Annotated Paragraphs
The article under analysis, in this case, is called ‘America or Britain? It’s a tough decision for a mother to make,’ and it’s about an American foreigner who contemplates the most appropriate place to raise her children. Annotation refers to the process of highlighting significant points of thoughts and ideas expressed in an article. It also involves an analysis of the tone, arrangement of words in a particular text. Annotation is essential for it provides one with the ability to structure explanations and comments to a given context. The article that I am going to annotate is an individual’s reflection written in an informal format. The aim of this presentation, therefore, is to annotate paragraphs seven and eight of the particular article
Generally, the woman in the article compares Britain and America concerning the best country to bring up her children. She mainly talks about the education systems in both countries. She breaks down and analyses the systems in detail. She mentions that Britain offers the best education at the secondary level while America provides the best education at the university level. She also says that since she is a hybrid foreigner with both countries’ experiences, she still does not know which is the best to raise a family. The seventh and eighth paragraphs, which are of concern, talk about the system of education in America. The author explains how terrible the students are and how minimal learning takes place in the learning institutions.
The tone presented in these paragraphs is sad. The author describes how the entire system of education is unconducive for students to be in. She expresses her disappointments and even provides an example of a university student let down by her lecturer when he said her work was illiterate. She claimed that she was crowned as the best writer in high school, and the reality then dawns on her that her high school teachers lied to her. The form of writing is informal since its expression of thoughts. The paragraph is both emotional and logical. In the second sentence in the eighth paragraph, the author uses the phrase “one of my saddest memories…” to show the involvement of emotions. In the article’s seventh paragraph, the author gives her logical views on the American education system.
There is a significant amount of humor presented in these two paragraphs. The articulation of words in the seventh paragraph, in particular, is humorous. The author entertainingly presents her ideas, making the article exciting and fun to read. Also, the two sections evoke different emotions that might have been experienced by the author. These are anger, sadness, a state of concern, and frustration. The author seems to be aggregated by the American way of teaching their students. There are some unique word choices that the author presents in the two paragraphs. In the seventh paragraph, for instance, there is a sentence which adopts a completely informal exclamation phrase. The phrase in the subject is “What on earth” in the fourth line of the paragraph (Foreman, 2020).
In terms of adopting the descriptive or figurative language, the article achieves that, and the author explicitly incorporates some descriptive words in the seventh paragraph. The exact used words are demanding, pseudo-sophisticated, and ill-mannered. The author uses these words to describe students in the American education system. The eighth paragraph also possesses instances of figurative language with the author expressing her views of what is not happening in the education system. There are minimal repeated words in the two paragraphs under analysis. Either way, she manages to bring her ideas out.
There is the use of direct quotation in the paragraphs. In the eighth paragraph, the author quotes the girl who got turned down by her lecturer. She also quotes herself at the end of the paragraph bringing home the point of the education system in America is not as good. There is also the use of description and descriptive words in the two paragraphs. The two sections are well organized with an equal number of lines and practically almost the same number of words. They are not too long and ambiguous for the reader, and they are entertaining and equally captivating. Proper grammar and sentence structuring is also observed
The way she articulates ideas in the paragraphs is impeccable. There is a general flow of thoughts, and one gets to understand her point of view. She also provides her personal experience in the education system and how students turn out to be under the system. It gives the reader the entire picture and makes it easy to comprehend. The author was decisive with her choice of words, and the arrangement was thought of. She achieves her purpose with the layout. From my understanding, the author wanted to be hilarious and entertaining, as well as relevant and thoughtful in her article. She manages to bring the point home while keeping the whole idea fun and entertaining.
Conclusion
The author of the article proves to be useful not only in writing but also presentation and articulation of thoughts and views. The paragraphs under analysis turn out to be captivated, fun, and entertaining to read. On top of that, they are relevant and bring out the desired augments. From the paragraphs, one can understand the system of education in America and specifically the high school system. Students are not provided with the right attitude and practical skills required at the university level. The teachers at high levels are also not keen enough with their students. From the two paragraphs, it is clear that they propagate the wrong ideas and thoughts to the student. As seen in the case of the disappointed girl, her teachers had lied to her about her writing skills. Ultimately, the two paragraphs are well structured, relevant, and entertaining, thanks to the author.
Reference
Foreman, Amanda. “A View From Afar: America Or Britain? It’S A Tough Choice For A Mother To Make”. Thetimes.Co.Uk, 2020, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a-view-from-afar-america-or-britain-its-a-tough-choice-for-a-mother-to-make-ks5hxlx387s.