Grammar Test

As an in-class exercise, please take out both portfolio papers.

In an attempt to help you recognize your own sentences that are not grammatically correct, you will be reading your own essay OUT of ORDER.  By this I mean you will start at the end of your essay and read each sentence-- the last sentence first, then the second to last one, then the one before that.  Read each sentence by itself OUT LOUD.

Test each for grammar-- where is the complete sentence???

Make corrections where you need to.

Post a reply to this post, discussing the value of this exercise-- did it seem to work for you?

Sentence Scaffolding

I'd like you to create your own sentences based on the following sentence structures: try a sentence with an appositive; one that uses a participle or two (it could start the sentence as in this example, or go anywhere else in the sentence you like); and then a sentence with an absolute and a particple or an appositive (the last example starts with a participle and finishes with an absolute).

Teenagers— those young, wild rebels— often wear clothes their parents dislike.

Partying with friends and studying long hours, I soon realized college life would be a series of shocks.

Wearing his superman outfit, Sean rushed outside with his new double-barreled water gun, finger pulling mercilessly on the trigger.




Once you've posted your three sentences, you should go back to the portfolio paper you're working on-- keep these structures in mind (they can help you start sentences when you're stumped, or even combine sentences that seem unnecessary).

Short Essay #4

In a page of text, reflect on yourself as a writer.  Try remembering your first memory of writing.  You could use parts of your freewrite from class if you think they're worthy.
How do you feel about writing?
What are your strengths in writing?
What writing are you most comfortable with?
What is most difficult?  Weaknesses?

How has your writing changed as a result of your work in this course?  What do you still have to work on in your writing?

This should be in MLA format (think of a good title), be around 250 words (a whole page of text), and is due Monday, July 11.  Be prepared with an electronic and paper copy.

Commas can be tricky

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/3/5/15

Writer's Reflection

A reflection is looking back on something-- in the portfolio you're asked to reflect on yourself as a writer.

For this discussion, reflect on your first memories of writing. Describe this memory.

Continue your reflection: consider how your view of yourself as a writer developed since-- through school, through personal correspondence, and even social media.

Sentence Combining + Eliminating Wordiness

In the following exercise it asks you to explain why the structures are incorrect-- I prefer you fix them.  You'll need to either eliminate words, add words, or even use different punctuation.  Treat it like a sentence combining activity, as you practice eliminating wordiness.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/5/18/38

I attended Morris Junior High— a bad experience.

____ 2. The scene was filled with beauty-- the sun sending its brilliant rays to the earth and the leaves of various shades of red, yellow, and brown moving slowly in the wind.

____C 3. He talked for fifty minutes without taking his eyes off his notes; like other teachers in that department, he did not encourage students' questions.

____ 4. Within each group, there were a wide range of features to choose from, but was difficult to distinguish between them.

__C__ 5. A few of the less serious fellows would go into a bar for a steak dinner and a few glasses of beer. After this meal, they were ready for anything.

____ 6. It can be really embarrassing to be so emotional. Especially when you are on your first date, you should be in control.

____ 7. although it is a value judgment and in circumstances not a true premise, The magazine has a reputation for having a sophisticated, prestigious, and elite group of readers.

____ 8. In the seventh grade every young boy goes out for football, to prove to himself and his parents that he is a man.

____ 9. She opened the door and let us into her home, not realizing at the time that we would never enter that door in her home again.

____10. As Christmas grows near, I find myself looking back into my childhood days at fun-filled times of snowball fights— thinking about this makes me happy.

____11. Making up his mind quickly, Jim ordered two dozen red roses for his wife, Hoping she would accept his apology.

____12. They were all having a good time— until one of Joe's oldest and best friends had a little too much to drink.

____13. Although it only attained a speed of about twelve miles an hour, my old rowboat with its three-horsepower motor seemed like a high-speed job to me.

____14. With my brother standing by my side, I reached for the pot handle; but I tilted the pot way too much, causing the boiling water to spill.

