Directions: You have now performed a college-level English assignment. Now please answer the following questions: Have you ever written a summary or a paraphrase before? How does this assignment compare? How do you think you will use these skills in your future papers (in this class and your future college classes)? Do you have any questions about summary and paraphrase before we move on? (On this last question, if I get a lot of the same answer, we will review in class, rather than me providing you with an individual answer.)
You can respond in paragraph or list form. 200 word maximum.
Due before 5pm on September 11th.
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ReplyDeleteI have written summary papers before in high school, and it helped give me a basic understanding of some of the technicalities involved but not much of the process. This assignment, I feel, was very beneficial for me because it predominantly focused on the method used to conceive your thoughts concisely, and to begin putting them on paper. In order for me to write more advanced papers in this class, or any class later in my college career, this process will need to be internalized so I can concentrate on the subject being written about and the technical workings of a college level paper. The assignment relieved a great deal of stress for me because I was worried I would arrive to college and immediately be bombarded with an endless, complicated paper. I was worried I would just be expected to perform right away but I'm glad I was able to practice first.
ReplyDeleteI have written a college paper before but it was never with a paraphrase, the summary I believe was needed but that was back in 2005 and I can’t remember if I had to do this. This process seemed easier for me this time around, I don’t know if I was paying more attention this time or if it just made sense. This time around I felt more at ease and feel good about the paper I can present. I will use these skills I have learned in all my other classes that require me to write a paper. The only question I have is when writing a summary is the ending supposed to have a definite finish? Meaning do I have to restate the summary in a sentence or can it just flow to an end statement? This has put my mind at ease knowing that as I go forth I have necessary tools and help to get me through my college time and that I am not the only one who might have anxiety to write a good paper.
ReplyDeleteI have honestly never written a summary or a paraphrase before so I do not have anything to compare it to. Papers that I had written maybe 15 years ago for high school were not thought out or planned so this is a very different experience. I am using the LBH to help me and I have also found the tutoring center to help also. I am confused about how much detail I should put into a summary. As for the paraphrasing, I understand it but it is hard for me to express in my own words. I know with this class that will change.
ReplyDeleteI have completed a college level paper before but it was at the University of Phoenix and the curriculum there is more peer and group based, this was my first individual college level paper or summary. This assignment was easier for me then the prior one because I only had to collect my own thoughts and determine how I would arrange them on paper. In the future I think I will view situations or experiences more objectively for facts so that it is easier for me to summarize to my friends, family or fellow students. I can see now more clearly how a person can give a good summary without taking up too much time or being too specific, remember key points and not over explaining is what I learned the most.
ReplyDeleteI have in fact written several summary papers in the past. Although most of them didn’t involve paraphrasing sentences. This assignment was very similar to all my past summary papers, because they all involved using quotes in the summary. Even though they are the similar my other past papers have included writing a response on the article we wrote a summary on. Being able to summarize anything is extremely important. Because summarizing is used not only in classes but also in everyday life. For instance we summarized story we tell our friends and family. Understanding how to summarize articles is fairly easy, but when it comes to paraphrasing, it is more difficult. My only question is if we could spend a little more time on paraphrasing. The reason for this is because I have trouble comprehending the sentence which conflicts with paraphrasing it, because I cannot understand it.
ReplyDeleteAngela
I have written several summaries throughout my schooling in the past. Although i have never had to do anything involving paraphrasing , i thought it helped just to kind think creatively, and think how i would put quotes in my own words. I think doing the summary was fairly easy and will only continue to be somewhat easier as i get further into this class.I think just having the general knowledge will help me out tremendously when it comes to my classes in the future. I think that it will also help me understand things outside of school as well , and make me think more outside the box when it comes to certain things like reading or doing some writing on my own free time.
