Essay Assignment #4—Cause-Effect

DUE DATE for Essay #4: Thursday, March 15, hard copy due at the beginning of class

OR in the Essay #4 ANGEL drop box by midnight, March 15—100 points possible

Peer Editing Day: Thursday, March 8—15 points possible--you must have a completed rough draft to attend.

Steps to Follow

Step 1: Review the Cause-Effect Essay Advice presented in class (Course Packet, pp. 89-91).

Step 2: Write a cause OR effect essay on one of the topics listed on the back of this page. Limit your essay to either three causes OR three effects of your event or situation.

ü STRUCTURE—an appropriate, inviting introduction, a clear thesis sentence at the end of your introductory paragraph. A “Milkshake Essay” structure throughout. An appropriate, elegant conclusion.

ü CONTENT: a clear topic sentence at the beginning of each body paragraph as well as unity, coherence, and completeness of body paragraph details.

ü DELIVERY: absence of sentencing errors (fragments, comma splices, run-ons), commonly confused words errors, subject-verb agreement errors, and pronoun agreement errors. Does the final draft read as if it is the result of earlier revision and editing?

Outline Format:

Paragraph #1: Introduction—begin by describing the event/situation you will analyze and end this paragraph with your thesis sentence.

Paragraph #2: Cause OR Effect #1

Paragraph #3: Cause OR Effect #2

Paragraph #4: Cause OR Effect #3

Paragraph #5: An elegant Conclusion

Possible Cause-Effect writing topics

ü attending/completing college in another country

ü moving to another home, country, etc.

ü using the internet

ü the effects of having a home internet connection

ü being or not being an “‘iPodian”

ü Any “Rousseau” situation

ü kindness

ü rudeness

ü homelessness

ü starting an exercise/weight program

ü popularity of a fad, TV program, singing group, etc.

ü adoption

ü teen pregnancy, parenthood

ü single-parent issues

ü living by yourself

ü living with someone

ü candidates and issues

ü the best decision you have made and its effects

ü the worst decision you have made and its effects

ü reasons for getting a tattoo

ü reasons for not getting a tattoo

ü effects of getting a tattoo

ü becoming or not becoming an “‘iPodian”

ü the effects of using earphones to listen to music when in public

ü the effects of owning a cell phone

ü the effects of taking online courses

ü a day without technology

ü how we view experience (life)