A biased essay Essay

A biased essay can diminish the writer’s reliability in the reader’s eye. Reliability is what makes a writer’s word reliable. If a writer fails to address the other side of an argument or concern, which they feel strongly, by paying no attention to it or by dismissing it, it is less likely that a reader will give their essay any credibility. â€Å"Acknowledging points of view different from your own also has the effect of fostering more credibility between you and the audience.† (McLean, S., 2011, p. 311). Furthermore, presenting a biased view in an essay can make the essay vulnerable to question on whether its views are effective or not. The idea is that if the writer’s view is biased, the rest of the essay may also have issues. A way we can prevent bias is to use multiple sources of information and compare them with each other. In addition, we must be unbiased and not noticeably favor one specific point of view. Writing for Success. Retrieved from McLean, S., COM/155 – University Composition and Communication website. How do you feel about using I in an academic essay? What issues arise with the use of I in an academic essay, and how can you prevent it? In my opinion, I believe the use of the letter â€Å"I†, in an academic essay, should be allowed sparingly and dependent upon what the writer is attempting to address. If the writer has personal knowledge of a topic or a project they have conducted themselves, then my question would be, â€Å"Why not?† The purpose of an academic essay is for the writer/student to demonstrate their personal knowledge and growth is it not? Therefore, by addressing the writer as a source it would give them credibility in their essay. See more: Sleep Deprivation Problem Solution Speech Essay However, I do understanding how incorporating the letter â€Å"I† in an essay changes the subject of a sentence to that of the writer. This pulls the attention away from the subject and towards that of the writer essentially creating bias by directing attention to the writer’s personal points of view. Removing the letter â€Å"I† from a sentence can prevent this from occurring, which allows the subject to remain the topic of the sentence, consequently separating the subject from that of the writer. What are some of the benefits of regular physical activity? Why is physical activity important and how might it improve health and wellness? There are many things people can do for their health. However, one of the most important things they can do is engage in regular physical activity. Previously, I have associated physical activity as a weight management tool. However, I have come to learn that physical activity goes far beyond weight management. A person who includes physical activities in their daily life has fewer chances of serious physical and mental ailments. As learned through this course, maintaining a consistent physical activity regiment can lessen our risk for contracting diseases and improve our overall health. In addition, maintaining regular physical activity can prevent us from contracting several health problems including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, stress, etc. Furthermore, consistently working out and maintaining a well-balanced diet can improve all aspects of life (Donatelle, R.J., 2011). If we take responsibility for our own health by maintaining a physically active lifestyle, we can improve our lives immensely. Reference: Donatelle, R.J. (2011). Health. Retrieved from Donatelle, R.J., SCI/162 – Principles of Health and Wellness website. What is one factor that has contributed to the global increase in obesity? Describe this factor in detail and explain why the factor puts individuals at risk for becoming obese. One factor I find intriguing is the genetic factors associated with obesity. â€Å"Over 250 gene markers have shown positive association to obesity in over 400 separate studies.† (Donatelle, R.J., 2011, p. 295). This was shocking because my entire life, I have been told that genetics has nothing to do with obesity. I have struggled with weight management my entire life. I swore my fluctuating weight was attributed to genetics. My mother is slightly overweight as is my grandmother. In addition, I have an identical twin brother with whom I share identical features from large ears to a large waistline. Sure, my weight has fluctuated throughout the years, but I have consistently been heavier than most. I do lose weight when I maintain a rigorous workout plan, but as soon as I stop, the weight comes back immediately. Because genetics are an uncontrollable factor of obesity, I believe this puts individuals at an extremely high risk of obesity. Weight management by way of physical activity can help to prevent the effects of obesity. However, it is up to the individual to implement a regiment that works for them. Reference: Donatelle, R.J. (2011). Health. Retrieved from Donatelle, R.J., SCI/162 – Principles of Health and Wellness website. In what situations are compare-and-contrast essays effective? When would that style be ineffective? What is the difference? Explain. I believe compare-and-contrast essays are most effective when two subjects are similar however if small differences are discovered about the subject, the reader’s opinion would be changed. The reason why you would conduct a