____15. The small, one-story houses are all the same size and style, with no difference except the color.

____16. He acted as if he were  a friend of mine like he was when we first joined the soccer team— together we had learned a lot.

Portfolio Assignment

English 1010

Summer 2016

Final Portfolio

As stated on the syllabus and throughout the course, your “final” for this course is a portfolio of your writings. The portfolio consists of the following: Final drafts for the Narrative, the Rhetorical Analysis, and Proposal Letter. A significant revision of TWO of your Major Essays.  These will be called your “Portfolio Papers.” Include a significant revision draft of this paper. A reflective letter that explains your progress in the course and your revision process for the portfolio paper.

1. Final Drafts

Because this is the course final, the portfolio will be revisiting the body of your work over the course of the entire semester. This gives you a chance to show how you have progressed, and what issues remain. Include all final drafts of the three major papers– submit the versions with my comments.

2. Significant Revision: Portfolio Papers

For this portfolio, select TWO of the papers you have written for this course and substantially revise them. What to do:

• Carefully respond to my comments. Note my marginal and end-comments on your first and final drafts and revise accordingly.
• Perform your own original revisions. As this is a final, you are expected to display the entirety of the knowledge you’ve learned in class. This means that you’ll need to employ all the writing strategies we have discussed in the course. No matter which paper you choose – even if you choose to revise the last one– there will be many issues you’ll need to address that I did NOT comment on when grading your paper. Your portfolio papers are an example of your best work.
• Get outside commentary from peers or the Writing Center. As this paper must be absolutely polished, outside perspective is important. Make sure the paper meet “Assignment Expectations” on the syllabus.
• Include a significant draft of this essay.  This is another way of showing your growth as a writer.  This will be the draft that shows the most dramatic revision and reworking.  It should be the draft that got written on by you and your peers.  It is the draft that shows the leap the essay went through to create this “portfolio paper” copy.

3. Reflective Letter

Your reflective letter is a formal letter that discusses your progress as a writer and reader in this course. A successful reflection will integrate a number of different elements:

• Explain your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. What have you worked on? What needs work, and how will you address these issues in the future? Comment on how your perspective on critical thinking, reading, and writing has changed as a result of the class. Note how your work reflects these changes.
• Explain your choice for the Portfolio Papers and what you did to improve them. Be specific.
• Your letter is an argument: make claims and provide evidence from your own writings. This means making specific references to your papers. Remember that I already know what I said, so don’t quote me extensively– I’m interested in hearing ideas in your voice, even if my ideas influenced you.
• Your letter should be critical, rigorous, convincing, honest, and polished.
• Use letter format. Your letter must be single-spaced and around 500 words. Stay under 1,000 words.

This letter is important. If done well, it can go a long way to compensate for a bad paper.

BE NEAT! Presentation matters! Organize your portfolio and submit it in some sort of folder. ***NOT a three-ring binder!*** Your portfolio must be submitted in-person on the last day of class.    NO late portfolios will be accepted.

Which papers should I choose for the Portfolio Paper?

Choose the paper you are most sincerely interested in working on, as writing that you care about tends to be better writing! You do not need to choose the paper that you think is the worst (especially since the portfolio grade will not “replace” your prior grade). Think about the “issues” you have as a writer, and select the paper where you can most productively and successfully address those issues.

How do I do original revision?

You’ll find that when looking at your older papers, there are now things you’d clearly need or want to do differently. This is a good start, but be methodical too– go through all the handouts to refresh your memory of what it is you’ve learned. Give yourself time to revise (don’t try to do it all in one day!). Finally, the readings are a great resource– go back and reread passages for key terms!

Should I really talk about my weaknesses in my reflection?

Yes! Being a writer is a lifelong process, and it is important to know what is left unconquered. That said, for your reflective letter, focus on the course– obviously I have not taught speech writing or literary analysis. Focus on what you have left to master in the sort of critical and argumentative writing we have done in the course.

Portfolio Exploration

You need to examine each of your graded major essays. In this discussion you should summarize my comments in at least a paragraph.  You should also spend a paragraph explaining your own original ideas for revision of each essay.

