Writing Assignment 1:
Summary
The primary object of writing assignment number one is to learn to succinctly and concisely summarize a given set of information in one’s own words. You may use one of several organizational patterns for this assignment which we will discuss below.
For this assignment, you will summarize the major events leading up to the Revolutionary War, including the Intolerable Acts, the colonists’ retaliation and the British government’s motives. A summary paper does not give opinion, but provides information in an objective yet interesting way. One understandable difficulty with writing a summary is to avoid plagiarism, or the stealing of another person’s ideas or specific wording pattern, so we will discuss ways to paraphrase including combining ideas to form original thoughts and sentences. You will follow the basic structure of a paper: using a brief introduction followed by a body and wrapping it up with a brief conclusion. The introduction should conclude with your thesis statement which will consist of a single sentence that summarizes very generally the basic idea of the events you will be discussing. Be sure to avoid including opinion in this thesis statement. This includes putting moral judgment statements into your thesis statement (or any part of the paper), such as stating that what the British government did was “bad” or “uncalled for.” A proper way to address it would state that the American colonies did not favor what the British government chose to do.
Tips: Proof read your paper several times, and have someone else read (parents, siblings, friends, and of course me!) it over to look for errors. Use strong verbs and avoid short choppy sentences (except for purposeful effect). Use transitional words and phrases (see handout). Choose an organizational pattern to establish a logical smooth flow.
Organizational Patterns:
Chronological: the chronological organizational pattern arranges the information according to time sequence, meaning according to the order in which things happen or happened.
Topical: the topical organizational pattern divides the information into separate and logical topics which can be discussed separately or linked.
Compare/Contrast: the compare/contrast organizational pattern discusses how different pieces of information are similar or different from each other.
Assignment Details:
Length: Two pages or more
Format: Double Spaced, 1inch margins, any academic font
For this assignment, you will summarize the major events leading up to the Revolutionary War, including the Intolerable Acts, the colonists’ retaliation and the British government’s motives. A summary paper does not give opinion, but provides information in an objective yet interesting way. One understandable difficulty with writing a summary is to avoid plagiarism, or the stealing of another person’s ideas or specific wording pattern, so we will discuss ways to paraphrase including combining ideas to form original thoughts and sentences. You will follow the basic structure of a paper: using a brief introduction followed by a body and wrapping it up with a brief conclusion. The introduction should conclude with your thesis statement which will consist of a single sentence that summarizes very generally the basic idea of the events you will be discussing. Be sure to avoid including opinion in this thesis statement. This includes putting moral judgment statements into your thesis statement (or any part of the paper), such as stating that what the British government did was “bad” or “uncalled for.” A proper way to address it would state that the American colonies did not favor what the British government chose to do.
Tips: Proof read your paper several times, and have someone else read (parents, siblings, friends, and of course me!) it over to look for errors. Use strong verbs and avoid short choppy sentences (except for purposeful effect). Use transitional words and phrases (see handout). Choose an organizational pattern to establish a logical smooth flow.
Organizational Patterns:
Chronological: the chronological organizational pattern arranges the information according to time sequence, meaning according to the order in which things happen or happened.
Topical: the topical organizational pattern divides the information into separate and logical topics which can be discussed separately or linked.
Compare/Contrast: the compare/contrast organizational pattern discusses how different pieces of information are similar or different from each other.
Assignment Details:
Length: Two pages or more
Format: Double Spaced, 1inch margins, any academic font