1. Essay Pointers

2. Essay Grading Rubric  Composition (25%)  Subject Knowledge (25%)  Contribution (25%)  Reference and Citation (25%)  Composition (25%)  Subject Knowledge (25%)  Contribution (25%)  Reference and Citation (25%)

3. Composition: Common Grammatical Errors  Commas  Place commas when listing a sequence of items and before conjunctions when combining two complete sentences  Correct: I bought eggs, flour, and sugar at the store.  Correct: I wanted to go to the concert, but I didn’t have enough money to buy a ticket (Notice, the two sentences could stand alone).  Incorrect: I wanted to go to the concert but didn’t have enough money to buy a ticket (Notice, the latter part of the sentence doesn’t contain a verb; therefore, you don’t have to place a comma before the conjunction).  Commas  Place commas when listing a sequence of items and before conjunctions when combining two complete sentences  Correct: I bought eggs, flour, and sugar at the store.  Correct: I wanted to go to the concert, but I didn’t have enough money to buy a ticket (Notice, the two sentences could stand alone).  Incorrect: I wanted to go to the concert but didn’t have enough money to buy a ticket (Notice, the latter part of the sentence doesn’t contain a verb; therefore, you don’t have to place a comma before the conjunction).

4. Composition: Common Grammatical Errors  Semicolons  Semicolons are used to combine two complete and related thoughts.  E.g., I bought a car; the car is silver.  Subject - verb agreement  See http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ handouts/esl/eslsubverb.html  Incorrect: The user has the option of downloading any CD they have onto iTunes.  Correct: The user has the option of downloading any CD he/she has onto iTunes OR Users have the option of downloading any CD they have onto iTunes.  Semicolons  Semicolons are used to combine two complete and related thoughts.  E.g., I bought a car; the car is silver.  Subject - verb agreement  See http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ handouts/esl/eslsubverb.html  Incorrect: The user has the option of downloading any CD they have onto iTunes.  Correct: The user has the option of downloading any CD he/she has onto iTunes OR Users have the option of downloading any CD they have onto iTunes.

5. Composition: Common Grammatical Errors  Abbreviations/Acronyms  Write out the full meaning of the abbreviation and/or acronym the first time you use said abbreviation/acronym, and from that point forward, only use the abbreviation/acronym  E.g., I recently bought a personal computer (PC). I decided to purchase a PC rather than a Mac because…  Be aware of homonyms!! (e.g., to, two, too; there, their, they’re)  Spell check and proofread!!!  Abbreviations/Acronyms  Write out the full meaning of the abbreviation and/or acronym the first time you use said abbreviation/acronym, and from that point forward, only use the abbreviation/acronym  E.g., I recently bought a personal computer (PC). I decided to purchase a PC rather than a Mac because…  Be aware of homonyms!! (e.g., to, two, too; there, their, they’re)  Spell check and proofread!!!

6. Subject Knowledge  Stay on topic  Understand what you’re talking about - you’re the expert!!  Use correct terminology  Stay on topic  Understand what you’re talking about - you’re the expert!!  Use correct terminology

7. Contribution  Insight - Do you contribute to the reader’s understanding of the topic?  Analysis - Do you explore the topic in depth?  Argument - Are your arguments/opinions backed up with facts?  Insight - Do you contribute to the reader’s understanding of the topic?  Analysis - Do you explore the topic in depth?  Argument - Are your arguments/opinions backed up with facts?

8. Reference and Citation: Authoritative Sources  Essay requirement: At least one authoritative/primary source  What makes an authoritative source?  Reputable author (e.g., a university professor)  Reputable company (e.g., Microsoft or Apple)  Reputable journal, magazine, etc. (e.g., Time Magazine)  Date of publication/copyright date  Secondary sources permissible (but only in addition to an authoritative/primary source)  E.g., Wikipedia  Why is Wikipedia a secondary source?  Free encyclopedia written and edited by volunteers  Like any other wiki, anyone essentially can add or delete information from the articles; therefore, you can’t be certain the information is valid.  Key - trustworthiness. You want the reader to trust what you have written. You want the reader to know that your words are valid based on your sources.  Essay requirement: At least one authoritative/primary source  What makes an authoritative source?  Reputable author (e.g., a university professor)  Reputable company (e.g., Microsoft or Apple)  Reputable journal, magazine, etc. (e.g., Time Magazine)  Date of publication/copyright date  Secondary sources permissible (but only in addition to an authoritative/primary source)  E.g., Wikipedia  Why is Wikipedia a secondary source?  Free encyclopedia written and edited by volunteers  Like any other wiki, anyone essentially can add or delete information from the articles; therefore, you can’t be certain the information is valid.  Key - trustworthiness. You want the reader to trust what you have written. You want the reader to know that your words are valid based on your sources.

9. Reference (aka bibliography)  Why provide references?  To acknowledge and give credit to someone else’s work (i.e., so as not to plagiarize)  So the reader can identify where you, the writer, found the given information  So the reader can further investigate the situation should he/she choose to do so  MLA style preferred (see http://www.liu.edu/CWIS/ CWP/library/workshop/citmla.htm - link available in the syllabus on Angel)  Why provide references?  To acknowledge and give credit to someone else’s work (i.e., so as not to plagiarize)  So the reader can identify where you, the writer, found the given information  So the reader can further investigate the situation should he/she choose to do so  MLA style preferred (see http://www.liu.edu/CWIS/ CWP/library/workshop/citmla.htm - link available in the syllabus on Angel)

10. Reference  What should be included in a reference listing?  Author (No author - authoritative source?).  Title of the article  Publisher (if applicable - won’t always be listed on websites)  Date of publication  Alphabetize your references by the last name of the author; if there isn’t an author, then alphabetize based on the first word in the reference (usually the title).  Placement of references: Listed at the end of the paper.  What should be included in a reference listing?  Author (No author - authoritative source?).  Title of the article  Publisher (if applicable - won’t always be listed on websites)  Date of publication  Alphabetize your references by the last name of the author; if there isn’t an author, then alphabetize based on the first word in the reference (usually the title).  Placement of references: Listed at the end of the paper.

11. Citation  What is a citation?  Information used to identify specific material listed in your references  Thus, every reference that you list should be cited at least once in your essay.  Why cite?  Same reason you provide references - see slide 9  What should you cite? Everything that isn’t general knowledge or your opinion.  If in doubt, cite.  If you’re giving your opinion, say so… (In my opinion, I think, I believe…)  What is a citation?  Information used to identify specific material listed in your references  Thus, every reference that you list should be cited at least once in your essay.  Why cite?  Same reason you provide references - see slide 9  What should you cite? Everything that isn’t general knowledge or your opinion.  If in doubt, cite.  If you’re giving your opinion, say so… (In my opinion, I think, I believe…)

12. Citation  What is included in a citation?  Author’s last name (or the first 2-4 words of the title) and page or paragraph number in which you found that information  Citations can appear mid sentence or at the end of the a sentence.  The punctuation goes outside of the parentheses if the citation ends a sentence.  E.g., Scientists have programmed a four pound dinosaur, known as Pleo, to respond to its environment and owner as a pet might (Lee 12).  What is included in a citation?  Author’s last name (or the first 2-4 words of the title) and page or paragraph number in which you found that information  Citations can appear mid sentence or at the end of the a sentence.  The punctuation goes outside of the parentheses if the citation ends a sentence.  E.g., Scientists have programmed a four pound dinosaur, known as Pleo, to respond to its environment and owner as a pet might (Lee 12).