![Counterargument/Alternative Judgment: From “Star
Trek or Star Wreck”
[Cumberbatch’s] emotionless, yet compelling delivery, marks this as
a brilliant performance. His demeanor is chilling, and at times, just
scary. I was not just engaged, but rather riveted. I would like to,
here, acknowledge Ricardo Montalban’s earlier performance as
Khan in Star Trek films. Many people regard Montalban as one of
the greatest villains of all time. I acknowledge that Montalban is
truly excellent as Khan, but I don’t think that his performance
detracts from Cumberbatch’ s excellent work in playing the same
character.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/ewrt1aclass9-190105182855/85/Ewrt-1-a-class-9-17-320.jpg)
Ewrt 1 a class 9
- 1. EWRT 1A CLASS 9
- 2. AGENDA • GPU: Subject-Verb agreement • Review: • Thesis • Body Paragraphs • New: • Introductions: revised and expanded • Anticipating Opposing Positions and Objections (counterargument)
- 3. GPU: Subject-Verb Agreement Subject: The part of a clause that identifies who or what is being discussed: At the checkpoint, we unloaded the canoes. Verb: A word or phrase that expresses action or being and, along with a subject, is a basic component of a sentence: At the checkpoint, we unloaded the canoes. Person: The form of a word that shows whether it refers to I or we (first person), to you (second person), or to he, she, it, or they (third person). Use subjects and verbs that agree in person and number. Agreement problems often occur when a sentence has a complicated subject or verb, especially when the subject and verb are separated by other words. Number: The form of a word that shows whether it refers to one thing (singular) or more than one (plural): parent, parents; child, children.
- 4. Make sure the subject and verb agree even if they are separated by other words.
- 5. Use a singular verb with a subject that is a collective noun. Collective noun: A noun (such as class or family) that refers to a group as a unit and is usually considered singular.
- 6. Use a plural verb with a compound subject. Compound subject: Two or more words acting as a subject and linked by and.
- 7. Use a singular verb with an indefinite pronoun. Indefinite pronoun: A pronoun that does not refer to a particular person or object, such as anybody, each, one, everyone, everything, somebody, something, neither, none, or nobody (which take the singular); few, many, and several (which take the plural); and all, most, and some(which can take either the singular or plural).
- 8. Essay review •Thesis Statements •Justifying an evaluation (four criteria)
- 9. Review: Thesis Construction • Remember that a strong thesis statement should be clear, arguable, and appropriately qualified. As you consider your overall judgment, keep in mind that readers of evaluative essays expect writers to present a balanced evaluation of a subject by pointing out strengths as well as weaknesses. At the same time, however, readers expect to encounter a definitive judgment, not a vague, wishy-washy, or undecided judgment. • In you initial draft of your thesis, you might want to make some reference to the four criteria you plan to evaluation for the out-of-class essay.
- 10. Review: essay #2 Justifying an Evaluation The Writing Assignment: • Using both your in-class essay and the basic features of a “justifying an evaluation” essay write a new essay evaluating the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Examine your subject closely, and make a judgment about it in a clear and concise thesis statement. Give reasons for your judgment that are based on at least four widely recognized criteria or standards for evaluating a film like this one. Support your reasons with examples and other details from your subject. Your final essay should be between three and five pages. (This means you should have at least one line on page four to ensure you have filled three complete pages). Do not rely on your in-class essay to substitute for this new essay. As you will see, this essay assignment requires both more complex thinking and writing. • Outside sources: this essay requires at least two direct quotations in addition to other examples.
- 11. Review: Developing your argument • Establish the criteria upon which you will judge the film. Choose at least four: • Story: Does the movie have a plot that tells both an intriguing and unusual story? Does the plot make sense? Is the story line logical? Is the narrative arc well shaped and stay focused on the climax? Or is it drawn out and boring with time-killing pointlessness? Are the character’s actions justified? Are their motives reasonable? Do characters behave with consistency? Or do some words, thoughts, or actions ring false? • Acting: Do the actors convince the audience they are the characters they are portraying. Do they meet the expectations dictated by the plot and other story elements? If not, is it their own acting deficiencies that hold them back? Or are they hampered by a poor script? What could the actors have done differently to make the movie work better? • Special Effects: Do film visuals maintain a professional quality and stimulate the audience? Or are they phony looking and unbelievable? Are special effects used appropriately? Do they compliment the emotions of a scene and support the setting?
