Writing and Communication: Worksheet III (Annotations & Summarizing)

Names:G.Nagamahesh
Date:04-11-2025

Section I: Annotations​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
The following essay is extracted from a student essay compiled in The Norton Field Guide to Writing.
As you read through the essay, annotate the essay in the following manner:
a.​ Highlight the key ideas/ difficult phrases/ words or sentences that you think are important/ patterns you notice.
b.​ In 1-2 sentences, summarise each key idea in the space to the right. You may do this once for each paragraph or once across a couple of paragraphs.
There may also be multiple key ideas in the same paragraph.
c.​ Respond/Comment on the ideas presented. These can include the following: agreement/disagreement, questions, related personal experience,
connection to ideas from other texts, class discussions, etc.
d.​ Identify the outline/ structural function of the paragraphs.

Outline/ Structural Function Thematic understanding

(Identify parts of the texts, thesis Summarise each key idea (thesis
statement,supporting statements, Does Texting Affect Writing? statement), identify supporting
argument, note down your
transitions, definitions, key terms,
reactions, observations,
field specific vocabulary, tone of the By Michaela Cullington interpretations, identify evidences
paper, style of writing) (Ev) supporting the key
arguments, identify examples (Ex)

P1:Introduction to the topic that P1. It’s taking over our lives. We can do it almost anywhere — walking to class, waiting in line at the grocery P1:
the author wants to write. store, or hanging out at home. It’s quick, easy, and convenient. It has become a concern of doctors, parents, 1) What is the main issue
Use of Em dash to expand the and teachers alike. What is it? It’s texting! introduced?
2) Why is texting controversial?
writing of a statement. P2.Text messaging — or texting, as it’s more commonly called — is the process of sending and receiving
3) Who are the two opposing
Quotations,exclamatory,question typed messages via a cellular phone. It is a common means of communication among teenagers and is even
sides?
marks used. 4) What tone does Cullington
Tone : formal writing becoming popular in the business world because it allows quick messages to be sent without people h1) set for the essay?
What is the main issue introduced? 5) How does this frame the
P2:Definition of texting and how 2) Why is texting controversial? central question?
it can be used. 3) Who are the two opposing sides?
P2:
Use of Em dash for explaining the 4) What tone does Cullington set for the essay?
1) How common is texting in
definition of texting. 5) How does this frame the central question? society?
Quotations used. having to commit to a telephone conversation. A person is able to say what is needed, and the other person 2) Who uses it the most?
P3:Shifts focus from texting in will receive the information and respond when it’s convenient to do so. 3) How does texting compare to
general to its effects on students. P3.In order to more quickly type what they are trying to say, many people use abbreviations instead of other communication methods?
Used Comma and Periods. words. The language created by these abbreviations is called textspeak. Some people believe that using these 4) Why does this context matter
for the essay’s focus?
P4:Introduction of early teacher abbreviations is hindering the writing abilities of students, and others argue that texting is actually having a
P3:
concerns about texting for positive effect on writing. In fact, it seems likely that texting has no significant effect on student writing. 1) How does the author
negative influence. transition to the classroom
Quotations used. Concerns about Textspeak issue?
Used Em dash for expanding P4.A September 2008 article in USA Today entitled “Texting, Testing Destroys Kids’ Writing Style” 2) What concerns begin to
KISS. summarizes many of the most common complaints about the effect of texting. It states that according to the emerge?
3) What evidence or
Used statistical proofs. National Center for Education Statistics, only 25% of high school seniors are “proficient” writers. The
observations are hinted at?
Parentheses used. article quotes Jacquie Ream, a former teacher and author of K.I.S.S .— Keep It Short and Simple, a guide
4) How does this prepare for
P5:Details teacher complaints and for writing more effectively. Ream states, “[W]e have a whole generation being raised without arguments in later paragraphs?
expert opinions;uses examples of communication skills.” She blames the use of acronyms and shorthand in text messages for students’ P5:
textspeak. inability to spell and ultimately to write well. Ream also points out that students struggle to convey emotion 1) Who are the main critics?
Quotations , parentheses and in their writing because, as she states, in text messages “emotions are always sideways smiley faces.” 2) What negative effects are
question marks are used. identified?
3) How do these early claims
P5.This debate became prominent after some teachers began to believe they were seeing a decline in the
shape public opinion?
writing abilities of their students. Many attributed this perceived decline to the increasing popularity of text
4) How is tone used to show
messaging and its use of abbreviations. Naomi Baron, a linguistics professor at American University, blames concern?
P6:Presents personal interviews texting for what she sees as the fact that “so much of American society has become sloppy and laissez faire P6:
with teachers;evidence is limited about the mechanics of writing” (“Should We Worry or LOL?”). Teachers report finding “2” for “to,” “gr8” 1) What are teachers observing
and anecdotal. for “great,” “dat” for “that,” and “wut” for “what,” among other examples of textspeak, in their students’ in student writing?
2) Who blames texting (Naomi
Quotations are used. writing. A Minnesota teacher of the seventh and ninth grades says that she has to spend extra time in class
Baron)?
Used Em dash for explanation. editing papers and must “explicitly” remind her students that it is not acceptable to use text slang and
3) What specific examples are
abbreviations in writing (Walsh). Another English teacher believes that text language has become “second given?
P7:Introduction of opposing nature” to her students (Carey); they are so used to it that they do not even catch themselves doing it. 4) What other problems are
