them in relation to the values and beliefs held by the participants of that discourse community.  See chart on pg. 102 for more info.

HOW TO CONDUCT A GENRE ANALYSIS 1. Collect samples of that genre, either online or in hardcopies. 2. Describe the rhetorical situation of that genre, including: a) Setting b) Subject c) Participants (writers and readers) d) Its purposes

3. Identify the patterns of that genre, namely: a) Content b) Rhetorical appeals c) Structure d) Format e) Sentence types f) Word choices

4. Analyze the meaning of these patterns, asking yourself: a) What do the participants have to know, believe, or understand to appreciate that genre? b) Who is invited into the genre, and who is excluded? c) What roles for writers and readers does the genre encourage or discourage? d) What values, beliefs, goals, and assumptions are revealed through the genre’s patterns? e) How is the subject of the genre treated? f) What actions does the genre call for or make possible? g) What attitudes toward readers is implied in the genre?

GROUP ACTIVITY  In five separate groups, perform a mini-genre analysis of the following writing samples  Remember to:  Describe the rhetorical situation of the genre  Identify any noticeable patterns  Analyze the meaning of those patterns

HOMEWORK  Read pg. 112 – 114, 365 – 370  Read John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” (pg. 509)  Complete reading response on Canvas discussion board