5 TIPS for Including FICTIONAL Examples in Your Arguments
Summary
TLDRIn this informative video, Tim Frus from the Garden of English discusses the importance of using substantial evidence to support arguments, especially in academic settings like the AP Language Exam. He cautions against relying on hypothetical situations and emphasizes that while hypotheticals are often weak, they can be useful when discussing fictional literature, which inherently explores hypothetical scenarios. Tim provides a detailed guide on how to effectively incorporate literary examples into argumentative writing, including how to select and describe the literature, link it to universal truths, and use cause and effect language to strengthen the argument. He also offers a template for bridging fictional examples to universal experiences, ensuring that the argument is not weakened by the fictional nature of the evidence used.
Takeaways
- 📚 It's crucial to support arguments with substantial evidence to appear reasonable.
- 🚫 Avoid relying heavily on hypothetical situations as they are often not strong evidence.
- 📚 Hypothetical scenarios can be used effectively when discussing fictional literature, which is inherently hypothetical.
- 🎓 The use of literary examples in an argument paper doesn't inherently make it stronger; the strength lies in the argument itself.
- 📝 AP exam readers expect strong arguments, and it's okay to use fiction as long as it's done well.
- 🔍 Selecting strong evidence was covered in a previous video, which is linked for further information.
- 📖 When using fiction, ensure the description is detailed enough for someone unfamiliar with the work to understand.
- 🚫 Keep descriptions of the fictional work to a maximum of five sentences and a minimum of three.
- 🔗 Acknowledge the fictional nature of the example but connect it to universal truths to make it concrete evidence.
- ➡️ Use cause and effect language in the commentary to strengthen the argument.
- 📌 Include additional comparative examples to further substantiate the argument.
Q & A
What is the main point Tim Frus emphasizes about using evidence in arguments?
-Tim Frus emphasizes the importance of supporting arguments with substantial evidence to present oneself as a reasonable person. He cautions against relying heavily on hypothetical situations when real evidence is lacking.
When does Tim Frus consider hypotheticals to be acceptable as evidence?
-Tim Frus considers hypotheticals to be acceptable as evidence when using fictional literature to prove a point, as fiction, although entirely hypothetical, can explore universal truths and experiences.
What is the common misconception Tim Frus addresses about using literary examples in argument papers?
-The common misconception is that a paper becomes intrinsically stronger if the writer chooses to use a literary example over one from the real world simply because the reader may enjoy reading. Tim Frus clarifies that the strength of the paper depends on the quality of the argument, not just the source of the example.
What does Tim Frus suggest for the first step in using a fictional example in an argument?
-The first step is to provide specific details from the fictional work that will substantiate the claims made in the argument. This should be done in three to five sentences, ensuring that someone unfamiliar with the work can understand the general premise.
How should one transition into discussing a fictional example in an argument?
-One should use a transitional phrase such as 'for instance,' 'for example,' or 'take for example' to smoothly introduce the fictional example into the argument.
What is the purpose of discussing the universal truths in the commentary section when using fiction as evidence?
-Discussing universal truths helps to connect the fictional example with real-world experiences and makes the argument stronger. It substantiates the argument by showing that the fictional scenario explores experiences that are relatable and true to life.
Why is it important to use cause and effect language in the commentary when discussing a fictional example?
-Cause and effect language helps to develop the commentary by clearly showing how the fictional example supports the argument. It provides a logical connection between the events in the fiction and the points being made in the argument.
What is the rule of thumb regarding the number of sentences used to describe a fictional example in an argument?
-The rule of thumb is to summarize the fictional example in no more than five sentences and no less than three. This ensures that the example is clearly understood without becoming a distraction from the argument.
How can linking a fictional example to an actual event help strengthen an argument?
-Linking a fictional example to an actual event helps to solidify the literary example by showing that the themes and experiences depicted in the fiction have real-world parallels. This makes the argument more relatable and persuasive.
What is the role of the thesis statement in structuring an argument that includes literary examples?
-The thesis statement sets the main argument that the essay will prove. It should be strong, complex, and directly address the prompt. In the context of including literary examples, the thesis guides how the examples will be used to support the overall argument.
What are the basic rules to follow when using fiction as an example in an argument?
-The basic rules include providing specific details to substantiate claims, summarizing the fiction in three to five sentences, acknowledging the fictional nature of the example and linking it to universal truths, connecting the fictional example to an actual event if possible, and using cause and effect language in the commentary.
Outlines
📚 The Importance of Substantial Evidence in Arguments
Tim Frus introduces the significance of supporting arguments with real evidence rather than relying on hypothetical situations. He emphasizes that while hypotheticals are often weak, they can be useful when drawn from fictional literature. Frus stresses the importance of appearing reasonable by using substantial evidence and provides a link to a previous video on selecting strong evidence.
📝 Misconceptions about Literary Examples in Argument Papers
Frus addresses the misconception that using literary examples inherently strengthens an argument paper. He clarifies that strong arguments are valued, whether they use literary or real-world examples. He also notes that AP exam readers do not expect literature-based examples but advises using them effectively if chosen.
