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Mary Alice Morgan |
Please use the following guidelines in preparing your essays.
Format
Out-of-class essays must be “typed,” double-spaced, and have
standard margins. Please provide a cover page that includes the title
of your essay (this title is distinct from the piece of literature that
you may be analyzing), your name, my name, the course number, and the
date. On subsequent pages of the essay, make sure your name and the page
number appear in the upper right comer or bottom of the page. Please staple
the pages of the essay together. Do not use a binder or paper clip to
attach the pages.
Pre-writing
You must turn in free-writing and rough drafts with your final draft of
the essay. You may put these pages plus your final draft in a pocket folder
to turn them in. Make sure I know which essay the final draft is. I will
not accept an essay that is not accompanied by these preliminary stages
of writing.
Copies
Remember that you will be turning in three copies of each out-of-class
essay. I will grade one copy, your peer editor will comment on another,
and our preceptor, Natalie, will respond to the third. Have these copies
ready at the beginning of class. I will not make copies for you or allow
you to leave the classroom to make copies. If you do not have copies,
your essay will be considered late and will be penalized accordingly.
Other
Guidelines
1. Follow the specific guidelines I give you for each essay assignment.
Papers that do not conform to the assignment will receive no credit or
zero points. If you are ever unclear about a particular assignment, see
me immediately before you invest time and effort that may be wasted. I
am always happy to have paper conferences with you.
2. Play close attention to the "“Standards for Freshman Writing."”
If you have a question about a grade, don't hesitate to discuss it with
me. I am anxious for you to understand the strengths and weaknesses of
your writing. Schedule such a conference one day after the graded essay
has been returned, not the same day and not weeks later in the semester.
Suggestions
for Revising
My advice to you about revising is that you should start with the “big
issues” first. If, for example, your essay doesn't have a clear purpose,
begin revising by tackling that problem, which will affect the entire
essay, rather than by tinkering with your opening sentence. Don't make
changes for the sake of making changes. Know why you're making a change
and what effect you're trying to achieve. Then move on to eliminating
specific problems such as improving your introduction or creating a transition
between two paragraphs, etc. Work on problems in your style or on improving
your prose style. Finally, correct all errors. If you're unsure about
something (spelling, format, etc.), don't guess—look it up. Proofread,
too. Your final draft should be as close to flawless as possible.