Your response should be at least two paragraphs-- for each essay!

JULY 5th

Good morning!  As I type this, I'm sitting in SEATAC airport, waiting for my flight status to be updated-- it still says "delayed for maintenance." I am starting to accept the fact that I will not be in class on time, but  I've posted a number of things for you to do.

Please follow the link posted in "Eliminating Wordiness" and complete the three exercises.  save your responses as a MSWord doc or Google do.  We'll review them tomorrow.

Also, please respond to the post, ""Response to Student Proposal."

Please workshop your proposal essays.. Give feedback on the clarity of the argument.  Does it clearly state the claim? Are the supporting paragraphs clearly organized? Do the paragraphs flow together (transitions that help the reader see the connection between topics)?  Has the author shown how the proposal will solve the problem?  Has the author shown what steps need to be taken to enact this change or action?

Groups of at least 3-- use new people who haven't already read your letter.

Revise and rework this letter. I'll see you tomrrow.

Response to Student Proposal

What was the main claim of the student proposal?

Could you suggest clarifying/streamlining her supporting details?

Is there an outside source (logical appeal) that you could suggest?

What emotion did the author try to evoke?  Was is persuasive?  Could you make a suggestion to strengthen the pathos?

What was the author's ethos based upon?  Was this an effective appeal?

How would you judge the overall persuasiveness of the entire argument?
Was there a main weakness you could point at?

Eliminating Wordiness

The following link will take you to a series of exercises intended to help your writing by highlighting unnecessary words.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/6/9/

Please copy and paste the exercise into a MSWord doc and make the corrections.  Save your file and we'll review it in class.

Student Example of Proposal Letter

5563 Himalaya Rd

Denver, CO 80249

April 20, 2016

Mr. Oscar Munoz

President and CEO

United Airlines, Inc.

233 S. Wacker Drive

Chicago, Il 60606

Dear Mr. Munoz:

I wanted to express my gratitude and let you know what a wonderful experience it has been—being a loyal United Airline customer. I recently watched your online video titled, CEO Oscar Munoz Thanks United Airlines Customers. In the video you specifically state, “United Airlines is proud of the game changing innovations introduced over the years, we know there is more for us to do to improve our airline and your travel experience with us— upgrading and investing in the things that are important to our customers.”  After watching the video, I’d like to propose a proposition that will benefit United Airlines by saving time and money.

As you may or may not know, United Airline passengers have continuously addressed their concerns, requesting sanitary traveling conditions. To be explicit, more passengers have encountered several grotesque objects while searching for reading material in the back seat pocket in front of them, only to find other passengers bodily fluids in air sickness bags, dirty diapers, old food, and gum.  On another occasion while I was personally flying with United, I opened up the tray table during an in-flight beverage service to find what appeared to be dried up chocolate smeared across the tray table that was later identified as human feces. This implies, the specific area had never had been properly disinfected or any debris had been disposed of.  I was mortified to personal experience this, I felt embarrassed, I would have ever encountered such an experience that left me feeling so sad.

Mr. Munoz, I wanted to bring these types of unsanitary conditions to your attention because these types of issues only raise health concerns, and place United Airline passengers and their crew at risk for becoming ill with disease causing bacteria that remains lingering on the planes surfaces for an extensive period of time. This affects all passengers from all ages who travel aboard United Airlines. Passengers want peace of mind to fly comfortably and safely to their travel destination knowing they are flying in a clean sanitary cabin.

United Airlines is in desperate need of clean and germ-free cabins. You might assume your airline cabins are being disinfected and tidy thoroughly between flights, but as it turns out there is no regulation requiring United Airlines to do that, and the current investments that United makes by sub-contracting janitorial companies who are responsible for keeping United Airlines clean on every trip are not upholding the level of service United Airlines claims they have. In spite of what passengers do— United Airlines is responsible for their aircraft cabins cleanliness. These unsanitary conditions bring health hazards, and nothing yet has been enforced, ensuring these cleaning companies maintain United airlines cabins are thoroughly clean in between each flight.

