Essay Instructions: Please see fax which includes the refrenced essay. This is to be an Exemplification Essay on the essay "Star-Spangled Stupidity"Guidelines are as follows.
Essay Requirements
2-3 pages (2 complete pages minimum)
MLA format (including MLA parenthetical citations for quotations and works cited page)
Use formal third-person voice, academic writing style (you cannot use "I")
Use direct textual evidence from the essay to support thesis statement
Dick Teresi - "Star-Spangled Stupidity"
Using the essay listed above write an essay in which you address the following:
What is the thesis? (The answer to this question will become your thesis statement)
What evidence is provided to support the thesis and how does the author use those examples?
What is the writer/speaker asking the audience to think about or do?
This is an exemplification essay and, as such, it requires you to provide specific examples to support your thesis. In this case, your thesis is a statement of what the writer's thesis is. Therefore, your examples (evidence) will be the examples the writer uses, but more importantly, how that writer uses them.
Example thesis statement: Lawrence J. Peter and Raymond Hull's essay "The Peter Principle" argues that every employee will eventually be promoted to a level in which he or she proves incompetent to fulfill the job function. They use a series of examples from a variety of vocations showing competent employees rising to positions of incompetence in an attempt to cause awareness among the nation's workers about knowing one's level of incompetence.
In this thesis statement, we have not only what is being argued, but a brief introduction to the evidence that will be presented to support the argument and a mention of the audience being targeted. The essay that will result from this thesis statement will not be a summary of Peter and Hull's essay, but an examination of how they use their evidence to support the thesis.
Exemplification is primarily the use of examples to explain a point. For the purposes of this class, exemplification will involve using examples to support a thesis statement in an essay. The key to a successful exemplification essay is to start with a strong, specific thesis statement, such as the one offered above.
DO NOT REWRITE THE ESSAY YOU ARE EXAMINING. THIS IS NOT A SUMMARY REPORT, NOR IS IT A RETELLING IN YOUR OWN WORDS USING EXAMPLES FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE. THIS IS AN ESSAY ABOUT THE ESSAY IN YOUR TEXTBOOK, NOT AN ESSAY ABOUT AN ISSUE RAISED IN THE READING.
Essay Chrcklist
Basic Requirements for the Grade of C
1. ___I understand the requirements of the assignment and have fulfilled them all.
2. ___I have a clear, specific thesis statement included in the introduction of the essay and have maintained a focus on this thesis throughout the essay.
3. ___I have developed the thesis based on analysis rather than summary.
4. ___I have provided a proper introduction to the text(s) I am discussing (names and titles included).
5. ___I have developed an organized essay, with basic introductory, transitional, and conclusive sentences, and supporting paragraphs that serve to support/prove the thesis.
6. ___I have supported all claims with adequate direct and indirect textual examples that are specifically chosen as evidence and are analyzed.
7. ___I have used the aforementioned quotations and paraphrases relevantly, accurately and in proper proportion to the claims I have made; furthermore, they are integrated into the essay clearly with proper formatting and introductory phrases.
8. ___I have followed MLA requirements for the citations of textual examples correctly.
9. ___I have made sure that each parenthetical citation is represented accurately on the Works Cited page (if W.C. page is used).
10. ___I have ended the essay with an appropriate conclusion.
11. ___I have formatted the Works Cited page correctly according to MLA format (if W.C. page is used).
12. ___I have read my essay and have double-checked the clarity, organization, consistency and specificity of the argument and third person academic writing.
13. ___I have proofread my paper for grammar, punctuation, and spelling, and the paper demonstrates basic mastery so as not to have major errors that would interfere with effective communication.
Basic Requirements (In Addition to Above) for the Grade of B
14. ___I have formulated an interesting, sophisticated thesis.
15. ___I have supported the claims with appropriate, intelligent, well-analyzed examples.
16. ___I have achieved logical organization throughout the essay with thoughtful, specific topic sentences and paragraph conclusions.
17. ___I have used transitions in a well-balanced and effective manner.
18. ___I have used strong nouns, verbs, and adjectives that are precise and descriptive.
19. ___I have selected relevant and insightful research references (if such sources are required).
20. ___I have demonstrated a more complete mastery of the MLA documentation style as well as grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Basic Requirements (In Addition to Above) for the Grade of A
21. ___I have supported all points with appropriate, fully analyzed textual evidence and compelling, insightful arguments.
22. ___I have used only carefully selected references that fully support the thesis, blend smoothly into the essay, and highlight ideas in an interesting and appropriate way.
23. ___I have used varied sentence structure and college level vocabulary.
24. ___I have maintained a distinctive voice – with an attempt to express myself in an original style – and the essay maintains a consistent point of view with no illogical shifts.
25. ___I have written a nearly error free essay, having proofread and revised as needed.
A grade of D will result from errors which prevent coherent understanding of the essay or an insufficient amount of the qualities of a C essay (more than three). A grade of F will result from failure to respond/adhere to the assignment, two or more of the listed qualities of a D essay, or for failing to meet the minimum page count.
Potential Elements of an Exemplification Essay
Thesis; One sentence that gives your reader the subject & main idea of your paper. Raising the minimum wage will not hurt small business owners.
Examples Examples from the book or personal experience that illustrate the thesis. • Direct Quotes
• Paraphrases
• Personal Experience
• Research
Concrete Nouns Specific nouns that draw a vivid image for the reader. “Things” can be replaced by “hat, pen, and cell phone.”
Active Verbs Action verbs that “show” what is happening (as opposed to telling what happens). “The man is slow” can be replaced by “The man crept along the sidewalk.”
Transitions Words that guide the reader along and signal that an example is to follow. • For example
• For instance
• To illustrate
There are faxes for this order.