🌟 Crafting a Thesis and Using Literary Evidence
Frus presents a thesis from a previous prompt, highlighting its complexity and clarity. He explains the importance of acknowledging nuances in arguments and outlines the structure of a body paragraph using literary examples. He plans to use 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' and 'Frankenstein' to illustrate the dangers of the obsessive pursuit of knowledge.
📖 Incorporating Literary Examples Effectively
Frus details how to summarize literary examples in three to five sentences, ensuring clarity for readers unfamiliar with the texts. He advises against excessive summarization and emphasizes linking examples to the argument to enhance credibility.
🔗 Linking Fiction to Universal Truths
Frus explains how to connect fictional examples to universal truths, using cause-and-effect language to strengthen arguments. He highlights the importance of transforming fictional scenarios into solid evidence by linking them to real-life experiences and universal concepts.
🛠️ Rules for Using Fiction in Arguments
Frus outlines five rules for using fiction in arguments: provide specific details, limit summaries to three to five sentences, acknowledge potential issues with fictional examples, link fiction to real-life experiences, and use cause-and-effect language. He offers a video document with templates and additional examples for further practice.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Arguments
💡Substantial Evidence
💡Hypotheticals
💡Fictional Literature
💡Cause and Effect
💡Universal Truths
💡Comparative Examples
💡Concession Paragraph
💡Thesis
💡Body Paragraph
💡Linking Fiction to Reality
Highlights
It's crucial to support arguments with substantial evidence to present oneself as reasonable.
Relying on hypothetical situations can weaken an argument as they are often considered unreliable.
Fictional literature can serve as valid evidence in arguments, especially when it illustrates universal truths.
The use of fictional examples in arguments should be done well to avoid appearing as 'fake news'.
AP exam readers expect strong arguments, and the use of literature is acceptable as long as it strengthens the argument.
A strong thesis should be complex, nuanced, and directly answer the prompt.
When using a fictional example, it's important to describe it in detail without exceeding five sentences.
The commentary section is key to linking the fictional example with the actual argument.
Cause and effect language is essential for developing strong commentary.
Admitting the fictional nature of examples and connecting them to universal truths can make them solid evidence.
Comparative examples can further substantiate an argument by showing a pattern or principle.
Basic rules for using fiction in arguments include providing specific details, acknowledging the fictional nature, and linking to universal experiences.
The video provides a template for bridging from fictional examples to universal experiences.
Incorporate verbs, adverbs, and adjectives to maximize the precision of the writing.
Selecting details that are necessary to prove the point is crucial, avoiding unnecessary plot details.
The video includes an example and a template for effectively using fictional literature in argumentative writing.
Different methods for writing about fiction as evidence in argument papers are explored through student examples.
The video concludes with an invitation to learn about writing personal anecdotes and faith-based examples in argument papers.
Transcripts
I'm Tim frus and welcome to the Garden
of English when creating arguments
whether in real life interactions in
class or on an AP Lan exam it can
sometimes be really hard to think of
real evidence to support whatever
position you're trying to prove but it's
absolutely imperative that you support
your arguments with substantial evidence
because you want to present yourself as
a reasonable person now what normally
happens when you have to generate an
argument but you really haven't
considered the evidence that you've
wanted to use is that you begin to rely
heavily on hypothetical situations and
the truth is hypotheticals are often
garbage not always just often I don't do
hypotheticals let's do with reality one
time when hypotheticals don't suck as
evidence is when you're using fictional
literature to prove your point and let's
be real fiction is entirely hypothetical
because literary events didn't happen
but there could be a world where they
may happen H how philosophical anyway
I've already made a video about how to
select strong evidence to support your
arguments and of course it's linked
right in the description below this
video so if you haven't watched that
video you certainly want to after you
finish this one but today I want to give
you some tips and show you some examples
that will help you recognize some ways
to incorporate fictional literature in
your argument responses I do have to
begin though by addressing a commonly
pedal misconception if you are writing
an argument paper whether it be for an
English teacher or an AP Lang exam
reader just because that person may
really enjoy reading doesn't mean that
your paper will become intrinsically
stronger because you choose to write
about a literary example over one that's
taken from The Real World if you've ever
hear anything like this just know that
it's fake news you are fake news
misinformation think about that
misinformation going to someone you love
also AP exam readers don't expect you to
use literature as examples in your
arguments what they expect you to do is
to write strong arguments and if you use
fiction so be it just make sure that if
you're using fiction to substantiate
your argument you do it well now for my
first model I'm going to use a thesis
and a body paragraph that was cre Creed
in response to the publicly released
exploring the unknown prompt from 2018
that prompt is linked up right in the
description below this video also below
this video you'll find the like button
the Subscribe button the channel member
button and the super thanks button
clicking on any one of those or all of
those will help get our content to
students everywhere so we can help them
out just like I'm helping you let's
begin our exploration of including
literary examples by checking out a
thesis in response to that exploring the
unknown prompt exploring the unknown
more often than not offers diverse
opportunities for individuals to enrich