United Airline customers pay their hard earned money to fly United, expecting comfort and accommodation only to find out United Airlines is silencing these passenger’s grievances with United Airline credit and offering them different seat assignments. Some passenger’s complaints were met or resolved with several $300.00 vouchers and an apology for the poor condition of the plane. The passengers were told the head of maintenance would be personally contacted at all airports involved. 

These methods do not resolve the issue at hand; United Airlines can save time and money without practicing the handing over of credits and wasting time to reassign passengers to another seat if availability permits.

A positive healthy change may redevelop progress in revenue if the Airline establishes and enforces a health policy regulation as an example: United Airline can establish and direct hire cleaning crews, who are committed to keeping United Airline cabins clean and on time, delivering customized high—impact cleaning programs within the tightest of timeframes. Not only will this prevent passengers to fly with your competitors; American Airlines Group, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines who have reported record profits over United Airlines for maintaining phenomenal customer service and who are known to have a regulation and direct hire cleaning crews in effect for their airline. These cleaning crews are continuously keeping clean cabins between each flight. Safety is evident that there is enough time to de-ice or refuel planes before takeoff, so should there be enough time for maintenance cleaning, to quickly sanitize and vacuum the cabin.

The focal point is to enforce and establish a preventative measure by endorsing a health sanitary regulation for cleaning crews who are directly employed by the United Airlines. Mr. Munoz, reconsider the resulting increased consequences for sick passengers and airline crew, by preventing the overall spread of infectious diseases aboard the world’s third-largest airline carrier United Airlines.  Medical studies have proven germs can survive on plastic surfaces, such as armrests, tray tables and lavatory door handles, as long as seventy two hours. 

Since grocery stores provide at their own expense, disinfecting wipes for their customer’s convenience to sanitize their grocery carts, it would be beneficial for the airlines to provide the same for their passengers, along with a small disposable bag for trash. The Clorox brand Disinfectant Wipe was put to the test and germ samples were taken before sanitizing to get a total germ count from a cart handle and again after sanitizing.  The ALS Laboratory Group of Microbiologists discovered the wipes killed eighty percent to one hundred percent of the germs in seventeen out of twenty-three samples that were taken. The remaining six samples saw significant reductions.  Many health clinics and hospitals provide hand sanitizer soap, masks and Kleenex tissue to stop the spreading of air born microorganisms when sneezing or coughing.

According to Consumerist.com article titled, Filthy United Airlines! Disgusting Garbage-Filled Airplane Is Not Clean Before Next Flight Departs, In 2014 a couple flew United Airlines and as they boarded the airplane they found it full of “cigarette butts, candy, used tissues, pretzel bags, maxi-pad wrappers, crumbs, dirt, pens, balls of “goo”, and god knows what else just because United Airlines didn’t have “time” to clean the plane?”

This claim is effective since, other airlines other than United have organized to structure the same regulation, and prevent the spread of infectious diseases who thorough cleanse, and disinfectant lavatories, door handles, tray tables, armrests and galleys to enhance a safer and healthier germ free environment.  This will certainly improve your United Airlines and the passengers travel experience, by upgrading and investing in the things that are important to United Airline customers.

Thank you, for your time and consideration regarding this important matter.

Sincerely,

Ursala Undergrad

Work Cited

 Margo, Meg. "Filthy United Airlines! Disgusting Garbage-Filled Airplane Is Not Cleaned             

Before Next Flight Departs." CONSUMERIST. Mar. 2014. Web. <https://consumerist.com/2007/03/22/filthy-united-airlines-disgusting-garbage-filled-airplane-is-not-cleaned-before-next-flight-departs/>.

Johnson, Julie. "United Airlines, Other Carriers Taking Planes' Cleanliness to New Heights."

 Tribunedigital-chicagotribune. 2015. Web. 2015 Apr. 2016. Web.

<http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-01-29/news/0901281119_1_american-airlines-united-airlines-airline-customer-service>.

