ENG 099 Essay Assignment #3
Instructor Michael Laurenty
Rough Draft due Printed – Brought to Class – 10/28/15
Final Draft due Printed – Brought to Class – 11/4/15
It is time for your third essay assignment. The skills that you have improved in your first nine weeks of school coupled with prior knowledge will now be put to use in the development of this essay. Remember, writing is a process that requires preparation, drafting, editing and updating. I am confident that you are capable of completing this assignment with an essay that will not only satisfy the requirements, but will also make you proud of your efforts, because anything worthwhile is worth putting forth a degree of effort!
ASSIGNMENT – Find two articles through the Michael Schwartz Library system that addresses one of the subjects listed below:
• Men need protection from feminists’ attacks
• All countries should abandon nuclear weapons
• The first impression of a person is always right
• Effective listening is more important than talking
• Conflicts are necessary for healthy relationships
• Sitting at lectures should be optional
• Texting helps students improve reading skills
• Cyberbullying is the consequence of poor privacy settings
• Recycling is the best solution to the problem of e-waste
• Everyone should use bicycle for short journeys
• Families should not own more than 2 cars
• Hypnosis is effective for curing addictions
• Facebook addiction may require an intervention
• Drug addiction is caused by the lack of spirituality
Write an essay that summarizes the articles (remember to introduce the article and author early in your essay), and then provide your assessment (evaluation) of each articles strengths in relation to the topic. Do the articles effectively address the topic? Do they leave out information pertinent to the subject? Which article is stronger in defining the points pertaining to the subject and why?
This essay does NOT include minor details or repeat points for emphasis, but it may contain your opinions, feelings, or conclusions on the subject of the article(s) and their effectiveness or ineffectiveness.
You will be evaluated on how accurately you identify and restate the article’s main points, incorporate key examples, organize the essay in relation to the order and emphasis in the article, and manage this around a thesis that you develop and state in your own words.
THESIS STATEMENT – A thesis statement tells the reader what to expect in your essay. It should be specific, cover only what you will discuss in your essay, and be supported with specific evidence. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.
Here are the general parts/elements that should be apparent in your essay:
• Introduction of the text’s title, author(s), purpose, and audience
• Statement of the text’s thesis that controls the essay (the author’s thesis) in your own words
• Properly/effectively organized summarization of the text’s main points
• Use of key examples/details/quotes to illuminate main points
• Effective explanation of why one article is more successful than another
• Effective transitions
• Conclusion (end with the author’s ideas, not your own)
• Use third-person voice and present tense (e.g. “Author X points out that . . . “ or She asserts that . . . “
General Rule: It is necessary to print / attach the articles for submission with your Rough Draft. This essay must be written in third person. Keep in mind that your audience is college-educated adults. As discussed in class, I strongly urge you to think critically in all phases of developing your essay.
Essay Submission Guidelines: The finished (final) submitted drafts should be APPROXIMATELY 1000 words. The rough and finished (final) submitted drafts must be word-processed, double-spaced on 8.5″ x 11″ sheets of white paper with one-inch (1″) margins on all sides. Follow MLA format for title page and essay format. Only Courier New or Times New Roman font and type size (12) will be accepted and print on ONE SIDE only. Handwritten, sloppily presented or late work will NOT be accepted. Staple pages on the top, left corner of your essay. Insert a space immediately following the conclusion of the essay and provide a word count in parentheses. Important: Save all of your prewriting, drafting, and revising pages. You might be asked to submit these along with your finished submitted draft for evaluation.
Final Notes: This essay is worth 40 points and will be graded on a 100-point scale of A, B, C, D, F. I will look at format, attention to conception, strategy, style, grammar and mechanics as well as detail, organization, structure and overall composition. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE WRITING CENTER! A visit to the Writing Center may just be the edge you need. Start now, skim / scan / read, write, revise and enjoy!
ABSOLUTELY NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED!
