Week 2: DQ #2 Credibility Due Thursday


Read the following discussion question response written by Owen, a fictional Axia student. Identify areas of vagueness and ambiguity and discuss how you could clarify the email’s message using the writing principles addressed in the text.

Hi class,
I don’t have a lot of time to explain but off the top of my head answer is as a reader critical thinking affects me all ways. Not just reading but writing too. Sometimes what I read I must write about later like this discussion question so clearly I have to read. Clear writing is the hardest thing in the world.

Though I don’t the average writer has to write business rapports which can build report and be inter personal. In critical writing, writers construct sentences with clear intentions.

Business people write fast because the business people I know are always in a hurry.
Business reading is reports, memos and articles. My aunt is a university professor and she writes articles for journals. She is smart and a better writer than my uncle who is a businessman. So critical writers are better than business writers. But critical writing like argumentative essays have structure, so business writing has structure too. It’s not a matter of one kind of writing being harder than the other it’s that the structure is harder.

Thanks,
Owen

The following sentences are vague sentences:

I don’t have a lot of time to explain but off the top of my head answer is as a reader critical thinking affects me all ways.

Sometimes what I read I must write about later like this discussion question so clearly I have to read.

So critical writers are better than business writers

The following sentences contain semantic ambiguity – (a claim that is ambiguous because it contains an ambiguous word or phrase)

She is smart and a better writer than my uncle who is a businessman.

It’s not a matter of one kind of writing being harder than the other it’s that the structure is harder.

The following sentences contain syntactic ambiguity (a statement that is ambiguous because of its grammar or the way it has been structured or put together)

Clear writing is the hardest thing in the world.

Though I don’t the average writer has to write business rapports which can build report and be inter personal

Business people write fast because the business people I know are always in a hurry

My aunt is a university professor and she writes articles for journals.

The following sentences contain grouping ambiguity (a statement where you cannot define what the claim is.)

But critical writing like argumentative essays have structure, so business writing has structure too.

(I am doing okay with re-writing the sentences, but I am not sure if I have identified them correctly. Thank you for all your help)

Read the following discussion question response written by Owen, a fictional Axia student. Identify areas of vagueness and ambiguity and discuss how you could clarify the email’s message using the writing principles addressed in the text

Use the SQ3R reading method described in Chapter 5 of the text Keys for College Studying when reading that chapter. What did you notice about the chapter? What do the authors want you to know? What questions did you write down about Chapter 5? What notes did you take? Do you think SQ3R helped you apply the ideas presented in the chapter to your study habits? Why or why not?

You have correctly identified the areas of vagueness, ambiguity, and syntactic ambiguity in the email. Now, let's discuss how we can clarify the message using the writing principles addressed in the text.

1. Vagueness:

"I don’t have a lot of time to explain but off the top of my head answer is as a reader critical thinking affects me all ways."

To clarify this sentence, Owen could provide specific examples of how critical thinking affects him as a reader. For example, he could mention that critical thinking helps him analyze the author's arguments and evaluate the validity of the information.

"Sometimes what I read I must write about later like this discussion question so clearly I have to read."

To make this sentence clearer, Owen could explain why he needs to read what he writes about later. He could mention that it helps him gather information, develop a deeper understanding of the topic, and formulate his own thoughts and opinions.

2. Semantic Ambiguity:

"She is smart and a better writer than my uncle who is a businessman."

To clarify this sentence, Owen could specify the criteria on which he bases his comparison between his aunt and uncle as writers. For example, he could mention that his aunt's articles are well-received and cited in prestigious journals, while his uncle's business writing is focused on practical communication within the business world.

"It’s not a matter of one kind of writing being harder than the other it’s that the structure is harder."

To clarify this sentence, Owen could explain why the structure of writing is harder. He could elaborate on the specific challenges of structure in critical writing, such as organizing arguments logically and effectively, compared to the challenges of structure in business writing, such as adhering to a specific format or tone.

3. Syntactic Ambiguity:

"Clear writing is the hardest thing in the world."

To remove the syntactic ambiguity in this sentence, Owen could rephrase it as, "I find clear writing to be extremely challenging."

"Though I don’t the average writer has to write business rapports which can build report and be inter personal."

To clarify this sentence, Owen could rephrase it as, "Although the average writer may not need to write business reports that require building rapport and interpersonal connections."

"Business people write fast because the business people I know are always in a hurry."

To eliminate the syntactic ambiguity, Owen could rephrase it as, "The business people I know are always in a hurry, which is why they tend to write quickly."

4. Grouping Ambiguity:

"But critical writing like argumentative essays have structure, so business writing has structure too."

To clarify this sentence, Owen could rephrase it as, "Both critical writing, like argumentative essays, and business writing have their own unique structures."

By applying these clarifications, the email's message will become more precise and easier to understand for the intended audience.