"Routine Aircraft Cleaning Schedule." Routine Aircraft Cleaning Schedule. U.S. National

 Library of Medicine, 2009. Web. 15 Apr. 2016. Web. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK310704/>.

"CEO Oscar Munoz Thanks Customers." United Hub. The United Hub Team, 05 Apr. 2016.

             Web. 17 Apr. 2016. <https://hub.united.com/httpswwwyoutubecomembedttnl0m-        

             6hworel0-1710282457.html>.

******FRIDAY July 1*****

We made it to Seattle!!  The whole family is here for a wedding.  My girls have been playing with their cousins non-stop.

Today I'd like you to start by spending FIVE WHOLE minutes freewriting a response here in blogger  to the prompt The Problem.

Also, please complete Sentence Combining #4.  This should be posted to the blogger as a reply.

I'd also like you to complete an exercise Parallel Structures-- this exercise should be a reply to the post here in blogger.

Lastly, please workshop your proposal letters with 2 peers.  This means groups of three.  Exchange using Google docs, or as an email with a MSWord attachment.  Your revision comments should be phrased as rhetorical analysis. 

• What is the main claim-- is it clear?  
• Who is the primary audience-- do they have the power to enact the claim? 
•  Is there strong logos? Are there any weaknesses in logos?  
• What emotion do they evoke? Can you suggest one?  
• Have they established their ethos? 
•  Is the overall argument effective?

That makes a total of three in-class writing exercises and one workshop (comments on two peer drafts).

For homew3#ork, please revise your essay and read the Student Example of Proposal posted here in blogger.  

ENJOY your long weekend.  I'll see you Tuesday.

The Problem

All good proposals SOLVE A PROBLEM. What is the problem that your proposal will solve? Start this discussion by stating clearly what your proposal claim is. Follow this with a descriptive writing (try-out those showing language skills again!) exercise-- describe in vivid detail the problem as it exists.

Set the scene! Even develop a character. 
Note any other groups that might be affected by this issue. 
Consider painting a picture of the worse-case scenario (even writing it in the present tense, as if it is happening).  

Sentence Combining #4

Combine each group of sentences into one.  Leave the underlined sentence alone, and attach the other sentences to it.  You can change any part of the other sentences you want, but try to get each group of ideas to flow smoothly in one sentence. Try using absolutes or participial phrases when possible!

After creating this new sentence, use it as a scaffold-- create a sentence of your own using the same structure and format as the one you made from the combination.

1.

When I walked in, Grandpa was sitting at the kitchen table.

The newspaper was spread before him.

His morning coffee steamed in his mug.

2..

The maneuvers of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds are an awesome sight.

The F-16s zoom toward one another at a wicked speed.

3. 

Kasparov stared at the chess board.

His head was in his hands.

He was depressed.

He was thinking only of the computer that was beating him.

 4.

Hummingbirds seem to defy the laws of gravity.

Their tiny bodies hover in one spot like miniature helicopters.

 5.

The chili pepper has been called the world’s most popular spice.

The chili pepper is used by cooks from Central America to Asia.

 6.

Carlos walked up to the arena’s front entrance.

The concert ticket was in his hand.

Parallel Structures

There are two broad categories of parallel structure: literal repetition and grammatical repetition. Literal repetition is simply repeating the exact word or phrase to create an echo, a trancelike refrain. In the “Tell-Tale Heart,” Edgar Allan Poe repeats a clause to create tension as a murderer describes the haunting beat of his dead victim’s heart:
I talked more quickly—more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key with gesticulations, but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observation of the men—but the noise steadily increased. (306)

Authors create grammatical repetitions using structures such as participial phrases, absolutes, prepositional phrases, appositives, and so on. Almost any grammatical element can be used as long as the sound patter is consistent. Take the classic phrase from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Or Julius Caesar’s famous quote, “I came; I saw; I conquered.” The sentence structure in each clause is identical and the syllables nearly identical (they build), creating a rhythm behind the writer’s words.

