Ransdell’s Assignment Packet for English 306

General Tips for Writing Academic Papers

1) Create a unique, interesting thesis. The thesis is the purpose of your paper—the main thing you want to prove. A strong thesis needs to be debatable (not everyone agrees), innovative (fresh), and manageable (you don’t need to write a book, just an essay).

You want your readers to think: “Wow, I never thought about that!”

You also want them to think: “I am not sure I agree…. but I will read the rest of the essay to find out.”

2) Provide a road map of your essay by stating your thesis (main point) and forecasting important sections of your essay. Include this information at the end of your first paragraph unless you start with an anecdote or similar device. The forecast hints at how you will prove your thesis. Your intro should also include the subject of your essay and author (if applicable).

3) Organize your essay in standard academic fashion (meaningful title, introduction with thesis/forecast, topic sentences followed by PIE paragraphs, conclusion).

4) Your conclusion should balance the intro by summarizing your main points. It should also be a similar length. The conclusion is the one place where you have room to break form by adding extra information or sneaking in information that didn’t fit anywhere else. Try to leave your reader with a lasting impression that’s a natural progression from your writing.

5) The key to writing a successful paper lies in the depth of your analysis. (For a “profile,” the key is getting good information from your subjects and choosing crucial elements to include in your finished essay.) Discuss specifics and wrestle with them. Dig down under the surface and analyze details. Most body paragraphs (pars. aside from the intro and conclusion) should have PIE: point (a topic sentence that states the main idea of your paragraph and shows a direct tie to the thesis or previous paragraph), illustration (an example or bit of proof), and explanation (your reasoning). In general, you should use one sentence to state your point, one or two to describe your proof, and several to explain how the proof proves your point. A basic body paragraph might look like this:

10% = topic sentence20% = illustration (proof)70% = your analysis

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Most of each body paragraph should be your analysis, not a quote from the text or research material. More complicated paragraphs might be versions of PIEIE.

6) Save drafts of your essay in different files and back them up to avoid losing them. When you submit your essay, include drafts, especially any I commented on.

7) Word process your drafts and final versions. Double-space your essays using one-inch margins and a twelve-point font. You must submit a hard copy of your essay in order to receive a grade for it; you must also upload it to d2l in a doc, docx, rtf, or pdf file.

8) Create a title that makes us curious about your essay. (Not “Essay 1” or “Family.”) Use MLA format: capitalize words other than articles or prepositions or conjunctions unless they’re the first or last words. For example: Procrastination Is the Best Tool of All.

9) Write first, edit last. After you are satisfied with the content of your essay, edit your essay for grammar and style. Editing is quite hard work, but it is very important. All writers need to go through this process, me included. If you turn in work with lots of small mistakes, your readers will assume that you are lazy. Not only will you lose credibility, but your readers won’t trust the content of your words. (Also, you will lose credit. You might lose part of a letter grade, a full letter grade, or, in extreme cases, you might even fail the paper.)

Even though grammar and punctuation are important, save yourself time by focusing on content first rather than editing material you throw out later anyway. To edit successfully, first spend ample time trying to find easy mistakes yourself. Use your grammar book to help with punctuation and other rules. Then get some outside help. If English isn’t your first language, try to find a native speaker who can help you. Even if English IS your first language, try to find someone who is “good” at English to help with small details. You might want to make an appointment at the free university service called the Think Tank to get private tutoring.

10) Submit your work on time. Otherwise you lose credit.

11) Make sure your essay satisfies the assignment. Otherwise your paper won’t earn a passing grade.

12) Formatting: On your first page, include at the top: your name, my name, course number, type of essay, date. Number the subsequent pages. (You don’t need a title page.)

13) If you get stuck when you’re trying to write the introduction, write a different part of your essay first. Often writers don’t discover what they’re trying to say until they reach the conclusion and start working backwards.

14) Omit unnecessary information such as “I think” or “I liked this text.” Of course it’s what you think: It’s your essay! Of course you liked this text. Otherwise you would have chosen something else to write about!

