ARGUING A SPECIFIC POINT OF VIEWOF MY ACQUAINTANCE IN LONDON, THAT A YOUNGHEALTHY CHILD WELL NURSED IS AT A YEAR OLD A MOSTDELICIOUS, NOURISHING, AND WHOLESOME FOOD,THERE ARE ESSAYS ABOUT EVERY IMAGINABLE TOPIC, FROMWHETHER STEWED, ROASTED, BAKED OR BOILE...

4. persuasive:arguing a specific point of viewof my acquaintance in London, that a younghealthy child well nursed is at a year old a mostdelicious, nourishing, and wholesome food,There are essays about every imaginable topic, fromwhether stewed, roasted, baked or boiled; and Iwhat it is like to grow up poor (or rich, or bilingual,or . . . ) to why we should (or should not) clone humanmake no doubt that it will equally serve in a fric-beings. The basic structure of an essay is main idea→assee or ragout.support.Even if the writer is describing an experience, heOf course, Swift is not really suggesting that the Irishor she has a reason for telling that story, and that rea-become cannibals. He is using this ridiculous proposal toson—why the writer thinks the story is importantcriticize the British for oppressing the Irish, especiallyenough to tell—is the main idea.poor Irish Catholics, who often had many children. TheEssays will often make their main idea clear in a the-absurdity of Swift’s proposal reflects his feelings aboutsis statement. This statement is likely to come at thebeginning of the essay. Notice how the author belowthe absurdity of British rule in Ireland at the time and theBritish government’s inability to find a satisfactory solu-states his thesis at the end of the opening paragraph oftion to the Irish famine.his essay:When you think of former president Bill Clinton,

A u t o b i o g r a p h y a n d M e m o i r

what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Unfor-tunately, for many people, the first thing theyIn an autobiographyor memoir, the author will—verythink of is Monica Lewinsky. Like millions ofsubjectively, of course—tell the story of his or her life.people around the globe, I was horrified by howmuch the Whitewater investigation delved intoThe difference between autobiographies and memoirs isMr. Clinton’s private affairs. No one needed tothat memoirs tend to be less comprehensive and moreexploratory—they will cover less ground and spendknow the sort of details that were revealed by KenStarr’s investigation. But while I don’t want tomore time examining the impact of people and eventson their lives. Authors may write to clarify an experience,know the details,I do believe we have a right toteach a lesson, or make a statement about a historicalknow what sort of lives our politicians are living. Ibelieve their behavior in private is a reflection ofevent or social movement. As you read an autobiographytheir true values and how they will behave in office.or memoir, look for what the author feels has shapedhim or her. Why has he or she chosen to relate these par-One type of writing that you may see in essays (as wellticular events; describe these particular people?On the next page is a brief excerpt from Frankas other forms of literature) is satire. Satire is a form ofcomedy in which the writer exposes and ridiculesMcCourt’s bestselling 1996 memoir,Angela’s Ashes.Next day we rode to the hospital in a carriage withmultimedia arts. But you are most likely to see com-a horse. They put Oliver in a white box that camementary on a visual artor experience.with us in the carriage and we took him to theWhen reading commentary, one of the most impor-tant skills to have is the ability to distinguish between factgraveyard. They put the white box into a hole inand opinion. While commentators do deal with facts,the ground and covered it with earth. My motherand Aunt Aggie cried, Grandma looked angry,commentary is by nature highly subjective; they are shar-Dad, Uncle Pa Keating, and Uncle Pat Sheehaning their personal reactions to an experience with a workof art. A good commentator will always explain whyhelooked sad but did not cry and I thought that ifor she feels the way he or she does about a work of art.you’re a man you can cry only when you have theFor example, a movie critic might praise a film becauseblack stuff that is called the pint.I did not like the jackdaws that perched onthe story was original and moving, the actors convincing,trees and gravestones and I did not want to leaveand the special effects stunning.Oliver with them. I threw a rock at a jackdaw thatRemember, however, that the reviewer’s feelingswaddled over toward Oliver’s grave. Dad said Iabout the film are opinions, no matter how well theauthor might defend them. There are many nondebat-shouldn’t throw rocks at jackdaws, they might beable facts about a work of art such as a film, includingsomebody’s soul. I didn’t know what a soul waswhen it was made, how long it took to make, who madebut I didn’t ask him because I didn’t care. Oliverit, how much it cost, the events in the plot, how the spe-was dead and I hated jackdaws. I’d be a mansomeday and I’d come back with a bag of rockscial effects were created, etc. But the reviewer’s judgmentof these facts is a matter of debate, and therefore a mat-and I’d leave the graveyard littered with deadter of opinion. You might find the story in a movie inter-jackdaws.esting while your friend finds it boring.As you read commentary, pay attention to word

