An Insight into Academic Writing Essay

Authors Gerald Graff and Cathy Berkenstein claim in their book, They Say, I Say, that academic writing is not about â€Å"playing it safe and†¦ piling up truths and bits of knowledge,† like many people assume. Rather, it is about the dynamic interaction between other people’s points of view and the author’s response to those perspectives. In chapter one of Graff and Berkenstein’s book they emphasize the necessity of balance when implementing certain writing â€Å"moves,† specifically, when introducing a counter-view, summarizing other’s arguments, and when quoting someone else’s words. Graff and Berkenstein contend that by opening an argument with an explanation of what the thesis is responding to–introducing a counter-view–gives the main point clarity and relevance. They encourage stating the opposing view or assumption initially so that it will define and explain what the thesis is addressing. But, they also caution the writer not to bloat their introduction with extraneous information for fear of losing the audience’s focus and engagement. What Graff and Berkenstein suggest, then, is that â€Å"as soon as possible you state your own position and the one it’s responding to together, and that you think of the two as a unit. † Basically, they insist that the best way to give a â€Å"genuine response to other’s views† during academic writing is to have a balance between introducing what â€Å"They Say† (the opposing point of view) and what â€Å"I Say† (the writer’s response). If being in a constant dialogue with others’ positions is essential to arguing persuasively, as Graff and Berkenstein claim, â€Å"then summarizing others’ arguments is central to [the writer’s] arsenal of basic moves. † All too often during a summary, writers will provide their own opinions on an article’s topic rather than revealing what the article is actually stating. On the opposite extreme, there are the writers who â€Å"do nothing but summarize,† which dilutes their own views in an ocean of someone else’s ideas. Graff and Berkenstein remind us that a â€Å"good summary requires balancing what the original author is saying with the writer’s own focus. † In other words, an exceptional summary contains the perspective of the original author, while emphasizing the points the responding author wants to address. One of the best ways to initiate an effective argument is not only to summarize what they say, but to quote their exact words. According to Graff and Berkenstein, â€Å"Quoting someone else’s words gives a tremendous amount of credibility to your summary and helps ensure that it is fair and accurate. † By quoting someone else’s exact statement it serves as a proof of evidence that you are not just fabricating another’s claim, but that you are disclosing their true ideas. Like introducing a counter-view and summarizing, quoting requires that you find an ideal balance between the quantity of quotes and content of commentary. A common issue with quoting is when the author assumes the quote speaks for itself. As Graff and Berkenstein, quotes are like literary orphans that have been taken from their original context, â€Å"they need to be integrated into their new textual surroundings. † In simpler terms, a quote needs to be introduced, interpreted, and then connected to the central idea. I found chapter one of Graff and Berkenstein’s book, â€Å"They Say,† to be extremely interesting and useful. The way they tied all their information to a central idea, while explaining how to do just that fascinated me. I felt like their writing had a constant flow from introduction of a move, to implementing balance, to common problems, how to fix those problems, and then to exercises that would reinforce their primary concepts. Their style and content kept me engaged and focused. Also, I learned a handful of writing tactics, like introducing a counter-view, summarizing, and inserting quotes, that I was not one-hundred percent sure on how to do prior to the reading. Overall, I found the chapter to be engaging, informative, and beneficial to me and my writing style.