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15) For papers that include research, include a Works Cited page that follows MLA style. You can get all the information you need from Rules for Writers. (If your major field of study uses APA, feel free to use that style instead, but use it consistently and correctly throughout your document.)

16) To get full credit, you must submit your entire essay packet on time. You will need to turn in, in this order:

Final Draft (with Works Cited page if applicable)A list of peers’ comments (worth five points)Drafts 1A, 1B (5 points each) clearly labeled with peers’ namesDrafts 2A, 2B (5 points each) clearly labeled with peers’ names(Drafts 3A, 3B if applicable)Any drafts I commented on

You will also need to upload your final essay to d2l by midnight on the day it’s due. (doc, docx, rtf only)

17) You must do your own original writing for every assignment in this class. Your peers and I will offer advice, but the ideas and writing must be your own. In addition, your work must be originally written for this class in English BY YOU.

Occasionally you may need to quote a source to prove your point. That’s fine, but be sure to give credit to the author. Put quotation marks around borrowed words and give the citation in parenthesis: “Parrots don’t usually turn into human beings” (Barnes 45). Note that in most cases, your quotations shouldn’t be more than one sentence long.

18) Using sources means integrating them into your text. Using long blocks of quotes (more than four lines at once) is generally ineffective. It is usually the sign of a lazy writer. For variety, you may use one block quote per essay. Extra examples of blocked quotes will cost you one letter grade per example.

19) Do remember that doing the minimal amount of work (for example, 1500 words if asked to write 1500-2000) usually earns a minimal grade.

THE WRITING PROCESS

Drafting: If you’ve read hundreds of books and penned thousands of words, you might be able to produce an A/B paper in a couple of drafts. If you’re not an avid reader and haven’t spent much time writing, you should plan on creating multiple drafts per essay and investing a lot of time to achieve a passing grade in this class.

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Most writers do their best revising by concentrating on one area of writing per draft. One plan might be:

Draft 1: Just get it out.Draft 2: Coordinate your thesis with your topic sentences.Draft 3: Develop the analysis (add more examples and explanation).Draft 4: Edit for grammar and style.

Note: The reason to do multiple drafts is that you can’t hope to improve any one draft by a thousand percent. Instead you need to improve on it a few steps at a time. Each workshopping session should help you get to the next level.

Don’t forget to edit your final draft. Note the famous words of Peter Elbow: “Not editing is like leaving your dirty socks around for someone else to find.” (Writing with Power, p. 234)

WORKSHOPPING: THE WRITER

For a couple of class periods before each essay is due, we’ll devote our time to workshopping. The point of workshopping is for you to gather enough information to go on to the next draft. Workshopping is an excellent way to find out how your writing is working and to learn about yourself as a writer. It might be frustrating to realize that your draft still needs work, but if you can make use of opportunities for revision, chances are that your writing will be more effective and earn you higher grades.

Your classmates will work hard to offer their best advice, but that’s not to say that they will always be right! Sometimes you need to reject advice rather than embrace it. The point is that by thinking carefully about the decisions you make in your writing, you’ll develop a better sense of what your writing is doing and what it still needs to do. Here’s the beauty of being the writer--you make the final decisions.

For each essay, you’ll have the opportunity to get feedback from your classmates. Make the most of your time by preparing your best possible draft. Think about the information you need from your peers and ask them specific questions about your draft. Press them for an honest opinion about your work. If they gloss over your material and tell you it’s “really good” or “it really flows,” realize that they might not have spent enough time on your draft to give you a solid reading.

Note that you are responsible for 1) bringing copies of your drafts to class, 2) getting complete, signed responses from your classmates, (not “good job, keep working”), 3) submitting a list of classmates’ comments and your responses. For full credit (10 points per workshopping session), bring two drafts labeled 1A and 1B (first workshop), new and improved drafts labeled 2A and 2B (second workshop), and new and improved drafts labeled 3A and 3B (third workshop). Use the information you gather from one class period to bring a stronger draft to the next one. Recycled drafts will not earn credit.

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If you have to miss class, come to class without your draft, or fail to get comments from your classmates, you will lose points.

Sample: (There’s a blank sheet at the end of this packet, or you can create your own.)

