Daniel Workman

English 2010
Course Reflection

Course Reflection
This semester I completed 3 main projects: an open letter, an informative PowerPoint,

and a persuasive essay. In the open letter I addressed snow and how unnecessary most of us

feel it is. In the process, I called out drivers on their bad habits when dealing with snow. The

informative PowerPoint was based on the theoretical ninth planet in our solar system and why

astrophysicists believe it is there. My persuasive essay was based on the effects of man-made

ocean pollution and how we can reduce it. Each of these pieces had a specific audience and

required deliberate choices.

Both my open letter and persuasive essay called for action. My open letter not so subtly

called for a change in driving behavior. “Though you rear your ugly head every winter, we can’t

seem to remember how our behavior must change in your presence.” While I am talking to

snow I am clearly calling drivers out on their driving. My persuasive called for people to watch

how much they waste and provided tips on how to reduce waste. “Ocean pollution is increasing

every day at an alarming rate. We can avoid such pollution if we would watch how much we

waste and look for ways to improve.” Each of these called for a change to occur.

All writing employs deliberate strategies to achieve its purpose. For example, in

informative PowerPoint, the first slide informed my audience of who presented the theory of a

ninth planet in our solar system. I did this with intention to provide credibility. Over the last

couple centuries there have been numerous claims of other planets and I wanted to prove this

was the most credible. In my persuasive essay on ocean pollution, I provided research on the

effects of pollution, both to marine life and environmental changes.

 Daniel Workman
English 2010
Course Reflection

As writers, we use ethos, pathos, logos, and Kairos to persuade our audience. Ethos

appeals to credibility. I used this form of persuasion in my informative PowerPoint by stating

who developed the theory of a ninth planet and what qualifications they have to make such a

claim. Pathos appeals to the audience emotionally. I used this form in my open letter and

persuasive essay. In my open letter, I asked why we can’t just slow down and leave more

following distance while driving. In my persuasive essay, I included an image of a turtle stuck in

a discarded fishing net. Logos appeals to logic. I used this in my persuasive essay by stating that

we created the waste why don’t we effectively dispose of it, whether it be by recycling or other

means. Kairos appeals to time, urgency. I used this in my persuasive essay by explaining the

rate that the ocean in absorbing carbon and how quickly marine life is dying.

Writing isn’t the only way we use these concepts though. Even with verbal conversation

we employ these concepts. Asking someone to do something or telling someone that

something is happening requires action. Whether that action is to ignore it or make a change.

Deliberation also plays a role in conversation. We chose how we talk to one another based on

culture, experience, and emotion. How we talk to each other here in SLC, UT is not same as the

dialect used in say Russia and we wouldn’t talk to a superior the same way we would our best

friend. English is much more than just a language; it is how we speak, our intentions, and goals.