compare-and-contrast essay is to identify the differences of the two subjects and persuade the reader into sympathizing with your view. In addition, this rhetorical mode of writing can be used to compare the likenesses of two subjects or to contrast the differences of two subjects. A compare-and-contrast essay would not be effective if we want to write about how our day went. The most effective way to write about how our day went would be a narration essay. The difference is that if we are narrating somet hing, we are telling a story or narrating an incident or series of incidents. In addition, we are not comparing or contrasting the subject as we would in a compare-and-contrast essay. Students often argue that since they are expressing their point-of-view that they have to use first person. Traditionally, in an academic piece of writing, this is frowned upon. One of the reasons is that using first person actually will make a statement seem less confident. Why do you think this is so? Whenever I read something written by an individual who is not affiliated with an accredited source, I immediately form an opinion that the information they are trying to relay is biased. This is because the individual has identified himself or herself as the reliable source of information by identifying himself or herself in the first person pronoun â€Å"I.† In academic writing, our peers already know we are developing a topic from a personal view, which does not require the need to identify our personal point of view. Therefore, when we continuously identify our opinion as the only opinion, it makes us sound less confident about our work. These are wholly unnecessary in academic writing because your academic peers already accept that you are developing your topic from a subjective perspective—one that you will explain and support by way of a scholarly method. When you habitually draw attention to the fact that your writing is â€Å"only your opinion,† it reads as a lack of confidence in your own ideas or in your abilities to discuss them persuasively. Yet one more reason they are inappropriate is that they turn academic prose into narrative prose, using a first-person point of view. Suddenly, the reader is made aware of an unreliable narrator who’s conveying the intellectual content as though it’s part of a story. Again, academic readers demand that the intellectual content of the prose be showcased, and that the ego behind it not assert itself and cross the objective distance readers demand as a matter of protocol What are some obstacles that prevent individuals from getting regular physical activity? How can you overcome these obstacles? Some obstacles include a lack of time, lack of knowledge about how to exercise, a lack of inclination. You can overcome these obstacles by scheduling your time better, learning about exercise, and changing yourself to desire better health. One of the most common reasons that prevent individuals from conducting physical activity is a lack of time. For me, being able to find time to work out is difficult because I work long hours and have family responsibilities that require my attention. However, through my courses here at University of Phoenix, I have learned how to develop time management techniques and schedules, which have become useful in developing a routine. Another thing that prevents individuals from getting regular physical activity is, not knowing how to work out properly. Some people are afraid of receiving injury because of poor techniques used while working out. However, the risk of injuries because of working out far outweighs the risk of contracting a health related issues because of not working out. The effect of not leading a physically active lifestyle has long-term effects that can be far more dangerous than an injury sustained while working out. Class, what are some ways you’ve found meal planning to be helpful? What I have found to be helpful with meal planning is that I do not open myself up to temptation; temptations such as fast food establishments that look appealing and are probably not a healthy choice. When I develop a meal plan, I am less likely to eat unhealthy foods. Here in California, we have a Fresh & Easy grocery store, which sells pre-made food in single servings. I have found this store to be amazing. I am often faced with last minute phone calls to report to work as such I am unable to make a lunch. Now I just grabbed a pre-made salad or sandwich and I am off. Not only does this save me time, but also money because I do not purchase other items and it reduce food waste. The more you practice your writing, the better off you are and the more you will learn. As the old saying goes, â€Å"practice makes perfect!