Question

Academic Writing and the MLA 5
How Much and What to Quote
On the other hand, if we expect our children to be responsible but then we don't extend to them the rights they have earned, we are leading them to feel bitter and hopeless and to expect a life without promise. (40 words)
How Much to Quote
The sentence above is 40-words long but we, being skillful and savvy quoters, know better than to try to quote the entire 40 words. Instead, we will quote only a small part of the sentence.
What to Quote
The 40-word sentence begins with the words “on the other hand.” These words are quite common; there is nothing special about them. Therefore, we won’t quote them. The three most quotable phrases from the 40-word sentences are:
the rights they have earned
bitter and hopeless
a life without promise
We might quote one or more of these interesting phrases; most likely, we would leave the rest of the 40-word sentence alone.
Note that “a brief but powerful phrase” can serve as the answer to both the “how much to quote” and the “what to quote” questions.
GROUP A—Original Sentences
But it is also a social responsibility and duty to produce those goods without affecting the nature and environment of the society—a concept sometimes known as “sustainable development.”
By contrast, much of the recent political discourse on individual rights in the People’s Republic of China, particularly with respect to due process rights and rule of law, has focused on how protection of individual rights actually makes social control by the government more effective.
In Western democratic societies, where the pendulum has shifted toward extremes of individual self-indulgence and a lack of community responsibility, communitarianism often takes the form of a critique of this excess.
Maintaining a balance of rights and responsibilities is essential to constructing and preserving healthy relationships.
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory.
GROUP B—Sentences That Quote from the Group A Sentences
“Sustainable development” tries to preserve “the nature and environment of the society.”
In China, the government has learned to take more control of its people by granting more “protection of individual rights.”
The rights we enjoy are based in a “legal system, social convention, or ethical theory.”
This “lack of community responsibility” is on display in towns all around the country.
We would be unable to “[preserve] healthy relationships” without “a balance of rights and responsibilities.”
ASSIGNMENT
Skim the sentences in Groups A and B above. The Group A sentences are the originals. Later, writers used the sentences from Group A to write the sentences in Group B.
The five sentences in Group B contain seven phrases quoted from Group A. Find all the quoted words in Group B and yellow highlight them in Group A. As you do, imagine how the Group B sentences were constructed. You can get an idea of how small portions of “source” sentences can be used in the creation of new “hybrid” sentences.

answer like a 14 year old human

Answer 1

OK — I found the seven quoted phrases and “highlighted” them in the Group A sentences by putting them in [BRACKETS] (since I can’t actually color them). Here’s where each quoted part from Group B comes from in Group A.

Mapping (Group B quote → exact words in Group A)
1. “Sustainable development” → [“sustainable development”] (Group A sentence 1)
2. “the nature and environment of the society.” → [the nature and environment of the society] (A1)
3. “protection of individual rights.” → [protection of individual rights] (A2)
4. “legal system, social convention, or ethical theory.” → [legal system, social convention, or ethical theory] (A5)
5. “lack of community responsibility” → [a lack of community responsibility] (A3)
6. “a balance of rights and responsibilities” → [a balance of rights and responsibilities] (A4)
7. “[preserve] healthy relationships” → [preserving healthy relationships] (A4)

Group A sentences with the quoted parts marked
1. But it is also a social responsibility and duty to produce those goods without affecting [the nature and environment of the society]—a concept sometimes known as [“sustainable development.”]

2. By contrast, much of the recent political discourse on individual rights in the People’s Republic of China, particularly with respect to due process rights and rule of law, has focused on how [protection of individual rights] actually makes social control by the government more effective.

3. In Western democratic societies, where the pendulum has shifted toward extremes of individual self-indulgence and [a lack of community responsibility], communitarianism often takes the form of a critique of this excess.

4. Maintaining [a balance of rights and responsibilities] is essential to constructing and [preserving healthy relationships].

5. Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some [legal system, social convention, or ethical theory].

That’s all seven. Hope this helps — it’s kinda like a scavenger hunt for phrases.