ENG 1301 - NEED MLA FORMAT

Format for your classical argument paper

Basic guidelines

Your paper must be in MLA 8 format.

It should be at least three full pages long plus a Works Cited page.

The writing should be in Standard American English, well-structured, easy to follow, free from personal references and unnecessary wordiness.

Your introduction should

· Include an attention grabber

· Set the context and give any necessary background information on your topic

· State the claim (thesis)

· Forecast the argument

Your audience

· Intelligent Texas taxpayers

Your purpose

· Persuade your readers that your claim is valid by using strong reasons and clear evidence. Use the principles you have learned in the They Say/I Say to structure your writing.

Your body paragraphs should

· Explain how the research and data support your claim

· Respectfully acknowledge opposing evidence/data and respond to it (naysayers)

Each reference to a source (minimum of 3, 2 of them peer-reviewed) should

· Introduce the source

· Quote or summarize the important information from that source

· Explain the significance of the information from the source

· Include a correct MLA in-text citation which is also referenced in the final Works Cited page

Your conclusion should

Wrap up your paper and drive home your claim—do not simply repeat your introduction. Note any issues which need further exploration.

A final note

This paper is not about you. It is about the issue. Therefore, the following words and phrases do not belong in your essay: I me, myself, we, us, in my opinion, I think, I believe. Your paper is also not about your reader, and you do not know your reader personally; therefore, the following words do not belong in your essay either: you, your, you’re, yourself.