Romel Powell

November 30, 2016

ENG 1313-05

The Perfect 10% Takeaway

In this English course 1313 05, Writing in a Digital World, we practiced and applied
many traditional and new media writing skills. We picked up several skills in this course
such as Informal Writing, Formal Writing, Online Digital Writing, Creative Commons,
Image Editing, APA Style, In-text and End-text Documentation, Annotated Bibliography,
MEAL Plan, and the ICE Plan. Studies show that students only remember 10% of they
learned and also cant remember what was taught 45 minutes after the lecture. In this
end of semester reflective writing summary & evaluation I will give my 10% takeaway on
what stood at to me and what will be useful to me in my career after college. I picked
four skills that I will always remember and will always use in career or daily life. The
skills are Formal & Informal Writing, Direct Quotes & Paraphrases, APA Style Format,
and Creative Commons.

Formal & Informal Writing

Formal and informal writing serve different purposes. The tone, the choice of words and
the way the words are put together vary between the two styles. Formal writing is less
personal than informal writing. Formal writing is used when writing for professional or
academic purposes like university assignments. Informal writing is more casual and
spontaneous. It is used when communicating with friends or family either in writing or in
conversation. It is also used when writing personal emails, text messages and in some
business correspondence.

Difference Between Formal and Informal

Formal

Informal

Avoid using colloquial

words/expressions (substitute with

children, man/boy, wonderful,
many, etc.)

Avoid contractions

Write in third person

Avoid addressing readers using

second person pronouns

State your points confidently and

offer your argument firm support

Is often written in Times New
Roman, 12-point font size.

May use colloquial

words/expressions (kids,
guy, awesome, a lot, etc.)
May use contractions
May use first, second, or
third person
May address readers using
second person pronouns
Difficulty of subject may be
acknowledged and empathy
shown to the reader
Is written in type in any style
of font and size

Romel Powell
November 30, 2016
ENG 1313-05

Informal

Formal

Direct Quotes & Paraphrases

Direct quotes (quotations) and paraphrases helps better your understanding of the
reading and how you reference the text in your words. Quotations must be identical to
the original, using a narrow segment of the source. They must match the source
document word for word and must be attributed to the original author. Paraphrasing
involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase
must also be attributed to the original source. Paraphrased material is usually shorter
than the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and
condensing it slightly. There are two ways the use both direct quote and paraphrase.
For direct quote you can use signal phrase (beginning) or parenthetical reference (end).
For paraphrase use either paraphrase with a signal phrase or parenthetical reference
also.

Why and How to Use

Why? You should use quotations and paraphrases for: providing support for claims or

add credibility to your writing, calling attention to a position that you wish to agree or
disagree with, highlighting a particularly striking phrase, sentence, or passage by
quoting the original, distancing yourself from the original by quoting it in order to cue
readers that the words are not your own, an expanding the breadth or depth of your
writing.
How. Use quotation and paraphrases when paraphrasing important supporting points

that come up in the essay, and considering any words, phrases, or brief passages that
you believe should be quoted directly. a short quotation works well when integrated into
a sentence. Longer quotations can stand alone. Remember that quoting should be done
only sparingly; be sure that you have a good reason to include a direct quotation when
you decide to do so.

Romel Powell
November 30, 2016
ENG 1313-05

Examples

APA Style Format

APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources
within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6th edition, second
printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research
papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page. Using APA Style
makes it easier for readers to understand a text by providing a familiar structure they
can follow. APA Style is mostly for: Social Sciences, such as Psychology, Linguistics,
Sociology, Economics, and Criminology, Business, and Nursing students and writers.
Two most common types of APA papers: the literature review and the experimental
report. Most papers are in literature review style unless you are a social sciences
student and you would us experimental review. APA Style is also in formal writing.

How to Write APA Style

Your essay should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1"
margins on all sides. You should use a clear font that is highly readable. APA
recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Include a page header (also known
as the "running head") at the top of every page. The running head is a shortened
version of your paper's title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and
punctuation. Your essay should include four major sections: The Title Page, Abstract
(experimental), Main Body, and References.

Example

Romel Powell
November 30, 2016
ENG 1313-05

Creative Commons (Licenses)

Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization devoted to expanding
the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The
organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons
licenses free of charge to the public. These licenses allow creators to communicate
which rights they reserve, and which rights they waive for the benefit of recipients or
other creators.
Usage. Creative Commons is used for images, videos, and music remixing. You can

find images and music with CC licenses on flicker.com/creativecommons/ and

pixabay.com.

Different types of
CC license

Flicker.com/
creativecommons/
Pixabay.com

Romel Powell
November 30, 2016
ENG 1313-05