essay

Narrative/descriptive

Write a descriptive essay based on your personal experience. Choose a person, place, or event as your focus for this descriptive essay. You may want to focus on a place, and then include description of people or events associated with the place. OR, you may want to focus on one or more people and then include description of a place and/or an event associated with them. Use the prewriting strategies discussed in class and your textbook. Maintain an open attitude, and be prepared to make discoveries about your subject.

Go through the steps of the writing process, and save your notes, scribbles, prewriting,

whatever. Your rough draft should be ready for the peer evaluation activity. (See

Calendar.) Your final draft should be in essay format with an Introduction that catches reader's interest, gives sufficient background information, and contains a dominant impression sentence or thesis . Essay format means with Intro/Body/Conclusion structure. Use the descriptive techniques & pointers from lecture in class. Your final draft should be 3- 4 pages.

Your essay will be evaluated according to the criteria listed below.

____ Uses descriptive & expository techniques (sensory details, zooming in,

comparisons & images, answering “wh” questions, precise word choice) 10 pts.

____ Follows a logical organizational plan with coherent paragraph development—

spatial, chronological, or other AND includes Intro/Conclusion 10 pts.

____ States a thesis or dominant impression clearly 10 pts.

____ Supports the thesis/dominant impression with sufficient, specific details 10 pts.

____ Uses clear sentences that flow well, avoids wordiness or awkwardness 10 pts.

____ Uses correct word choice and good diction/ reflects awareness of concepts of tone,

audience 10 pts.

____ Uses correct punctuation, spelling, and grammar 10 pts.

____ Establishes and maintains a distinct, clear point of view (person, tense, vantage

point, logical consistency) 10 pts.

____ Illustrates an awareness of and/or an ability for a pleasing writing style PLUS

follows MLA manuscript format (See handout.) 10 pts.

____ Shows evidence of writer following writing process (prewriting notes, rough draft,

peer edit sheet, final draft, evidence of revision) 10 pts.

_________TOTAL POINTS

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