J. Roth/English 101

Essay Assignment #1: Development by Example, pp. 180-193, in your Steps to Writing Well text.

• Value: up to 100 points (up to 20 points for your posted Revised Rough Draft; up to 80 additional points for your Revised Final Draft).

• Revised Rough Draft must be posted to your Group Discussion Board no later than Thursday, April 13, by noon.

• Revised Final Draft must be submitted to me no later than Thursday, April 20, by noon.

• Format: MLA format (Please see the Sample Student Essay, pp. 187-189 in STWW for an example of formatting.

• Length: 400-500 words (Two to three effective examples (a paragraph per example) plus an introductory paragraph with a thesis and a concluding paragraph.)

• Sample Outline

Paragraph 1—Introduction and thesis sentence

Paragraph 2—Example #1

Paragraph 3—Example #2

Paragraph 4—Example #3

Paragraph 5—Conclusion

Steps to follow:

First, please read carefully STWW, pp. 180-193. Look particularly at the Sample Student Essay on pp. 187-189. Another example of an essay developed by examples is Frustrations of a College Student located on my web site.

Next, browse the Twenty Essay Topics on pp. 185-6 of Steps to Writing Well and select one.

Then, begin drafting your essay by first selecting examples and creating an outline.

Set your draft aside occasionally to develop some distance. Then return to your draft to revise it.

Put your draft through at least three full revisions before you post it to your Group Discussion Board.

Post your Revised Rough Draft to your Group Discussion Board (use “Add New Thread”), by the posting date.

Read your group members’ drafts, and give constructive, helpful reactions and advice in your replies.

Next, incorporate into another revision as many of your group’s comments as you think appropriate and revise again.

Edit carefully this revision.

Submit your Revised Final Draft to me by the due date.