Draft Reader’s Name

Their Advice/Your Reaction of Solution

Tips You Learned From Reading Your Peer’s Essay (What to Emulate/Avoid)

1A Bojin Get a better title than Essay 1.

--Essay now titled: Eight Things I Wish Hadn’t Happened

Include forecast--still working on it.

Add proof to par. 2--added another quote.

A confusing intro makes it hard to start reading the essay.

He did a good job pointing out details from the narrative; I need to go back and reread.

1B2A Lee Write a longer conclusion!

--now my conclusion matches my intro

Don’t hook sentences with a comma; D.R. will say it’s illegal.--got help from a friend

Lee needs a lot more analysis to be convincing, but her paragraphs are at least well organized.

2B

WORKSHOPPING: THE READER

Giving your classmates feedback will help them think about their essays, help you become a more perceptive reader, and give you strategies for working through your own essays. There are two basic types of comments: suggestions or directives. Use suggestions when you’re not sure what’s wrong but want to offer possibilities: You might…. You could…. Use directives when you feel more confident about what the essay needs: Add a thesis. Find more proof.

Write comments about your classmates’ content on the margins of their drafts and a short paragraph at the end. Make “facilitative” comments to help the writers consider new lines

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of thought: What about...? Write “directive” comments when you feel confident that you know what’s wrong: Add more analysis.

For all drafts:

* Respond to aspects you find particularly interesting. (I like this because....)* Praise parts that seem effective (writers assume that everything is effective!)* Warn writers about serious flaws (if you can’t find the thesis, say so)* Give your overall impression about what the writer should do to create the next draft

Considerations for Day 1: 1) Is there a clear thesis and forecast?2) Does the intro mention the name of the text(s) the essay is based on and its (their) author(s)? (if applicable)3) Do the body paragraphs match the thesis?4) In what ways does the draft match the essay assignment?

Considerations for Day 2:1) Does the author include a hook or does the essay start too abruptly?2) Does each TS (topic sentence) have a clear tie to the thesis or preceding paragraph?3) Do the paragraphs have PIE? (point, illustration, explanation)4) What points could be added? What extra proof would be helpful?5) Consider the essay’s organization. Which paragraphs might be more effective elsewhere?

Considerations for Day 3: 1) Is the title interesting and appropriate? If not, what other titles would you suggest?2) Does the thesis include a clear forecast that helps you make your way through the essay?3) Where should the writer add more proof? (What other facts might the author use?)4) Where should the writer add more analysis? (What sections need longer explanations?)5) How well does the conclusion match the intro? (They should reflect one another without being worded exactly the same way, and they should be a similar length.)6) Does the conclusion provide closure, or does it present key points that should have come earlier?7) How could the writer leave readers with more food for thought?

For your end comment:

* Give your overall impression of the essay’s strengths and weaknesses.* Point out especially noticeable problems. (“Your conclusion doesn’t match your thesis.”)* Encourage your classmates by including positive comments.* Respond as a reader--share some of your own views about the topic.

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Although using Standard Written English is important, drafting is not the time to worry about it. Please ignore spelling and grammar until the last day of workshopping unless you can’t understand what the writer is trying to say. Editing should be the very final step in writing an essay.

NOTE: If you need time to complete your responses, you may take them home, or, if the essays are due the next class period, send your classmates comments via email. If your responses on your classmates’ drafts are incomplete, YOU will lose points.

GRADING STANDARDS

Guidelines for essay types differ, but in general, when I evaluate your essay, I will consider your focus (thesis), analysis (how well you explain and decipher your points), organization (how the pieces fit together), strength of proof (persuasiveness), ingenuity (novelty of approach), rhetorical awareness (the effectiveness of your essay given its context), style (tone/word choice), and mechanics (grammar and spelling).

More specifically:A C essay needs to have a title, an introduction, a conclusion, a discernible, debatable thesis, and a coherent structure. The body paragraphs need to have at least minimal discussion and examples. The essay needs to adhere to the assignment, meet the minimum length requirement, and demonstrate an adequate use of mechanics.

