An Insight into Academic Writing Essay Example

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 “do nothing but summarize,” which dilutes their own views in an ocean of someone else’s ideas. Graff and Berkenstein remind us that a “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, “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, “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, “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.