a clear-cut resolution of an issue is impossible can demonstrate your sophistication as a writer.
not everything is always black and white as a writer. you can't always give a direct answer especially if theres a chance of you being wrong because itd be misleading to the reader.
you need to be as clear as possible with readers about what type of response you are making—
template that makes sure the reader understands
on the one hand, I agree; on the other hand, I disagree”—
being able to disagree and agree at the same time without confusing the reader
difficulty affects graduates in all fields, not just those from the liberal arts. I
he is agreeing to disagree. he agrees with part of the statement but also adds on that it isnt just liberal arts and theres others as well.
here is no reason to worry about being “unoriginal.”
many people think the same, someone has probably thought the same thoughts as you it just depends who states it first. But you could state a different version of it or even add onto what the person is saying
what you bring to the table could be an accessible translation
dumb it down so people better understand and make it seem like it was what you had thought originally
then agree with the rest—
pick and choose what disagree and agree with
which you agree with the evidence that someone else has presented but show through a twist of logic that this evidence actually supports your own, contrary position.
Ive never heard of this method before. Its sort of a psychological approach in a way of confusing the reader, but then making it clear to them all over again
offer persuasive reasons why you disagree
Dont give a short disagree summarize why you disagree to show the reader why they should also disagree
A far better approach, we submit, is to play the “believing game”
giving them the benefit of the doubt
In any effective interpretation, then, you need not only to state what you yourself take the work of art to mean but also to do so relative to the interpretations of other readers—be they professional scholars, teachers, classmates, or even hypothetical readers
Speaking my own opion and observations with others is a good way to practice writing arguments.
It is always a good tactic to begin your response not by launching directly into a mass of details but by stating clearly whether you agree, disagree, or both,
To create better understanding for the reader, use agree, disagree, or both when starting your statement
the complexity, subtlety, and originality of your response are more likely to stand out and be noticed if readers have a baseline sense of where you stand relative to any ideas you’ve cited.
Be sure to provide the reader with an explanation of your perplexed ideas and response
When writers take too long to declare their position relative to views they’ve summarized or quoted, readers get frustrated
Provide my response to writing to readers within a reasonable time to not leave them bothered wurstioning where my views are
agreeing, disagreeing, or some combination of both
three ways to respond - yes, no, maybe
how they make their case by building on what other scholars have said.
this is where I start to argue
It is better to risk being overly explicit about what you take a quotation to mean than to leave the quotation dangling and your readers in doubt.
It is more acceptable going deep into explanation over a quote than to allow the reader to sit and question why the quote was inserted
As a general rule, the most explanatory framing is needed for quotations that may be hard for readers to process: quotations that are long and complex, that are filled with details or jargon, or that contain hidden complexities.
It's best to have further in depth insight on lengthy quotes with large vocabulary, ebonics or undercurrent
This new framing material also works because it accurately represents Garcia’s words while emphasizing what the writer deems important. I
The rewritten version provided more insight into the quote and the writer's insights and explanation of the quote that fit into the argument
quoting what someone else says means citing what they say, to give credit where credit is due,
Have a work sited page, and site the work within the text when able, without confusing the reader
The introductory or lead-in claims should explain who is speaking and set up what the quotation says; the follow-up statements should explain why you consider the quotation to be important and what you take it to say.
Provide in depth information to allow the reader to understand the original writing that's being summarized or quoted
Instead, it’s as if the student could stay focused on the quotation only long enough to transcribe it and hurry on to what they have “always felt.”
dont be lazy and actually connect something within the argument to the quotation
Joe Garcia writes about technology and prison. “Without more open and frequent internet access, there’s no way we’ll ever truly keep pace with the changing world outside our prison walls.” This is an excellent point. I have always felt that . . .
The writer fails to explain his reasoning for using the quote. It would had been better if the writer followed the quote with an idea of their own argument and how it relates to the quote
Given the evolving and messy nature of writing, you may sometimes think that you’ve found the perfect quotation to support your argument, only to discover later on, as your text develops, that your focus has changed and the quotation no longer works.
Choosing quotes prior to writing the essay can cause for having to find other quotes due to my vision changing. There should be more of my writing than quotes within the essay
The point we want to emphasize is that quoting what “they say” must always be connected with what you say.
When using a direct quote, it should be balanced with my thoughts and interpretation
But the main problem with quoting arises when writers assume that quotations speak for themselves.