A B essay needs to have a title that reflects the thesis, an organized introduction that has a balanced length, a logical conclusion, a discernible, interesting, and manageable thesis, a forecasting statement, a purposeful structure that is easy for readers to follow, multiple examples and associated analysis (PIE paragraphs), appropriate tone and style, a fairly accurate use of mechanics, and a mix of sentence structures. The essay also needs to match the assignment and meet the medium length requirement.

An A essay needs to have an unusual but logical title, a balanced and organized introduction that engages readers in your topic, an innovative thesis that is debatable and manageable, a forecasting statement, a purposeful structure that is crystal clear, in-depth analysis in the form of extended PIE paragraphs, a perfect or near-perfect use of mechanics, a mix of sentence structures, and accurate, college-level vocabulary. Your essay also needs to match or stretch beyond the assignment and demonstrate a deliberate and appropriate use of tone and style.

A D essay fails to satisfy one or more expectations for a C essay. An E essay misinterprets the assignment or the depth thereof or is riddled with errors.

A note about grammar: College writing requires the use of Standard Written English. If your essay contains multiple errors per page (commas or minor spelling mistakes), your essay will be marked down two thirds of a letter grade. If your essay has several errors per paragraph, your essay will be marked down a letter grade. If your essay is

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riddled with mistakes, especially serious mistakes such as run-ons and fragments that affect the readers’ comprehension, your essay will receive an E. You will need to compose your essays in SWE (Standard Written English) to pass this course.

D.R.’s Grammar Highlights

Note: following these simple guidelines might help you prevent common mistakes that could lower your grade.

When you make grammar mistakes, your readers may have to reread your sentence in order to understand it. That confuses them and makes them lose time. If you make enough mistakes, they’ll start to disagree with your opinions automatically! Instead, observe some simple rules to make your writing more effective.

1) Add a comma after a long introductory phrase: Even though it was long after midnight, I wrote three more drafts of my English essay. This comma helps your readers find the subject of your sentence.

2) Add a comma after a conjunction ONLY when the phrase that follows is an independent clause (a complete sentence). I thought I had enough time to write my essay, but I had to work until dawn to finish my work. (Note the difference: I thought I had enough time to write my essay but had to work until dawn to finish my work. No subject= no comma.)

3) Use commas around non-restrictive (unnecessary) clauses: My roommate, who never turns off her alarm clock, drives me crazy. The sentence could simply read “My roommate drives me crazy.” (If you have two roommates, the information becomes necessary so that you can explain which roommate is the sleepyhead: My roommate who never turns off her alarm clock drives me crazy. My other roommate never bothers to set one.)

4) Divide sentences with a semi-colon; use a comma after words such as “however.” We went to a terrific party last night; however, the food tasted awful.

5) Avoid run-ons. In other words, don’t run two sentences together your readers will be irritated. See what I mean? Run-ons are frustrating for readers because they assume they have misread and have to go back and reread your sentence only to find out that YOU are the one who made the mistake. Instead write: Don’t run two sentences together. Your readers will be irritated. If you want the sentences to work closely together, you might use a semi-colon instead: Don’t run two sentences together; your readers will be irritated.

6) Avoid fragments unless they are clearly used on purpose. A fragment is a word or phrase masquerading as a sentence but that is incomplete in some way. Bad idea? Once in a while it makes sense to use a fragment stylistically, but you have to be careful that it

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doesn’t seem like a mistake. For example, “Bad idea” isn’t a full sentence, but it demonstrates my example.

7) Avoid “number” mistakes. Grammatically, “everyone” is singular, but “their” is plural. Therefore it’s awkward to write: Everyone should bring their syllabus. Instead make the phrase plural: Students should bring their syllabi. (You can also use the singular form, but it’s awkward too: Everyone should bring his or her syllabus.)

8) Use colons precisely. A colon means one of two things: a list is coming or an example is coming. If you have an example or a direct quote coming, that example/quote might be a full sentence. Johnny told me a lot of things that night: “I’m not sure why I decided to skip all my classes for two weeks, but now I regret it.”

