CyberDemocracy worksheet

Summary
This text clearly sets out to argue a case - but how clear is the case, and what are the
arguments? Summary is not 'photographic': it doesn't simply reproduce on a smaller scale,
because we set the 'summary function' according to how short we want the summary to be
and, consequently, how much detail we want. These decisions, in turn, affect whether we
are principally skimming (overall) or scanning (for detail).
Step 1 ... Skim the text, and then produce a single sentence expressing what the writer
wants to say - "What is his case, his point?"
Step 2 ... Scan the text for clear arguments in favour of the writer's case, and list what
you find.

Structure
There are ten paragraphs. Discuss whether the passage is efficiently organised, perhaps
using the following questions :-
? What does each paragraph do ? What is its apparent purpose?
? Why are short paragraphs used?
? What seems to be the overall pattern of the paragraphs? Can they be put into larger
groups?
? How else could the same ideas have been organised, for better effect?
Phrasing & tone
How well written is the text? In other words, how authoritative does it sound, and how
persuasive is the language used (which is not quite the same as how 'convincing' the
arguments might be) ? Ask yourself the following questions :-
? What is the register of the text? (formal ... semi-formal ... informal) Which details
make you think so?
? What is the tone of the text? (solemn, serious, idealistic, passionate, committed,
pompous ...?)
? Are there words and phrases which you have never seen before? (Netizens, Meta
society, Cyber society ...?) What do you guess they mean?
? Where and why are capital letters used ? (irregularly - to add importance ...?)
? Is the phrasing of the text successful? If so, in what sense? If not, where and why?

© David Ripley, Inthinking

www.englishb-inthinking.co.uk