What’s the main tool of a writer? The thesaurus!!! You must thesaura-size at least three times in each Part of your essays for this class. See Chapter 3 of The 5 Part Method text for the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing.
In an essay, you restate your Focus several times. After each in-text citation from an expert, you must paraphrase toward your own Focus. These are only a couple of opportunities to use a thesaurus. So, let’s get some practice.
Find a Great Citation from one of your readings. Be sure to be accurate in your signal phrases! Should you use ‘narrator’? Is it a character speaking, etc…? See the MLA Success Doc!
YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE CITATIONS THAT ARE MORE THAN 3 LINES IN YOUR ESSAYS!
Post in PERFECT MLA FORMAT.
FIRST POST EXAMPLE
Hartel Citation
Class:
Here is a great citation in perfect MLA format!
Hartel writes, “Thus, some of the memorial established out of respect for Baker’s life and work also function as objects and spaces of devotional piety” (345).
Robert Z.
********************************
For your second post, p ick any classmate’s first post and paraphrase the citation. Use a thesaurus. I recommend DICTIONARY.COM. Notice there is a dictionary tab and a thesaurus tab. After typing or pasting in a word, you can get both the definition and an array of synonyms to choose from simply be clicking on the appropriate tab. There’s also an audio button to listen to the word spoken aloud by a robot :))
Notice there is no quotation marks for a thesaura-sized statement. This is because it is “in your own words”. You must, however, give credit to the author in the sentence. (…In other classes, you could use parenthetical documentation and place the author’s name in parentheses at the end of the sentence. But I don’t allow parenthetical documentation in this class…)
SECOND POST EXAMPLE
Re: Hartel Citation
Robbie:
How about this as a paraphrase? Hartel states that the sites honoring Baker’s life also act as places to show reverence.
Wanda C.
*********************************
Finally, rank one of your fellow classmates paraphrases as either FAULTY, UNACCEPTABLE, OR ACCEPTABLE.
Acceptable means the paraphrased sentence is EXACTLY the same thing as the original. NOTE: If this is your designation, you must RE-thesaura-size a part of the sentence. Meaning, give a NEW suggestion to at least one word in the sentence.
Faulty means you paraphrased and got some information wrong. If this is your designation, be sure to explain to your classmate what they got wrong.
Unacceptable means that you paraphrased but didn’t really give all of the information or you added your own thoughts into the mix. NOTE: If this UNACCEPTABLE your designation, be sure to explain what was added or left out. Further, give a better solution to at least one word in the sentence…
THIRD POST EXAMPLE
Re: Hartel Citation
Hey, Wanda!
That is an ACCEPTABLE paraphrase. You wrote exactly the same thing as Hartel stated. You didn’t change the meaning at all. Personally, I liked the switch from “piety” to “reverence”. Both are academic words but mean the exact same thing. They even “feel” the same. Sometimes you already know the words the thesaurus suggests, but it is tough to think of them all on your own. I like that tool.
Though, you could even use “devoutness” in place of those two words.
Quinton L.
