• Choose one of the following essays and write a concise (make every word count!) and accurate 400-word summary of it (minimum 375 words; maximum 425 words). o Victoria Clayton’s “The Needless Complexity of Academic Writing” o Stanley Fish’s “What Should Colleges Teach?” • You will find the readings for this assignment in the “Summary Assignment” sub folder in the “Readings” folder on mêskanâs. • Think of your summary as a document you could give to someone who has not read the essay itself but wants to be informed about it. For example, imagine that your employer has to make a presentation about various essays, articles, or reports and does not have time to read them all, so you have been asked to read them and write summaries of them. • Remember to identify the following elements: the essay’s title and publication venue, the author’s name, the author’s central argument, the audience for and/or purpose of the essay, and the key points (also known as sub-arguments) of the essay. • Remember to organize your summary, moving from the central argument to its sub-arguments. ● Whenever you quote or paraphrase a specific part of the essay, cite it using MLA-style in-text (parenthetical) citations. ● Include an MLA works cited page with one entry (for the essay you have selected). ● Ensure that the entire assignment is formatted in MLA style (appropriately formatted page numbers, information in the top left-hand corner of the first page, double spacing, indentation of paragraphs’ first lines, 1” margins, etc.). ● Important note: I am asking that you not consult online resources or any other prohibited aids as you prepare your assignments. Instead, please use the essays themselves, your own brains, and me (and, if you wish, MacEwan’s Writing Centre) as your sole other resource: if you have any questions or concerns as you undertake your work, ask me. I am always happy to help students. There is no reason whatsoever that you would need to go online or to consult with anyone other than me or MacEwan’s Writing Centre for anything in connection with this assignment; doing so constitutes a contravention of MacEwan’s academic integrity policy. More Information on MLA-Style Page Formatting: • Upper left-hand corner of the first page only: Your name, e.g., Jane Doe Professor Sarah Copland ENGL 102 AS__ (your section number) February 2, 2024 Word count: 405 words • Title on the first line, centered (not italicized or in boldface or quotation marks— although the essay’s title itself should, of course, be enclosed in quotation marks): Summary of “Essay Title” • Double-spaced • 12-pt. font in Times New Roman or Arial • 1” margins on all sides • Page numbers and student last name in the top right-hand corner of every page (e.g., Doe 1, Doe 2, etc.) • Text justified left: meaning that the text is aligned on the left-hand margin, not both left and right margins (as in newspaper and magazine formatting, for example) • No folders, covers, or title pages Notes and Drafts: Please remember to keep all your notes and drafts. I may ask to see them. If you write your summary from start to finish on your computer, please save versions of the draft periodically (renaming the file “Draft 1” and “Draft 2,” for example) so that I can see how your work has progressed
