Introducing 

Prezi AI.

Your new presentation assistant.

Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.

Loading…
Transcript

Objective Language For Summary Writing

Subjective Claims

Subjective choices, decisions and preferences have a lot to do with who we are as people and individuals. But, when writing summaries, we should even these ideas in favor of supporting the FACTS of a given situation.

We often see subjective bias in the media, in advertising and in articles we may use as source, so be AWARE!

Example: The Green Bay Packers are the best team in the NFL.

A Word of Warning

Always be aware of bias. Assume that a source is biased until you determine it is not (especially if it isn't peer reviewed). You must constantly evaluate your sources to see if they present the facts or if they are focused on opinions!

Objectivity & Subjectivity Exemplified

Give another example of a subjective claim

Objective Claims are based on facts and statistical data.

Example: As of today, the "Burj Khalifa" is the tallest building in the world.

Tips for Writing Objectively

  • Stay in the "third person": Use he/she/it. By adopting the third person, you create a "scientific" distance between yourself and the topic you're writing about.

  • Avoid saying "I think...", "I believe..." & "I feel...": these expressions immediately betray a bias on the part of the author.

  • Avoid using 'you' and 'your': These expressions make it sound like you are addressing a specific person, not a larger group.

  • Eliminate contractions and slang: Use 'cannot' instead of 'can't' and any expression that only your friends would understand.

Objective vs. Subjective

Subjective: (of a person or a judgement) Based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions

Give an example of another objective claim.

Wrap-Up

Any Questions?

In summary writing, like all EAP writing, we work to affect an objective tone to promote credibility and reach as broad an audience as possible.

Time to start writing!

Learn more about creating dynamic, engaging presentations with Prezi