Chapter 5: And Yet

The concepts of this chapter revolved around the idea of clarifying who is speaking. A writer needs to use signals to show who has which point of view, so the reader doesn’t get confused. A writer can better use these signals by reading examples and a reader can better pick up on the signals by using them in her writing. Dramatic changes in tone and word choice are good clues for a reader. The point is to show which view the writer is portraying. Voice markers can make the difference clear when a word like “yet” or “but” is used.

Even though some people frown on using “I”, it is a straight forward and useful tool to show that at that point it is the writer’s opinion. I agree with the books argument because it differentiates the writer’s view from other views. Over using “I” can cause the problem of it looking like you don’t have any solid evidence, so the work is just an empty coating. The center can still be there if the first person pronouns aren’t over used and the writer still uses enough reason and evidence in her argument. The writer needs to be clear when her personal views are being explained and “I” is appropriate way to accomplish this, occasionally. Not using it could result in the reader getting lost on your views. A writer could also use “X argues that ____, and this makes sense because____.” Rephrasing and combining sentences works well this way as it embeds the markers. Evidence can be presented many ways and still be strong.