ENGL 133W AEV – TOPIC: Why We Write

Assignment: Write an argumentative essay that asserts [a position backed by evidence] a position dealing with a topic raised in one of the articles in Cohen’s 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. An assertion has something to add to the conversation. An assertion can agree with the original authors theme or be opposed to it (advances the ball, or reverses direction), but it must do more than summarize.
Objectives: Analyze texts relevant to the course topic. Write an organized and well-supported argumentative essay related to the course topic by demonstrating an ability to negotiate complexities and opposing views, creating a focused thesis that argues a specific point (head of a pin), having a strategy for paragraph and sentence organization, supporting opinions with relevant details, direct quotations, and paraphrases from selected essay. Utilize the process of college-level academic writing, including exploratory writing, drafting, and revision.
The paper should be 750 words or over three pages. Use Microsoft Word, Times New Roman, 12-point font. Double space, indent paragraphs, and do not add extra spaces between paragraphs. The name and course data should appear in the upper-left corner, your name and the page number in the upper right-hand corner. Title pages are not desired; however, the title should be an effective grabber and reflect the controlling idea. For example, “Post-Game: An Update to David Zirn’s ‘Pre-Game.’” Do not underline your title. Be sure to document your sources with a works cited page. At minimum, you should have the single source article from 50 Essays.