English Essay

Outline your argument

Before writing your essay, write out your thesis and the topic sentences you plan to use to defend that thesis. You will submit these three sentences for the W1 assignment. You will not turn in these statements separately for the other essay assignments; however, you would be wise to write them out before you write each essay: 

· Thesis: In one sentence, state your opinion, or your stand, on the assigned topic. 

· Topic/reason sentence one: In one sentence, state one reason WHY the reader should accept your opinion. 

· Topic/reason sentence two: In one sentence, state a second reason WHY the reader should accept your argument.

Reminder: A topic/reason sentence has two jobs: to serve as a reason in support of your thesis, and to announce which reason will be discussed and supported in the body paragraph that follows. Again, each topic sentence should be a reason in support of your thesis, not simply an introduction to the paragraph.

Write your paragraphs 

· Paragraph one: an introductory paragraph. Assume that the reader of your essay does not know the assignment topic. First introduce the reader to the topic of the essay. Do not start the introductory paragraph with your thesis. End the paragraph with your thesis. Underline the thesis statement.

· Paragraph two: a body or support paragraph that is 7-10 sentences in length. Begin this body paragraph with your first topic/reason sentence. Underline the topic sentence. Devote the entire paragraph to supporting the underlined reason/topic sentence. Use information, examples, and quotes or paraphrases from your readings (i.e., you cannot only use personal experience or knowledge). Correctly cite each source. End the body paragraph with a tie back to your topic sentence and/or thesis.

· Paragraph three: a body or support paragraph that is 7-10 sentences in length. Begin this body paragraph with your second topic/reason sentence. Underline the topic sentence. Devote the entire paragraph to supporting the underlined reason/topic sentence. Use information, examples, and quotes or paraphrases from your readings (i.e., you cannot only use personal experience or knowledge). Correctly cite each source. End the body paragraph with a tie back to your topic sentence and/or thesis.

· Paragraph four: a concluding paragraph. Do not introduce any new reasons of support or underline any text in this paragraph. The purpose of this paragraph is to wrap up—or bring to a close—your argument.

Cite your sources

· Use a minimum of 2 authoritative, credible online sources to support your argument, at least 1 in each body paragraph. 

· Cite every quote and paraphrase in the body of the paper, and reference each at the end of the document according either to MLA or APA citation style. Decide which style you will use throughout the essay, and then follow the guidelines in the Little, Brown Handbook or the online Purdue Owl: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

· Do not cite sources in the paper with a web address (URLs), nor use a URL as the only reference information at the end of the document. MLA does not require that you include the web address (URL) in your reference at the end of the document, but I would like you to include the URL for all online sources on your Works Cited or Reference page. Don't just provide an URL: provide a complete reference and then add the URL at the end.

· On your Works Cited or Reference page only include sources you actually cite in the essay. Put the sources in alphabetical order and indent the second and any additional lines 5 spaces (a tab).

· Introduce each quote used in the text: let the reader know in advance whom you are quoting and the context of source.

· Quoted text in any paragraph should not exceed 20% of the text.

· Set quotes over four typed lines off from the rest of the text. Look at the guidelines in the LBH.

· All text copied from another source must be placed in quotation marks. If you copy text without putting that text in quotation marks, you will receive a zero for the essay. If this happens twice in the course, you will receive an F for the course.