view;texting has positive effects Many also complain that because texting does not stress the importance of punctuation, students are teachers noting (punctuation,
like motivation and creativity. neglecting it in their formal writing. Teachers say that their students are forgetting commas, apostrophes, emotion)?
Comma and periods are used. and even capital letters to begin sentences. Another complaint is that text messages lack emotion. Many 5) How do these points connect
to writing decline?
argue that texts lack feeling because of their tendency to be short, brief, and to the point. Because students
P6:
are not able to communicate emotion effectively through texts, some teachers worry they may lose the 1) Who did the author
ability to do so in writing. interview?
2) What do the teachers believe
P6.To get a more personal perspective on the question of how teachers perceive texting to be influencing about texting?
student writing, I interviewed two of my former high school teachers — my junior-year English teacher and 3) What solutions do they use in
class?
my senior-year theology teacher. Both teachers stress the importance of writing in their courses. They
4) How strong is their evidence?
maintain that they notice text abbreviations in their students’ writing often. To correct this problem, they
5) What limitation does
point it out when it occurs and take points off for its use. They also remind their students to use proper Cullington admit?
sentence structure and complete sentences. The English teacher says that she believes texting inhibits good P7:
writing — it reinforces simplistic writing that may be acceptable for conversation but is “not so good for 1) What positive perspective is
critical thinking or analysis.” She suggests that texting tends to generate topic sentences without introduced?
emphasizing the following explanation. According to these teachers, texting is inhibiting good writing. 2) Who supports it (Sternberg,
Kaplan, Borck)?
However, their evidence is limited, based on just a few personal experiences rather than on a significant
3) How does texting motivate
amount of research.
students to write?
4) How does it encourage
 Responses to Concerns about Textspeak creativity?
5) Why is this view important
P7.In response to these complaints that texting is having a negative impact on student writing, others insist to balance the essay?
P8:
that texting should be viewed as beneficial because it provides students with motivation to write, practice in
1) What writing skills are
P8:Expands on benefits:texting specific writing skills, and an opportunity to gain confidence in their writing. For example, Sternberg,
strengthened by texting?
improves conciseness,expression, Kaplan, and Borck argue that texting is a good way to motivate students: teens enjoy texting, and if they 2) How does Crystal’s research
and personal voice. frequently write through texts, they will be more motivated to write formally. Texting also helps to spark support this?
Used quotations and parentheses. students’ creativity, these authors argue, because they are always coming up with new ways to express 3) What do teachers say about
their ideas (417). developing a 'voice'?
4) How might conciseness be
useful for writing?
P8.In addition, because they are engaging in written communication rather than oral speech, texting teens
P9:
P9:Further support:texting helps learn how to convey their message to a reader in as few words as possible. In his book Txtng: The Gr8 Db8, 1) How can texting help
struggling writers build literacy David Crystal discusses a study that concludes that texting actually helps foster “the ability to summarize students who find writing
and enjoyment. and express oneself concisely” in writing (168). Furthermore, Crystal explains that texting actually helps difficult?
Quotations and parentheses are people to “sharpen their diplomatic skills . . . [because] it allows more time to formulate their thoughts and 2) What does Crystal argue
used. express them carefully” (168). One language arts teacher from Minnesota believes that texting helps students about literacy?
3) What is Shirley Holm’s view?
develop their own “individual voice” (qtd. In Walsh). Perfecting such a voice allows the writer to offer
4) How does texting as
personal insights and express feelings that will interest and engage readers.
'comfortable communication'
help learning?
P10:Positive interpretation like P9.Supporters of texting also argue that it not only teaches elements of writing but provides extra practice
confidence and language evolution to those who struggle with the conventions of writing. As Crystal points out, children who struggle with
through texting. literacy will not choose to use a technology that requires them to
Used Em dash for meaning of a do something that is difficult for them. However, if they do choose to text, the experience will help them
word. “overcome their awkwardness and develop their social and communication skills” (Txtng 171). Shirley
Uses quotations and parentheses. Holm, a junior high school teacher, describes texting as a “comfortable form of communication” (qtd. in
Walsh). Teenagers are used to texting, enjoy doing so, and as a result are always writing. Through this
 experience of writing in ways they enjoy, they can learn to take pleasure in writing formally. If students are P10:
continually writing in some form, they will eventually develop better skills. 1) How does texting build
confidence?
2) What is meant by the 'new
P10.Furthermore, those who favor texting explain that with practice comes the confidence and courage to
language' of texting?
try new things, which some observers believe they are seeing happen with writing as a result of texting.
3) How does Crystal interpret
Teenagers have, for example, created an entirely new language — one that uses abbreviations and symbols this creativity?
instead of words, does not require punctuation, and uses short, incomplete phrases throughout the entire 4) What does Warlick believe
conversation. It’s a way of speaking that is a language in and of itself. Crystal, among others, sees this about student innovation?
P11:Discussion of findings: “language evolution” as a positive effect of texting; he seems, in fact, fascinated that teenagers are capable of P11:
minimal negative impact; students creating such a phenomenon, which he describes as the “latest manifestation of the human ability” (Txtng 1) What do research findings