GRADED PAPERS

If I were to comment on all the things that you did well in your essays, your papers would be covered with ink, and I would be exhausted after reading each one! The nature of commenting, for the most part, is to mark things that aren’t working. Thus, most of the comments I make on your essays are designed to help you revise your work or otherwise strengthen your writing skills. If I think I understand what you’re trying to accomplish in your essay, my comments will mostly be directive: Add an example here; extend this line of thought; develop this paragraph. When I’m not sure of your goals for the essay, my comments will be mostly facilitative, designed to help you re-think key points: What’s your overall goal for this paper? How can you make these points add up? How else might you explain the author’s choices? What are some other aspects of the text that you noticed? I expect that you will receive higher grades as you progress through the semester and that your efforts will culminate in a strong portfolio.

Some abbreviations you might find on your paper:

E1= Essay 1Th? = Where is your thesis? or, How does this tie to your thesis?FC?= What’s your forecast?TS?= What is your topic sentence?PIE?= Where is your point, illustration, and explanation?I?= Is this your illustration? Or, do you have an illustration?E?= Is this your explanation? Or, can you elaborate on your explanation?Squiggly line= a phrase that doesn’t work well or doesn’t make senseCheck marks= strong pointsUnderlining= strong points

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ESSAY ASSIGNMENTS

Essay 1: Analyzing a Personal Essay

Purpose: Write an essay in which you analyze key rhetorical choices made by an author in order to evaluate a text’s overall effectiveness.

First, choose a recent personal essay (published within the last two months). The essay should be at least a full page of a magazine or similar length; otherwise you might not find enough to analyze. The more serious or sophisticated the personal essay, the easier it will be for you to write a serious, sophisticated analysis even if both texts include humor.

Spend quality time deciding which factors to analyze. While you might start with the common division of ethos, pathos, and logos, you’ll want to go beyond those obvious elements. Consider the context for the publication. Consider information you find out about the author. Then consider some of the many strategies we’ve analyzed in Rhetorical Grammar.

Tips:

1. Most essays are neither completely effective nor completely ineffective; you’ll probably want to point out features you appreciate as well as features you would change.

2. Given a multitude of choices, you’ll want to analyze the factors that make the greatest difference in your reading/understanding/appreciation of the piece.

3. Include a printout of the personal essay along with the hard copy of your final version; otherwise I can’t analyze it. (I.e., you won’t get a grade.)

4. Note that you are analyzing the rhetorical strategies, not the content per se.

5. To avoid losing credit, compose your essay in STANDARD WRITTEN ENGLISH.

6. Submit drafts that show significant changes you made while drafting your essay. Otherwise your essay will be marked down a letter grade.

Length: 1250-1750 words (5-7 typed pages). Don’t worry if your paper runs a bit longer. If your essay is way too short, it won’t explain enough to be effective, so it won’t earn a passing grade.

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Essay 2: Analyzing Theatre

Purpose: Write a review of the UA production of Twelfth Night for an audience of your choice and an accompanying essay explaining your choices.

Consider some of the reviews we’ve read in class as well as others you’re familiar with. Reviewers have particular styles, biases, and audiences. The same goes for you. Be creative in imagining your role. For example, consider yourself as a staff reporter for a venue of your choice. How would you write a review of Twelfth Night for that audience? What would distinguish such a review? Or perhaps you have a blog that you use to steer students towards or away from UA activities. This review could be an entry. Or perhaps you would rather gear your work to a more personal level. Let’s say your best friend hates Shakespeare. You could write an informal review claiming that even though you realize Shakespeare sucks, this play is worth seeing because….. Etc.

Note that while reviewers need to refer to the plot, reviews are not a retelling of the story. Avoid discussing the ending at all costs.

Part A: Write a review of Twelfth Night. You might want to consider the actors, setting, props, costumes, sound effects, lighting, music, etc. Although this isn’t an academic essay, you’ll still want to use a logical organization. (1000-1500 words) Part B: Write an essay explaining significant choices you made to create Part A. Include an explanation as to your intended audience and how you think such audience members might react. Consider your overall intent: What do you most want your review to achieve? (Use a standard academic format: intro, body paragraphs, conclusion) (1000-1500 words)

Tips

1. As in Essay 1, you’ll might want to report on both positive and negative factors you noticed about the production.

2. Consider your own strongest reactions to the play. What are some elements of your background that allowed you to understand/appreciate the play more easily? What are some factors that might have gotten in your way? For example, if you hate comedy, you might have a hard time appreciating the more ludicrous elements of the plot.

