Recently, Jackie Goldsby has forcefully reminded us of the importance of racial analysis to gay and lesbian political, theoretical, and historical work. . .

• “Forcefully” shows Goldsby made a strong point, stressing the importance of racial analysis. This helps make the source seem more convincing.

CH 6 , page 63

Asking is a sign of seriousness

• sometimes I feel nervous to ask questions, but this reminds me that asking shows I care and want to do good work.

CH 6 , page 60

NOTE

(The Appendix shows how to cite according to three common formats— CMOS, MLA, and APA.)

Not everything needs to be cited. Don’t cite familiar facts or common judgments:

If a scholar writes as though a field of inquiry has sprung full blown from her own head, ignores an important text, or uses inferior sources uncrit- ically, she invites skepticism about the quality of her work

• don’t use good sources or act like the ideas are only yours, people won’t believe your work. It shows why using good sources is important CH 6, page 59

primary sources are the what of scholarship, while secondary sources are the so what. In academic writing, skill in handling both kinds of sources is essential

• This reminds me to take my time and really read my sources before writing. It’s not just about grabbing quotes but actually understanding them.

CH 6, page 58

Violating them indiscriminately will saddle your readers with lifeless, shapeless sentences littered with prepositions and ugly, boring nouns

• I have to follow those rules, if I don't my writing becomes boring...

2 CHARITY , page 21

In general, the passive voice makes sense when you want to empha- size an action or its recipient and don’t care about the agent.

• Passive voice is good when you want to talk about what happened, not who did it. Got it …

2 CHARITY , page 17

nominalizations tend to make prose seem confusing or clunky

• Using nouns instead of action words can make the writing sound messy or hard to read and understand.

2 CHARITY , page 14

linking-verb constructions make it all too easy to obscure actions in everyday speech.

• I shouldn't use linking-verb because it could make the sentence unclear. 2 CHARITY , page 15

None of these techniques should be considered an absolute rule

• it’s okay sometimes to use fancy words , but don’t overdo it. know when to use them and when to keep things simple.

2 CHARITY , page 13

We tend to express ourselves clearly when agency is reflected in grammar: that is, when we express agents as subjects of sentences.

• writing makes more sense when we clearly show who’s doing what. If we don’t, the sentence can sound and be messy or weird.

2 CHARITY , page 11

Unless you know your audience, it’s impossible to be assured that what you’re writing will be well-received. - i have to know who i am writing for. if i don't, they might not get my message.

2 CHARITY , page 10

Good writers ask, “Does my reader understand the words I’m using, in the way I’m using them?

• writers should think like the reader. just because it makes sense to me doesn't mean it makes sense to them.

2 CLARITY , page 10

Remember that paragraphs represent units of thought within an argument. Such units of thought might include explanation, example, description, narration, definition, comparison, contrast, or analysis (see also Weston).

• This part explains that paragraphs are used to share ideas in an argument. Each paragraph can do different things, like explaining something, giving examples, or comparing ideas.

The upshot is that in college, you may tackle the same topic you once dispatched in a two-page, five-paragraph essay, but now it may take you twenty pages and fifty or so paragraphs.

This quote shows that essays in college are longer and more detailed. A topic that used to be covered in just a few paragraphs in high school can now take many pages and paragraphs to explore more deeply.

Lincoln, a great communicator, chose this simple structure to reinforce his speech’s intention.

This shows that clear and simple speech structure helped strengthen the message and make it more effective for the audience.

'Learn to write plainly, and you will more likely write clearly as you take on deeper subjects and become a better stylist'

the importance of clear, simple writing. it says that using plain language helps make ideas easier to understand and prevent confusion.

'Orwell said that the renewal of politics and language would begin with the choices of ordinary people like you and me about how to speak and write'

how can I make my writing and speaking more direct?

'Learning to distinguish between clear and unclear writing will also help you understand what you read'

how can I improve my ability to read critically and identify when writing is unclear?

'simplicity is not necessarily easy. Indeed, this book will complicate writing for you by suggesting a number of things to think about as you write.' clear writing isn't just about using simple words; it's about being thoughtful, isn't about always easy but the efforts make a difference.

'Essays, imbued with the spirit of inquiry, put ideas and assumptions to the test, and if they sometimes stumble or equivocate, that is part of their nature' Essays are about exploring ideas and questioning what I know. things don't have to be perfect, or the ideal doesn't have to be fully clear at first.