ENG 12 Comp 04: page 1

WRITING ASSIGNMENT: OPINION ESSAY

ASSIGNMENT: You are to write an essay in which you state an opinion—a belief—you hold about an issue, and tell why you believe as you do. You will describe the influences (family, media, personal experience, friends, faith, etc.) on your thinking about the issue, and explain how these influences helped make you hold the opinion/belief. You will use examples/stories to show this.

You must utilize a thesis statement, and provide plenty of support the points you make. You should also use several of the strategies for making your writing more real. These include: details, concrete language, vivid verbs, analogies, and examples. Also remember to utilize transitions, and make sure your paragraphs have unity.

PURPOSE:To tell the story of how you came to feel strongly about an issue; to explain why you hold an opinion or belief. Do not try to persuade the reader that your opinion is right, just tell three different personal stories that show why you believe as you do.

AUDIENCE:Peers and instructor

LENGTH:Five paragraphs

750-1000 words

FORMAT:MLA (Modern Language Association): font Times New Roman; font size 12; 1” margins all around; double-spaced; title; heading in upper-left corner; page numbers with last name in header; original title; etc.

POSSIBLE TOPIC LIST: (These are just examples. You may choose any topic you wish with

approval from your instructor.)

  • Texting and driving
  • Family dinners
  • Having a pet
  • Getting involved in activities
  • Wearing seat belts
  • Seeking higher education
  • Being honest
  • Putting forth your best effort in everything you do
  • Having a good work ethic
  • Being yourself

NOTE: Remember to say more about less: limit your topic to a personal level—don’t try to take on the world with this one.

PREWRITING: List a few things you feel strongly about. Then think about why you believe the way you do. Write three influences and/or reasons for one of the issues, and consider using that topic for your essay.

WRITING PROCESS CHECKLIST

____1. I have chosen and limited a topic, keeping in mind my audience and purpose.

____2. I have utilized a form of prewriting to generate ideas for my topic and plan.

____3. I have written a thesis statement for my essay that states the main idea.

____4. I have composed a first draft (rough draft) utilizing strategies to make my writing more real. These include: details, concrete language, vivid verbs, analogies, and examples.

____5. I have revised my first draft’s content to make sure there are enough details, examples,and support for all of my ideas. The result of my improvements is my second

draft.

____6. I have edited my second draft by checking mechanics--looking for punctuation, spelling, grammatical, and word choice errors.

____7. I have written a final draft based on my editing.

____8. I have utilized proper MLA format: font Times New Roman; font size 12; 1” margins all around; double-spaced; heading in upper-left corner, original title, etc.

REVISION SHEET

  1. What is the thesis statement of this essay? Underline it with a pencil on the essay.
  1. Does the paper have a complete introduction (attention getter, general discussion of topic, thesis statement)? If not, explain.
  1. What are the main points of the essay? Briefly name them.
  1. Are the main points supported with enough examples, evidence, and details? Explain.
  1. Does the paper “flow”—in other words, do the points fit together smoothly with the use of transitions, or are the thoughts scattered? Note any areas of concern.
  1. Does the paper have an effective conclusion? Does it “re-cap” the main points, emphasize the thesis statement in different words, and circle back to the introduction? Explain.
  1. Are there any mechanical errors—spelling, punctuation? If so, mark them on the paper. Are there any grammar or sentence problems? If so, mark them on the paper.
  1. What part of this essay did you like best or find most effective? Explain and use examples.
  1. What changes would you recommend to improve this essay? Explain.
  1. Check the format. Is it MLA style? Is it correct? Heading, margins, spacing, page numbers, title, etc.? Mark areas of concern on the paper.