3. Title both Part A and Part B.

4. Make full use of workshopping sessions. Your peers will often have excellent suggestions.

5. Compose your essay in SWE. Otherwise you will lose credit.

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6. Submit drafts that show changes you made as you composed your essay. Otherwise your essay will be marked down a letter grade.

Combined Length: 2000-3000 words (7-9 typed pages). Don’t worry if your paper runs a bit longer.

Essay 3: Traveling Rhetorically

Purpose: Write a travel article geared to a particular publication or context and write an essay detailing your choices.

As with Essay 2, be creative. Put yourself on staff for a national magazine or a local newspaper. Be a popular college blogger. Convince your five best friends to travel with you to this amazing place you want to visit or where you lived when you were five years old.

Part A: Write a travel article (defined broadly) about a real-life city or region. Use rhetorical strategies to make your article as interesting, entertaining, informative, inspiring, and useful as possible. Decide whether your biggest motivation is to encourage travel to that region or to explain an unusual place to an audience of armchair travelers. You also might want to use your space to theorize about travel in general, culture, language, specific events, etc. (1500-2000 words)

Part B: Write an academic essay outlining some of your biggest rhetorical choices. Discuss features such as tone, organization, and word choice as well as the wealth of strategies we’ve covered in Rhetorical Grammar. Also explain the context: Who would be reading your article and why? What do you most hope to achieve? You’ll want to show that you made skilled, conscientious decisions to create an article that is effective for your chosen audience. (1000-1500 words)

Tips:

1. To be convincing, choose a topic you really care about.

2. Research a variety of sources before you start writing even if you’re covering a place you’ve been to or know something about.

3. If applicable, use humor.

4. Title both Part A and Part B.

5. Avoid problems you had in earlier essays.

6. Make use of each workshopping session.

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7. Remember to edit your essay. For full credit, use SWE.

8. Submit drafts that show changes you made as you composed your essay. Otherwise your essay will be marked down a letter grade.

Combined Length: 2500-3000 words (8-10 typed and edited pages). Don’t worry if your paper runs a bit longer.

Final Exam: Writing a Personal Essay

Purpose: Write an interesting personal essay that would fit into the publication you chose for Essay 1 and explain the deliberate rhetorical strategies you used to create that essay.

Part A: Write a personal essay on a fresh topic (world news, school news, lifestyle, etc.) (1000-1500 words)

Part B: Analyze the rhetorical choices you made in writing this essay in the context of what you’ve learned from this class. (1000-1500 words)

Tips:

1. Think of yourself as a professional writer!

2. Title both Part A and Part B.

3. Avoid problems you had in earlier essays.

4. Make use of each workshopping session.

5. Remember to edit your essay. For full credit, use SWE.

6. Submit drafts that show changes you made as you composed your essay. Otherwise your essay will be marked down a letter grade.

Length: 2000-2500 words (7-9 pages). Don’t worry if your paper runs a bit longer.

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Typical Academic Essay Format

Title: Something catchy that helps readers understand your focus right away

Intro: Introduce your topic. Lead us in. List any texts/authors. Near the end of your intro, state your thesis (purpose). Also give a forecast (the main ways you will prove your thesis).

Body Paragraphs: (usually 4-8)

Point (topic sentence, the main idea of your paragraph) (10%)

Illustration (example) (20%)

Explanation (explain about the illustration) 70%

[Repeat body paragraphs as needed]

Conclusion: Sum up your points and leave us some food for thought. We read your essay…. Now give us something provocative or interesting to think about.

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Peer Review Sheet

Your name ____________________

Essay title _____________________

Essay type _____________________

Date Reader’s Name

Their Advice/Your Reaction or Solution

Tips You Learned From Reading Your Peer’s Essay (What to Emulate/Avoid)

1A

2A

1B

2B

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3A

3B

D.R.

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