their own lives and Society at large now
this thesis is strong and complex and
it's complex because it answers the
prompt the value of exploring the
unknown is made clear in saying that
individuals are able to enrich their own
lives and Society at large and the
phrase more often than not admits that
there may be some Nuance to this
argument and suggests that there might
be times when exploring the unknown may
be potentially more detrimental to
progress but the paper overall is going
to argue this certainly isn't normally
the casee so in order to show you what
to do with a fictional example I want to
focus on the nuanced paragraph that
would be a type of concession paragraph
in the grand scheme of the whole essay
by the way if you want to learn more
about conceding you can access my video
that looks just like this and is linked
in the description as well now let's
take a look at what some of the topic
sentences would look like for the body
paragraphs if we were responding to this
essay based on the thesis I just shared
with you they're about to pop up on your
screen
[Music]
I'm going to use the third topic
sentence to create my paragraph that
will include literary examples based on
what the topic sentence projects I'm
going to need to describe at least one
example about the obsessive pursuit of
knowledge that ends up being quite
devastating and one of the best books I
could think of for this would be the
Strange Case of Dr jaal and Mr Hyde by
Robert Lewis Stevenson but there is
another Gothic novel that could also
help me prove the same point and that
would be Mary Shell's Frankenstein so
I'm going to include information from
both of them in the evidence part of the
paragraph that I'm writing I'm going to
start including my examples with a
transitional phrase like for instance or
for example or take for example how and
then I'm going to describe what happens
in both pieces of literature in detail
but without going over five sentences I
need to make sure that someone who has
never read the book could still figure
out what was generally going on but I
also need to make sure that I don't just
fall into writing summary and not
actually arguing what I want to also if
you're practicing this I don't want you
to think that you have to include two
comparative literary examples just
because I do the general rule of thumb
here though is that whether you choose
one or two different pieces of
literature as evidence you must
summarize it in three to five sentences
no more no less so take a look at what
adding evidence to my paragraph would
look like it's about to show up on your
screen all right look at the verbs
adverbs and adjectives I used in my
description to make sure that I
maximized the Precision of what I was
writing also notice though that I didn't
provide every plot detail because I
didn't need them I was selective and
included only the details that I needed
to prove my point and substantiate what
I was arguing in my topic sentence but
now let's consider the commentary
because this is where you have to link
the fictional example to the actual
argument so that the argument is
strengthened by the example not dampened
by the fact that it's not real it's a
total fabrication so let me toss the
rest of this paragraph up on your screen
for you here if you don't want to pause
the video to read the whole thing know
that you can find all of it in the video
document that I've included in the
description below this video take a look
here's the
[Music]
paragraph the first thing that I want
you to notice about the commentary that
you just saw is how it is filled with
cause and effect language that is how
you're going to develop your commentary
I bolded it in the example itself strong
commentary will always include this what
I also want you to notice is the
sentence that I underlined that concedes
that the examples are fiction but then
works Works to connect the fictional
example with universal truths and
experiences you must do this do it
because the fiction is tied to something
Universal it actually becomes solid
concrete evidence if I just left the
examples as fiction they would stay in
the realm of the hypothetical but by
including the line about how fiction
explores the universal I brought the
artificial to life and substantiated my
argument quite well I mean I'm basically
the writer's version of Victor
Frankenstein luckily I'm not the Giant
scum boox that he was did you also
notice that I included a few more
comparative examples in my commentary
that continued to substantiate how the
overp pursuit of knowledge can be
destructive not a bad idea to do that as
well
pretty pretty good by creating the
comparison to real life events that many
have experienced I've solidified the
literary examples all the more now here
are the basic rules you need to follow
when using fiction as an example in any
argument that you produce one you need
to provide specific details that will
substantiate your claims two don't
describe what happens in the fiction in
more than five sentences or less than
three three in your discussion of the
example admit that some may have an
issue with your examples being fiction
but then link the example to Universal
truths four see if you can link the
fictional example to something actual to
further substantiate the example itself
five use plenty of cause and effect
language in your commentary in the video
document found in the description I've
included my example that you just saw up
on your screen I also have a template
for you in there so you can Bridge from
your fictional example to Universal
experience but I also have another
student example for a different prompt
that uses fiction as its evidence and it
links the fiction to the universal
experiences that prove it to be true but
this student does it a little bit
differently than I showed you here so I
want you to make sure that you check out
that example as well and see if you
can't glean What that particular student
does in his writing to connect the
fiction to the universal truths that it
explores once you've notied the moves
that he makes know that you will have
two ways to write about fiction as
evidence in your argument papers and now
that you know how to do this you can
learn about how to write about personal
anecdotes and faith-based examples in
your argument papers by watching what's
about to show up right on your screen
[Music]
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