show?
know context differences. 175). David Warlick, a teacher and author of books about technology in the classroom, would agree with
2) How do students separate
Used parentheses and quotations. Crystal. He believes students should be given credit for “inventing a new language ideal for communicating texting from formal writing?
in a high-tech world” (qtd. in Carey). 3) What does Crystal’s
argument add?
Discussion of Findings 4) How does this counter early
complaints?
P12:Expert support from dennis P11.My research suggests that texting actually has a minimal effect on student writing. It showed that
baron;mature students abandon students do not believe textspeak is appropriate in formal writing assignments. They recognize the difference
textspeak. between texting friends and writing formally and know what is appropriate in each situation. This was
Used quotations and parentheses. proven true in the student samples, in which no examples of textspeak were used. Many experts would agree
that there is no harm in textspeak, as long as students continue to be taught and reminded that occasions
where formal language is expected are not the place for it. As Crystal explains, the purpose of the
abbreviations used in text messages is not to replace language but rather to make quick communications
shorter and easier, since in a
standard text message, the texter is allowed only 160 characters for a communication (“Texting” 81).
P13:Survey results:students P12.Dennis Baron, an English and linguistics professor at the University of Illinois, has done much research P12:
texting habits and teachers on the effect of technology on writing, and his findings are aligned with those of my own study. In his book 1) What are Baron’s key
observations confirm awareness. A Better Pencil: Readers, Writers, and the Digital Revolution, he concludes that students do not use findings?
2) How do they align with
Used quotations and parentheses. textspeak in their writing. In fact, he suggests students do not even use abbreviations in their text messages
Cullington’s?
very often. Baron says that college students have “put away such childish things, and many of them had
3) What does he say about
already abandoned such signs of middle-school immaturity in high school” (qtd. in “A Better Pencil”). student maturity?
4) How does this reinforce the
P13.In surveying the high school and college students, I found that most have been texting for a few years, essay’s claim?
usually starting around ninth grade. The students said they generally text between thirty and a hundred
messages every day but use abbreviations only occasionally, with the most common being “lol” (“Laugh out
P14:University study:texting does loud”), “gtg” (“Got to go”), “hbu” (“How about you?”), “cuz” (“because”), and “jk” (“Just kidding”). None
not harm spelling or literacy. of them believed texting abbreviations were acceptable in formal writing. In fact, research has found that
Used parentheses. most students report that they do not use textspeak in formal writing. As one Minnesota high school
student says, “[T]here is a time and a place for everything,” and formal writing is not the place for
communicating the way she would if she were texting her friends (qtd. in Walsh). Another student admits
that in writing for school she sometimes finds herself using these abbreviations. However, she notices and
corrects them before handing in her final paper (Carey). One teacher reports that, despite texting, her
students’ “formal writing remains solid.” She occasionally sees an abbreviation; however, it is in informal,
“warm-up” writing. She believes that what students choose to use in everyday types of writing is up to them P13:
as long as they use standard English in formal writing (qtd. in Walsh). 1) What patterns appear in
student texting?
P14.Also supporting my own research findings are those from a study which took place at a midwestern 2) Which abbreviations are most
research university. This study involved eighty-six students who were taking an Introduction to Education common?
3) What do students believe
P15:Author’s personal course at the university. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire that included questions
about using them in formal
experience:frequent texter,rarely about their texting habits, the spelling instruction they had received, and their proficiency at spelling. They
writing?
uses abbreviations. also took a standardized spelling test. Before starting the study, the researchers had hypothesized that texting 4) What do teachers report
Used commas and periods. and the use of abbreviations would have a negative impact on the spelling abilities of the students. However, about writing quality?
they found that the results did not support their hypothesis. The researchers did note that text messaging is
continuing to increase in popularity; therefore, this issue should continue to be examined (Shaw, Carlson,
P16:Reflection:no impact of and Waxman).
texting on spelling or writing
ability. P15.I myself am a frequent texter. I chat with my friends from home everyday through texting. I also use
Used parentheses. texting to communicate with my school friends, perhaps to discuss what time we are going to meet for
dinner or to ask quick questions about homework. According to my cell phone bill, I send and receive
around 6,400 texts a month. In the messages I send, I rarely notice myself using abbreviations. The only
time I use them is if I do not have time to write out the complete phrase. However, sometimes I find it more
P17:Conclusion:texting does not time-consuming to try to figure out how to abbreviate something so that my message will still be
P14:
harm writing;evidence outweighs comprehensible. 1) What was the university
anecdotal fears. study’s goal?
Used quotations. P16.Since I rarely use abbreviations in my texting, I never use them in my formal writing. I know that they 2) How many participants were
are unacceptable and that it would make me look unintelligent if I included acronyms and symbols instead involved?
of proper and formal language. I also have not noticed an effect on my spelling as a result of texting. I am 3) What did researchers expect
versus find?
confident in my spelling abilities, and even when I use an abbreviation, I know how to spell the word(s) it
4) What did they recommend
stands for.
for the future?

