Chapter 26- Writing from Reading

Chapter26:WritingfromReadingThefirststepwhenyouwritefromwhatyoureadistobesureyouunderstandwhatyouhaveread.Toensureyourunderstanding,youshouldbeanactivereader.Thismeansthatyoushouldreadmorethanoncewithadifferentpurposeeachtime,youshouldaskquestionsbefore,during,andafteryouread,andyoushouldmakenotesasyouread.Onceyouhavereadactively,youwillbepreparedtowriteinanumberofdifferentways.Youwillbeabletosummarizewhatyouhaveread.Thatmeansyouareaccuratelyre-tellingtheauthor`smainideasinyourownwords.Asummaryalsogivesthemajorsupportingdetailstheauthorhasusedtosupportthemainideas.Onceagainthough,summariesarewritteninYOURwordsnottheauthor`swords.Anothermethodofwritingaboutwhatyouhavereadistorespondtothereading.Whenyourespondtoareading,youpickoutaparticularpointorideathattheauthorhasmadeandthenbrainstormtodevelopyourownideasbasedontheauthor`sthought.Unlikesummarizing,youaregeneratingyourownideasbasedontheauthor`soriginalthought.Ratherthangeneratinganewidea,youmayalsochoosetorespondtoanideainthereading.Youmayagreeordisagreewithapointtheauthorhasmade.Inyourwriting,youwillexplainwhyyouagreeordisagreewiththatpoint.Onceagain,youarecomingupwithyourownreasoningandyourownwordinginresponsetosomethingyouhaveread.Aparticulartypeofwritingyouwillberequiredtodoiswritinganswerstoessaytests.Essaytestquestionsoftenaskyoutoreadmaterialandtheneithersummarizethematerialorrespondtoitinaparticularway.Theonethingthatmakesessaytestwritingdifferentfromotherwritingsituationsisthetimelimit.Inatestingsituationyouwillcarefullymonitoryouruseoftimeandyouwon`tputallofthepolishingtouchesinthatyouwouldifyouhadunlimitedtimetocompletethewriting.Thesearesomeofthewaysyoucantiethematerialthatyoureadtothematerialyouwrite.Youwillfindthatifyoufollowtheadvicegiveninthischapterthatyouwillneverbeatalossforatopictowriteabout.