Even when using exact verbiage from the text, still include your interpretation, or write further about the quotation.
quotations function as a kind of proof of evidence, saying to readers: “Look, I’m not just making this up. She makes this claim, and here it is in her exact words.”
Using the authors exact verbiage can validate the argument being made
verbs for making a claim argue assert believe claim emphasize insist observe remind us report suggest verbs for expressing agreement acknowledge admire admit agree celebrate concede corroborate do not deny endorse extol praise reaffirm support verify verbs for questioning or disagreeing complain complicate contend contradict deny deplore the tendency to qualify question refute reject renounce repudiate verbs for making recommendations advocate call for demand encourage exhort implore plead recommend urge warnShow Less
These are action words/verbs to use. Keep as a resource
To do justice to the authors you cite, we recommend that when summarizing—or when introducing a quotation—you use vivid and precise signal verbs as often as possible.
Open you mind and use stronger words than "he said, she said". Instead use action words such as "he raised eyebrows".
good summaries require a balance between what someone else has said and your own interests as a writer.
Incorporating your personal interpretation and that of someone else's is mandatory to off set one sided information
author’s view accurately but doing so in a way that fits what you want to say, the larger point you want to make.
Bring up authors argument, but don't oversaturate their argument making your argument less
list various points made by an author, sometimes itemizing those points (
give multiple argument points from another author
make sure that your “they say” and “I say” are well matched.
Include equal amounts of they say and i say so one argument isnt overly biased or over staurated
like (apparently) his wife, who comprise a small percentage of the population
personal tests cannot be considered testable since they can be biased
Goldsmith claims that it can actually encourage intellectual thought.
Does it actually encourage intellectual thought since reading is still reading?
To set up this argument, you will want to compose a summary that foregrounds what Goldsmith says about the internet’s effect on thought, while keeping any other aspects of Goldsmith’s argument in the background:
Summarize what author says include other points without losing focus on main point
that you study it very closely, and that you not confuse it with something you already believe.
put my beliefs to the side so i can fully understand what the other author is arguing
rigorous and thoughtful summary of the author’s words,
Summarize but still include the authors words so that its not too biased
who must convincingly “become” characters whom in real life they may detest.
Make your audience think you're switching arguments then do a complete 180 so they know the right side of the argument
you must be able to suspend your own beliefs for a time and put yourself in the shoes of someone else.
endorse yourself in their beliefs to fully understand their side. Basically understand opposing argument to better summarize it
Sept 30, 2026such writers might offer their own views on the article’s topic while hardly mentioning what the article itself argues or says.
Include articles argument and argue with article instead of paraphrasing what the article says
templates for introducing “standard views”
these templates can be useful for future essays
Starting with a summary of others’ views may seem to contradict the common advice that writers should lead with their own thesis or claim.
why could we not start with our main claim or thesis and throw in others views as we go along in the writing to get people more excited to read what other people think compared to what the writer thinks
start with “what others are saying,”
rephrase what someone said and say it back to them because then they will think you are the smart one and will continue listening to you and your ideas
Delaying this explanation for more than one or two paragraphs in a very short essay or blog entry, three or four pages in a longer work, or more than ten or so pages in a book
bring it up again to spike interest and keep the reader wanting to read further on to get more information
writers need to indicate clearly not only what their thesis is but also what larger conversation that thesis is responding to
connect everything into my thesis and be specific
group and organize information increases depth of understanding
Paraphrase,go through all three levels to get a better understanding of mind mapping
make connections between sentences; ask yourself what the author was intending to do here
connecting sentences to either past sentences or future sentences to better my understanding is a great tactic to use
A practical reading comprehension and annotation strategy that works well for many readers is to draw mind maps during or after reading
this would be a good strategy for me to use because i often struggle writing what i think so this seems like it would help me clearly write what i think
Or I’ll use that annotated question as a chance to engage in discussion with others and better understand the text later in class, with the help of my colleagues
discussing with others always helps me better understand the text
I would not sell back my textbooks, largely because I had spent so much time annotating in the margins that I felt a certain amount of ownership over those books and course readers by the term’s end
Putting a lot of effort into annotating a book and someone asks for it just to copy everything feels disrespectful.
Schema-building: What does “reading” mean to you? Who are you as a reader? How would you describe your reading process?(required)
Ive never been much of a reader, but when I am able to get myself to read something I enjoy I find it comforting. Its a way for me to escape my reality and 'live' my life through someone else. I usually read through the book, but before that i read the back cover to see if I would enjoy the book.
