PB2B

PB2B

“You are reading to learn about writing.” Mike Bunn claims in the article “How to read like a writer.” To understand an article better and to be a better writer, it is necessary to trace writers’ moves in their essay.

Most of writers’ moves in articles are purposeful. For example, let us see a sentence from Kerry Dirk’s “Navigating Genres”, “In other words, Bitzer is saying that when something new happens that requires a response, someone must create that first response.” It is an explaining quotation, which is said in “They say, I say,” since before this sentence there is a long quotation from Bitzer. And this short sentence is for summarizing and explaining what Bitzer talks about. This explaining quotation makes readers easier to understand the quotation.

There is another typical move, capturing authorial action. Here is an example from “steps toward rhetorical analysis,” “Aristotle articulated three “artistic appeals” that a rhetor could draw on to make a case – logos, pathos, and ethos.” Author using Aristotle’s three “artistic appeals” is for attracting readers’ attention, and make the article more interesting.

Let us see another interesting move that writers always use in article, agreeing and disagreeing simultaneously. This move can be used in different way, which has different function to whole article. In “So What? Who cares?” there is an example for this move. “Although answering the “ who cares?” question is crucial, in many cases it is not enough, especially if you are writing for general readers who don’t necessarily have a strong investment in the particular clash of views you are setting up.” Through reading whole article, it is not hard to find that this sentence is to derivate a new statement, “So What.” And this sentence relates two parts very well.

Also, if author wants to emphasis someone’s statement, he or she will use another move, signally who is saying what. Here is an example from Mike Bunn’s “How to Read Like a Writer,” Charles Moran, a professor of English at the University of Massachusetts, urges to read like writers because…”

“Making concessions while still standing your ground” is another important moves that mention in “They say, I say.” There is an example in “So What? Who Cares?” “Though this statement is clear and easy to follow, it lacks any indication that anyone needs to hear it.” It shows that this move emphasis the importance of “indication that anyone needs to hear it,” and it successfully transit the focus of essay from “clear” to “Indication that anyone needs to hear it.”

In Mike Bunn’s article “How to Read Like a Writer,” there are more moves for various reasons. First, he uses a very interesting introduction, which writes his experience seems like a novel. He could choose to use another way to write this beginning paragraph, but it would be not as good as this introduction. I would like to call this introduction “attractive experience,” since such interesting introduction of an article can attract more readers to read.

Second, he use one short sentence to be an separate paragraph, which is “You are reading to learn about writing.” I would like to call it super short paragraph. Here, this super short paragraph is to emphasis this sentence and tell readers the main goal of reading, which is to learn about writing. Also, this short paragraph can transit and relate adjacent paragraphs (the paragraph before and after this super short paragraph) better.

Third, he contacted students’, who just graduated from college, ideas and experiences bout writing rather than his. I would call it “survey to former students.” The reason he did this survey is to create credibility because he thinks that the experience to writing of students is more true, persuasive and former students are better qualified to help us comparing to his opinions.

Forth, Mike makes a list when he mentions the contextual factors people should consider before start reading. Also, there are several such lists in whole article. I would call it “emphasis list.” He gives two main factors that people should consider, which are “Do you know the author’s purpose for this piece of Writing?” and “Do you know who the intended audience is for this piece of writing?” The purpose to make these two factors be a simple list is to emphasis the importance of these factors.

Finally, he divides whole article into several separate parts using dash line. I would like to call it “National Border.” The “Border” divides article to several parts, and each part he mainly talks about one thing. This separation is easier for readers to read and understand article. In addition, the separation line makes whole article looks ordered.

In summary, each author has his or her own moves to use in his or her article. Although, each move has different function in different background, all moves are to make article more perfect.