ENG121: Reading and Writing Rhetorically for a purpose: by seth https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy Synthesis of ideas and comprehension about William Zinsser's book. en-us 2016-02-19 19:09:58 UTC 2026-01-23 05:22:55 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.storage.googleapis.com/portrait/announcement.jpg Direction: In your groups, use this Padlet space to develop a review of the text and chapters assigned that we have been reading  all semester.  vinc5557 https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/96853552
Step 1: Synthesizing and collaborating in groups: 
Group member names:

Step 2: Identifying the Rhetorical Situation of the Zinsser 
1. Author: Who is the author? Is he/she credible and how do you know?
2. Audience: Who is the intended audience this text was written for? Be specific and identify. 
3. Text and Genre: What kind of text is it? Genre?
4. Purpose: Why was this written? What is the main idea? What is the message?
5. Context:  What is the context of the situation? The context is the social, historical, or cultural circumstances that surround a text that shape the way the author writes and the audience understands the text. Time, place, setting, or events play a factor.

Step 3: Close and Critically Synthesizing the text…
Directions: For each chapter your group was assigned, objectively inform the audience (class and instructor), and answer the following on the same Padlet shell (Complete all these questions for each chapter) and only use full name or last name of the author.   


•Chapter title 
•What was the main idea or point, thesis, claim, message, in the specific chapter assigned? The overall message?
•What was a key point?
•Insert the most important quote or the evidence from the text to show an important point and explain what he means
•Evaluation of the effectiveness of the chapter


•Chapter title 
•What was the main idea or point, thesis, claim, message, in the specific chapter assigned? The overall message?
•What was a key point?
•Insert the most important quote or the evidence from the text to show an important point and explain what he means
•Evaluation of the effectiveness of the chapter

]]> 2016-02-23 20:43:40 UTC https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/96853552 vinc5557 https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97453396 2016-02-26 01:58:56 UTC https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97453396 Chapters 7&8 schoenmadeleine97 https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97610315
Maddie, Christina, Quin

Step 2: 
1. Author: Zinsser
Credibility: NY Times and The Library journal has reviews the book. Zinsser is a writer, editor and teacher. Has had a long career in writing with respectable institutions

2.  Audience: For students and aspiring writers including journalists.

3. Text/Genre: Educational book

4. Purpose: Main reason was written for his class, to educate future writers on how to write well. The main idea was to pay attention to what you are writing, what words you are using, and how the words you use go together to form unity. 

5.  Context: The context was published in 1976, so he wrote it for his students and anyone who was willing to learn to write. He revised the book itself to keep up with the times and changes in order to keep up with the audience as well as new information he learned.

Step 3: 

Chapter 7:  Usage
Main Idea: Good usage is the use of using good words that already exist in order to express themselves clearly and simply to someone else. 

Key Point: English will always have new words, but use simple words that fit to keep the text simple and allow it to make sense

Important Quote: " Good usage, to me, consists of using good words if they already exist - as they almost always do - to express myself clearly and simply to someone else." (46) In this quote, Zinsser is trying to explain that good usage of words consists of using simple and precise words. 

Evaluation: This chapter was very effective in teaching those that words in the English language may come and go, but sticking with words that will work for a broader audience will always be better.

Chapter 8: Unity

Main Idea: Making sure your writing as a whole maintains unity through point of view, words, and voice. 

Key Point: Choose from your variables, and once you've decided what you're going to use, you have to stick with it through your entire paper. 

Important Quote: "Unity not only keeps the reader from straggling off in all directions; it satisfies the readers' subconscious need for order and reassures them that all is well at the helm." (50) In this quote, Zinsser is trying to get the writer to be sure that their wording and structure should always stay the same, or else writing becomes too confusing. 

Evaluation: This chapter gives really good personal examples in order to allow understanding in a real world situation. Zinsser is effective at stressing the importance of unity throughout a persons' writing.




]]> 2016-02-26 17:45:45 UTC https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97610315 Chapter 9&10 https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97610372 John Splinter
Paola Reyes
Step 2:
1. Zinsser is credible because he was a writing educator for Yale University.

