Examining some assumptions
Looking more closely at the mechanics of spin, slant and tilt
I want to spend a few minutes looking at the two sets of responses to the questions I posed about the Reuters article on the People's Daily comment on the Dalai Lama. I'm particularly interested in responses to the first two questions.
For today, you'll remember, you were to
find a paragraph (25-100 words) in which you think you could change a word or two which, without changing the meaning of the text, would change the way the reader (and the writer) are expected, or assumed, to agree on assumptions. Copy the text out, print it, and highlight what you'd change.I'll set up some groups of three or four to make some choices: read and discuss each other's passages, explaining what changes you might make and what difference you think they'd make to a reader's responses. Finally, choose one that you think the rest of us might find it useful to discuss. Give me the passages, with your choice clearly marked. I'll transcribe them and we'll talk about them next time.