Grammar
don’t: confuse affect and effect
don’t: confuse their, they’re and there
don’t: confuse you’re and your
don’t: confuse its and it’s
don’t: confuse then and than
don’t: write “media” as singular—a single medium, multiple media
don’t: use semicolons unless you know how (the same goes for colons)
do: check the spelling of all the words (including ones that spellchecker misses!)
do: use question marks with questions
do: put quotation marks after periods and commas (unless a parenthetical reference comes after the quote)
do: have grammatically complete sentences (avoid sentence fragments)
do: use verb tenses consistently (i.e. don’t switch from past to present without motivation)
do: put commas on either side of “however” and “for example” if they are in the middle of a sentence
Writing Style
don’t: quote too much (this of course does not mean you should plagiarize! The point is, summarize your research—and cite it—rather than giving it to me word-for-word. Only use quotes when they are really, really good)
don’t: put in synonyms (or any other word, for that matter) if you don’t know what it means or how it is usually used
do: read through your paper out loud when you are finished with it
Formatting
don’t: put extra spaces in between paragraphs
don’t: put in a word count at the end unless specifically asked
don’t: use numbered or lettered lists
don’t: use headers or footers
do: get the heading of a paper correctly formatted
do: italicize titles of books, magazines, movies, TV shows and digital games, and put quotations around the titles of newspaper and magazine articles, and individual book chapters
do: put page numbers in the top right corner, except for the first page
do: off-set quotes of more than forty words as block quotes
do: use left justification
Research
don’t: quote textbooks
don’t: cite Wikipedia—you may use sources cited in Wikipedia, but don’t cite (or plagiarize) the entry itself
do: cite a source any time you rely on it to make a point (whether directly quoted or not)
do: put quotation marks around something borrowed without altering the wording
do: significantly re-write material that you gained from a source but you are not quoting
do: cite the author of a chapter or article, not the editor of book, textbook or anthology within which the chapter or article resides (this, of course, only applies books that are collections of essays, not books written by a single author)
Organization
do: have a clear thesis that you can summarize in one sentence
do: have a single unifying point for each paragraph
do: have transitions that lead from one section or paragraph to the nextGrammar
don’t: confuse affect and effect
don’t: confuse their, they’re and there
don’t: confuse you’re and your
don’t: confuse its and it’s
don’t: confuse then and than
don’t: write “media” as singular—a single medium, multiple media
don’t: use semicolons unless you know how (the same goes for colons)
do: check the spelling of all the words (including ones that spellchecker misses!)
do: use question marks with questions
do: put quotation marks after periods and commas (unless a parenthetical reference comes after the quote)
do: have grammatically complete sentences (avoid sentence fragments)
do: use verb tenses consistently (i.e. don’t switch from past to present without motivation)
do: put commas on either side of “however” and “for example” if they are in the middle of a sentence
Writing Style
don’t: quote too much (this of course does not mean you should plagiarize! The point is, summarize your research—and cite it—rather than giving it to me word-for-word. Only use quotes when they are really, really good)
don’t: put in synonyms (or any other word, for that matter) if you don’t know what it means or how it is usually used
do: read through your paper out loud when you are finished with it
Formatting
don’t: put extra spaces in between paragraphs
don’t: put in a word count at the end unless specifically asked
don’t: use numbered or lettered lists
don’t: use headers or footers
do: get the heading of a paper correctly formatted
do: italicize titles of books, magazines, movies, TV shows and digital games, and put quotations around the titles of newspaper and magazine articles, and individual book chapters
do: put page numbers in the top right corner, except for the first page
do: off-set quotes of more than forty words as block quotes
do: use left justification
Research
don’t: quote textbooks
don’t: cite Wikipedia—you may use sources cited in Wikipedia, but don’t cite (or plagiarize) the entry itself
do: cite a source any time you rely on it to make a point (whether directly quoted or not)
do: put quotation marks around something borrowed without altering the wording
do: significantly re-write material that you gained from a source but you are not quoting
do: cite the author of a chapter or article, not the editor of book, textbook or anthology within which the chapter or article resides (this, of course, only applies books that are collections of essays, not books written by a single author)
Organization
do: have a clear thesis that you can summarize in one sentence
do: have a single unifying point for each paragraph
do: have transitions that lead from one section or paragraph to the next
The keys to making this essay work are: having a clear point; speaking in specifics, rather than vague generalizations (e.g. “advertising is evil”—how or why is it evil?); use specific examples; show an awareness that other opinions might be possible (and why that might be the case, and why you disagree with them); having a clear point (did I mention that having a clear point is important?); making a clear argument, rather than simply stating your position (don’t just say it, convince me you’re right); try to only make arguments you can back up (e.g. even if you think social media encourages people to be distracted, is that true of everyone in all situations? If not, don’t argue that it is!). Focus, focus, focus (ie, stay on topic)!
