{"id":160,"date":"2025-04-17T16:34:51","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T16:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/writing-assignments\/"},"modified":"2025-07-16T15:34:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T15:34:02","slug":"writing-assignments","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/writing-assignments\/","title":{"raw":"College Writing: Learn It 1","rendered":"College Writing: Learn It 1"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Describe common types and expectations of college writing tasks<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Identify characteristics of organically structured essays<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1031\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"366\"]<img class=\"wp-image-1031\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/904\/2016\/10\/13213223\/15483911602_23fe8ed6b8_z-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Man writing in a notebook sitting on a couch.\" width=\"366\" height=\"244\" \/> <strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. All college classes require some form of writing. Investing some time in refining your writing skills so that you are a more confident, skilled, and efficient writer will pay dividends in the long run.[\/caption]\r\n<h2 class=\"p1\">What to Do With Writing Assignments<\/h2>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Writing assignments can be as varied as the instructors who assign them. Some assignments are explicit about what exactly you\u2019ll need to do, in what order, and how it will be graded. Some assignments are very open-ended, leaving you to determine the best path toward completing the project. Most fall somewhere in the middle, containing details about some aspects but leaving other assumptions unstated. It\u2019s important to remember that your first resource for getting clarification about an assignment is your instructor\u2014they will be very willing to talk out ideas with you to be sure you\u2019re prepared at each step to do well with the writing.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Most writing in college will be a direct response to class materials\u2014an assigned reading, a discussion in class, or an experiment in a lab. Generally speaking, these writing tasks can be divided into three broad categories: summary assignments, defined-topic assignments, and undefined-topic assignments.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 class=\"p1\">Summary Assignments<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Being asked to summarize a source is a common task\u00a0in many types of writing. It can also seem like a straightforward task: simply restate, in shorter form, what the source says. A lot of advanced skills are hidden in this seemingly simple assignment, however.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">An effective summary does the\u00a0following:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li class=\"p1\">reflects your accurate understanding of a source\u2019s thesis or purpose<\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"p1\">differentiates between major and minor ideas in a source<\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"p1\">demonstrates your ability to identify key phrases to quote<\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"p1\">shows your ability to effectively paraphrase most of the source\u2019s ideas<\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"p1\">captures the tone, style, and distinguishing features of a source<\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"p1\">does not reflect your personal opinion about the source<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThat last point is often the most challenging: we are opinionated creatures, by nature, and it can be very difficult to keep our opinions from creeping into a summary. A summary is meant to be completely neutral.\r\n<p class=\"p1\">In college-level writing, assignments that are <em>only<\/em> summaries are rare. That said, many types of writing tasks contain at least some element of summary, from a biology report that explains what happened during a chemical process, to an analysis essay that requires you to explain what several prominent positions about gun control are, as a component of comparing them against one another.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox proTip\" aria-label=\"Pro Tip\">\r\n<h4>Writing Effective Summaries<\/h4>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Start with a Clear Identification of the Work<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">This automatically lets your readers know your intentions and that you're covering the work of another author.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\r\n \t<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Clearly identify (in the present tense) the background information needed for your summary: the type of work, title, author, and main point. Example: <\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\"><i>In the featured article \"Five Kinds of Learning,\" the author, Holland Oates, justifies his opinion on the hot topic of learning styles -- and adds a few himself.<\/i><\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Summarize the Piece as a Whole<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Omit nothing important and strive for overall coherence through appropriate transitions. Write using \"summarizing language.\" Your reader needs to be reminded that this is not your own work. Use phrases like <i>the article claims,<\/i> <i>the author suggests, etc.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\r\n \t<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Present the material in a neutral fashion.\u00a0Your opinions, ideas, and interpretations should be left in your brain -- don't put them into your summary. Be conscious of choosing your words. Only include what was in the original work.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Be concise. This is a summary -- it should be much shorter than the original piece. If you're working on an article, give yourself a target length of 1\/4 the original article.