ENG 115 ASSIGNMENT 3: STANCE ESSAY

ENG 115 ASSIGNMENT 3: STANCE ESSAY Due Week 10 and worth 230 points

Congratulations! You made it to your final assignment, and you have learned so much along the way.

• In the personal essay, you learned how to write with a strong personal voice. • In the informative essay, you learned how to write objectively and support your points with credible sources to

inform the audience.

Now in your final assignment, you will combine these writing techniques to write a stance essay. A stance essay takes a position on a topic and argues and supports that position with evidence. Consider your topic:

• What possible positions/arguments are there? • What position resonates with you? (Which position do you believe is correct?) • What are your main points? • What are the counterpoints? Are you ready to dispute them? • Do you have enough evidence to effectively support your argument?

For the stance essay, your personal voice (your perspective) should come through. This is just like assignment 1, except you should maintain a formal tone. And just like assignment 2, you will need to support your points with credible sources. You’re ready to take a position on the topic you have been writing about and to be persuasive!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Compose a three-four (3-4) page paper in which you do the following:

1. Use third person point of view (POV) and the appropriate voice and tone throughout your paper. a. Did you use third person pronouns? (he, she, they, their) b. Does your personality carry over in your writing? Are your word choices personal and consistent? c. Is the tone formal? Does it express your atitude about the topic?

2. Write an introduction paragraph, which includes your thesis statement. It is suggested that this paragraph contain 5-7 sentences.

a. Does your introduction include solutions or approaches on the topic? b. Does your thesis statement include three supporting reasons that clearly express your stance on the topic? c. Is your thesis statement clear and concise? d. Does your introduction provide a preview of the rest of your essay?

3. Write a supporting/body paragraph for each of the three (3) points/reasons from your thesis statement. It is suggest- ed that each paragraph contain at least 5-7 sentences.

a. Do your body paragraphs support each point of your thesis with relevant examples or statistics? b. Do you address the opinions or concerns that your audience might have? c. Did you paraphrase, quote, or summarize properly to avoid plagiarism? Did you comment on each quotation?

4. Write with logic and with transitions throughout your paper. a. Are your ideas consistent and well-organized, i.e., chronological order or order of importance? b. Do your ideas flow from one sentence to the next and one paragraph to the next, in the order presented in your

thesis statement?

5. Write a conclusion paragraph. It is suggested that this paragraph contain 5-7 sentences. a. Did you paraphrase or restate the thesis in a new way?

 

 

b. Did you leave a lasting impression, so that your readers continue thinking about your topic after they have finished reading?

6. Apply proper grammar, mechanics, punctuation and APA formatting throughout your paper. a. Did you check your grammar?

i. The way words are put together to make units of meaning: Sentence structure, pronoun-agreement, etc.

b. Did you check your essay for mechanics? i. All the “technical” stuff in writing: Spelling, capitalization, use of numbers and other symbols, etc.

b. Did you check the punctuation? i. The “symbols” used to help people read/process sentences the way you want them to be heard and

understood: Periods, question marks, commas, colons, etc. d. Did you format according to APA style? (See requirements below.)

APA FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:

Your assignment must follow these general APA formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides. It should also have a running header, short title headers, numbered pages, indented paragraphs, and a References List with hanging indent(s).

• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. Note: The cover page is not included in the required assignment page length of three-four (3-4) pages.

• In-text citations follow APA style, using attributive tags and signal verbs. • Did you cite at least four (4) sources (no more than two (2) of the provided sources in the webtext)? Are your

sources credible? • Refer to the Soomo webtext or check with your professor for any additional instructions.

 

 

Points: 230 Assignment 3: Stance Essay

Criteria Unacceptable

Below 60% – F

Meets Minimum Expectations

60-69% – D

Fair

70-79% – C

Proficient

80-89% – B

Exemplary

90-100% – A

1. Point of View (POV), Voice, and Tone

Weight: 10%

Did not use third person POV at all in the paper. Voice is inconsistent and lacks person- ality or identity throughout the paper. Tone is not formal and atti- tude is unrecog- nizable throughout the paper.

Uses third person POV in a couple sentences of the paper. Voice may be inconsistent and lacks person- ality or identity throughout most of the paper. Tone is mostly informal and attitude is mostly unrecog- nizable throughout most of the paper.

Uses third person POV throughout some of the paper. Voice is somewhat consistent and personality or iden- tity is somewhat evident throughout the paper. Tone is fairly formal and attitude is some- what recognizable throughout most of the paper.

Uses third person POV throughout most of the paper. Voice is mostly consistent and personality or identity is evident throughout most of the paper. Tone is adequately formal and attitude is recognizable throughout the paper.

Uses third person POV throughout the paper. Voice is consistent and per- sonality or identity is evident through- out the paper. Tone is completely formal and attitude is easily recogniz- able throughout the paper.

2. Introduction and Thesis

Weight: 15%

Introduction does not include solu- tions or approach- es on the topic. Thesis statement does not include 3 supporting rea- sons that clearly expresses stance on the topic; it is not clear, and/or it is wordy. It does not give a preview of the rest of the essay.

Introduction attempts to offer solutions or approaches on the topic. Thesis statement may not include 3 support- ing reasons and/ or may not clearly express stance on the topic; it is not entirely clear; and/ or it is wordy. It barely previews the rest of the essay.

Introduction includes partial solutions or approaches on the topic. Thesis state- ment includes 3 supporting reasons and/or partially expresses stance on topic; it is fairly clear, and/or con- cise. It somewhat previews the rest of the essay.

