Write an essay arguing whether or not Achilles fits the definition of a hero
a. in the first couple of sentences you will introduce your subject, the novel, epic, play, the author, year it was written, why it is important, what it
is about briefly in 2-3 sentences.
b. following the first couple of sentences will be the thesis (see below)
c. you will conclude with a few sentences that illustrate how your will prove your claims
d. do not use quotes in the intro paragraph
e. do not repeat the prompt given to you, rewrite the prompt/question in your own words
30% Thesis statement
a. you must write a cohesive thesis statement (this is an argument that can begin with a sentence like: this paper will argue or this paper will
show that, or this essay will examine the role of ….which I will claim negatively or positively affected ….)
b. the thesis statement should be in your first paragraph, it should give your argument,
c. below the thesis in 2-3 sentences you can illustrate what evidence you will use to corroborate your claims: you can use a sentence that starts
with: I will prove this by examining how x influenced y, etc.
20% Topic sentences
a. Every body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence.
b. The topic sentence provides the argument you will make in that paragraph.
c. Make sure that your paragraph reflects the ideas stated in the topic sentence.
d. Remember the topic sentence should make an argument that reflects some aspect of your thesis paragraph
10% Body paragraphs and conclusion
a. Make sure that they are organized,
b. Each paragraph should use a quote from the text. Longer quotes (4 lines or longer) should be indented.
c. There should be transitions between paragraphs
d. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence.
e. Conclusion should reiterate your argument and mention something that would be interesting to elaborate on further
10% Vocabulary and Length
Do not be repetitive!
a. Make sure that you are changing the words that you use.
b. Write complex words out while reading newspapers, magazines, books, and try to utilize these words in your paper.
c. Impress me with your vocabulary!
d. Use transitional words: however, moreover, nevertheless, nonetheless, meanwhile, in addition, in conclusion, etc. (Make sure that every
paragraph uses one of these words).
e. Make sure that if the paper is supposed to be 5-6 pages it is at least four full pages in length, not 3.5 with one word hanging off the fourth
page. If it’s supposed to be 6-9 pages it must be a minimum of 7 full pages in length, etc. Works cited page does not count in the page number.
10% MLA (MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION) FORMAT and sources
a. Papers must use the MLA style guide and have a works cited page. Use italics for titles of books, novels, plays, longer length works. Short
stories, poems, essay titles, articles should be in quotation marks.
b. Sources must be accredited. For literature papers it is best to use journal articles, and books. Do not use Wikipedia, or sparknotes or
cliffnotes. Use databases like JSTOR you can access to MEC library to find relevant peer review articles for literature papers.
