English 1302

Critical Reading, Writing, and Thinking in Argument

Invention Heuristics Handout

Invention Heuristics

Questions to help you think about definition

What do I mean by _________?

What group of things does __________ seem to belong to? How is __________ different from other things in this group?

What parts can _________ be divided into?

Did _________ mean something in the past that it doesn’t mean how? If so, what? What does this former meaning tell us about how the idea grew and developed?

Does _________ mean something now that it didn’t years ago? If so, what?

What are some concrete examples of _________ ?

When is the meaning of _________ misunderstood?

Questions to help you think about testimony

What have I heard people say about _________ ?

Do I know any facts or statistics about _________ ? If so, what?

Have I talked to anyone about _________ ?

Do I know any famous or well-known sayings about _________ ?

Can I quote any poems or proverbs about _________ ?

Do I remember any songs about _________ ? Anything I’ve read about _________ in books or magazines? Anything I’ve seen in a movie or on television?

Questions to help you think about analysis

What do I want to find out from others about _________ ?

What would I expect others to say about _________ ? Why?

What would I expect others not to say about _________ ? Why?

What does my experience or the experiences of others show about _________ ?

What can I say about ______________ that goes beyond the obvious or beyond common knowledge?


2 Comments

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2 responses so far ↓

  • 1    Gabriela Garcia // Feb 5, 2007 at 2:32 pm

    How exactly are we supposed to fill this sheet out again? I’m a bit confused about the assignment.

  • 2    sowa1302 // Feb 5, 2007 at 2:59 pm

    Gabriela,

    All you need to do is answer the questions and do some brainstorming on a separate sheet of paper. This doesn’t need to be typed, just something for you to work off of in class, and I will ask that you turn it in with your process materials when you turn in your final assignment, so be sure to hold on to it.

    Ms. Sowa

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