Reference no: EM132758907

It is highly suggested that you visit the Outcomes Work Lab (OWL) before beginning to compose this writing assignment. The Outcomes Work Lab has some excellent resources and references for writing essays for all students. Even if you feel very comfortable with composing expository essays, you should take a look because you can never have too much instruction in this area. If you have never composed an essay for a course, you will probably find this immensely helpful. The link to the OWL is on the right-hand side of your student page. Following the steps provided below will help you get started.

1. Read the essay question very carefully and consider what the assignment is asking you to do. You can often use part of the question as a lead-in for your answer. Starting off by answering the question will often help you formulate your thesis statement or argument. Try to present this thesis statement at the end of your introduction. It helps to underline it so that you know (and your instructor knows, too) what you intend to prove. If you do not know what a thesis is, please consult the OWL, your instructor, or another outside source on writing essays.

2. Compose an interesting, unique title for your essay that captures the essence of your argument and topic.

3. Essays should be a combination of concrete details (facts) and personal commentary (opinion), all which work together to prove your thesis. Try to outline the information you will include, including sub-topics and specific examples you will use in your paper. You should include examples from the textbook, and this should appear in the form of quotations at times. If you use a direct quotation, please place quotation marks around any directly borrowed terminology and refer to the citation format discussed in Step 8.

4. Do not rely solely on outside sources, as instructors are primarily interested in your own thoughts and observations; however, your paper should have a nice blend of your own interpretations and facts from the textbook. This assignment requires the use of specific examples to support major points or observations.

5. Drafting an outline will prove to be very helpful in seeing how your paper fits together. Once again, all of your material should function together to prove an argument. In other words, what do you want to say about your topic?

6. After you have composed your first draft, you should start an editing process. Please proofread carefully, considering all grammar usage, punctuation, sentence construction, and spelling. Mechanics are a component to the grading of the essay, and if the paper is difficult to read or the mechanical errors hinder the flow of the prose, points will be deducted. It helps tremendously to read your writing out loud, as you will hear errors you wouldn't normally see when reading silently. Also, having someone else read your paper and help you proofread is certainly acceptable.

7. Type your essay in a non-bolded, readable 12-point font. It should be double spaced, so please note that when considering the length of the paper. The paper requires double-spaced format.

8. Be sure to include in-text citations for any borrowed material used for support. These citations should correspond with a "Works Cited" section at the end of your paper, and URLs for art should be included here. Any supporting material that you paraphrase, summarize, or directly