Parallel structures can enhance images but the lack of parallel structure can disrupt them. Choppy rhythms distort perceptions and interrupt the consistent flow of ideas. In a sentence like “Melvin enjoys rock music, football, and to collect stamps” the uneven rhythm of “to collect stamps” acts like abrasive, static noise in the middle of a quiet song. To flow smoothly, the sentence requires a steady rhythm: “Melvin enjoys music, sports, and stamp collecting.”

If you would like further explanation please see the OWL's explanation: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/623/1/

How are the following examples disjointed in their parallel structure? Can you fix them? In a comment to this post, please attempt to fix the unparallel part of each sentence.

1) Lulu pushed the hair from her eyes, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and the volleyball was served.

2) Bubba was tall, muscle-bound, and often acted mean.

3) Stealthily, cautiously, and moving at a slow pace, the cat crawled through the weeds

4) The City Room was immense, reporters rushing down the aisles, shoving copy at each other, bustled back again, flinging gestures, shouting into telephones.

5) Flying through the air, screaming bloody murder, as he fell to earth, the boy thought to himself, “This is gonna hurt.”

Now create three sentences of your own practicing parallel structure:, please look over your own essay-- pick any sentences you'd like and create parallel grammatical structures out of them.

Business Letter Format

Your Return Address
Your City, CO zip

Date [write out either like June 4, 2013 or 4 June 2013]

First and Last Name of the Person to whom you are writing                                                             
(if appropriate, the person’s title)

(if their title was included, this next line should be the organization or company name)
Address
City, ST zip

Dear Mr./Ms. Person: [note the colon]

Times have changed, and indentations for paragraphs are usually not used because it is easier not to use them. The body paragraphs should be single spaced in a business letter.  Can you tell that business letters are in ELEVEN POINT font? They are. You should double space between paragraphs when your letter contains more than one paragraph.  Most business letters have a direct structure: your claim should appear early in the letter (right here at the end of the first paragraph is a good place).

In the second paragraph in a standard business letter, you will want to give specific examples. This is the main body paragraph of a business letter—it should prove your point. For the purpose of the proposal argument however, you will have a number of body paragraphs; each paragraph will prove its own supporting reason (thus building your argument).  When you use an outside source, introduce it in the body of your sentence:  The Purdue Online Writer’s Workshop argues that a good business letter will clearly make its points and support them. 

It is common practice to close your letter with a reiteration of your call to action. Be sure to thank him/her for his/her time and efforts on your behalf. This is a respectful way of closing your letter.

Sincerely,

[four-five spaces so that your signature may fit here; BE SURE TO SIGN THE FINAL DRAFT]

Sally Student

[NOTE: your name appears only at the end of the letter]

Sentence Combining #3

This is a two part exersise: first combine the following sentences (you may want to review the worksheet that defines and explains participal/appositive/absolute structures); then write an imitation of the sentence you produce using your own content but keeping the structure the same.  This is not designed to be practice making compound sentences (two complete sentences joined by a conjuction), it is an opportunity to rework language-- playing with it like a jig-saw puzzle.

1. He paused.  He was puffing noisily.

2.   Craig was calm now. He was at peace.

Now combine the following sentences into one by putting the underlined parts into the first sentence.  Decide where the parts fit most smoothly into the first sentence.  Add commas to punctuate the parts you insert into the first sentence.  Finally, write an imitation of the sentence you produce, using your own content but the structure of that sentence.

3.   Aunt Dorothy was waiting at the front door with her own small daughter.  Aunt             Dorothy was tall and bony.  Her daughter was Diane. (Robert Lipsyte, The Contender)

4.     There was a huge moulting stuffed moose head.  It was in the dining hall.  It was over the stone fireplace that was never used.  The moose head was something which looked somehow carnivorous.   (Margaret Atwood, Wilderness Tips)

5.     Perhaps an elderly gentleman lived there.  He lived there alone.  He was someone who had known her grandfather.  He was someone who had visited the Parrs in London.     (Joyce Carol Oates, The Doll)

6.     The lawyer lay on an old Army cot.  The cot was in the closed anteroom.  It was one he kept there for naps.  There was a newspaper folded over his face as though he were a corpse being protected from flies.        (Frank Bonham, Chief)

Major Essay #3

English 1010

Summer 2016

Major Essay Assignment 3: Proposal Argument

Word Requirement: approx. 1,000

Assignment

Take a position on a specific topic related to you.  Be sure to include the key features of proposal arguments from the readings; you must meet these objectives in order to satisfy the goals of this assignment.

