Be able to integrate their ideas with those of others using summary, paraphrase, quotation, analysis, and synthesis of relevant sources.
As I review my final draft of my first essay, also my significant writing project, I used my evidence in my paper to further support my claim. Using quotes from articles as evidence is an effective way to build one’s argument. As I was writing my first body paragraph, I knew in needed a quote that introduced why metaphor was helpful for understanding. I looked through my articles and I found this quote, “metaphorical thinking is essential to how we understand ourselves and others, how we communicate, learn, discover and invent”. After I found this quote, I knew I needed to find a way to integrate it into my essay. After making multiple drafts, I finally found a good way to make a quote sandwich. The quote sandwich is something we learned in the english 110 course and it is a method of introducing the quote, inserting the quote, and analyzing the quote. Below is the example of the quote sandwich that I used in my first essay.
Example 1:
“According to aphorist James Geary, metaphors are a way of understanding the world around us. While this might seem strange, Geary says “metaphorical thinking is essential to how we understand ourselves and others, how we communicate, learn, discover and invent”… Both authors agree that if doctors were to use simpler terms to aid communication, the patient would feel less intimidated while in an environment of high intelligence.”
As one can see, I effectively introduced my author, and made an introduction to the quote by adding the context, the writer, and my viewpoint. Then, I added the quote itself and analyzed it after. I think that using the quote sandwich technique has helped me grow as a writer. I am no longer using the methods that the high schools have taught us. Instead, I am using a technique that will better develop my paper and make my paper more formal.
Example 2:
“The physical effect of disease is degrading, but the emotional effect is significant as well, therefore metaphor may act as relief for an emotionally stressed patient. Khullar claims metaphors “offer patients an avenue to express their emotions and exert agency over their conditions”. Metaphors will allow patients to tell others what they are going through and help communication to others. It can be difficult to tell someone what is happening if they have not experienced anything similar. As Khullar says, metaphors help individuals “develop a common language” allowing others to comprehend. After metaphor has cleared understanding and patients have developed a new agency, patients are able to view the disease from a new angle. Instead of pairing the disease with a death sentence, a patient may look at the disease “as a challenge” and “an opportunity for personal growth, rather than an enemy to be defeated” (Khullar). With this new understanding, patients are able to have a role in their treatment and they are able to express how they are feeling to the doctors in a more convenient and clear way. This increased understanding gives the patient confidence to have his or her own understanding and share with others how they will fight and win the battle.”
In this sample paragraph from my final draft of my first essay, one can see that I once again use the quote sandwich technique to use sources as my evidence. I started off with a claim sentence and transitioned into my quote through a signal phrasing statement. I then analyzed the quote and added my viewpoint on the topic. I repeated this set up for my second quote and tied both ideas together in concluding sentences.