† Eventually, using the right word form will become common knowledge and second nature to you. When I got out of high school, I had a hard time with proper word form, amongst other things. Like most young adults, I did not pay as much attention as I should have in English class. However, I was lucky enough to get into a career where I write on a daily basis. Through trial and error, I learned the difference between â€Å"there† and â€Å"their,† as well as the other word forms. In addition, when I read, I tend to focus on words that I have not seen before and try to figure out their meaning by reading the word in the sentence. So, continue to practice your writing and read, and eventually you will know the difference! we, us, our, they, them, ours. What are gender-free pronouns? Provide three suggestions how to solve using biased language in your writing? Some gender-free pronouns include we, us, our, they, them, their, ours, etc. In writing, the use of gender-free pronouns is important to avoid biased language. Before this course, I never really knew how biased others might have understood my writing. For that reason, the most important way to avoid using biased language in our writing is to be aware that it exists. Another way is to avoid using masculine or feminine pronouns such as â€Å"he† and â€Å"she.† In addition, avoiding the use of pronouns all together in a sentence can alleviate biased language. Furthermore, alternating male and female examples such as â€Å"he† and â€Å"she† throughout a sentence can also alleviate biased language. Jessica, You pointed out some great information and I agree with you. When I was younger, I use to love playing outside with my brothers, riding my bike, and enjoying the outdoors. I truly believe that the invention of video games and other technologies such as computers and internet access is taking the youth out of our children. However, I believe we as parents are to blame for this. We are the enablers that give them these devices and allow them to utilize these devices freely. Sure we can put restriction on how long they can use the device, but unless we follow-up to ensure these restrictions are being adhered to; we truly will never influence our children to be active. Hey Lee, What I have found to be most motivating to me is my daughter. Every time I think to myself that I do not need to work out, I look at my daughter and realize I want to live longer. As morbid as that may sound, I know that by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and working out, I can extend my lifespan as long as I do not get ran over by a car on my jog. What this says to me is when a person makes a goal of losing weight, having a year long plan at minimum and incorporating exercise at the start of the diet are two key strategies to incorporate. Class, What are your thoughts? I agree with starting a yearlong program and incorporating a diet plan with it. Throughout my life, I have started several weight loss programs many of which have not worked for me. I attribute much of my failures to laziness on my part. However, none of the weight loss programs I have conducted involved a diet plan and they definitely did not last longer than a year. Whenever I have conducted a weight loss program in the past, if I did not see any visible results within a couple months, I quit. I believe that if I were to have incorporated a diet plan in conjunction with an exercise routine, I would have seen visible results, which would have kept me motivated. Class, What are your experiences with morning vs afternoon workouts? I have definitely had my share of both morning and afternoon workouts. Personally, working out in the morning is far better than working out in the afternoon. My energy levels are much higher in the morning and I feel like I get a better work out because of this. When I work out in the afternoon, I feel sluggish because I have been working all day and I can only concentrate on hurrying home. This is usually because I have not seen my family all day and I want to spend time with them. As a result, this is a psychological disadvantage of working out in the afternoon for me. Edward, That is great! Keep up the good work! Another thing that I have found to be fun and interesting is to add new words that I have not seen before and I incorporate them into a sentence. As I previously mentioned, I write quite a bit at work and as such, my coworkers and I pick a â€Å"word-of-the-day† to incorporate in our reports. Obviously, the word must be pertinent to the report and flow. This is a fun and easy way to add words to your vocabulary. Try it out next time you write a response and avoid â€Å"monotony.† Look it up its fun! You have some very good points Danny and I agree that we must make sure that our sources are reliable. We need to do this in order to prove that our writings are authentic as well. Without being credible and reliable our papers will have nothing. Our papers would be basically our own thoughts and opinions with zero evidence. I just wrote a paper for one of our last classes and had to cite things (which I have never had to do before) and it was for some reason a lot harder than what I thought it would be. Crystal, Like you, I have never cited any work prior to taking these courses here at University of Phoenix. It is getting easier, but I still find this difficult. One of the many things I have found to be most difficult was determining when to cite and when not to. In addition, I didn’t know how to cite material obtained from a textbook, newspaper, website, etc. After reading some of our course materials, I realized it’s better to cite material even if it’s not required. Initially, my biggest fear was that I would not cite the material correctly. However, I found the citation generator in the University Library to be very helpful. I’m sure you have tried this by now, but if not it’s great! This helped me to organize the citations and become more confident in my work.