C o m m e n t a r y o n t h e A r t s

choice. Even in sentences that seem to express facts, com-mentators can express their opinion. For example, lookat the following sentences. They have the same meaningThe purpose ofcommentaryis to illuminate or explainbut convey different attitudes:other works of literature and art. These texts review andanalyze a work of art (performance art, visual art, and lit-erature) and generally have two goals: to help us under-Raquel Ramirez playsthe role of Ophelia.Raquel Ramirez shinesin the role of Ophelia.stand the work of art and to evaluate its success or value.A book review, for example, will typically offer somebackground on the author, summarize the basic plot of

B u s i n e s s - R e l a t e d D o c u m e n t s

the story, and describe the main characters and theirchief conflicts. It will also point out what makes the novelgood (e.g., the characters are especially endearing, theBusiness documents were new to the GED as of 2002,plot has surprising twists and turns, the descriptions areand you will see one on the Language Arts, Readingparticularly lush, the structure is very unique) or badExam. These texts can range from employee handbooksand training manuals to letters, memos, reports, and(e.g., the plot is trite, the characters are flat and unbe-proposals.lievable, the writing is clumsy, the chapters are disor-ganized). Thus, commentary can help you determineBusiness documents are unlike the other nonfictiontexts because they:whether a work of art is something you should experi-ence, and if you do experience it, the commentary canhelp you make more sense of your experience.

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are meant for a specific audienceThe commentary on the GED can be of any sort,

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have a specific, business-related purposeincluding reviews of books, movies, concerts/musicalperformances, dance productions, musicals, televisionWhile essays, autobiographies, and commentary areshows, plays, paintings, sculptures, photography, ormeant for a general reader, business documents (with theexception of annual reports) are designed for a much

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Readability Techniquessmaller and more specific audience. Memos and letters,To maximize time and clarity, business-related docu-for example, are often addressed to only one individual.ments will use several readability techniques. These in-The purpose of each business document, too, is veryclude chunking informationand using headingsand lists.specific and related to business. A memo may provide anBusiness writers often organize information intoagenda for a meeting or a reminder about forms thatsmall, manageable “chunks” of data. That is, they willneed to be completed; a proposal may describe a plan togroup sentences or paragraphs according to the specificimprove or expand business; a training manual will showtopics or ideas they discuss and set those sentences apartemployees how to perform specific tasks.with line breaks and/or headings.The purpose of the document will usually be madeHeadings and subheadings provide “titles” within thevery clear right from the start. As the saying goes, in busi-text to guide readers topic by topic through the docu-ness, time is money, and in order to save the reader time,ment. Headings show readers how ideas are related andwriters of business communications state their purposehelp readers find specific information in the document.clearly at the beginning of the document. For example,(Notice, for example, how headings are used throughoutnotice how the main idea of the following letter is statedthis book.)in the second sentence:To make information easier to process, business writ-ers will also use bulleted or numbered lists as often asDear Ms. Ng:possible, especially when providing instructions. It is eas-ier to see the items in a list when they are separated andThank you for your recent application for an auto-listed vertically rather than running together horizon-mobile loan from Crown Bank. Unfortunately, we aretally in a regular sentence or paragraph. For example,unable to process your application because informa-notice how much easier it is to absorb the information intion is missing from your application form.the bulleted list than in the following narrative:We need the following information to complete theTo apply for a permit, you must bring proof ofloan application process:residency, a photo identification, a copy of yourbirth certificate, and proof of insurance.