For this paper, you will use business letter format and address your essay to a specific person, business or organization in order to effect change.  Make certain you are addressing an appropriate audience for your paper.  This audience must have the power to enact the change you are proposing!  Choose wisely. 

Your final draft in the portfolio must include a stamped, addressed envelope for mailing (or it will not meet this rubric and be returned to you). 

Sources

Your paper may include a citation that supports your argument.   

Because you are writing a letter, you will simply include the source within the sentence.  For example:

Craig R. Dean is quoted in Everything’s an Argument as stating, “Marriage is more than a piece of paper.”  Dean goes on to argue that the US should allow gay marriage.

Furthermore, if you use an outside source, you must create a Works Cited page for the grading copy of your essay.

Mechanics

All drafts must be typed in 11-point Times New Roman, with 1” margins, using business letter format.  Refer the business letter format for a template of  how your paper may look; bearing mind that although this is a one-page example, your letter will be at least two pages long.  Refer to the syllabus for “A Paper” criteria.   Papers with multiple mechanical errors may be returned without comments and with a grade of F. 

Grading Criteria

A well-constructed Proposal Argument will achieve the following:

·       Adhere to the assignment requirements as outlined on this page.

·       Contain the Key Features of Proposals outlined in the readings.

·       Take a position through a clearly-stated claim.

·       Consider the opposition’s viewpoint.

·       Present sufficient evidence.

·       Take a unique and fresh angle on the topic.

·       Establish your ethos

·       Evoke an emotional response

·       Be correctly formatted and exhibit few mechanical errors.

Proposal Readings

What example of a proposal do you remember from the readings?  What is its claim?  What were the reasons?  What are warrants?

Guide to Writing Proposals

A stong proposal will start by making a strong and clear claim; it will then go on to show that the proposal meets a need or solves a problem; it will further present good reasons why adopting the proposal will effectively address the need or problem; show that the proposal is feasible and should therefore be adopted.

Begin with a claim (what X or Y should do) followed by the reasons(s) why X or Y should act and the effects of adopting the proposal:

Claim        Communities should encourage the development of charter schools

Reason       because they are not burdened by the bureaucracy associated with most

                   public schooling, and

Effects        because instituting such schools will bring more effective educational

       progress to the community and offer a positive incentive to the public schools

       to improve their programs as well.

Having established a claim, you can explore its implications by drawing out the reasons, warrants, and evidence that can support it most effectively:

Claim      Congress should pass a bill legalizing the use of marijuana for medical

    purposes.

Reason     Medical marijuana is an effective pain reliever for millions suffering from

      cancer and AIDS.  

Warrant     The relief of intractable chronic pain is desirable.

Evidence    Nine states have already approved the use of cannabis for medical purposes,

     and referendums are planned in many others.  Evidence gathered in large

      double blind studies demonstrates that marijuana relives pain associated with      cancer and AIDS.

In this proposal argument the reason sets up the need for the proposal, whereas the warrant and evidence demonstrate that the proposal is just and could meet its objective.

Here are a couple of helpful hints as you start to think about your proposal topic:

• Establishing that the need or problem exists is one of the most important tasks the writer of a proposal argument faces.  You may choose to introduce the need or problem early as a way of leading up the your claim, or you may put the need right after your introduction as a major reason for adopting the proposal.  Regardless of the organization structure you choose, the task of establishing a need or problem calls on you to (a) paint a picture of the need/problem in a concrete way, (b) show how the need or problem affects the audience for the argument (and possibly the society at large), and (c) explain why the need or problem is significant.
• Showing that the proposal is workable is a critical part of a proposal.  Demonstrating workability calls on you to present more evidence—from similar cases, from personal experience, from observational data, internet, or other research.  It will help your case if you can show that what you propose can indeed be done (with the available resources).

