Today`s handouts

                              Handout 1

  What Words or Phrases are Ambiguous?

"Ambiguity of information, in words, pictures, or other media, is the ability to express more than one interpretation."
From wiki

"Students hate annoying professors."

Does this mean "Students hate to annoy professors."

or "Students hate professors who are annoying."


Abstract, Concrete,  General and Specific


Abstract terms refer to ideas or concepts; they have no physical referents.

love, success, freedom, good, moral, democracy, racism, sexism

Question 1:_______________________________________________

Question 2:_______________________________________________


Concrete terms refer to objects or events that are available to the senses.

spoon, table, nose ring, green, hot, walking.

Question 3:_______________________________________________


General terms refer to groups. Specific terms refer to individuals

Furniture.....

Chair......

Rocking Chair.....

La-Z-Boy Rocking Chair....

My La-Z-Boy Rocking Chair with the Chocolate stain on the arm



                                         Handout 2




                                Loaded Language

Loaded language  is wording that attempts to influence the certain audience by using an appeal to emotion.


Loaded language is particularly persuasive because it preys on the human weakness for acting immediately based upon an emotional response, without such further considered judgment.



                                Match the terms


bureaucrat                                    pro-choice

anti-life                                        rich people

regime                      　                public servant

investment in public services       tax rate

tax burden                                     government

plant                                              beast

animal                   　　　 　　   weed

job creators                                   public spending



                                         Handout 3

                                        Weasel Words


A weasel word ...words and phrases aimed at creating an impression that something specific and meaningful has been said, when in fact only a vague or ambiguous claim...has been communicated.

From Wiki


    •    "A growing body of evidence..."(Where is the raw data for your review?)

    •    "People say..." (Which people? How do they know?)

    •    "It has been claimed that..." (By whom, where, when?)

    •    "Critics claim..." (Which critics?)

    •    "Clearly..." (As if the premise is undeniably true)

    •    "Questions have been raised..." (Implies a fatal flaw has been discovered)

    •    "I heard that..." (Who told you? Is the source reliable?)

    •    "There is evidence that..." (What evidence? Is the source reliable?)

    •    "Experience shows that..." (Whose experience? What was the experience? How does it demonstrate this?)

    •    "It has been mentioned that..."_____________________________________

    •    "Popular wisdom has it that..."_____________________________________

    •    "It is known that..." _____________________________________________

    •    "Officially known as..." __________________________________________

    •    "It turns out that..."______________________________________________

    •    "Studies show..."________________________________________________

    •    "Some argue..."_________________________________________________

    •    "Up to sixty percent..."___________________________________________

    •    "More than seventy percent..."_____________________________________

    •    "The vast majority..."____________________________________________