Plain-Provincial Script

Plain-clear, obvious: "I don't like dogs because they are mean. I was bitten by a Doberman Pinscher yesterday."
Poetic-lyric, melodious, romantic: "Are not dogs man's best friend? Are not dogs man's humblest servant?"
Precise-exact, accurate, decisive: "Well, 60% of all dog attacks result from human provocation. Staring directly at a dog, baring one's teeth at a dog, or running away from a dog will incite 45% of aggressive canines to attack a human."
Pretentious-pompous, gaudy, inflated: "Canines are lowly beasts. Felines are among the most superior species on Earth."
Provincial-rural, rustic, unpolished: "That right there's my dog Butch. He's a mutt; he ain't no Doberman."

Moralistic-Pedantic Script

Moralistic-puritanical, righteous: "You should not smoke cigarettes. Smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, and a number of other ailments, which you must avoid at all cost."
Obscure-unclear: " Well, I only smoke a pack a day- actually, sometimes I smoke 2 to 2 1/2 packs a day. Last month, I smoked anywhere from under 15 to over 82 cigarettes per day."
Obtuse-dull-witted, undiscerning: "How could a plant cause cancer? I don't understand why smoking is bad; millions of people do it."
Ordinary-everyday, common: "I used to be a heavy smoker. Since I quit last year, I feel better than ever."
Pedantic-didactic, scholastic, bookish: "Smoking is a practice that has been performed since 2000 B.C. by Native Americans in North and South America. Christopher Columbus propagated this custom in Europe after he returned from his travels in the 15th century."

Idiomatic-Literal Script

Idiomatic-peculiar, vernacular: "My father, who had a heart attack last summer, is not a spring chicken. He'll be pushing up daisies soon."
Insipid-uninteresting, dull: "I know what you mean. My dad gets sick a lot."
Jargon-vocabulary for a professional: "Your father must have had atherosclerosis, which obstructed his arteries. Did he receive a rescue angioplasty?"
Learned-educated, experienced: "As a cardiologist, I treat heart failures everyday. Coronary artery disease is the main cause with most of the cases I've seen."
Literal-apparent, word for word: "If your parents were diagnosed with CAD before the age of 55, it will increase your risk of a heart attack by 80%. Women are 25% more likely than men to die of heart failure."

Exact-Homespun Script

Exact- precise, verbatim: "I left my house at 7:05 in order to get here at 7:32. My BMW, which has a broken right taillight, almost ran out of gas on Sutter Street."
Figurative- serving as illustration: "Your car is like a broken wheel. It serves its purpose but doesn't quite work like a charm."
Formal-academic, conventional: "Sir, you ought to have your vehicle inspected by an expert mechanic. It is unwise to operate a faulty car."
Grotesque-hideous, deformed: "No, your decrepit car is a great wonder. I love the way the motor rattles like a thousand screeching bats."
Homespun-rustic, folksy: "I hope you get it fixed soon. It's not safe to drive a car like that."

Cultured-Euphemistic Script

Detached-removed: "Wars are necessary for the betterment of the state. The death of civilians is inevitable."
Cultured-refined: "Wars are senseless; if elevated education were mandatory, they would never be necessary. Since few people have an appreciation for the arts, war is seen as the best solution to conflict."
Euphemistic-insincere, affected: "If no one ever crossed to the other side, the world would be much different. That's why it's all right for uninformed people to pass away during war."
Emotional-expressive of emotions: "You should be ashamed of your reasoning. People like you are the reason thousands of innocent people are suffering."
Esoteric-understood by a chosen few: "Buddhists don't support war; the Ajna center doesn't permit them to perpetuate negative energy. The Avatar of Synthesis forbids any type of conflict as well."

Artificial-Connotative Script

Artificial- false: "This film is complete trash. It's the most worthless movie ever produced."
Connotative- suggestive: "It wasn't exactly my favorite either. The director is not known for being creative."
Bombastic-pompous: "How could you overlook and condemn such a cinematic masterpiece? The director should receive a Nobel Prize for his innovation and endless talent!"
Colloquial- vernacular: "Hey man, chill out. That movie sucked."
Concrete-specific: "I agree; the analogue sound was staticky and horrible. The 'Hitchcock zoom' was awful too."

Talking Points

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/convention2008/wjclinton2008dnc.htm

Claim: Democrat Barack Obama will rebuild the American dream and restore American leadership in the world.

Grounds: As a Democrat, Obama will do a better job than past Republican presidents have.

Warrant: His economic policies are superior to Republican policies. Obama will help the middle class, open new markets, and create new jobs.

Backing: In 2001, with a Republican president, the nation's debt increased, 22 million new jobs sank to 5 million, increasing working families' incomes declined from $7,500 a year to $2,000 a year, and millions lost their health insurance.

"Flu Vaccine for Preschoolers"

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/opinion/22wed3.html?ref=opinion

Grounds: Influenza is common in children, and 20,000 under 5 years old are hospitalized with it each year.
Claim: New Jersey should pass a bill that requires all preschool age children to obtain an influenza vaccination.
Warrant: Influenza shots are beneficial and necessary.
Backing: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics advise that children 6 months old through 18 years be vaccinated yearly. This vaccine can prevent the flu from spreading to adults because children are the first to contract the virus.
Rebuttal: Parents have religious or medical reasons against it.
Qualifier: There is a "conscientious exemption" that allows parents to forgo the vaccine.

The author claims that New Jersey should pass a bill that requires all children in preschools or child-care centers to obtain an influenza immunization. This vaccine is necessary because 20,000 children under the age of five are hospitalized with the illness each year. The epidemic of influenza could be prevented if this bill were passed since children generally contract the virus first; if they were vaccinated, the flu would not spread to adults. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children six months through eighteen years of age be immunized. However, some parents oppose this bill because of religious or medical reasons. In these cases, the "conscientious exemption" provision of the bill would allow parents to legally exempt vaccination for their children.

"Flu Vaccine for Preschoolers"

Grounds: Many parents oppose the influenza shot.
Claim: New Jersey should not pass a bill that makes influenza vaccination for preschoolers compulsory.
Warrant: Enforcing this bill would go against parents' religious or medical concerns.
Backing: Thimerosal, a preservative in the immunization, has been linked to autism in children. Parents who religiously oppose vaccines would need exemption from this bill's requirement.

New Jersey should not enforce a bill that makes flu immunization compulsory for preschoolers. Many parents oppose the influenza shot based on their medical and religious concerns. Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative found in the immunization, has been linked to autism and brain development disorders in children. Another reason parents are against the bill is the inconvenience it presents. If the bill were passed, these parents would have to seek exemption from it.