2. This text was written for those interested in learning to write more efficiently. 

3. The text is an informative reading.

4. The purpose of the writing was to inform on good reading and writing strategize.

5. The context is the various stories and examples he uses to explain his strategize in writing. 

Chapter 9: "The Lead And The Ending."
-  The main point of this chapter is to put enfessis on the importance of the thesis and conclusion of your writing.
- The key point is the unity of your topic.
-"The most important sentence inanyarticle isthefirst one. Ifit doesn't induce the reader to proceed to the second sentence, your article is dead." You have to hook the reader in the first sentence.
- It makes you put in consideration how you direct the reader in their experience.

Chapter 10: "Bits and Pieces."
- The main point of the chapter is the importance of proper grammar.
- The key point is to show how to use proper grammar in a sentence.
-"I like to replace a humdrum word with one that has more precision or color. " Good usage of words help give the writing more meaning.
- It helps you intrigue the reader and keeps them alert and focused. ]]> 2016-02-26 17:45:55 UTC https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97610372 Chapter 11&12  https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97610683 Megan Smejkal 
Andrew Johnson
Ciara Kidney
Step 2:
1. author: Willam Zinsser. He is credible because he was at Yale University teaching the influential nonfiction workshop, as well as writing for the New York Herald Tribune as a writer and an editor.
2. Audience: The audience was intended for scholars and to the general public. 
3. Text and Genre: Nonfiction and educational 
4. Purpose: The purpose of this text was to inform readers on the literary mistakes the general public tends to make, and has solutions on how to correct them. Zinsser also informs readers to pay attention to what you are writing, your word choice, and how your writing flows. 
5. Context- Zinsser's book, On Writing Well, was published in 1976, inspiring his readers to question their writing and thought process when writing; and how to learn from their mistakes. 
Step 3: 
Chapter 11- Nonfiction as literature:
The main idea of chapter 11 was about how the literature a person reads, reflects who they are as a writer. So when people write, they should choose a topic that means something to them, so they can draw an emotional connection to their writing.
 The most important quote is, "The only important distinction is between good writing and bad writing. Good writing is good writing, whatever form it takes and whatever we call it" (99).
 Meaning that everyone has their own opinion on what good writing looks like. 
The effectiveness of chapter eleven was cut short compared to his previous chapters. In this chapter, he doesn't go in depth and fully explain his reasoning. Therefore, creating a less effective chapter. 
Chapter 12- Writing About People: the Interview:
The main idea of chapter 12 was that interviews are one of the most important forms of nonfiction writing and how it is useful in everyday life.
 The key point was that the person who is being interviewed's words will always be better than with the filter of a writer, because they are passionate on the topic and have their own perspective. 
 Most important quote in chapter 12 was, "interviewing is one of the skills you can only get better at..You'll never feel entirely comfortable prodding another person for answers he or she may be too shy to reveal.. [but] knowing how to make the other person relax, when to push, and when to stop"(104). 
Meaning, everyone starts somewhere, the best interviewers learned from experience. 
This chapter gives Zinsser's past experiences on interviews and his insights on how to conduct a successful interview, starting on how to prepare for an interview, and how to conduct yourself. Zinsser is effective at verbalizing the importance on how to conduct a proper interview and how to make it beneficial for you and your writing. ]]> 2016-02-26 17:46:53 UTC https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97610683 Chapter 5 & 6 https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97611284 Benjamin Knees
Austin Green
Donivan Harville
Robert Landman

On Writing Well
Author: The author of On Writing Well is William Zinsser. Zinsser is a credible source on good writing because he is a prolific writer with many published books and articles.

Audience: The intended audience of On Writing Well was people who wanted to learn how to write well.

Text: The text was intended to be an informal and informative relaying of the author's writing experience.

Purpose: The purpose of the book was to help people write more clearly, concisely, and, in general, better.

Context: The context of the book was the world in which it was written - a world where expanding technology and shortening attention spans was creating, objectively, worse writers.

