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Format MLA

Volume of 1100 – 1500 words(5 pages)
Assignment type : Essay

Essay

Your response to the following essay prompt will be a thesis-driven argument. Your thesis statement will be the main, specific claim which unifies the entire essay, and your body paragraphs will support your thesis with arguments, examples, and details on its behalf. Your final draft must be presented as a formal academic essay and conform to all of the rules and expectations of formal academic writing, including the guidelines below:

Define success in contemporary America, and explain the role of government in making your version of success attainable in the 21st century.

Some questions to consider are

1) Is there a single, all-encompassing definition of American success, or do a variety of “successes” exist? Might different factions of the American population, such as those of different genders, races, ethnicities, and economic backgrounds, have differing versions of success?
2) What level of responsibility should the government bear in helping Americans achieve their definitions of success? Should the government be heavily involved or more hands-off?
3) What are some examples of how the American government can help its citizens become successful?
4) Conversely, what are some examples of the types of government assistance that should be avoided?
5) What are the downsides to a government that provides too much or too little help to its citizens?

Your essay structure must meet the following requirements:

• An original title
• An introduction paragraph which both captures the reader’s attention and contains your thesis statement
• A thesis statement which addresses the essay prompt and then elaborates with added specificity (for example, your thesis might read, “Success in America today means _______________________, and the government’s role is to _______________________ in order to make success attainable.” Fill in the blanks and you have a very strong thesis statement.)
• Body paragraphs which clearly support your thesis in argument, examples, and details
• A conclusion paragraph which does more than just repeat the language and ideas of your introduction and thesis. Try to show how your thesis has expanded or become even more specific over the course of 5+ pages of writing. (I suggest you try one of these strategies from the blue box on LB p. 59: recommend a course of action, strike a note of hope or despair, give a symbolic or powerful fact or other detail, give an especially compelling example, or create a visual image that represents your subject.)

Each paper must follow these guidelines:

• Your name, my name, ENG 111, and the due date on the upper left-hand corner.
• Final Drafts: 5 to 7 full pages, not counting the Works Cited page. More is acceptable, but not necessary. Less will result in an automatic drop of one letter grade before I consider the content. The sources you will use for this assignment are three of our five class readings from Reich, Brooks, Krugman (2 essays), and Ehrenreich, and three additional sources from your own research, for a total of 6 pieces of material from which you must quote, paraphrase, or summarize, no more or less. There are no restrictions on types of research materials, but you should try to find web or print sources which are a) reliable (.gov and .edu are good choices), and b) directly related to your essay topic.
• All essays must be typed using Times New Roman, 12-point font.
• Essays must follow MLA standards, be double-spaced, with one-inch margins, last name and page number on all pages.
• Papers lacking any other requirements will automatically be docked a letter grade.
• • Late papers will not be accepted.

Superficial Elements

– proofread for spelling, including titles, authors, and source material/quotations
– check for a proper Works Cited page w/entries for each source
– introduce authors (full name) and their works before quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing the source; all subsequent mentions of authors use last name only
– essays must be at least 5 full pages (which means down to the last line of page 5)
– avoid contractions, slang, or informal language
– no 1st person (I, me, we, us, my, mine, etc.)
– no comma splices, fused sentences, or fragments
– use present tense in signal phrases (ex. Krugman says, “…….”)
– check for correct use of colons and semicolons
– do not underline; italicize instead
– check for proper MLA formatting (heading, margins, spacing, font); see the sample essay in Blackboard “Course Resources” or the sample essay on LB p. 468-476 for formatting models

Argument and Analysis

– use only the amount of source material necessary to argue your thesis; work under the assumption that your readers are familiar with your readings (Reich, Krugman, Brooks, and Ehrenreich) – extended summary is repetitious and so unnecessary
– develop your body paragraphs with both claims/arguments and examples
– do not end paragraphs with another’s words; end on your own argument
– make sure your thesis and topic sentences express claims rather than statements
– fully develop your paragraphs or combine them; 3 sentences or less is usually too short