Essay Question #2
KEY VERBS:Defend, Challenge, or Qualify / TASK:
Take a stand on an issue stated in the prompt or on an idea in a quotation or selection that follows the prompt.
Qualify= agree with the position under certain circumstances
Defend=Support
Challenge=Oppose
Prompt:
“There is within me (and with sadness I have watched it in others) a knot of cruelty borne by the stream of love, much as our blood sometimes bears the seed of our destruction…”
In a carefully reasoned essay, analyze the narrator’s assertion, and defend or challenge this statement. Use evidence from your observations, experience, or reading to develop your position.
Cheat Sheet for Defend/Challenge Essay
--Paragraph structure
1. Topic sentence – refers to thesis found in the introduction
2. Concrete detail sentence #1 shows support for the topic sentence. (For example…)
3. Commentary
4. Commentary
5. Concrete detail sentence #2 shows support for the topic sentence (In addition…)
6. Commentary
7. Commentary
8. Concrete detail sentence #3 shows support for the topic sentence (furthermore…)
9. Commentary
10. Commentary
11. Concluding sentence – sums up the paragraph
That’s right each paragraph is about 11-12 sentences long!!!!!!!
Avoid “the reading” or “the article” or “the prompt” – use the author’s whole name or last name
Author’s nameNever refer to an author by first name only. Do not use: Mr., Mrs., etc
Cliché’sDON’T USE THEM, after all that’s why they are called cliché’s, they are overused.
IAvoid using first person too often. A few scattered is ok. Any word used too often is
redundant.
IndentClearly indent for paragraphs – do not skip lines between paragraph.
Key termsDon’t define key terms in the context of your analysis. Merely discuss the terms in context of analysis.
ParaphrasingAvoid extensive paraphrasing. Remember your paper highlighting. It should be BALANCED!!!!
PraisingAvoid praising the prompt essay or aspects of the prompt essay:
“A perfect example…” – nothing is perfect
“This is an outstanding…” that is an opinion
quotation marksUse them!!!!!!!when appropriate!!!!!
“Says”DON’T USE THAT WORD…..
These are “happy” words:
Assertsacknowledgesstressesclaimsbelieves
Arguescontendssuggestspoints out
addsConcludesbeginsindicates
conveys
“show”Again this is a BAD WORD
illustrateproduce establishpresentoffer refute
indicatecreateclarifyrevealdemonstrate convey
provideportrayproveilluminatediscredit
“than/then”use “then” and “than” correctly. “Then” is when; “than” is a comparison that means “In relation to.”
Thesismake your thesis statement as specific as possible.
“you/your”Avoid the second person voice: the use of pronouns “you” and “your”.