Developing Proposals

Finding a Topic

Your everyday experience calls on you to make proposals all the time; for example, to spend the weekend snowboarding or doing some other much-loved sport, to change your academic major for some very important reason, or to add to the family income by starting a small, home-based business.  In addition, your community group work or your job may require you to make proposals—to the boss, a board of directors, the local school board, someone you want to impress—the list could go on and on.  Of course, you also have many opportunities to make proposals to online groups—with email one click away, the whole world could be an audience for your proposal.  In all these cases, you will be aiming to call for action: so why not make an informal list of proposals you’d like to explore in a number of different areas?  Or do some freewriting on a subject of great interest to you and see if it leads to a proposal? Either method of exploration is likely to turn up several possibilities for a good proposal argument.

Researching Your Topic

Proposals often call for some research.  Even a sample one like “Let’s all paint the house this weekend” would raise questions that require some investigation: Who has the time for the job? What sort of paint will be the best? How much will the job cost?  A proposal that your university adopt an open-enrollment system would call for careful research into evidence supporting the use of such a system.    Where has it been effective, and why?  And for proposals about social issues (for example, that information on the Internet be freely accessible to everyone, even youngsters), extensive research would be necessary to provide sufficient support.  For many proposals, you can begin your research by consulting the following types of sources:

• Newspapers, magazines, reviews, an journals
• Online databases
• Government documents and reports
• Websites and listservs
• Books
• Experts in the field, some of whom might be right on campus
• Field research: survey of student opinion; interviews with well-informed people

Formulating a Claim

As you think about and explore your topic, begin formulating a claim about it.  To do so, come up with a clear and complete thesis that makes a proposal and states the reasons why this proposal should be followed.  To get started on formulating a claim, explore and respond to the following questions:

• What do I know about the proposal I am making?
• What reasons can I offer to support my proposal?
• What evidence do I have that implementing my proposal will lead to the results I want?

Preparing a Proposal

State the thesis of your proposal completely.  If you are having trouble doing so, tryk outlining it in terms of the following:

• Claim:
• Reasons:
• Warrants (statement, which could be expressed or implied,  that establishes the logical connection between the claim and its supporting reasons):

Explain why your proposal is important.  What is at stake in taking, or not taking , the action you propose?

Identify and describe those readers you most hope to reach with your proposal.  Why is this group of readers most appropriate for your proposal? What are their main interests in the subject?

Briefly discuss the major difficulties you foresee in preparing your argument.  Demonstrating that the action you propose is necessary?  Demonstrating that it is workable?  Moving the audience beyond agreement to action?  Something else?

List the research you need to do.  What kinds of sources do you expect to consult?

Note that the format of the assignment is a formal business letter.  What tone do you need for this genre?  Any special information?

Think about Organization

Proposals, which can take many forms, generally include the following elements:

• A clear and strong proposal, including the reasons for taking the action proposed and the effects that taking this action will have. Our neighborhood should establish a “Block Watch” program that will help reduce break-ins and vandalism, and involve our kids in building neighborhood pride.
• A clear connection between the proposal and a significant need or problem.  Break-ins and vandalism have been on the rise in our neighborhood for the last three years.
• A demonstration of ways in which the proposal addresses the need.  Block Watch establishes a rotating monitor system for the streets in a neighborhood and a voluntary plan to watch out for others’ homes.
• Evidence that the proposal will achieve the desired outcome.  Block Watch programs in three other local areas have significantly reduced break-ins and vandalism. 
• Consideration of alternative ways to achieve the desired outcome, and a discussion of why these are not preferable.  We could ask for additional police presence, but funding would be hard to get.
• A demonstration that the proposal is workable and practical.  Because Block Watch is voluntary, our own determination and commitment are all we need to make it work.