Requirements of the College Essay
English 1010 – Composition I
Hasting
Double-space typed and handwritten text
Write or type on front side of paper only
Write legibly. Use only blue or black pen.
Include page numbers in the top right hand corner of each page
Use MLA style heading
Do not use a folder/notebook of any kind, just staple
No cover sheet
Formal essays require that contractions not be used.
The personal pronoun “you” may not be used since the reader has no way of knowing who you is and this is a formal essay anyway.
Okay is spelled “okay.” “Anyways” is not a word. Neither is “alot.”
All essays are 500 words
The first letter of each word of the title must be capitalized. Do not underline, italicize, or put quotation marks around your title.
The Writing Process
Use invention strategies (brainstorming, freewriting, clustering) to develop a topic that interests you. Harbrace 392-399
Develop a tentative thesis for your essay. It should be one sentence and contain the subject of your essay and the argument you plan on making. The thesis will be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph. Harbrace 399-403
The outline should contain all of the main points or arguments you will make in the body of your essay. A well-planned outline will make your essay easier to write. Harbrace 403-405
Getting down the first draft is only 20% of the work required to complete your essay. Harbrace 405-417
80% of your essay writing time involves rewriting. Harbrace 418-458
Ask yourself, does your essay make sense? Put it down, then come back to it a few hours or days later and see what needs to be changed. Let a friend who you know is good in English look it over for you. Read it aloud in order to discover words you have omitted.
Your essay must have a minimum of five paragraphs. The introduction must be at least 5-10 sentences. No paragraph should ever be less than three sentences. The three body paragraphs must support your thesis, and they are followed by your conclusion. The conclusion must restate the thesis using different words. This helps to remind the reader of what he or she has just read.
The topic sentence is the first sentence in each paragraph. You need to ask yourself if this sentence works to support the thesis in your introduction. It’s okay to change your thesis to make it match what you are writing. That’s called rewriting. Do your body paragraphs contain enough supporting details? More details means the essay “flows” which means you have a cohesive essay.
Writing is a recursive process. That means you may have to go back time and time again to rewrite your thesis, or to change a major point in one of your body paragraphs, or to add an example or a story that you just thought of to help the reader understand a point you are making.