Requirements:
1. 750 to 1250 words. Maximum and minimum will be strictly enforced.
2. Formatting: Times New Roman 12 pt. font, double-spaced lines, 1 inch (2.54 cm) margins on all sides (beware! Word’s default in some versions is 1.25” left and right margins!). Put page numbers (mandatory!) in the top right corner (you may or may not put it on the first page). Left alignment only, please (not “justify” or “full alignment”). I will post a sample paper on MyCourses that you can use as a template to make sure that everything’s formatted correctly.
3. If you actually use ideas from another source, you must properly cite all works and give a formatted bibliography at the end of the paper. Please start it on a separate page at the end. Use MLA, APA or Chicago style formatting, and be consistent. As this is an opinion paper, however, as long as the work is original, research and citations are not required.
4. Please do not use a title page. On the top of the first page, put your name, class, and date each with their own line and place them against the right margin (does not have to be right-aligned) double-spaced. Center your title on the next line, no underlines, no bold/italics, no font size change.
5. You must proofread your paper by going through the writing check-list available on MyCourses. I have the right to deduct points off your final grade for too many mistakes from this list.
6. Please submit only a Word doc (.docx or the older .doc) or a Rich-Text file (.rtf) format. Do not submit a .pdf or .pages document!
Advice:
1. Have a clear, straightforward thesis.
2. Clearly organize your paper around your thesis.
3. Limit your # of arguments (you probably won’t be able to get more than 3 into such a short paper).
4. Proofread!
Grading: is based on the following –
– clarity: does the paper make its main point and supporting points clear and easy to understand?
– organization: do I, as a reader, know what is happening in each section of the paper?
– unity: is the paper focused or does it head off in many apparently unconnected tangents?
– arguments: are the arguments compelling and logically sound?
– grammar and spelling: is the paper mistake-free?
– writing style: is the paper pleasant or enjoyable to read?
The keys to making this essay work are: having a clear point; speaking in specifics, rather than vague generalizations (e.g. “advertising is evil”—how or why is it evil?); use specific examples; show an awareness that other opinions might be possible (and why that might be the case, and why you disagree with them); having a clear point (did I mention that having a clear point is important?); making a clear argument, rather than simply stating your position (don’t just say it, convince me you’re right); try to only make arguments you can back up (e.g. even if you think social media encourages people to be distracted, is that true of everyone in all situations? If not, don’t argue that it is!). Focus, focus, focus (ie, stay on topic)!
Requirements:
1. 750 to 1250 words. Maximum and minimum will be strictly enforced.
2. Formatting: Times New Roman 12 pt. font, double-spaced lines, 1 inch (2.54 cm) margins on all sides (beware! Word’s default in some versions is 1.25” left and right margins!). Put page numbers (mandatory!) in the top right corner (you may or may not put it on the first page). Left alignment only, please (not “justify” or “full alignment”). I will post a sample paper on MyCourses that you can use as a template to make sure that everything’s formatted correctly.
3. If you actually use ideas from another source, you must properly cite all works and give a formatted bibliography at the end of the paper. Please start it on a separate page at the end. Use MLA, APA or Chicago style formatting, and be consistent. As this is an opinion paper, however, as long as the work is original, research and citations are not required.
4. Please do not use a title page. On the top of the first page, put your name, class, and date each with their own line and place them against the right margin (does not have to be right-aligned) double-spaced. Center your title on the next line, no underlines, no bold/italics, no font size change.
5. You must proofread your paper by going through the writing check-list available on MyCourses. I have the right to deduct points off your final grade for too many mistakes from this list.
6. Please submit only a Word doc (.docx or the older .doc) or a Rich-Text file (.rtf) format. Do not submit a .pdf or .pages document!
Advice:
1. Have a clear, straightforward thesis.
2. Clearly organize your paper around your thesis.
3. Limit your # of arguments (you probably won’t be able to get more than 3 into such a short paper).
4. Proofread!
Grading: is based on the following –
– clarity: does the paper make its main point and supporting points clear and easy to understand?
– organization: do I, as a reader, know what is happening in each section of the paper?
– unity: is the paper focused or does it head off in many apparently unconnected tangents?
– arguments: are the arguments compelling and logically sound?
– grammar and spelling: is the paper mistake-free?
– writing style: is the paper pleasant or enjoyable to read?