1 Writing and Formatting ENGL 2113 Essays Overview Each essay (W3, W4, and W4) should be approximately 750 words in length and include the following:  A title, which reflects both the topic and your thesis  Four (and only four) paragraphs: o an introductory paragraph that ends with an underlined thesis statement o two body/support paragraphs that begin with an underlined topic sentence o a concluding paragraph  At least two authoritative, credible online sources of support, which are cited in the text and included on a Works Cited or Reference page. The sources must be correctly formatted using either MLA or APA style. Follow these steps to format and save your essay:  Set margins at 1 inch • Set line spacing at either 1.5 or 2 • Insert a header with your last name and page number aligned to the right • In the body of the first page, aligned to the left, include: o your full name o instructor’s name o ENGL 2113 (your section number) o date • Include a title for the essay, one that reflects the topic and your thesis • Save the document as a Word document • Name the file YourLastName Assignment # (for example, Smith W3) Follow these seven steps to write, submit, and review feedback on your essay: 1. Read the Essay Grading Guidelines document If you don’t meet these criteria, you will lose points. 2. Read the assigned essay prompts Each essay prompt will be posted to D2L. 3. Outline your argument Before writing your essay, write out your thesis and the topic sentences you plan to use to defend that thesis. You will submit these three sentences for the W1 assignment. You will not turn in the 2 these statements separately for the other essay assignments; however, you would be wise to write them out before you write each essay:  Thesis: In one sentence, state your opinion, or your stand, on the assigned topic.  Topic/reason sentence one: In one sentence, state one reason WHY the reader should accept your opinion.  Topic/reason sentence two: In one sentence, state a second reason WHY the reader should accept your argument. Reminder: A topic/reason sentence has two jobs: to serve as a reason in support of your thesis, and to announce which reason will be discussed and supported in the body paragraph that follows. Again, each topic sentence should be a reason in support of your thesis, not simply an introduction to the paragraph. 4. Write your paragraphs  Paragraph one: an introductory paragraph. Assume that the reader of your essay does not know the assignment topic. First introduce the reader to the topic of the essay. Do not start the introductory paragraph with your thesis. End the paragraph with your thesis. Underline the thesis statement.  Paragraph two: a body or support paragraph that is 7-10 sentences in length. Begin this body paragraph with your first topic/reason sentence. Underline the topic sentence. Devote the e ...

1. 1
Writing and Formatting ENGL 2113 Essays
Overview
Each essay (W3, W4, and W4) should be approximately 750
words in length and include the
following:
o an introductory paragraph that ends with an underlined thesis
statement
o two body/support paragraphs that begin with an underlined
topic sentence
o a concluding paragraph
e online sources of support,
which are cited in the text
and included on a Works Cited or Reference page. The sources
must be correctly
formatted using either MLA or APA style.
Follow these steps to format and save your essay:

2. ch
• Set line spacing at either 1.5 or 2
• Insert a header with your last name and page number aligned
to the right
• In the body of the first page, aligned to the left, include:
o your full name
o instructor’s name
o ENGL 2113 (your section number)
o date
• Include a title for the essay, one that reflects the topic and
your thesis
• Save the document as a Word document
• Name the file YourLastName Assignment # (for example,
Smith W3)
Follow these seven steps to write, submit, and review feedback
on your essay:
1. Read the Essay Grading Guidelines document
If you don’t meet these criteria, you will lose points.
2. Read the assigned essay prompts
Each essay prompt will be posted to D2L.
3. Outline your argument
Before writing your essay, write out your thesis and the topic
sentences you plan to use to defend
that thesis. You will submit these three sentences for the W1
assignment. You will not turn in the

3. 2
these statements separately for the other essay assignments;
however, you would be wise to write
them out before you write each essay:
the assigned topic.
WHY the reader should accept
your opinion.
reason WHY the reader should
accept your argument.
Reminder: A topic/reason sentence has two jobs: to serve as a
reason in support of your thesis, and
to announce which reason will be discussed and supported in the
body paragraph that follows.
Again, each topic sentence should be a reason in support of
your thesis, not simply an introduction
to the paragraph.
4. Write your paragraphs

4. oductory paragraph. Assume that the
reader of your essay does not know
the assignment topic. First introduce the reader to the topic of
the essay. Do not start the
introductory paragraph with your thesis. End the paragraph
with your thesis. Underline the
thesis statement.
-10
sentences in length. Begin this body
paragraph with your first topic/reason sentence. Underline the
topic sentence. Devote the
entire paragraph to supporting the underlined reason/topic
sentence. Use information,
examples, and quotes or paraphrases from your readings (i.e.,
you cannot only use personal
experience or knowledge). Correctly cite each source. End the
body paragraph with a tie back to
your topic sentence and/or thesis.
-10
sentences in length. Begin this body
paragraph with your second topic/reason sentence. Underline
the topic sentence. Devote the
entire paragraph to supporting the underlined reason/topic
sentence. Use information,

5. examples, and quotes or paraphrases from your readings (i.e.,
you cannot only use personal
experience or knowledge). Correctly cite each source. End the
body paragraph with a tie back to
your topic sentence and/or thesis.
new reasons of support or
underline any text in this paragraph. The purpose of this
paragraph is to wrap up—or bring to a
close—your argument.
5. Cite your sources
e a minimum of 2 authoritative, credible online sources to
support your argument, at least 1
in each body paragraph.
reference each at the end of the
document according either to MLA or APA citation style.
Decide which style you will use
throughout the essay, and then follow the guidelines in the
Little, Brown Handbook or the online
Purdue Owl: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

6. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
3
te sources in the paper with a web address (URLs),
nor use a URL as the only reference
information at the end of the document. MLA does not require
that you include the web
address (URL) in your reference at the end of the document, but
I would like you to include the
URL for all online sources on your Works Cited or Reference
page. Don't just provide an URL:
provide a complete reference and then add the URL at the end.
you actually cite in the essay. Put
the sources in alphabetical order and indent the second and any
additional lines 5 spaces (a
tab).
advance whom you are quoting
and the context of source.
uoted text in any paragraph should not exceed 20% of the
text.

7. Look at the guidelines in the LBH.
quotation marks. If you copy text without
putting that text in quotation marks, you will receive a zero for
the essay. If this happens twice
in the course, you will receive an F for the course.
6. Upload your essay to the dropbox
ssignment
-check that the file was submitted, click
View History
7. Read my comments
I will return your essays to the Dropbox saved as a PDF. Open
the file, and read the comments and

8. edits inserted into the document. If you have any questions
about my comments or edits, contact
me: you don’t want to make the same mistakes in the next
essay!
Should college tuition be free at state colleges and universities?
Why or why not?
Take a stand: College tuition (should/should not) be free at state
institutions.
Read some sources on the topic. (Note: all sources you use to
support your argument need to be available to me on the
Internet or through the MSU library databases.)
Remember, take a stand (thesis statement), then use topic
sentences to introduce paragraphs that support your
stand/thesis. Below are a few example topic sentences. You do
NOT need to use these: I simply want to provide you examples
of a clear topic sentence.
References note:
Use a minimum of 2 authoritative, credible online sources to
support your argument, at least 1 source in each body
paragraph. Each quote should be introduced in the text with a
signal phrase: let the reader know in advance whom you are
quoting and the context of the source. All sources are correctly
cited in the text using parenthetical citations where needed, and
each source is included in a Works Cited or Reference section at
the end of the document, following MLA style guidelines (see
course textbook) consistently. Do not cite sources in the body of
the essay with Internet addresses (URLs), nor only use a URL
for the reference at the end of the document.