ENGLISH 105 Module 3

Many instructors ask students to paraphrase and summarize sources used in an essay more often than quoting sources. Why

A lot of direct quotes confuse the reader, paraphrasing and summarizing lets the author guide the discussion in their own words

Of the following two sources about poverty and welfare reform, which source would be more effectively summarized than quoted in a research essay, and why? A comprehensive study done in Chicago's inner city over 30 years, tracking the poor and their reliance on welfare. A major welfare reform activist who argues that decreasing America's reliance on welfare will lead directly to a significant lessening of our national debt.

A; because all of the data could confuse the reader and B is more effective to quote an expert

Which of the following excerpts is the more effective example of using personal experience in an essay? While international adoption has become controversial, often it has no detrimental effect on the child or family at all. My sister was adopted from China when she was two. She clung to us the moment we got her, and called my parents "Ma" and "Da" within a few weeks. As she grew up, she shrugged when people called her out for looking different, and she says "Why would I want to find two total strangers in a different country? My parents are here." The anti-international adoption groups don't often consider the many, many strong bonds that happen in internationally-adoptive families. I was raised in a divorced family, and my experience is that often parents use money to compensate for not being there. I had everything I needed. I was spoiled, bratty, and selfish, and often acted like a kid in a candy store who didn't have any money. I wanted for nothing and had a room stuffed full of toys that I never played with.

A; because this story provides specific examples and the last part explains how the story is related to the main topic

Two students are writing journal entries about the process they're using to come up with a topic for their research essay. Based on the excerpts below, which one is most likely to find a topic that will yield a strong, effective research paper? (Note: entries are abridged, and ellipses indicate that they were written on different days.)

A; because this student looks for ways to personalize and narrowed it down into something managable. This is my very first college-level research paper and I feel totally overwhelmed. I guess what confuses me most is who is supposed to be the audience? I mean, my instructor will read it, but who else?...clarified this question with my instructor: she said to write it as though it would be published in a journal to be read by my academic peers. That helps. So. We're supposed to write about an environmental issue and I'm embarrassed to say that I've done a list of possible topics and none of them interest me....i'm looking through my class notes and forgot that we talked about recycling programs. Everyone loves recycling. I once saw a recycling truck at the landfill, just tossing stuff in and that made me wonder if recycling programs always save money and resources?

Emmanuel is ready to assess his essay's higher order concerns. Which of these activities will help him do this, and why?

Analyzing his purpose for writing the paper, so that he can align his content with his over all purpose.

Evaluate these two thesis statements. Which one is stronger, and why? The local government is comprised of the mayor, the people he elects to help him, and the police, who work hard in the community to keep the peace and are elected either every two years or every four years, so they should work harder to enforce drug-dealing laws. While e-learning has been criticized for isolating learners and not letting them make the social connections essential for real learning, most recent studies show that e-learning actually strengthens learners' social skills.

B; Because the claim is provable by research and A's claim is much too vauge

Which of these working thesis statements do you evaluate to be stronger, and why? The American character has weakened because it lacks the qualities that George Washington believed were essential to the stability and success of the United States of America. Three of the qualities are morality, unity, and patriotism. While the Merlin of the popular Arthurian legends is certainly fictional, historical records suggest that he was based on a composite of three real men: King Aelfred of Britain, his advisor Ethelfred, and a mysterious traveler of the time whose name is unknown.

B; because the claim is narrow and provable by research

Vaughan is writing a numbered list of his essay's paragraphs and summarizing each paragraph in a sentence on that numbered list. What is this activity helping him accomplish?

Evaluating for clarity and coheasion

Which plan, outlined below, will give you the best chance of narrowing your topic to something that is appropriate for a research essay?

Look up topic in encyclopedias, note how topic has been broken down, and research some of these sub topics

Your peer has written the following sentence. Which piece of feedback would be the most helpful for him? "When a student takes advantage of the services of the campus-based medical office, the limitations of these offices frequently cause them to resort to recommending the student to off campus mental care offices, and a student that is uninsured may then experience difficulties in pursuing the recommended treatment due to economic constraints."

Remove unnecessary words and use strong verbs so the sentence is easier to understand

How would you differentiate these two activities? Ron reviews his class notes to see what kinds of lectures the instructor has given about his topic idea. He then takes the keywords from three of these lectures and looks them up in an encyclopedia. This activity yields more keywords that he enters into a library database. Avi reviews some notes he took from a discussion he had with his friend about an incident they lived through that relates to his topic idea. He then writes a quick paragraph about the incident and how it affected him.

Ron is narrowing down the topic; Avi is personalizing the topic.

Your friend Jane has never participated in a peer workshop before. Which of the following pieces of advice will best help her make this an effective revising activity for her and her peers?

She should offer her own reactions to other's essays like "I did not understand this" or "I found this very interesting."

Mimi has just written a forty-five minute "flash draft" of her research essay. What should she do next?

She should put it aside for a day so she can relook at it with fresh eyes.

One of your classmates says that she is not having any luck with prewriting activities; they are not helping her think of topics. What would you recommend to her?

Take an online questionnaire to discover what kind of learner you are; tailor your prewriting activities to your learning type.

What is described by the list "a main argument that is summed up by thesis statement; a section that lists objections to that argument; and a reply or rebuttal section"?

The minimal components that make up an effective research body essay.

Analyze this paragraph from the body of a research paper. Is it an effective paragraph? Why or why not? Daniel J. Pfeifer, the author of "Smoking Gun: The Moral and Legal Struggle for Medical Marijuana," says, "according to the American Medical Association, when a physician believes a law is unjust, he or she should work to change the law. If a patient in suffering from pain and medical marijuana is one option a physician may prescribe, then he must maintain his or her wellbeing and health." Daniel J. Pfeifer further says, "Ultimately, the federal government's prohibition on access to and use of medical marijuana to alleviate pain in terminally ill patients infringes upon their autonomy, which includes their rights to live and avoid severe physical suffering, the right to receive medical treatment, and the right to die with the dignity that comes from one's own choices." (Daniel J. Pfeifer 341)

This lacks purpose and could be strengthened with a key sentence.

You are doing some background research on the topic of maternal vs. paternal leave. Which of the following questions should you ask to make the best use of your pre-research time?

What significant reoccuring details to I see as I scan documents

Gita has created a color-coded list as an outline for her paper. Is this outline likely to lead to a strong research essay or not?

Yes, it can take many forms and an outlines main purpose is to structure from which an author can build a draft.

What's the most effective advice for a student who has written the following passage? Not everyone thinks that school vouchers are a good idea. "These vouchers are the worst idea to ever come through this state. They will ruin the democratic process" (Smith 33). "Vouchers mean that school districts can no longer predict the flow of money and resources and that affects kids directly" (Garcias 199).

You need to include context for these quotes so we know why you are including them

Lynne is presenting a paper that discusses the pros of British colonialism in India. In her audience will be a number of people who believe, from personal first- or second-hand experience, that this period of time was detrimental to the local population. Which of the following pieces of evidence would you encourage her to include, and why?

explains she understands both sides