WRITING THE ESSAY
The following are some very important points you must observe when you are composing your essays:
1. Write only on a narrow topic that you personally know about or have personally experienced.
That way you will have a better grasp of your subject and can then concentrate on the
quality of your writing. Avoid topics that are too broad or vague, such as "Love,"
"Friendship," or "My Trip to France, Germany, and Spain." These topics cannot be
fully dealt with in a short 700-word essay. Please check with me regarding your topic.
Remember also that since you are a university student, you should write on an intellectually
challenging subject.
2. Structure your essays so that they contain a clear thesis (preferably at the end of the first
paragraph), lots of specific examples to help your reader understand your meaning, and a
conclusion that leaves no doubt in the reader's mind that the essay is done.
3. Make sure that your sentences average fifteen to twenty-five words, that your paragraphs
contain at least six to eight sentences, and that your essay has at least five paragraphs,
preferably more. Be sure you read pages 152-153 of the class text for brief descriptions
of the types of essays: Expository, Argumentative, Narrative, and Descriptive.
4. All the essays that you write for this course must contain at least seven hundred words.
You may write more, of course, but you must not write fewer than seven hundred words.
That way you will give me a fair sample of your writing, and it will be fair to all the other
students in the class who also write the minimum number of required words. If necessary,
count the words before submitting your essay. If the essay is too short, I will simply return
it ungraded, and then it will be counted "late" when resubmitted.
5. Please double space your essays. Use regular one-inch margins and please use 12-font print
(the size of these letters). Use plain text only. Do not quadruple space between paragraphs;
just double space the text throughout.
6. Don't forget to put a title on your essay, and the title should clearly describe what your
essay is about. One-word titles are insufficient. Your title should consist of several words
precisely chosen to describe your essay's content. Never underline your title or put quotation
marks around it. Do not staple the pages of your essay if you hand in a hard copy; just use
a paperclip.
7. Proofread your writing very carefully! In this class—because it is a writing course—if you
write a sentence fragment or a fused sentence, then the highest grade the essay will merit is
a "C." If the essay contains a comma splice, then the highest grade it will earn is a "B." If
there are additional errors, the grade will go down from there. Strive for writing that is not
only well organized but is also mechanically perfect. In this course, form counts as much as
content.