Free Essays on Greek Discipline

One value that the Greeks emphasized is self discipline. The greeks worked out and ate healthy. In addition they were disciplined of mind. An example of this would be the Spartans who would not eat alone so the they would not eat too much. An example of this in artwork is the Discus Thrower. He is extending a mental and physical effort to throw the discus to the best of his ability. He is in good physical health which is a result of his self discipline. A second value that the Greeks felt was important is humanism. Humanism is the belief that human beings have the ability to accomplish great things. They felt humans had the great potential and they showed their power more than any other civilization. An example of the humanism in artwork is the Spear-Bearer. Greek sculpture was highly advanced and was later duplicated by the Romans. In this sculpture movement and confidence can be seen by someone looking at the Spear-Bearer. This shows how great the sculptures that lived in Greek were and the extent of their ability. A third value emphasized by the Greeks is balance. Everything was done in moderation, there was never too much or too little. An example of balance in architecture is the Parthenon. When the Parthenon was being built the architect decided that the columns would not be spaced evenly so that when looking at the Parthenon from a distance it would appear to be perfectly balanced. Also, on the freeze at the entrance of the Parthenon there was a sculpture of the gods. In the middle was one god, and to his left and right was another two gods who were standing. Next to the standing gods, the gods would be sitting. Next to the sitting gods, the gods were laying down. There was an equal number to the left and right of the large on in the middle. This was so that the sculpture would be perfectly balanced. Also, the bottom of this sculpture would be very close and as it become higher the sculpture would come out of the stone more... Free Essays on Greek Discipline Free Essays on Greek Discipline One value that the Greeks emphasized is self discipline. The greeks worked out and ate healthy. In addition they were disciplined of mind. An example of this would be the Spartans who would not eat alone so the they would not eat too much. An example of this in artwork is the Discus Thrower. He is extending a mental and physical effort to throw the discus to the best of his ability. He is in good physical health which is a result of his self discipline. A second value that the Greeks felt was important is humanism. Humanism is the belief that human beings have the ability to accomplish great things. They felt humans had the great potential and they showed their power more than any other civilization. An example of the humanism in artwork is the Spear-Bearer. Greek sculpture was highly advanced and was later duplicated by the Romans. In this sculpture movement and confidence can be seen by someone looking at the Spear-Bearer. This shows how great the sculptures that lived in Greek were and the extent of their ability. A third value emphasized by the Greeks is balance. Everything was done in moderation, there was never too much or too little. An example of balance in architecture is the Parthenon. When the Parthenon was being built the architect decided that the columns would not be spaced evenly so that when looking at the Parthenon from a distance it would appear to be perfectly balanced. Also, on the freeze at the entrance of the Parthenon there was a sculpture of the gods. In the middle was one god, and to his left and right was another two gods who were standing. Next to the standing gods, the gods would be sitting. Next to the sitting gods, the gods were laying down. There was an equal number to the left and right of the large on in the middle. This was so that the sculpture would be perfectly balanced. Also, the bottom of this sculpture would be very close and as it become higher the sculpture would come out of the stone more...

And They Didnt Die essays

And They Didnt Die essays In her novel And They Didnt Die, Lauretta Ngcobo gives us a glimpse of the life of a South African woman during the Apartheid Era (1950s-1980s). The human rights efforts of African women had a long lasting and far-reaching effect on the future cultural climate of South Africa. They fought back against the unjust laws that had permeated their country. Were they successful? What price did they pay? Ngcobo attempts to answer these questions in her novel. In order to understand the struggles of Jezile and other South Africans, it is necessary to know the history of their country. Discrimination against nonwhites was inherent in South African society from the earliest days. With the South Africa Act of 1910 the British parliament established the dominion of the Union of South Africa, with four colonies as its provinces. South African blacks had a low status in the white-dominated state. Urban blacks lived in segregated areas and could not hold office. They had no viable unions, and technical and administrative positions were closed to them. In 1914 the National Party was founded, which emphasized Afrikaner language and culture. By 1948 the all-white National Party came to power. Segregation and inequality between races had existed as a matter of custom and practice in South Africa, but after 1948 they were enshrined in law. The National Party won the general election that year in a coalition with the smaller Afrikaner Party. The United Party became the official opposition. The United Party mainly had an urban base with substantial support from English-speaking South Africans, while the National Party's support was drawn almost entirely from Afrikaans-speaking South Africans. At the heart of the National Party's legislative agenda was apartheid, Afrikaans for separateness, a doctrine of white supremacy promoted as a program of separate development. Once in power, the National Party extended and legaliz...

