A Well-Presented Subject: Using Definitions and Examples to Reframe the Subject

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 Analyze 
Use the basic features.

Because she is writing an evaluation critical of something she knows most of her readers think well of, Rosen needs to reframe her subject. That is, she needs to reintroduce the phenomenon in a way that leads readers to see that multitasking has serious disadvantages.

To do this, she starts the essay by defining the term: She offers synonyms and related words and phrases, gives examples, and contrasts the term with its opposite (“single-tasking”). Let’s look at some of the strategies she uses to define what multitasking is and frame the concept for her readers. (Later, we will examine how she defines what it isn’t.)

ANALYZE & WRITE

Write a few paragraphs analyzing and evaluating how Rosen reframes her subject:

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  1. Reread paragraph 1. How does Rosen introduce the concept of multitasking here? Why does she include the quotation from Lord Chesterfield?
  2. Now reread paragraph 2. Notice how Rosen begins the paragraph with words from Chesterfield—“hurry, bustle, and agitation.” What effect do you think repeating these words would have on the reader? Notice that she constructs her sentence with multitasking at the end, introduced by a colon and in italics. Why do you think she positions the word multitasking at the end of the sentence in this way? If you did not know what multitasking is, what would you learn about it from this sentence? Consider how Rosen classifies multitasking in the next sentence. How does explaining the history (or etymology) of the word multitasking help readers understand its meaning and help the writer reframe the concept?
  3. A third defining strategy is to give examples of multitasking. Skim paragraphs 3 and 4, noting where Rosen offers examples. How do these examples help readers understand what she means by multitasking?
  4. Consider how well Rosen’s definition and examples set up readers for her evaluation of the practice in the rest of the essay. How well do her definition and examples fit your own experience and observation of multitasking? (Do not comment now on how she judges multitasking; focus only on how she defines it.)

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