Illiteracy tests

[sabotabby]

[Poll #1533424]

Comments

[lienne.livejournal.com]

Well, that sure looks conclusive.

[seaya.livejournal.com]

The first but also synthesizing it if possible.

[ironed_orchid]

That's a good way of putting it.

[seaya.livejournal.com]

I find that a lot of folks never get past some kind of numbered list of steps for How to Write (tm), which yes works for instructional purposes, but really isn't the way good writing happens as such.

Like for example when a full grown adult, a teacher even, on this committee I'm on was trying to edit a letter and insisted that you can never ever ever start two sentences in a piece of writing the same way, that you always always have to vary every single line. Which, you know, no. Not really. They teach that rule in school so you don't make *everything* the same. But it's not really a hard and fast rule, once you know how to actually write. /soapbox

Anyhow, my reason for saying the above follows from that, in that, simply paraphrasing on a micro level is not enough for a cohesive summary most of the time. You have to synthesize the information into understandable chunks in its abbreviated form and actually mediate with the reader, explaining why the information is significant and to whom.

I know you knew all this, just ranting. :-D

[sabotabby]

This is true. But even if you're ruling out higher level thinking, what they are asking for in this case (one main point and one supporting detail from the text) is not in any way a summary.

[marnanel.livejournal.com]

insisted that you can never ever ever start two sentences in a piece of writing the same way, that you always always have to vary every single line

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH

[ironed_orchid]

It's good ranting.

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

While greatly tempted by "ticky-summary", I resisted the ticky-box urge (which was difficult, I tell you) and plumped for the correct answer.

[thebigbadbutch.livejournal.com]

I am currently in college and "summarize this article" or book or whatever usually means "here is something that supports what I believe. Take some quotes to demonstrate why I am correct".

[ebourland.livejournal.com]

The actual question is "your understanding" of "summarize this article."? My understanding could be anything.

[sabotabby]

I know, but the stupid LJ polls don't have an edit option.

[skywardprodigal.livejournal.com]

It's not necessary to list all the main ideas and list a supporting detail of which to summarize an article.

[pofflewomp.livejournal.com]

Wah. I remember "summarise" questions always being hard at school because I always felt there must be a trick somewhere. It always looks too easy. What on earth be this "supporting detail" stuff? Do they mean you must say, for example, that the article is about acne and focuses on its eruption during adolescence, rather than giving a prasy or whatever it's called and saying the article is about acne, offers some first-hand accounts of the suffering it causes its victims, digresses somewhat into the issue of bullying suffered by people with spots, then flashes lots of pseudo scientific information to sell you its spot cream?

I am waffling. I have PMT so feel spots coming on. Being a teacher sounds way too brain-churning to me.

[pofflewomp.livejournal.com]

And is it English English to put an in "summarise" and American English to put a "z" or am I just spelling it wrong?