P17.On the basis of my own research, expert research, and personal observations, I can confidently state
that texting is not interfering with students’ use of standard written English and has no effect on their
writing abilities in general. It is interesting to look at the dynamics of the arguments over these issues.
Teachers and parents who claim that they are seeing a decline in the writing abilities of their students and
children mainly support the negative-impact argument. Other teachers and researchers suggest that texting
provides a way for teens to practice writing in a casual setting and thus helps prepare them to write formally.
Experts and students themselves, however, report that they see no effect, positive or negative. Anecdotal
experiences should not overshadow the actual evidence.
P15:
1) How does the author describe
her own texting habits?
2) How often does she text?
3) When does she use
abbreviations, if at all?
4) How does this personal
evidence support her argument?

P16:
1) What does Cullington say
about using abbreviations in
formal writing?
2) How does she describe her
spelling ability?
3) What distinction does she
make between texting and
formal language?
4) How does this strengthen her
conclusion?

P17:
1) What final conclusion does
Cullington reach?
2) How does she summarize
both sides?
3) What does she emphasize
about data vs. opinion?
4) What overall message closes
the essay?
Legend/ annotation code (if you are using one)

II. Summarising​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

In your own words, summarise the ideas presented in the article about TextSpeak. You can take help from your annotations.

—The article discusses the debate over TextSpeak, with some teachers and parents claiming that texting harms students’

spelling, grammar, and writing, while others argue that it motivates teens to write more and improves their ability to

communicate clearly. Research shows that most students keep texting language separate from formal writing and rarely use

abbreviations in schoolwork. Overall, the article concludes that texting has little to no negative effect on students’ formal

writing skills.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------