You have entered the online essay guidlines page! This page will contain several rules and suggestions that, if followed, will make you a better writer. Please use them wisely, and write well!
10 CRUCIAL RULES
1. All literary essays will adhere to the five paragraph formula. This includes one introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs, and one conclusion paragraph.
2. Introduction paragraphs must begin with a hook, which is a creative statement or idea that relates to the topic of the essay. Anecdotes, statistics, or famous quotations work well here. For example, if I was writing about the relationship between Romeo and Juliet, I may include a statistic about how many teenagers date without their parents' approval. Hey, that's good! Or perhaps I would mirror the story with a brief anecdote that replaces the teenagers with barnyard animals. That's not as good, but hopefully you get the idea.
3. In the introduction paragraph, students must include the thesis statement directly after the hook. The thesis statement must include the author's name, the title of the text, and the main argument of the essay. Following this statement, the student must preview the main supports for the essay. Students should not clump these previews into one smushed sentence. Instead, students should introduce a character's name, perhaps, and briefly indicate how that individual character relates to the thesis. Then, repeat with a different character, and then repeat again.
4. Students must argue something in each essay. Book reports are not written in high school, students are now analyzing literature. A thesis is the student's main argument or point of the paper. For example, students would not simply describe Shakespeare's character Hamlet for five paragraphs. Instead, by using specific evidence from the play, students would argue that Hamlet was indeed a tragic character who could not avoid his downfall.
5. What does analysis mean? When a student analyzes a topic, s/he must express why a certain element from the book supports her/his thesis. I equate this to a lawyer supporting a case; one must explain WHY a piece of evidence supports the case. The same works when analyzing literature. This can easily be done by asking and answering "so what?" after every piece of support included in the essay.
7. Students must use lead-ins to introduce a quote. A lead-in is the first half of the sentence, written in the student's own language, that flows smoothly into a quote. This prevents quotes from simply being pasted in the middle of a paragraph.
...Bad Example: "His eyes were as black as midnight" (16).
...Good Example: In this novel, the author first hints at the character's evil side by stating that "his eyes were as black as midnight" (16).
......See the difference? In the first example the quote is alone and sad, confused about its existence. In the second example, the reason for the inclusion of the quote is introduced in the same sentence with a lead-in.
8. Although only one quote is required for each body paragraph, students must provide two examples for each body paragraph that support the thesis. For example, if a student was arguing the comic genius of Moe, Larry, and Curly, each man would have two supporting examples in his paragraph explaining why he is so funny. I just hope students know who I'm talking about!
9. The conclusion should restate the thesis in different words. WARNING: PLEASE DO NOT COPY AND PASTE THE INTRODUCTION AS THE CONCLUSION!!! This will not count as a conclusion. Students must review each of their main points, and end with a reflection as to how the topic is still relevant in modern society. This should not be a quick, one-sentence statement that reads "Thus love is still important in today's society." Take some time with this reflection and write something movie.
10. REVISE After you write your rough draft, comb through it carefully and fix any spelling errors that spellcheck might have missed. Also, make sure that your ideas are fully expressed and analyzed. After you revise your paper, have a trusted friend or loved one revise it. I repeated, have a trusted friend revise it. If you know a buddy who does not score well in English and has trouble with essays of his/her own, then don't pick that person to revise your essay. Teachers are good sources, too!
1. All essays should be typed using Times New Roman, size 12, with black ink. Essays should also be double-spaced with one-inch margins. Failure to follow these rules will result in reductions in points. Large fonts like COURIER NEW do not fool teachers; we know when students did not include a sufficient amount of information.
......Hand-written essays will not be accepted unless discussed ahead of time with students and parents. I understand and appreciate that many households do not contain computers. Warren, however, has many computers and hours available daily for students to use them.
2. Do not use contractions (don't can't should've). Contractions represent hurried, informal writing. Literary essays should be formal at all times.
3. Do not use first person (I,me,my,we)pronouns in essays. By referring to yourself in an essay, you are openly admitting that this is only your opinion. When you leave out the first person pronouns, your essay sounds stronger and more formal. Examples: I think nuclear war is terrifying.......Nuclear war is terrifying. The second statement sounds more confident.
4. Do not use second person (you, your) pronouns in essays. By referring to the reader, you risk alienating and/or frustrating him/her. Example: Now you know why nuclear war is wrong.
What if I, the reader, still do not understand why nuclear war is wrong, and you have just made me feel incompetent. Okay, perhaps that is a stretch, but it is a risk nonetheless that is best avoided.
5. Abandon all methods of writing emails, instant messages, text messages, and any other form of computer writing nonsense. I am striving to be a published novelist, and I take formalized writing very seriously. Never write an essay is if it were an email. Do not write "b/c" when you mean "because." Never write "u" when you mean "you" (which should rarely be included anyway). Writing like this will chip away at your grade faster than a woodpecker on a dried-out 2X4.
6. Save as you write, and bring your disc to school. Warren has many, many computers, so even if your computer at home breaks, your essays still should be completed.
7. Print things out before you get to school. If you are experiencing printer problems, email or call me immediately and let me know. Bring the disc to school and try printing it early in the morning if troubles at home occur. This does and WILL happen. Our librarians and tech-people are very skilled and they can help you. If problems still happen, we can work something out.
8. The heading of your paper should go in the upper right corner of the first page. It should include your name, the date, the class period, and the topic.
9. Always write a creative title for your essays. The title should not be in bold font, underlined, or in italics. It should look exactly like the rest of the essay, but it will be centered and one space above the first paragraph.
10. Title pages are not necessary, and neither are sheet covers. By the time I pull the page out of the thin little plastic doodad, I'm frustrated as can be. Think about it: do you really want me in that frame of mind as I grade? I know I wouldn't.
11. On the opposite end of that spectrum, bribery with money or candy does not work. Please don't try it, as I could get fired. If you are just feeling generous, I like Starburst quite a bit.
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