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Conclude with a Final Statement<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">This is not a statement of your own point of view, however; it should reflect the significance of the book or article from the author's standpoint.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\r\n \t<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Without rewriting the article, summarize what the author wanted to get across. Be careful not to evaluate in the conclusion or insert any of your own assumptions or opinions.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h3 class=\"p1\">Defined-Topic Assignments<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Many writing tasks will\u00a0ask you to address a particular topic or a narrow set of topic options.\u00a0Defined-topic writing assignments are used primarily to identify your familiarity with the subject matter. (Discuss the use of dialect in\u00a0<em>Their Eyes Were Watching God<\/em>, for example.)<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Remember, even when you\u2019re asked to \u201cshow how\u201d or \u201cillustrate,\u201d you\u2019re still being asked to make an argument. You must shape and focus your discussion or analysis so that it supports a <b>claim <\/b>that you discovered and formulated and that all of your discussion and explanation develops and supports.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 class=\"p1\">Undefined-Topic Assignments<\/h3>\r\nAnother writing assignment you\u2019ll potentially encounter is one in which the topic may be only broadly identified (\u201cwater conservation\u201d in an ecology course, for instance, or \u201cthe Dust Bowl\u201d in a U.S. History course), or even completely open (\u201ccompose an argumentative research essay on a subject of your choice\u201d).\r\n\r\nWhere defined-topic essays demonstrate your knowledge of the <em>content<\/em>, undefined-topic assignments are used to demonstrate your <em>skills\u2014<\/em>your ability to perform academic research, to synthesize ideas, and to apply the various stages of the writing process.\r\n<p class=\"p1\">The first hurdle with this type of task is to find a focus that interests you. Don\u2019t just pick something you feel will be \u201ceasy to write about\u201d or that you think you already know a lot about \u2014those almost always turn out to be false assumptions. Instead, you\u2019ll get the most value out of, and find it easier to work on, a topic that intrigues you personally or a topic about which you have a genuine curiosity.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">The same getting-started ideas described for\u00a0defined-topic assignments will help with these kinds of projects, too. You can also try talking with your instructor or a writing tutor (at your college\u2019s writing center) to help brainstorm ideas and make sure you\u2019re on track.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\">[ohm2_question]40568[\/ohm2_question]\r\n\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\n<ul>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Describe common types and expectations of college writing tasks<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Identify characteristics of organically structured essays<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1031\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1031\" style=\"width: 366px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1031\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/904\/2016\/10\/13213223\/15483911602_23fe8ed6b8_z-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Man writing in a notebook sitting on a couch.\" width=\"366\" height=\"244\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1031\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. All college classes require some form of writing. Investing some time in refining your writing skills so that you are a more confident, skilled, and efficient writer will pay dividends in the long run.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"p1\">What to Do With Writing Assignments<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Writing assignments can be as varied as the instructors who assign them. Some assignments are explicit about what exactly you\u2019ll need to do, in what order, and how it will be graded. Some assignments are very open-ended, leaving you to determine the best path toward completing the project. Most fall somewhere in the middle, containing details about some aspects but leaving other assumptions unstated. It\u2019s important to remember that your first resource for getting clarification about an assignment is your instructor\u2014they will be very willing to talk out ideas with you to be sure you\u2019re prepared at each step to do well with the writing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Most writing in college will be a direct response to class materials\u2014an assigned reading, a discussion in class, or an experiment in a lab. Generally speaking, these writing tasks can be divided into three broad categories: summary assignments, defined-topic assignments, and undefined-topic assignments.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\">Summary Assignments<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">Being asked to summarize a source is a common task\u00a0in many types of writing. It can also seem like a straightforward task: simply restate, in shorter form, what the source says. A lot of advanced skills are hidden in this seemingly simple assignment, however.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">An effective summary does the\u00a0following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\">reflects your accurate understanding of a source\u2019s thesis or purpose<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">differentiates between major and minor ideas in a source<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">demonstrates your ability to identify key phrases to quote<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">shows your ability to effectively paraphrase most of the source\u2019s ideas<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">captures the tone, style, and distinguishing features of a source<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">does not reflect your personal opinion about the source<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That last point is often the most challenging: we are opinionated creatures, by nature, and it can be very difficult to keep our opinions from creeping into a summary. A summary is meant to be completely neutral.