writing assignment guidelines

WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Guidelines & Expectations
Format & Length
Typewritten on A4 Paper
2.5 cm Margins
Times New Roman 12 pt.
Double spaced
First page has Student Name,
Class, Course Title, Date, and
Essay Title
Every page has header with
Essay Title, Student Name, and
Page Number
APA-style citations
300 – 500 words
Essays that do no meet this
requirement will be returned for
revision.
Format & Length
Step 1: Choose a topic.
Because this is a short essay, your
topic should be well-focused.
Selecting the topic is one of the
most important parts of the
assignment. If your topic is too
broad, you will have difficulty
writing a complete essay within
the 500-word limit.
What interests you?
What works do you know the most
about?

If necessary, narrow the topic
further.
Example: “Shakespeare” is too
broad. Focus on particular part of
his work, such as the themes of
fate or love.
Step 2: Choose an essay type—
reflection or exposition.
Reflection
Discuss your own feelings,
beliefs, and attitudes about the
topic.
Support your viewpoint with:
factual evidence
your own experience
Exposition
Investigate an idea, evaluate
evidence, and make a clear
argument.
Use compare/contrast, cause
and effect, definition, or
example to clarify and support
your argument.
Step 3: Write a thesis statement.
For a reflective essay, the thesis is your personal viewpoint on the
topic.
Example: Romeo & Juliet pits love against duty to family, but I believe
that fulfilling my obligations to my family is itself a form of love.
For an expository essay, the thesis is the argument you will make
regarding the topic.

Example: Shakespeare’s views on fate were molded by Neoplatonic
philosophy.
Step 3: Write a thesis statement.
Develop a “working thesis,” which will guide your research and thinking.
One way to develop a thesis is to ask yourself questions about the topic, focusing on a
central issue or problem. Your answer to this question will be your thesis.
If you have difficulty forming a thesis, you may need to narrow the topic.
Your thesis may change as you research and think about the topic.
Once you have refined your ideas, try to write a one-sentence thesis statement.
Step 4: Organize
Think about the best order to present your ideas.
Chronological
Compare and contrast
Cause and effect
Classification
The organization of your ideas should be coherent, which will help clarify your thesis to
the reader. Disorganized writing will leave readers confused and lost.
Step 5: Write a first draft.
When we write, we do not take fully-formed ideas and write them out in
complete form. Writing is also a form of thinking, and it helps us to
develop our thoughts. For that reason, the best essays are drafted and
revised several times.
The first draft is the raw material of the essay, which you will slowly
refine and shape into the finished product.
Step 5: Write a first draft.
Don’t worry about spelling or grammar.
Don’t worry about the 500-word limit.
Don’t worry about making it beautiful.
Just try to put all your ideas into words.
Your first draft will probably focus on the Body of the essay, leaving the

Introduction and Conclusion for later.
Essay Structure | Introduction
Essays have three parts: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.
The Introduction is usually one or two paragraphs, and it will contain:
Topic
Essay type (reflection or exposition)
Thesis statement
Essay Structure | Body
The Body is the main part of the essay.
It may contain many paragraphs.
It will provide evidence to support your thesis.
Each paragraph will address one general idea.
The ideas must be presented in an appropriate order for the topic.
The reader should be able to see you ideas unfold throughout the
Body.
Essay Structure | Conclusion
The Conclusion is the end of the essay.
It may summarize (but not repeat) the main points.
It may remind the reader of the thesis (don’t repeat it), and relate the evidence to it.
It may explain how the ideas in the essay are relevant to the reader.
It should not include new evidence, unless it is closely related to the rest of the
essay and fits best with your final thoughts.
Step 6: Revise | Clarity
Grammar & spelling (pay close attention to verb tenses & subject-verb
agreement)
Avoid awkward or repetitive sentence structures.
Be concise.
Step 6: Revise | Coherence
Do your ideas follow one another naturally?
Does each sentence flow from the previous one?

Consider whether there is a better way to arrange your paragraphs.
Step 6: Revise | Unity
Does every idea contribute to the thesis?
Irrelevant or redundant ideas should be removed. Consider the
requirement of 300 – 500 words and select only your best ideas.
Does each sentence move the essay forward? Sentences that don’t
help progress the essay should be changed or removed.
Step 6: Revise
Ask your classmates and friends to review your essay. Sometimes
someone else will notice an issue that you did not.
I will review drafts submitted to me by 14 November.
Citations
When you use anyone else’s work in your essay, you must cite it.
Follow APA Style for citations, including both in-line citations and a
reference list
/>Citations
In-line citation: after the quotation, include the author’s last name, the
year the work was published, and the page number.
An example:
She stated, "Students often had difficulty using APA style" (Jones, 1998,
p. 199), but she did not offer an explanation as to why.
Citations
Reference list: at the end of the essay, include a list of all works cited.
An example:
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work. Location: Publisher.
Using someone else’s work
without proper citation is
plagiarism.
Any essay containing plagiarism
will receive no credit.

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