Workshop 3 (2021-22).

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Division of Humanities
Center for Language Education
HUMA1000 Cultures and Values

Writing Workshop 3: Drafting a Body Paragraph

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Workshop Aims
1. Analyze and understand an effective argument paragraph.
2. Share your response to the 'paragraph outline' homework and discuss and develop it with
your classmates and teacher.
3. Receive guidance on the essay prompts.
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Task 1: Analyze an effective argument paragraph
1. Recall the essay prompt and the thesis statement and scope in the introduction from the
sample essay we examined in the last workshop.
Would it be better if there is only one single writing system exclusively used worldwide?

This essay will instead argue that humanity requires diverse writing systems since no
single writing system can adequately or efficiently express the world's languages. This
will be asserted by showing how different writing systems encode unique historical and
cultural elements and by arguing that a universal writing system would complicate
language learning and exacerbate the politics of languages.

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2. Quickly read this first body paragraph that supports the thesis statement and scope.
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Implementing a single writing system would diminish how languages express the culture
and history of their users. 2This is because writing systems go beyond mere scripts; they
express cultural and historical elements (Rogers, 2005) that record and express the
history of a culture. 3The Chinese writing system exemplifies this. 4It originated around
3,000 years ago with simple oracle bone inscriptions, but modern Chinese still reflects
the culture, history and development of the Chinese people. 5The character '笛', for
example, represents the Chinese flute with the radical '𥫗' above the character '由'. 6This
script reflects Chinese culture because '𥫗' is a variant of the bamboo character '竹' from
which the flute script is composed. 7In other words, today's flute character encodes the
history of a Chinese musical instrument that was fashioned long ago from bamboo.
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Many other writing systems likewise record and express the culture and history of the
societies that develop and use them. 9But unifying diverse writing systems into a
standardized script would inevitably inflict cultural vandalism upon those original
systems by erasing these important cultural and historical elements. 10Humanity thus
requires unique and diverse writing systems to properly express and preserve the
language and history of a culture. (210 words)

3. Now match the functions (a-f) below with the paragraph sentence numbers. One is done
for you.
(a) This sentence supports its argument with an explicit reference 1
to the material used in that course.
(b) These sentences offer a 'proof' by giving concrete support for
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the paragraph's controlling idea.
2,4 & 5
(c) This sentence extends the argument by showing how the 'proof'
applies more broadly than in the given example.
(d) This sentence states a single, clear argument that repeats one of 2-7
the arguments outlined in the scope sentence in the
introduction.
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(e) Almost every sentence contributes to the paragraph's
argument. But which sentences mostly just describe?
(f) This sentence repeats the paragraph's main argument. 10

4. Why do these phrases repeat so often?

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Task 2: Plan a body paragraph for your essay

Sit with a partner who will work on the same prompt as you. Discuss:

1. What one argument might your paragraphs make to support the thesis?

2. What 'proof' might support your argument? Does the proof take a humanities
perspective?

3. How can you extend the proof? (Recall how the sample paragraph above makes one
extended argument from one simple proof.)

Task 3: Receive guidance on the essay prompts

Your teacher will suggest ways to approach the essay prompts.

Homework
Complete the homework for today's workshop and the online activities before you come to
the next writing workshop.
§ Use the sample body paragraph above as a guide when writing your own.
§ You will receive feedback on your draft body paragraph from your teacher on
Canvas and feedback in class from a classmate in the next workshop.