Introduction includes effec- tive solutions or approaches on the topic. Thesis state- ment includes 3 supporting reasons and/or effectively expresses stance on topic; and is suf- ficiently clear and concise. It gives an adequate preview of the rest of the essay.

Introduction includes compel- ling solutions or approaches on the topic. Thesis statement includes 3 supporting rea- sons and/or fully expresses stance on topic; and is completely clear and concise. It gives a completely effectual preview of the rest of the essay.

3. Supporting Paragraphs

Weight: 20%

Did not write or incompletely wrote supporting paragraphs for each point from the thesis state- ment. Does not consider opinions or concerns of the audience. Does not properly paraphrase and/or comment on each quote.

Insufficiently wrote supporting paragraphs for each point from the thesis state- ment. Insufficient- ly consider opin- ions or concerns of the audience. Inadequately paraphrases and/ or comments on each quote.

Partially wrote supporting para- graphs for each point from the thesis statement. Somewhat con- siders opinions or concerns of the audience. Partially paraphrases and/ or comments on each quote.

Satisfactorily wrote supporting paragraphs for each point from the thesis state- ment. Adequately considers opin- ions or concerns of the audience. Satisfactorily paraphrases and/ or comments on each quote.

Clearly wrote supporting para- graphs for each point from the thesis statement. Fully considers opinions or con- cerns of the audi- ence. Completely paraphrases and/ or comments on each quote.

 

 

Points: 230 Assignment 3: Stance Essay

Criteria Unacceptable

Below 60% – F

Meets Minimum Expectations

60-69% – D

Fair

70-79% – C

Proficient

80-89% – B

Exemplary

90-100% – A

4. Transitions and Logic

Weight: 15%

Ideas are incon- sistent and/or are not presented in a logical order. Tran- sition words are not used effectively to move from one idea, paragraph, and/or sentence to the next through- out the paper. Body paragraphs are not in the order pre- sented in the thesis statement.

Ideas may not be consistent and/or are inadequately presented in a logical order. Tran- sition words are used ineffectively to move from one idea, paragraph, and/or sentence to the next through- out most of the paper. Body para- graphs may not in the order present- ed in the thesis statement.

Ideas are fairly consistent and/ or are partially presented in a logical order. Tran- sition words are used somewhat effectively to move from one idea, paragraph, and/ or sentence to the next throughout some of the paper. Body paragraphs are partially in the order presented in the thesis state- ment.

Ideas are mostly consistent and/or are presented in a logical order. Tran- sition words are used adequately to move from idea, paragraph, and/ or sentence to the next throughout most of the paper. Body paragraphs are mostly in the order presented in thesis statement.

Ideas are com- pletely consistent and/or are clearly presented in a logical order. Transition words are used effectively to move from idea, paragraph, and/ or sentence to the next throughout the paper. Body paragraphs are in the order pre- sented in thesis statement.

5. Conclusion

Weight: 15%

Conclusion does not paraphrase or rephrase the thesis in a new way. It does not leave a lasting impression.

Conclusion at- tempts to para- phrase or rephrase the thesis in a new way. It attempts to leave a lasting impression.

Conclusion paraphrases or rephrases some of the thesis in a new way. It sufficiently left a lasting im- pression.

Conclusion ade- quately paraphras- es or rephrases the thesis in a new way. It was some- what effective in leaving a lasting impression.

Conclusion effectu- ally paraphrases or rephrases the the- sis in a new way. It left a powerful lasting impression.

6. Grammar, Mechanics, Punc- tuation, and APA Formatting

Weight: 25%

There are more than 8 mechanics, grammar, and punctuation errors. The paper is not double-spaced; font is incorrect; margins are not one-inch on all sides, and, there may not be a cover page. It does not have headers, pages numbers, in- dented paragraphs, and/or hanging indents. Did not appropriately use in-text citations throughout the body. No Referenc- es page.

There are 7-8 me- chanics, grammar, and punctuation errors. The paper is double-spaced; font is correct; margins are one-inches on any sides, and, there is a cover page. It only includes 1 of the following elements: headers, pages numbers, in- dented paragraphs, and/or hanging in- dents. All citations are missing or have been used improp- erly in the essay and References page.

There are 5-6 me- chanics, grammar, and punctuation errors. The paper is double-spaced; font is correct; mar- gins are one-inches on any sides, and, there is a cover page. It includes 2 of the following elements: headers, pages numbers, in- dented paragraphs, and/or hanging indents. Body paragraphs include in-text citations, and attributive tags and signal verbs are sufficiently used. Some in- text citations are improperly placed, missing, or not developed. Most of the References page is correct.

There are 3-4 me- chanics, grammar, and punctuation errors. The paper is double-spaced; font is correct; mar- gins are one-inches on any sides, and, there is a cover page. It includes 3 of the following elements: headers, pages numbers, in- dented paragraphs, and/or hanging indents. Body paragraphs include in-text citations, and attributive tags and signal verbs are mostly effec- tive. Two credible sources are proper- ly cited with some errors. References page is correct.

There are 0-2 me- chanics, grammar, and punctuation errors. The paper is double-spaced; font is correct; mar- gins are one-inches on any sides; and, there is a cover page. It includes all of the following elements: headers, pages numbers, in- dented paragraphs, and/or hanging indents. Body paragraphs include in-text citations, and attributive tags and signal verbs are effectively used. Two cred- ible sources are properly cited with few or no errors. References page is correct.