Anti-Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anti-Globalization - Essay Example Globalization is portrayed as a positive thing from which undeveloped countries can benefit. However an alternative view suggests something else. Some people are of the view that through the excuse of globalization the developed countries are exploiting the weak economies. They are making the undeveloped countries dependant on themselves and would eventually result in making them their slaves. The theory behind the movement was so strong and convincing that it brought together the ideological school of thoughts who believed in anarchism and communism, and the activists who have a much pragmatic approach to life. Before this movement nothing had worked in order to unite these two opposite forces. The ideology behind the movement is as I have previously mentioned, strong economies use the excuse of globalization to further strengthen their economies and in the process drain the weak economies. Basically, globalization is giving rise to accumulation of wealth and power. The strong are getting stronger and the weak weaker. The undeveloped countries have started becoming increasingly dependant on the developed nations and thus the developed countries are in a position to make or break them. One of the ba... They do not understand the basic value systems. For instance Pakistan's electricity company has been taken over by a Saudi company and now Pakistan is facing the worse electricity crisis ever. According to Noreena Hertz, in her book 'The silent takeover' "Corporations have become behemoths, huge global giants that wield immense political power" and in the process of their evolution, "justice, equity, rights, the environment, and even issues of national security fall by the wayside." This as we can see is very true. Another major issue is that anti-globalization activists believe that the concept of intellectual property has been overly dramatized and stretched. Now information and intellectual property which used to be possessed collectively by a country or an ethnic group is being retained by a smaller portion of people. Thus sharing of resources has finished. The people cling on to their intellectual property and share very little of it with others. Thus weaker people can not benefit from it and are at a loss. Generally they are the big companies who have retained this kind of intellectual property thus their market concentration increases. Labor issues are also a major back bone of the movement. Referring back to the privatization of Pakistan electric company we see that the developed countries are influencing the developing countries to privatize their businesses. This is because in their opinion privatization is a good thing and therefore they are forcing others to go for it too. However privatization causes unemployment for many of the employees. There have been many influential works seen in the movement. Examples of them include Naomi Klien's book 'NO Logo'. This book talks about the unethical side of the production processes of the multi

Right to Confrontation Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Right to Confrontation - Article Example They didnt call the examiners as witnesses. The respondent ought to have the capacity to get his conviction upset dependent upon Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, the decision from last June, which held, by a 5-to-4 vote, that utilizing lab reports without calling the experts maltreats the Sixth Amendment. The revisions encounter provision ensures litigants the right to see indictment witnesses in individual and to interrogate them, unless they are genuinely inaccessible. In cases that include medicates, and numerous that dont, lab examiners work could be a discriminating some piece of the indictments case. On the off chance that the prosecutors need to utilize the reports, they ought to be obliged to call the examiners as witnesses. It is not clear why the Supreme Court is racing to reexamine this issue. There are a few contrasts in the guidelines on witnesses between Virginia and Massachusetts. In any case it may be that with Justice Sonia Sotomayor having supplanted Justice David Souter, the nonconformists accept they have a fifth vote to disintegrate or undiscovered last Junes decision. As a previous associate area lawyer, some court examiners contend, she may be more thoughtful to the trouble on prosecutors. As a circuit court judge, Justice Sotomayor did regularly run for the administration in criminal cases, however making forecasts of this sort is hazardous. In the event that the court changes the tenet, it might be a noteworthy setback for common freedoms, and not simply in cases including lab confirmation. Prosecutors may utilize the choice to legitimize offering various kinds of affirmations, recorded proclamations and other confirmation from missing

Statistics on the Incidence of AIDS in the US Research Paper - 1

Statistics on the Incidence of AIDS in the US - Research Paper Example In 2007, it has been reported that HIV was the third leading cause of mortality for black men and women aged 35-44. HIV also became the ninth leading cause of mortality for all blacks. In fact, about 233,624 Blacks who were diagnosed with AIDS had died in the United States. Moreover, African American women were known to be 22 times more likely to die from HIV/AIDS compared to women from other ethnicities. In 2008, African Americans had the highest rate of death from AIDS, which amounted to 27.5 per 100,000 population. According to Maryland Statistics, Black females incurred higher rates of AIDS mortality compared to women from other races. Table 1 below also supports these statistics. The peak of mortality observed from all races was seen in 1995. Â   In 1995, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was introduced to the public. Before 1995, the use of protease inhibitors in the United States was not allowed. The United States Food and Drug Administration approved the drugs in December of 1995 and on March of 1996. HAART is associated with decreased mortality and morbidity of patients with HIV/AIDS. Although it is not a cure, it is used for the purpose of improving a patient’s symptoms or even their quality of life. As a result, the patient’s survival rate is also prolonged. HAART is just one of the other lifesaving innovations that have been discovered. Thus, after the year 1995, the mortality rate started to decline slowly. The decline is quite evident and steady on White females. However, with regards to Black females, the mortality rate decreased post-HAART but would increase again after 1998. Afterwards, the rate intermittently increased and decreased. The trends in the mortality rates of Black women with AIDS as compared with White patients is truly intriguing. The disparity is profound. Certain factors can be attributed with such disparities in mortality and morbidity rates observed between ethnicities of women - most especially Blacks and Whites - with HIV/AIDS. It is relevant to identify such factors in order to come up with solutions that could help ease this disparity.

