English assignment
Proposals—
What are they? A possible solution to a problem.
What’s the purpose?
To offer a solution to a problem. It focuses on the future. Persuasive essay to get your audience to consider your proposal.
What do you need to have in order to write a proposal?
A problem
A solution
An argument or reasons for why your solution will work.
Evidence that shows your solution could work, or why past solutions failed.
You may need a rebuttal to objections to your solution
How do you get there?
You have identified your problem. You need some research You learn more about your problem, you learn what past solutions were and why they no longer work, you get ideas and evidence to develop your proposed solution.
What should you include in your proposal?
State what the problem is, and your proposed solution to it.
Give some background on the problem. How much or what language depends on your audience.
Give your reasons for why your solution will work. Support with evidence.
Show the connection between problem and solution
Show it is feasible (doable)
Address some objections and rebut them
Conclusion: Goal: to persuade your reader to see your proposed solution would work.
With facts (logos)
Which emotions to appeal to (pathos)
Your character and credibility (ethos)
Getting started on your proposal:
Invention—Coming up with a topic.
Brainstorm a list of communities you belong to. Choose the community you want to write about.
Now brainstorm a list of some of the problems facing your community. Choose one of these problems.
Freewriting: writing nonstop whatever comes into your head without worrying about structure, grammar, spelling, etc. This is to help you come up with thoughts or ideas you may use later.
Free write on this: Why is this problem a serious one for your community (not just you)?
Now, free write on this for 10 minutes: What do you think has caused this problem? Remember, if you don’t know what causes it, you don’t know how to solve it.
Assessing Electronic Sources:
Who posted the source? Who is responsible for the website?
Google the author for credibility. And if there is no author, google the organization sponsoring the website.
Who is responsible for the information from the document or site? What kind of sources do they use? Can you google their evidence and see if it is true?
How current is the source and is this a problem where currency matters?
What perspectives are represented? Does the source seem overly biased about its subject?
Direct quotation and paraphrases.
Direct quotation is word for word from the source. 3 lines of text or less go in quotation marks and in-text citation.
Furthermore, he states he is “proud of that fact that the taxpayers by subterfuge or otherwise have never paid one dime for expenses which I thought were political and shouldn’t be charged to the taxpayers” (Nixon par. 29)
And let me say I am proud of the fact that not one of them has ever asked me for a special favor. I’m proud of the fact that not one of them has ever asked me to vote on a bill other than as my own conscience would dictate. And I am proud of the fact that the taxpayers by subterfuge or otherwise have never paid one dime for expenses which I thought were political and shouldn’t be charged to the taxpayers. (Nixon par. 29).
More than 4 lines of text? That is a block quotation. Different format, but still in-text citation.
Your writing that starts at the left hand margin. Now you introduce the longer Nixon quotation.
And let me say I am proud of the fact that not one of them has ever asked me for a special favor. I’m proud of the fact that not one of them has ever asked me to vote on a bill other than as my own conscience would dictate. And I am proud of the fact that the taxpayers by subterfuge or otherwise have never paid one dime for expenses which I thought were political and shouldn’t be charged to the taxpayers (Nixon par. 29).
Now you skip a space and return to original margins because you are done with that long quotation.
What is a paraphrase? When would you choose to paraphrase rather than quote directly?
What qualities should a good paraphrase have?
Accuracy, conciseness, clarity. Basically, your paraphrase should be true to what the source says, but shorter and easier to read.
Bad paraphrase:
Nixons says he is “proud of the fact than not one of them has ever asked him for a” personal “favor.” He says he has never been asked” to vote on a bill other than” his own thought would direct him to. Finally, he is proud that taxpayers by trickery or otherwise have not paid anything toward expenses that he thought shouldn’t be charged to taxpayers (Nixon par. 29)
Good paraphrase:
Nixon states repeatedly that he has never taken donations in exchange for favors or votes. He ends by stating he has never misled taxpayers in how he has used money. If he thought an expense shouldn’t be paid for by taxpayers, he didn’t do it (Nixon) par. 29)
ALWAYS USE IN-TEXT CITATION FOR PARAPHRASE. YOU HAVE TO LET READER KNOW WHERE YOU GOT YOUR INFORMATION OR IDEAS FROM.
Exercise. Here’s a passage from Nixon’s Checkers Speech
I believe that it’s fine that a man like Governor Stevenson who inherited a fortune from his father can run for President. But I also feel that it’s essential in this country of ours that a man of modest means can also run for President. Because, you know, remember Abraham Lincoln, you remember what he said: “God must have loved the common people—he made so many of them.”
Do a direct quotation of one sentence from this passage. Do an in-text citation.
Do a paraphrase of the whole passage. Remember that you have to make this shorter and easier to read. Tell me in your words what Nixon is saying here. And REMEMBER YOUR IN-TEXT CITATION.
Everything’s an Argument chapter on MLA in-text citation and “Works Cited” entry formats is Chapter 22. Pp. 465-84.
You can use Easybib.com for creating MLA Works Cited entries.