ENGL 1101 Essay 2: Argumentative Essay Instructions
This essay allows you to develop your argument and integrate research about one of the two topics below.
Read the articles posted in the Approved Articles folder and select one topic from below. Do additional research and create an annotated bibliography to assist you with writing the essay. Write the essay based on one of the questions below:
In your thesis statement, answer one of the following questions:
1. Should people convicted of a nonviolent felony who have finished serving their sentences be given the right to vote?
2. Should social media companies be held liable for materials on their platforms?
Basic Guidelines:
• Your essay must have a clear, argumentative thesis statement that
claims one side of the issue. You cannot take both sides.
• The body of the essay needs to develop and support the reasons for the thesis. Each body paragraph must begin with a topic sentence that supports the thesis and provides the topic for the paragraph. The remaining sentences in the paragraph should all be in support of the topic sentence.
• The closing portion of your essay needs to do more than merely restate the key ideas you’ve discussed in the body of your text. With what ideas do you want to leave your reader?
Special Constraints:
• 750-1,000 words (5 paragraph minimum – can have more. If you do not meet the minimum word count, your essay will not pass.)
• A Works Cited page (does not count as part of the page length requirement)
• At least 2 but no more than 3 credible sources with short direct quotes; one or two sources (articles) must be from the articles provided in the Approved Topics and Articles folder. The remaining sources must be from GALILEO. (If you have long quotes in this short
paper, your similarity report will be too high. I want your thoughts on the topic.)
• Similarity report should not exceed 20%. (You can see this in the Turnitin drop box.
• Final draft should be a Word document submitted in MLA Format to Blackboard.
• Give work an original title. (The title should not just be the prompt I have given you.)
Questions to ask yourselves before you submit:
• Do you have a thesis? Is it the last sentence of the introduction paragraph?
• Have you incorporated 2-3 quotes using MLA format with proper citations?
• Did you explain quotes? Do they make sense to the argument?
• Did you make the first sentence of the conclusion a restatement of the
thesis? Do not recopy it word for word.
• Did you eliminate shifting points of view? (Do not use: I, me, my, we,
our, my, mine, ours, you, yours, etc.)
• Is your tone academic and formal without contractions, slang, or
clichés?