ESSAY RUBRIC

Criteria / 4 Very Effective / 3 Effective / 2 Needs Work / 1 Missed It
The claim / I make a claim/state a thesis and explain it. / I make a claim/state a thesis but don't explain it. / My claim is buried, confused, and/or unclear. / I don't say what my argument or claim is.
Textual evidence backing your claim / Textual examples show clear understanding, are explained, and back up my claims. / Evidence given but connection is unclear or examples are not fully explained. / Evidence is irrelevant or connection is confusing and explanation lacking. / I do not cite convincing evidence in support of my claim.
Organization / My writing has an engaging opening, an informative middle and a satisfying conclusion. / My writing has a beginning, middle and end. The parts are there, but they don’t make a reader want to keep reading. / My writing is organized but sometimes gets off topic. / My writing is aimless and disorganized.
Voice and tone / It sounds like I care about my argument. I show readers how I think and feel about it. / My tone is appropriate, but my paper could have been written by anyone. I need to tell more about how I think and feel. / My writing is bland or generic. There is either no hint of the real me in it, or it sounds like I'm a fake. / My writing is too formal or too informal. It sounds like I don't like the topic of the essay.
Word choice / The words I use are interesting and wide-ranging. They convey my ideas clearly. / I make routine word choices with only occasionally interesting word choices. / The words I use are often dull or sound like I am trying too hard to impress readers. / I use the same words repeatedly. Some words I use may be confusing to a reader.
Sentence fluency / My sentences are clear, complete, and of varying lengths. / I have well-constructed sentences. / My sentences are sometimes awkward, and/or my essay contains run-ons and fragments. / Many run-ons, fragments and awkward phrasings make my essay hard to read.
Conventions / I use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. / I generally use correct conventions. I have a couple of errors I should fix. / I have enough errors in my essay to distract a reader. / Numerous errors make my paper hard to read.

Jane Doe

Instructor Jones

Senior Composition

22 May 2020

Duct Tape

Ask any plumber and he’ll tell you honestly: There ain’t a thing you can’t fix with duct tape.” Looking back, that’s probably the best advice my grandpa ever gave me. His advice is partly why I believe that duct tape is the coolest and most versatile material in the universe, because not only can you fix things with it, but you can also make or personalize almost anything. It’s a great medium for all kinds of miscellaneous projects, and I personally use duct tape for just about everything.

My grandpa is a plumber; therefore, I was exposed to duct tape at a very young age. I remember at Christmas one year—I couldn’t have been more than five—when my favorite Barbie doll broke her leg. It cleanly snapped off in a moderate-speed pink wreck that mangled both her vehicle and her left half. While I held the pieces of my surely dying friend in my small, sweaty palms, my mother wiped my tears while grandpa ran downstairs. Moments later I watched intently as he played orthopedic surgeon on my dear little doll, and when he was finished, I marveled at her now-permanent silver cast and skirt. Back in the ‘90s, the silver skirts were very much in style, and I have to give him credit after the fact, his handiwork was more fashionable than I would have expected from a man like himself. He proved that you can indeed repair anything with duct tape. Not only did he fix my Barbie, but he also made her a skirt. This ingenuity would one day grow in me and spark some life-sized duct tape creations.

Now, if Do-It-Yourselfer’s (DIY-ers, for short) had a handbook—which we don’t; that would generally go against our nature—the first chapter might be titled, “Duct Tape: Your Dearest Friend.” That chapter would also be about 43% of the entire book; duct tape encourages the average Joe to think outside the box. For instance, if you’ve ever had a blister on your foot, you know that you just have to ride it out…unless of course you think like us and put duct tape over it. I wasn’t that much of a DIY type until I met someone in high school who opened up my eyes to it, along with an entirely new art form: the art of stenciling. It’s a complex process that makes it easy to print the same design onto hundreds of items. First, you draw an image in black and white, and cut out the black parts so you can paint the design (through the paper), onto any medium you choose. The hard part, however, is finding a paper durable enough to be used multiple times without falling apart, yet still easy to cut through. The best thing I’ve personally found is—you guessed it—a solid sheet of duct tape.

Have you ever wished that your hair ribbons and shoes matched? Or your book bag and wallet for that matter? Well, I found myself facing these dilemmas when I reached high school, too. So, being a DIY kind of girl at heart, I decided to make myself a matching backpack, wallet, pair of shoes, and hair pieces all with the same material instead of going out and buying them. The best part, aside from not breaking my freshman bank, was that it was all fashioned with turquoise duct tape. Many people don’t know that they have so many colors nowadays other than that standby silver, and it really tends to turn heads once they realize what’s behind the accessories. My first time walking into that now-familiar aisle of Wal-Mart was like opening my very first 64-pack of Crayola crayons. I realized at that very moment something great had happened, and all I could say was, “Wow.” There were so many opportunities for projects just sitting on that one rack, and I got started right away. There’s a contest every year sponsored by Duck brand duct tape called, “Stuck at Prom,” where creative kids like me make their dream prom attire. Each pair is eligible to win $3,000 apiece, plus some money for their school. These brave, upbeat souls definitely make some incredible things.

In my experience, I’ve found that duct tape isn’t just something professional plumbers like my grandpa use for a quick-fix when they find their pipes askew, but it’s also a great material for creating just about anything. It’s versatile, fun, inexpensive—and, if used creatively, it can be very fashionable, too. Duct tape is the most amazing material in the world. Trust me, it’s never going anywhere.