Using reading as a way into writing helps you make connections, solve problems, and make texts meaningful for you and others around you.
being able to take out parts of a book you just read and form it into writing shows how well you read the book and comprehended it
How did it feel? Did you feel that you had to conform, or that you could be yourself? What cues, conventions, or standards of that Discourse Community made you feel that way?
When I was in a discourse community i felt out of place and unwanted. I move a lot so i constantly switch schools, many people had known each other for years which made me feel even more out of place because it seemed as if they were all comfortable in their own groups and did not want to make new friends.
picking up on the language choices,
Ive always struggled with learning how to pick up language choices, but talking with peers helps better my understanding.
Skimming is an important pre-reading step because it gives you a sense of the text before you start going in-depth
i include this in every book or paper i read so i can pick out what is most important which helps me better understand the rest of the writing.
What do you still want to know?
this is a good process to have because even after finishing the whole book there is still many things that were not covered.
heuristic of KWL+
Two words I have not seen nor heard of before. Learning new words enhances my vocabulary
Persistence—the ability to sustain interest in and attention to short- and long-term projects.
This is always a good ability to have so you can stick to the things you need to continue youjr life.
“What is the due date for this assignment?”
Learn to read the whole assignment before contacting the professor.
Even when I offered her extra time to complete her assignments, she kindly refused, holding tightly to her work ethic and explaining that she wanted to be a positive role model for her four younger siblings.
this puts me in a different perspective that when applying yourself it makes a difference.
Your professors are passionate about their subjects.
Its always good to have a professor that takes pride in their subject because they are more attentive and understand the topics more.
Before reading the narratives below, why do YOU think individual experience is important? How can we start to connect experiences in academic settings?
Individual experience is important because everyone comes from different backgrounds and has different perspectives, and ways of learning. Personal experiences can shape now someone understand an academic environment and can help others understand that their are multiple ways to learn.
Once students like you know that you are allowed to have your own voice as an academic writer—
Throughout high school many teachers want your paper written in a certain way and have only certain phrases within the paper, which made it hard to voice my own opinions.
I teach my students about the importance of having a flexible mindset in college is developing the courage to take risks, experiment, and truly grow as readers and writers.
taking risks especially in school can be scary because grades play a huge factor in students futures.
What do you believe your learning style is? If you were to place yourself on the Zone of Appropriate Challenge and Growth, where has the majority of your education taken place as a learner?
I learn best with active recall. I have not found the best learning style for me yet, but I believe I will soon. I've been in all of the zones throughout my education. It mostly depends on how much interest I have in the particular subject as well as how fast paced the teacher is.
because they haven’t asked them, and they either go through material too fast or without proper support, students can end up in the “Panic Zone,”
Panic mode is due to teachers piling students with a bunch of unknown knowledge, then expecting them to know all the material within a day.
annotate using hypothes.is to make sense of new information and perspectives
I like using hypothesis so far because I am able to voice my opinions and points of view, while also getting to see what everybody else thinks.
s a big opponent of standardized testing practices, and actually all testing in general. The reason is simple: because a single test cannot test everybody’s abilities,
I agree with this. I always struggled with tests, but knew the material very well and would consistently get good rades on homework.
reading and writing processes should be taught within a “pedagogy of multiliteracies”* to reflect multiple learning styles and create inclusive learning environments
i strongly agree. Many students have different learning styles, but most teachers teach with a particular style that does not suffice the students' needs for learning.
takes its cue from the interests of those who are being educated
I believe that students should be more educated on their interests. Or the classes they take should integrate their interests to make learning more enjoyable.
learning becomes boring
Not that learning becomes boring, but it becomes overwhelming due to the amount of work piled on top of students of all ages and most start to complete assignments to get that good grade and get it turned in on time instead of actually being able to learn the material.
3 – Good; the teachers were engaging but I mostly went through the motions
I had a decent education, but not all teachers were as attentive and able to help mine and others struggles.
“Students are expected to do whatever they’re told, to accommodate themselves to a curriculum that was created by adults who never met them” (3).
When students are able to ask their own questions and freely think for themselves it can help their understanding of the curriculum.
active learning and what makes learning engaging, fun, and ultimately the most rewarding for both you, the students, and us, the teachers.
Could active learning affect a student negatively? Say the student has troubles focusing on their own work and is consistently using others work to complete their own.
What is learning, and how do we learn best?
Will this book help me learn what my brain needs to learn? How do people find out what type of learning style suits them?