Writing Strategies Essay Example for Free

Writing Strategies Essay Write a response for each of the following activities. Check the Evaluation section at the end of this document to make sure you have met the expected criteria for the assignment. When you have finished, submit your work to your teacher. 1. Purpose, Voice, and Theme Themes in literature, such as heroism, love, corruption, greed, and perseverance, often reflect and relate to the issues we encounter in our daily lives or read about in the news. In this activity, you will develop ideas for an essay that relates a current news issue to a theme from a work of literature you have read. a. Think about some of the literature that you have read. Consider novels, essays, speeches, poems, and short fiction. Brainstorm a list of titles. Type your response here: b. Choose three titles from your list and write them in the chart below. Then list the themes from each work. Remember that the theme of a piece of literature is the main idea, the message, the subject, or the concept that the author is trying to convey by telling the story. Examples of themes include love, hate, the innocence of youth, love of life, courage, struggle, loyalty, survival, and triumph over adversity. Type your response here: |Title |Theme | |The Odyssey |Determination | |The Boy in The Striped Pajamas |Curiosity | | | | c. Begin to develop ideas for a five-paragraph essay exploring a theme from one of the literary works that you listed in the chart above. Select one title from the chart and enter information about this work in the space below. Type your response here: |Title |The Odyssey | |Author |Homer | |Genre |Epic Poetry | |Themes |Determination | In your essay, you will choose one or more themes from the work that you have selected and relate the theme to an issue discussed in the news. For example, you might relate the theme of courage from Jack London’s novel Call of the Wild to the actions of rescue workers after a catastrophic event. Recall this prewriting strategy for generating ideas for your writing: †¢ List what you know. †¢ List what you do not know. †¢ Consider alternative viewpoints. Read this guide to learn more about prewriting strategies. d. What do you know about the themes of the work you selected? What are some examples from the work (such as dialogue, character actions, or narration) that illustrate the theme? What are some news stories and issues that illustrate this theme? Type your response here: It is difficult to be that determined in your works. The main character must fight constant battles just to get back to his home. â€Å"O Brother Where Art Though?† illustrates these characteristics. e. What are some things you do not know about the work you selected for your essay? What are some possible additional themes? What additional evidence from the text can you locate? Type your response here: There are other possible themes. Justice could be a possible theme. The man who tries to steal Odisious’ wife is eventually killed. f. What are some alternative viewpoints you might consider before beginning to write? If possible, collaborate with a classmate and add information about his or her perspective to your own. What themes could a peer identify inthe work you selected? What evidence from the text might he or she suggest? Can someone else suggest additional news or issues that relate to the work’s themes? Type your response here: g. From the ideas that you have generated, identify the theme on which you will base your essay, as well as the issues or news stories that relate to the theme. Type your response here: Determination, my determination while spearfishing. Before beginning to write, consider the purpose and voice of your essay. h. What is your purpose for writing this essay assignment? Type your response here: To copare determination in the odyssey to determination in my own life. i. Based on the purpose for writing you described above, what is an appropriate tone for your essay? Type your response here: Objective. 2. Organizing the Essay a. Record information about your essay in this essay organizer. Type your response here: |Essay Organizer | |Title of work selected |The Odyssey | |Author |Homer | |Genre |Epic Poetry | |Selected theme |Determination | |Evidence from the text that supports |He refuses to give up until he gets home. | |the theme | | |News or issues related to the theme |Spearfishing requires determination as well. | |Author’s purpose |To show the difficulties of spearfishing. | |Selected tone |Objective | b. Create an outline that will help you write a first draft of your essay. Look at this outline template and then create your own outline using information from the essay organizer. [pic] Type your response here: 3. Writing the Essay Now write the first draft of your five-paragraph essay. As you write, be sure to refer to your outline and your essay organizer. As you write and revise your draft, keep in mind: †¢ your audience †¢ your purpose for writing †¢ your writing style Read these guidelines before writing your essay. Type your response here: Note: In the Unit Activity, you will perform a peer review and revise the essay in the unit activity. Evaluation Your teacher will use these rubrics to evaluate the completeness of your work as well as the clarity of thinking you exhibit. Activity 1: Purpose, Voice, and Theme | |Concepts | |Distingui|Lists the titles of at least six works that are related to current news issues | |shed |Chooses three of the most suitable works | |(4 |Accurately identifies the themes of all the works | |points) |Accurately fills in information about the work selected | | |Provides detailed information about the themes of the selected work with several  appropriate examples | | |Identifies news stories and issues in which the chosen theme is central | | |Accurately identifies additional themes | | | Thoroughly considers alternate viewpoints | | |Chooses a theme that encompasses all the ideas generated | |Proficien|Lists the titles of at least four works that are related to current news issues | |t |Chooses three suitable works | |(3 |Correctly identifies the theme of all the works | |points) |Correctly fills in information about the work selected | | |Provides adequate information about the themes of the selected work with a few relevant examples | | |Identifies news stories and issues that are closely related to the chosen theme | | |Correctly identifies plausible additional themes | | | Adequately considers alternate viewpoints | | |Chooses a theme that encompasses most of the ideas generated | |Developin|Lists the titles of three works that are related to current news issues | |g |At least two of the chosen works are suitable | |(2 |Roughly identifies the themes of at least two works | |points) |Correctly fills in information about the work selected | | |Provides meaningful information about the themes of the selected work with at least one relevant example | | |Identifies news  stories and issues that are clearly related to the chosen theme | | |Roughly identifies at least one plausible additional theme | | |Considers some alternate viewpoints | | | Chooses a theme that encompasses some of the ideas generated | |Beginning|Lists the titles of fewer than three works that are related to current news issues | |(1 point)|Few of the chosen works are suitable | | |Fails to identify the themes of the works | | |Provides some incorrect information about the work selected or is missing information | | |Provides information about the themes of the selected work without relevant examples | | | Identifies news stories and issues that are marginally related or unrelated to the chosen theme | | |Does not identify a plausible additional theme | | |Does not consider alternate viewpoints | | |Chooses a theme that encompasses few of the ideas generated | Activity 2: Organizing the Essay | |Criteria | |Distingui|Thoroughly explains the purpose of the essay | |shed |Chooses the most appropriate tone for the essay | |(4 |Records information accurately in the essay organizer | |points) |Creates an outline that is highly consistent with the information in the organizer  | |Proficien|Adequately explains the purpose of the essay | |t |Chooses an appropriate tone for the essay | |(3 |Records information in the essay organizer | |points) |Creates an outline that is largely consistent with the information in the organizer | | Developin|Roughly explains the purpose of the essay | |g |Chooses a somewhat appropriate tone for the essay | |(2 |Records incomplete information in the essay organizer | |points) |Creates an outline that is roughly consistent with the information in the organizer | |Beginning|Briefly mentions the purpose of the essay | |(1 point)|Does not choose an appropriate tone for the essay | | |Records information inaccurately or incorrectly in the essay organizer | | |Creates an outline that is inconsistent with the information in the organizer | Activity 3: Writing the Essay | |Criteria | |Distingui|Highly consistent with the outline and the essay organizer | |shed |Very relevant to the intended audience | |(4 |Closely reflects the purpose of writing | |points) |Exhibits a highly consistent writing style | | |Correct syntax, spelling, and punctuation throughout  | | |Ideas effectively grouped in paragraphs in a smooth, logical sequence | |Proficien|Largely consistent with the outline and the essay organizer | |t |Relevant to the audience | |(3 |Largely consistent with the purpose of writing | |points) |Exhibits a largely consistent writing style | | | Largely uses correct syntax, spelling, and punctuation | | |Ideas grouped in paragraphs in a logical sequence | |Developin|Roughly consistent with the outline and the essay organizer | |g |Somewhat relevant to the audience | |(2 |Roughly consistent with the purpose of writing | |points) |Exhibits a somewhat consistent writing style | | |Noticeable mistakes in syntax, spelling, and punctuation | | |Ideas grouped in paragraphs in a somewhat meaningful sequence | | Beginning|Inconsistent with the outline and the essay organizer | |(1 point)|Not relevant to the audience | | |Not consistent with the purpose of writing | | |Does not exhibit a consistent writing style | | |Numerous mistakes in syntax, spelling, and punctuation | | |Ideas grouped in paragraphs, but sequence is neither smooth nor logical | Lesson Activities English 11 I. Introduction, beginning with a thesis statement II. First example describing how the theme relates to a current issue or news story a. evidence from the text b. evidence from the text III. Second example a. evidence from the text b. evidence from the text IV. Third example a. evidence from the text b. evidence from the text V. Conclusion