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">In college-level writing, assignments that are <em>only<\/em> summaries are rare. That said, many types of writing tasks contain at least some element of summary, from a biology report that explains what happened during a chemical process, to an analysis essay that requires you to explain what several prominent positions about gun control are, as a component of comparing them against one another.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox proTip\" aria-label=\"Pro Tip\">\n<h4>Writing Effective Summaries<\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Start with a Clear Identification of the Work<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">This automatically lets your readers know your intentions and that you&#8217;re covering the work of another author.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Clearly identify (in the present tense) the background information needed for your summary: the type of work, title, author, and main point. Example: <\/span>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\"><i>In the featured article &#8220;Five Kinds of Learning,&#8221; the author, Holland Oates, justifies his opinion on the hot topic of learning styles &#8212; and adds a few himself.<\/i><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Summarize the Piece as a Whole<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Omit nothing important and strive for overall coherence through appropriate transitions. Write using &#8220;summarizing language.&#8221; Your reader needs to be reminded that this is not your own work. Use phrases like <i>the article claims,<\/i> <i>the author suggests, etc.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Present the material in a neutral fashion.\u00a0Your opinions, ideas, and interpretations should be left in your brain &#8212; don&#8217;t put them into your summary. Be conscious of choosing your words. Only include what was in the original work.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Be concise. This is a summary &#8212; it should be much shorter than the original piece. If you&#8217;re working on an article, give yourself a target length of 1\/4 the original article.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Conclude with a Final Statement<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">This is not a statement of your own point of view, however; it should reflect the significance of the book or article from the author&#8217;s standpoint.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Without rewriting the article, summarize what the author wanted to get across. Be careful not to evaluate in the conclusion or insert any of your own assumptions or opinions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h3 class=\"p1\">Defined-Topic Assignments<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">Many writing tasks will\u00a0ask you to address a particular topic or a narrow set of topic options.\u00a0Defined-topic writing assignments are used primarily to identify your familiarity with the subject matter. (Discuss the use of dialect in\u00a0<em>Their Eyes Were Watching God<\/em>, for example.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Remember, even when you\u2019re asked to \u201cshow how\u201d or \u201cillustrate,\u201d you\u2019re still being asked to make an argument. You must shape and focus your discussion or analysis so that it supports a <b>claim <\/b>that you discovered and formulated and that all of your discussion and explanation develops and supports.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\">Undefined-Topic Assignments<\/h3>\n<p>Another writing assignment you\u2019ll potentially encounter is one in which the topic may be only broadly identified (\u201cwater conservation\u201d in an ecology course, for instance, or \u201cthe Dust Bowl\u201d in a U.S. History course), or even completely open (\u201ccompose an argumentative research essay on a subject of your choice\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>Where defined-topic essays demonstrate your knowledge of the <em>content<\/em>, undefined-topic assignments are used to demonstrate your <em>skills\u2014<\/em>your ability to perform academic research, to synthesize ideas, and to apply the various stages of the writing process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The first hurdle with this type of task is to find a focus that interests you. Don\u2019t just pick something you feel will be \u201ceasy to write about\u201d or that you think you already know a lot about \u2014those almost always turn out to be false assumptions. Instead, you\u2019ll get the most value out of, and find it easier to work on, a topic that intrigues you personally or a topic about which you have a genuine curiosity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The same getting-started ideas described for\u00a0defined-topic assignments will help with these kinds of projects, too. You can also try talking with your instructor or a writing tutor (at your college\u2019s writing center) to help brainstorm ideas and make sure you\u2019re on track.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm40568\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=40568&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm40568&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Writing in College: From Competence to Excellence\",\"author\":\"Amy Guptill\",\"organization\":\"SUNY Open Textbooks\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/textbooks.opensuny.org\/writing-in-college-from-competence-to-excellence\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of man writing\",\"author\":\"Matt 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