English Class

Introduction

These resources will help you learn how to determine the needs of a specific audience and summarize the content of a text. They will also help you learn how to use quotes, paraphrases, and in-text citations to represent another writer’s ideas. 

Required Resources

Click the link(s) to complete the assigned readings within Macmillan Achieve: 

Textbook: How to Write Anything  Read the following sections of Chapter 21: 

• “Think in terms of claims and reasons.” 
  • When we read to discover ideas, we are looking for the core ideas in a reading and how the writer chooses to support those ideas. The core idea is communicated for a reason, so we can consider that core idea the claim (what the writer is claiming to be true), and their support for the idea is their list of reasons it is true. 
• “Think in terms of premises and assumptions.” 
  • When we read for the ideas just behind the core ideas, we are looking for what the writer assumed when they wrote this piece. Any time we write, we do so from a set of assumptions about what is true and what the audience needs to hear (or already knows). Questioning the writer’s assumptions is an important part of critical reading. 
• “Think in terms of evidence.” 
  • Sometimes, a writer communicates an idea that you find interesting, but when you look in their article for evidence, it’s just not there, or it’s too shallow to be believable. As you practice critical reading, look for evidence the writer provides within the article to support their claims. This will show you whether an idea that seems good on the surface is truly supported by facts and evidence. 
• “Anticipate objections.” 
  • Have you ever entered a conversation with someone you know who will argue against your ideas right from the start? If so, you’re already experienced in anticipating objections. Critical reading involves looking for those moments at which a writer has anticipated objections to their ideas. They might signal this anticipation by including a phrase such as “some people think” or “although the general belief was,” and always follow it with “but,” which is your sign they will counter what the other people might argue or object. 

These sections will help you complete this week’s assignments. As you read, consider the following: 

• Why is it important to be prepared to defend your ideas to more general or reluctant readers? 
• How can you use evidence to support your point of view? 
• What can you do to enhance your credibility as a writer?  

Textbook: How to Write Anything  Read the following sections of Chapter 47: 

• “Use a summary to recap what a writer has said.” 
  • When we write a summary of a longer piece of writing, we exclude our opinions and instead try to condense the core idea and supporting details of the article we summarize. We do not quote any of the article’s ideas in our summary, because that would be too specific and too detailed. Instead, it might help to think of a summary as a trailer for a movie or a synopsis of a game you’ve played. You might spend two or three hours watching the movie, but the trailer might only be five sentences long. You might play the game every day for weeks, but the synopsis at Twitch might be just four sentences long. The summary is not a detailed view but instead a recap. 
• “Be sure your summary is accurate and complete.” 
  • As you write summary, make sure you include only the ideas in the piece you summarize. Your summary needs to accurately represent the writing you wish to share in shorter form. The easiest way to avoid inaccuracies in summary writing is to avoid inserting your opinion. 

These sections will help you learn how to summarize an article, which will help you complete this week’s assignments. As you read, consider the following: 

• Why is it important to be certain that the summary is entirely in your own words? 
• How can you ensure that your summary is accurate and complete? 

Textbook: How to Write Anything  Read the following sections of Chapter 48: 

• “Identify the major claims and the structure of the source.” 
  • One of the simplest ways to approach reading the writing of other people is not to overthink it. Read the entire text, and then ask yourself, “What was that about?” It might also help to rephrase that question and ask, “If I had to explain this to someone, how could I explain it in just a few sentences?” When you ask and answer those questions, you discover the core idea in what you just read. If you want to double check your assumptions about what you found, you can simply read the article again with your idea in mind. 
• “Track the source faithfully.” 
  • When you paraphrase, you take the original ideas in their original order. We call this “tracking.” You put these original ideas into your own words, but you retain the order in which they originally appeared. 
• “Record key pieces of evidence.” 
  • As you paraphrase a key passage in the text you are studying, make sure you keep track of where the sentence or passage appears in the original document. Look for page numbers in the .pdf file you downloaded and make a note of it so you can faithfully and accurately cite it to give the author credit in your own work. 
• “Be certain your notes are entirely in your own words.” 
  • When you take notes for future use in your own written assignments, make sure that any paraphrased work notes the page number from which you paraphrased material. Likewise, if you are using or noting a direct quote from a source, make sure you use quotation marks around the passage you might use in its original language or form, along with its page number. 
• “Avoid misleading or inaccurate paraphrasing.” 
  • The rules for summary also apply to paraphrase. Make sure that you are not inserting your own opinions are arguments into your paraphrase. Instead, paraphrase according to the order and actual ideas of the original author, trying to remain true to what they intended rather than your interpretation of their ideas. 

These sections will help you learn how to paraphrase the writer’s ideas, which will help you complete this week’s assignments and your project. As you read, consider the following: 

• What are the various ways that a paraphrase can be arranged? 
• Why is it important to take concise and practical notes? 
• What is considered key evidence? 

Textbook: How to Write Anything, The Rules of Paraphrasing  This section explores some tips for paraphrasing another writer’s ideas. It also includes some examples of paraphrases. These tips will help you complete this week’s assignments. As you read, consider the following: 

• What are some strategies for preparing your notes? 
• What does it mean to paraphrase another writer’s ideas? 
• What is the difference between a quote and a paraphrase? 

Textbook: How to Write Anything, Drafting a Thesis Statement  Note: Click on each link to access the sections in the chapter:

• Introduction to Drafting a Thesis Statement
• What Is a Thesis Statement?
• Making a Thesis Statement Substantive Grounded and Assertive
• Strategies for Drafting a Thesis Statement 

This chapter explains what a thesis statement is and strategies for drafting a thesis statement. It also explains how to make a thesis statement substantive, grounded, and assertive. It may help you prepare to write your thesis statement in the next module. As you read, consider the following: 

• What two questions should you ask yourself when beginning to draft a thesis statement? 
• What is a claim? 
• What are the various strategies on how to make your thesis statement grounded? 

APA and MLA Resources

Skim the following chapters, then read one of them based on the citation and formatting style you choose to write in for the project (APA or MLA). Click the link(s) to complete the assigned readings within Macmillan Achieve: 

Textbook: How to Write Anything, Chapter 52, “ APA in-text citation” section  APA style is a type of citation and formatting style established by the American Psychological Association (APA). It is commonly used in disciplines within the social sciences, such as psychology, education, and criminal justice, as well as other disciplines, including nursing and business. If you choose to use APA style, the guidelines in this section will help you write in-text citations in this week’s assignment and in your project. As you read, consider the following: 

• What are some general guidelines for writing in-text citations in APA style? 
• How can you use a signal phrase to name an author? 
• What information should you add in parentheses when using in-text citations?  

Textbook: How to Write Anything, Chapter 51, “ MLA in-text citation” section  MLA style is a type of citation and formatting style established by the Modern Language Association (MLA). It is commonly used in disciplines within the humanities, such as English, foreign languages, and cultural studies. If you choose to use MLA style, the guidelines in this section will help you write in-text citations in this week’s assignment and your project. As you read, consider the following: 

• What are some general guidelines for writing in-text citations in MLA style? 
• How can you use a signal phrase to name an author? 
• What information should you add in parentheses when using in-text citations? 

Additional Support (Optional)

Library Resource: APA Style Guide This webpage from the Shapiro Library will be a great resource as you cite the sources you are using throughout this course. 

Library Resource: MLA Style Guide This webpage from the Shapiro Library will be a great resource as you cite the sources you are using throughout this course.