The Narrative Essay
English 1010
Hasting
Narration is the telling of a story. Your essay will most likely tell a story about what once really happened to you or to people you know. The essence of a narrative essay is a point and a story to back it up. Tell your own story in your own way.
The story must have a thesis, but the story itself is what gives life to the paper.
(Remember the thesis is the last sentence in your introduction paragraph.)
Write a story, not a sermon. Avoid preaching, lecturing, or moralizing, especially in your conclusion.
A good story needs a conflict.
Conflicts can occur between people, between people and their environments, and between a person and himself.
A good story needs a lot of details, specific ones that give the reader a rich picture of what is taking place.
A good story is real. No one is totally good or totally evil. Life is much more complex than that, and we all know it!
Check your handout that covered the College Essay.
*Use MLA style heading and page numbers
*500 words, typed, and double-spaced using size 12 font
*Introduction must be at least 6-10 sentences
*A thesis must be in the last sentence of the introduction paragraph
*Each body paragraph (3 is the minimum number) must begin with a topic sentence. Each topic sentence must directly support the thesis. And each topic sentence must be supported by all of the rest of the sentences in the paragraph.
*Your conclusion should restate the thesis using different words. Use your conclusion to remind your reader of the main points you made in the body of your essay.
Type on one side of your paper only.
No cover sheet.
Staple
No contractions, no use of the personal pronoun “you”
Your essay must contain a title.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Narrative Essay DSPW 0800
Writing a Narrative
DSPW 0800
Hasting
When you write a narrative essay, you are writing a story. Your story may be personal, historical, or even fictional (made up). Stories are almost always told in chronological order. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. Narratives need a thesis as the last sentence of the introductory paragraph. The three body paragraphs should begin with a topic sentence (which introduces the topic of that paragraph). The conclusion of your narrative should summarize the main points of your story and/or restate your thesis using different words.
See page 175 in Writing First for examples of transitional words and phrases that will help your readers follow your story. For example: After, finally, now, meanwhile. These transitional words indicate that time is passing, so they are useful for keeping your narrative organized.
Read the narrative “Reflections” on pages 175-76 if you would like to see an example.
Handwrite or type a one-page narrative essay on the topic “your idea of a perfect day.” Follow the rules of writing found in the handout Requirements of the College Essay. The narrative is due on Tuesday, February 3. This essay is only a homework grade.
DSPW 0800
Hasting
When you write a narrative essay, you are writing a story. Your story may be personal, historical, or even fictional (made up). Stories are almost always told in chronological order. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. Narratives need a thesis as the last sentence of the introductory paragraph. The three body paragraphs should begin with a topic sentence (which introduces the topic of that paragraph). The conclusion of your narrative should summarize the main points of your story and/or restate your thesis using different words.
See page 175 in Writing First for examples of transitional words and phrases that will help your readers follow your story. For example: After, finally, now, meanwhile. These transitional words indicate that time is passing, so they are useful for keeping your narrative organized.
Read the narrative “Reflections” on pages 175-76 if you would like to see an example.
Handwrite or type a one-page narrative essay on the topic “your idea of a perfect day.” Follow the rules of writing found in the handout Requirements of the College Essay. The narrative is due on Tuesday, February 3. This essay is only a homework grade.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Using the Internet for Academic Research
Using the Internet for Academic Research
Hasting
You are likely to find some of the latest information on a topic on the internet simply because publishing on the web is so simple. Anyone can do it, and herein lies the problem. Sources appropriate for use in academic research are few and far between. Some of the best sources are college and university websites. Their internet addresses end in .edu. Another reliable source is the U.S. government whose websites all end in .gov. All others must be evaluated by you the researcher. That puts the responsibility for their accuracy and honesty on you.
Some ways to be a responsible researcher:
*How recently has the site been updated? If it’s been a long time, you can bet the information is not current and the publisher may be gone.
*Web sites are rarely refereed or reviewed, as are scholarly books and journals, so you will need to determine the website’s point of view and ferret out evidence of bias. It is not unheard of for a student to discover a site about literature that is being run by skinheads who believe in censorship of the very literature they are discussing. As a researcher, it is your responsibility to look at the website closely for indications that it is not what it seems.
*The lack of an author is a common problem on the internet. You must find out who the sponsor or producer of the site is. Is there a way to contact anyone associated with the site? Is the site address just someone’s name? An unidentified author is a bad sign because it means whoever he or she is they do not want to be identified with their site and neither do you!
*Who is the website’s audience? If it is academic, the site will be well organized, easy to navigate, contain working links to other reputable sites and be comprehensive in its coverage of a subject. These are all signs that this is a site that is an important project for someone in the academic community and that they take pride and responsibility in making it available to further the research of others.
*Googling a topic is a wonderful way to start your internet search, but it is only the beginning. Google and other search engines are going to give you massive numbers of sources, many will not be on point, some will be nothing more than someone else’s memo’s on the subject; in other words, most will be totally useless to your research.
*If, after going through a lengthy process, a site makes the grade, you can be sure that it will work to support the argument you are making in your research, rather than making you look foolish.
Hasting
You are likely to find some of the latest information on a topic on the internet simply because publishing on the web is so simple. Anyone can do it, and herein lies the problem. Sources appropriate for use in academic research are few and far between. Some of the best sources are college and university websites. Their internet addresses end in .edu. Another reliable source is the U.S. government whose websites all end in .gov. All others must be evaluated by you the researcher. That puts the responsibility for their accuracy and honesty on you.
Some ways to be a responsible researcher:
*How recently has the site been updated? If it’s been a long time, you can bet the information is not current and the publisher may be gone.
*Web sites are rarely refereed or reviewed, as are scholarly books and journals, so you will need to determine the website’s point of view and ferret out evidence of bias. It is not unheard of for a student to discover a site about literature that is being run by skinheads who believe in censorship of the very literature they are discussing. As a researcher, it is your responsibility to look at the website closely for indications that it is not what it seems.
*The lack of an author is a common problem on the internet. You must find out who the sponsor or producer of the site is. Is there a way to contact anyone associated with the site? Is the site address just someone’s name? An unidentified author is a bad sign because it means whoever he or she is they do not want to be identified with their site and neither do you!
*Who is the website’s audience? If it is academic, the site will be well organized, easy to navigate, contain working links to other reputable sites and be comprehensive in its coverage of a subject. These are all signs that this is a site that is an important project for someone in the academic community and that they take pride and responsibility in making it available to further the research of others.
*Googling a topic is a wonderful way to start your internet search, but it is only the beginning. Google and other search engines are going to give you massive numbers of sources, many will not be on point, some will be nothing more than someone else’s memo’s on the subject; in other words, most will be totally useless to your research.
*If, after going through a lengthy process, a site makes the grade, you can be sure that it will work to support the argument you are making in your research, rather than making you look foolish.
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