#and taught at every level of comp since you learn to hold a damn pen

[themoonbutspooky]

I was taught that good writing has:

evidence (fact, statistic, quote etc. WITH CITATION ex. "your dancesong soul. rarely-beloved" ee cummings "in the rain")

description (restating the evidence for CLARITY. ex ee cummings uses two different strategies for connecting words in this example once compounding with no punctuation and once by hyphenating)

analysis (interpreting the evidence in a way brings additional meaning. you stating your opinion and support for it, ex this distinction suggests a gradation of closenesses. dancesong being both more positive in connotation than rarely-beloved and literally more closely associated by means of space on the page.)

synthesis (connecting the evidence and analysis to your BROADER point or THESIS. ex. this gradation of closeness ties to the use of visual space in the poem as a whole and its relation to metaphorical closeness. cummings uses this strategy to show readers the ways in which he is both close and far from the subject of the poem.)

>video claiming to be essay/history on a topic

>ask them if its analysis or summary

>they dont understand

>pull out detailed chart explaining what's analyzing the ideas and motives behind a text and what is just presenting information without thinking about it

>"it's a good video, ma'am"

>watch it

>summary