ReplyDeleteI have never written a summary or paraphrase before not even in high school as I was a high school drop-out due to not really understanding English. Since I have never done one before I have nothing to compare this paper to. I hope to get a better understanding of writing a college level summary and paraphrase, that way I can apply these skills in the future. I believe they will be helpful not only while in school but in the work place as well. The questions I have about the summary is how much detail to but in and how much detail can be left out. I wasn’t really sure how to do this paper and kind of felt like a lot of it wasn’t in my own words but I wasn’t sure any other way to approach this. I will diffidently be using the writing center a lot more in the future to help me get a better understanding. This is the class I was most worried about and has kept me from pursuing my education. As much help as I can get from you will be greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI struggled with leaving my own opinion out too. I stood close to the facts, without plagiarizing, by reading the main points and writing them in my own words. Hope this helps.
DeleteI have not written a summary as far as I could remember, maybe 10 plus years ago. I also have no experience with paraphrasing. I have a better understanding of how a summary and paraphrase work. I will use the skills I have learned like gathering main points, using MLA for future papers, and not inputting my own opinion or thoughts in to a summary. My question would be, is there a certain way to end a summary?
ReplyDeleteDuring my high school career I have written a summary a few times. Usually not for English class but in history or psychology about a research paper or something of the sorts. This assignment was very similar but it felt short. I have also written papers based on paraphrasing before and I do believe that the skills practiced in this assignment will be used again many times throughout my college career. I feel comfortable summarizing and paraphrasing and feel like the practice was a great warm up and refresher.
ReplyDeleteI have written summaries before in high school which gave me a good idea of what I needed to do for this assignment. The assignment was different in a few ways though such as the maximum word count. My first draft of the summary I can tell was a "shitty first draft" so I ended up tossing the whole thing and starting all over. My second draft of the Davidson essay also had some challenges. When I was almost done writing my second draft, I decided to go ahead and count the amount of words I had and it was about 560 words without the conclusion. I began to get frustrated because I honestly had no idea how I was going to take out 300 or so words when I felt I had already written the bare minimum. So, I ended up setting the essay aside and waiting until the next day to finish it which was a good idea because the next day in class we were given advice on how to cut down the amount of words. So, that afternoon I went home, set that essay aside, and free-wrote my final draft of the summary. The process for my summary was long but in the end paid off.
ReplyDeleteI have not written a summary like this one before. I have done some assignments about the main point of an essay but not really summarizing. I found it difficult to get all the main points in my summary while keeping it short and concise. Also keeping opinions out of the essay felt kind of weird. Which lead me to copying a lot of context without even realizing. In which I had to go back and change my word choice. Overall, summarizing really helped me get a thorough understanding of the text. On future assignments I think this summarizing experience I gained will help me with understanding writings.
ReplyDeleteI have written a couple summaries before but I don’t think I’ve written a paraphrase before. However, I have never put that much thought or time into summaries before this assignment. I will definitely use what I have learned from this assignment in the future. I think for other papers I’ll be writing in college I can fit in a summary in most of them. Perhaps the last paragraph or before my conclusion. I will try to focus more on the main points and what the author is trying to convey, instead of just adding my own opinions or vague generalizations. I don’t think I have any questions at this point that haven’t already been answered.
ReplyDeleteI have written summaries before when I was in high school, but again that was 20 years ago. I really enjoy writing, but I think I am tangled in the idea of "I'm in college now, I have to make it sound like college material" that I get overwhelmed. I've never written a paraphrase to my recollection. I believe that if I could just write with an open mind and let go of the fears I have, writing for this class and others will be more enjoyable. I found it hard to narrow everything down into 300 words when there were many points that supported Davidson's line of reason. This was a good opener to start with. Now that I see where I went wrong in my process personally, I believe they will be better in the future. Other than methods on how to condense materials and choose which points I need to touch on to summarize, I don't think I have any questions. I didn't feel very confident going into this assignment, and I feel that I "blabbered" through most of it....but now that it's over, I'm looking forward to the next assignment.
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