- 12. Review: More criteria • Suspense: does the film must keep the audience on edge and make them eagerly anticipate a resolution? Are there particular elements of suspense that you can name? For example, does the cinematography make it suspenseful? The dialogue? The film cuts? • Realism/accuracy: is the film believable? Even fantasy films must operate inside of the realm of possibility that viewers can accept. Does the film portray events, people, and events as they are in real-word settings as much as possible? Are actions and interactions believable, plausible, and at least somewhat relatable given the genre of the film? • Setting: are the characters in an environment that contributes to or supports their actions and interactions. Does the setting emphasize the themes and moods of the film? Is the scenery aesthetically pleasant? Or does it detracting from the main focus of the scene?
- 13. Review: A Few More • Technical elements: how do the cinematography, editing, lighting, sound, and other components support or detract from the film? Does the camera crew capture the scenes in a manner that best illustrates the story? How do these elements contribute to or detract from the film? • Soundtrack: is music appropriate and effectively employed? Does the sound compliment the visuals? Does it help convey the emotion of each scene? • Originality: does the film present some new concept or idea that has hardly been explored by its predecessors? Is there creativity and innovation? Is it fresh content? Or does it tell an old story in a conventional way? • Message: is there a message, moral, or ethic in the story? Is the message important or compelling to contemporary audiences?
- 14. INTRODUCTIONS: REVISED AND EXPANDED Review: The summary that you drafted for your in-class essay
- 15. Introductions: “Star Trek or Star Wreck” One of the most famous (and probably most loved) stories about outer space, interstellar journeys, distant galaxies, and new discoveries and dangers is Star Trek, which includes both a TV series and a number of movies telling the story of the spaceship Enterprise and its crew, led by captain James T. Kirk. In 2013, another movie was released—Star Trek Into Darkness, directed by J.J. Abrams, famous for both his directing and for his work with visual effects. In general, I am more enthusiastic about Star Wars films, but I admit to the epic nature of the saga developed in numerous Star Trek episodes and films. Star Trek Into Darkness tells the story of a three-way conflict between Captain Kirk and the Enterprise crew, Admiral Marcus, and the central protagonist Khan, aka John Harrison, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. The cast includes Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, and Zoe Saldana as Uhura. The film premiered in Singapore, on April 23, 2013. Box Office Mojo listed its domestic gross at $228+ million, excluding disc sales, with the production costs pegged at $190 million (“Star Trek Into Darkness” Box Office), which seems to indicate it is a successful film, at least economically. To avoid revealing all of the movie plot, I will just hit the highlights. Khan, a genetically improved human, is awakened from cryogenic sleep by Admiral Marcus (played by Peter Weller), who wants to use him in his fight against Klingons (an alien race). Khan escapes, commits several crimes, kills several members of the Star Fleet council, and then escapes to planet Chronos. Captain Kirk and his crew chase Khan and ultimately take him captive. Marcus threatens to destroy the Enterprise if Kirk does not turn Khan over to him. Kirk refuses. Their conflict escalates until Khan kills Marcus.
- 17. Counterargument/Alternative Judgment: From “Star Trek or Star Wreck” [Cumberbatch’s] emotionless, yet compelling delivery, marks this as a brilliant performance. His demeanor is chilling, and at times, just scary. I was not just engaged, but rather riveted. I would like to, here, acknowledge Ricardo Montalban’s earlier performance as Khan in Star Trek films. Many people regard Montalban as one of the greatest villains of all time. I acknowledge that Montalban is truly excellent as Khan, but I don’t think that his performance detracts from Cumberbatch’ s excellent work in playing the same character.
- 18. New: Anticipate a Likely Objection or Alternative Judgment: Write a few sentences describing an objection or an alternative judgment you expect some readers to raise. “Some people might say that the film lacks cutting edge special effects…..” Consider whether readers base their criticism on different criteria or whether they analyze the movie criteria differently than you do. “There are some critics who cite the child actors as a problem in this film. Though I haven’t mentioned them. . . ” Objection Alternative Judgment
- 19. Write a few sentences trying out a possible counterargument. You may be able simply to acknowledge an objection or alternative judgment. If the criticism is serious, consider conceding the point and qualifying your judgment. “There are some critics who cite the child actors as a problem in this film, and I understand that the acting is not perfect, but they are only 11 years old. They don’t have much experience, but most kids this old don’t.” You might also try to refute it by arguing that the standards you are using are appropriate and important. “Some people might say that the film lacks cutting edge special effects, but I don’t agree. Given that the film was made in 2001, the effects, particularly _______, are truly great!” Consider Whether to Concede or Refute the Objection Concession “I understand” Refutation “I don’t agree”
- 20. HOMEWORK Read HP COS Chapter 13 HW Discussion 10: Post the following: 1.Your revised directed introduction: (this can be a revised and expanded version of your essay 1 introduction). 2.Your thesis 3.Your counterargument (anticipating opposing positions and objections).