 Writing 5

 Summary (n) – written collection of all the main ideas in an entire reading, using one’s own words o A summary is much shorter than the original source o The summary of a paragraph would be a sentence; a two-page article will probably be 5-6 sentences in length o Verb: to summarize  Paraphrase (n) – rewriting of a single idea, which may include detail, from another author, using one’s own words o A paraphrase is usually only a few sentences in length, but can be longer if more clarification is needed o The paraphrase will be similar in length to the original source o Used in research and argumentative essays to support claims o Verb: to paraphrase

 When making an argument in your writing, or when writing a research paper, paraphrasing is necessary to: o Support your claims o Make your research more credible and believable o Convince the reader that you know the subject well enough to comment on it o Avoid filling your paper with quotations (not your own words)

 Just like summarizing, when you paraphrase you must: Use your own words to restate the idea Maintain the original meaning of the idea Not add new information Give a citation

 To avoid plagiarism, you should use at least two of these methods: 1. Change sentence structure and/or word order 2. Use synonyms 3. Change parts of speech  If your paraphrase includes more than two consecutive words that are identical to the original (unless both words are function words), you have plagiarized.

 How has cell phone use changed in the last 10 years? What about the last 5?  What are the negative outcomes of using a cell phone? Have you experienced any of these yourself?  Where do you think you could find research to support these ideas?  Read: Article #2 (online):  Is Texting Ruining the Art of Conversation?

 For this assignment, you will compose one paragraph (approx. ¾ of a page!) that could be used in an argumentative essay or research paper about cell phones. The topic of the paragraph is: Negative effects of cell phone use.  You will be given 3 articles with information that may be paraphrased for this assignment. However, you are not summarizing these articles – only use the information that is pertinent to the topic. You must use 2 of these articles and 1 additional source that you locate on your own (news site, government organization, academic journal etc.)  Include: 1. Topic sentence (problems/negative effects from texting – not solutions) 2. Support (1-3 sentences for each supporting point with citation from an article) 3. Concluding sentence 4. Include your in-text citations for each article – ex: According to the Federal Communications Center (2009), …

 When making claims in a research paper, not every sentence requires a citation. However, if you make a claim that is not common knowledge, you should have a citation for that claim in the same sentence or an adjacent sentence.  Example: The number of deaths caused by cell phone use each year is increasing. According to Smith (2006), 7,900 deaths were attributed to distracted driving and cell phone use in the years The following year, an additional 3,000 deaths occurred.

 If you have two facts from the same author that are adjacent, you don’t need to repeat the citation.  The number of deaths caused by cell phone use each year is increasing. According to Smith (2006), 7,900 deaths were attributed to distracted driving and cell phone use in the years The following year, an additional 3,000 deaths occurred.  The number of deaths caused by cell phone use each year is increasing. 7,900 deaths were attributed to distracted driving and cell phone use in the years The following year, an additional 3,000 deaths occurred (Smith, 2006).