help, english

Prof. Dan Jones

Eng. 1520

Final Paper

Due: 4/27

TLDR: Write an eight page paper with a “Works Cited” page and in text cites. You can

write it informally as a narrative, descriptive, expository or a formal persuasive piece.

Unless it is a formal academic persuasive essay you should also include at least a few

paragraphs that explain the rhetorical choices you have made.

As we talked about briefly and read about in our text there are f our major rhetorical

modes:

-N arration

-D escription

-E xposition

-P ersuasion

For the final paper I want you choose a mode to write an essay in. You should choose one

of these modes, but you might find that the most effective form of writing you are to create will

utilize elements from other modes besides your primary choice. I encourage you to be as creative

in the deployment of your chosen mode as you wish to be.

Given, you probably did not sign up for a creative writing class and might not wish to

write something with too much creative flair. If that is the case you might just choose to write a

classic academic persuasive essay.

However, the format of the academic persuasive essay might be boring to you. As such

you might choose to write a narrative piece.

Neither of these options might seem compelling to you. If so, your choice may be to write

a descriptive essay or perhaps something expository.

Regardless of your choice, you should begin with a purpose. The journey towards any

well written essay or narrative is embarked upon with intention. Once you have decided what

your intention is you must decide what format, that is, what rhetorical mode matches up with

said intention.

As I indicate above you are not, for this project, shackled to the three-part essay format

(intro w/ thesis-body-conclusion) unless you choose to write an academic persuasive essay.

However, that fact does not excuse you from having a purpose; each these this formats might just

express that purpose differently.

For example: lets say you have determined your purpose to be alerting your audience to

the dangers of climate change: -A narrative piece about climate change could be a short story about a family grappling with the

impacts of climate change upon their home town. Perhaps you know a person or a place that has

been impacted by climate change, you could tell their/it’s story.

-A descriptive piece about climate change would require you to find a person, place or thing that

helps us to understand the impacts of climate change. You would then figure out how to evoke

this person/place/thing and describe this condition in which it exists now, including details that

get us back the main idea of climate change.

-An expository piece about climate change would thoroughly explain the thing in question. You

might choose to talk about the process by which climate change is problematic, or the causes and

effects of climate change. Maybe some combination of these strategies could be used? A position

should be clear.

Whatever rhetorical mode you choose, and however informal or formal you choose to be

in writing, I am requiring that you use a minimum of four acceptable sources included in a

separate “Works Cited” page with in-text citations included. The total page count should be eight

pages, not including a “Works Cited” page.

This eight pages does include a description of how your chosen rhetorical mode

communicates your chosen purpose and why you selected a particular mode. You should be sure

to indicate what your purpose was. The type (or types) of rhetorical mode you selected to

communicate your purpose and why you thought this mode was best suited to your purpose.

Be sure that whatever mode you choose to write in is non-fiction.

Be sure that your paper is in MLA format where it applies.