Chapter 5: The Audience
Main Idea: Writing is done best when you are writing for yourself.
Key Point: There is no magical mass audience that you are writing for. Audiences are people, as are you.
Quote: "But whatever your age, be yourself when you write." 28
Meaning: Write what interests you. Write how you speak. Write yourself.
Effectiveness: The use of example's of many varied writer's works was helpful in showing how the actual subject of the work is not as important as how clearly and attractively, and with personality, the writer can present it.

Chapter 6: Words
Main Idea: Using the words that are "new" or "hip", or the longest possible version, does not make your writing look smarter or more attractive. It only makes it look more pretentious or foolish.
Key Point: There are plenty of good, strong words in the English language. Don't use the flimsy vernacular that was invented yesterday.
Quote:
"Times like these try men's souls.
How trying it is to live in these times!
These are trying times for men's souls.
Soulwise, these are trying times."37
Meaning: The order in which you put your words matters just as much as which words they are. Some orders are poetry - others, banal.
Effectiveness: Overall, the chapter is adept at illustrating the author's point that short, strong, meaningful words will always lend more to your writing than weaker jargon.]]> 2016-02-26 17:48:58 UTC https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97611284 Chapters 1 &2 https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97611499 Lexi, Erin, Igor, Sarah

On Writing Well
1. William Zinsser is the author of On Writing Well. Between the way he writes, the situations he speaks of in his writing, and his extensive experience in writing leads us to believe that Zinsser is a credible source for learning to write well. 

2. The intended audience for Zinsser's book is for anyone who writes, needs to write, or want's to write and hone in on their skill (or desired skill). 

3. The text/genre is an informative, educational book intended to reach the broad audience intended with a touch of comedy.

4. The purpose of Zinsser's book is to encourage, teach, inform, and offer practical help to improve the audience's writing skills.

5. The context of the book comes out of a culture who's writing has become increasingly informal and morphed from what it was with growing social media, texting, informal e mails, etc. Zinsser aims to stress the importance of not letting this context degrade the writing.

CHAPTER 1 | The Transaction
In chapter 1 Zinsser uses his opposing views of another professional to demonstrate that there is no correct formula for writing. He says that, "ultimately the product that any writer has to sell is not the subject being written about, but who he or she is" (5). By using the opposing views as an example in the beginning of this chapter, Zinsser effectively demonstrates the many methods of writing well.

CHAPTER 2 | Simplicity
The main idea for this chapter is to cut unneeded words and ideas to help get the point across efficiently. His key point is that "clutter is the disease of American writing," (7) implying that unneeded fillers and words are killing good writing. The effectiveness of this chapter can be found in the practical ways Zinsser gives to avoid these mistakes.]]> 2016-02-26 17:49:35 UTC https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97611499 Chapter 3+4 https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97614845 Mackenzie Miller
Brandon Matthews
1. W. Zinsser is a credible author because he is an experienced published author and has taught for a number of years.
2. Audience would have to be anyone who wants to improve their writing and he implements humor to make it more appealing to anyone. Not just teachers or students
3. genre is Nonfiction, educational and informative
4. Purpose is to inform people about how to write in a more concise manner. He wants us (the audience) to be able to articulate our thoughts better.
5. Context would be in the beginning of the book. He is speaking to a college Q+A and is inspired to help young people read and write better because he realizes that there are many other forms of entertainment and time fillers. People just don't read and write the way they used to. 



Chapter 3: Clutter p.13
The main idea of chapter 3 is to de-clutter your writing, Many authors fill their writing with unnecessary words and its counterproductive.
"Clutter is the laborious phrase that has pushed out the short word that means the same thing" (p.14)
I personally feel that this chapter has been very effective because I now think about all the little pieces that don't belong while writing.


Chapter 4: Style  p.18
The main idea of chapter 4 is the style in which the author writes. Don't be someone you aren't for the sake of writing because the reader will know. "Therefore a fundamental rule is: be yourself" (P.20)
This chapter was effective because it is true that readers can see past a "fake" version of yourself. Readers are able to identify more easily to the real version of the writer.]]> 2016-02-26 18:00:51 UTC https://padlet.com/vinc5557/hlzdmk1gcsvy/wish/97614845