Prompt: Your assignment is to do a review of the five best or the five worst of anything.
Some suggestions are:
--french fries or hamburgers
--fast food restaurants
--restaurants
--experiences of your life
--TV shows
--movies
--shoes
--baseball or hockey or swimming or checkers
teams
First: Define the Area
Start with an introduction to your topic and explain exactly
what you are going to do and the way that you are going to
compare the five things that you are doing.
If you are doing the five best restaurant, outline what you
would probably look for in a restaurant and why you chose the
ones that you did.
Second: The Arrangement
You want your review to build up to something and therefore you should save the best of the best or the worst of the worst until the end. Build up to your big one.
Third: The Format
Write a paragraph for each one and use complete sentences.
Fourth: The Style
You can be humourous if you want but be sure to inform the reader. Try to pick aspects of something that are unique and avoid words such as "stupid" and "it sucks".
Guidelines:
Double space all papers.
Font size: 12 point.
New Times Roman font; do not use fancy type fonts.
Margins: top/bottom 1 1/2 inches, sides 1 inch.
Labelling information: In the left hand corner put your name, the class name and section (ex. ENG 043 08), the professor's name (Professor Empric), and the date.
Put a title on your paper.
Every paper should have an introduction stating the thesis, a body, and a conclusion.
Proofread your paper very carefully. Items to particularly pay attention to are: spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure. Be aware that some spell and grammar checkers will not catch all errors. Also, they cannot differentiate between words like "there" and "their"; they are both words, so one will be accepted in place of the other when it should not be. Further, if you type "toe" for "to" as in "to the class", it will be accepted as correct. Always proofread and revise several times.
Due Dates:
Topic and Thesis: Monday, 10/23
Rough draft: Monday, 10/30
Final draft: Wednesday, 11/01
Problem-Solution Defined:
Problem-Solution essays (or, as they may also be referred to, Proposing Solutions or Proposal essays) serve an important role. These essays inform readers about problems and suggest actions that could be taken to remedy these problems. People write proposals every day in business, government, education, and other professions. Proposals are a basic ingredient of the world's work.
As a special form of argument, problem-solution essays have much in common with position essays. Both analyze a subject and take a definite stand on it. Both seek to convince readers to share this position by giving reasons and evidence and by acknowledging readers' likely objections or questions. Proposals, however, go beyond inviting readers to share the writer's views; they urge them to support a particular policy or take specific action. They argue for a proposed solution to a problem, succeeding or failing by how well they argue for the solution.
To most disciplines and professions, problem solving is a basic way of thinking. For example, scientists use the scientific method, a systematic form of problem solving; political scientists and sociologists propose solutions to troubling political and social problems; engineers regularly employ problem-solving techniques to build bridges, automobiles, or computers; attorneys find legal precedents to solve their clients' problems; teachers continually make decisions about how to help students with specific learning problems; counselors devote themselves to helping clients solve personal problems; business owners or managers define themselves as problem-solvers. Problem solving depends on a questioning attitude, what is called critical thinking. In addition, it demands imagination and creativity. To solve a problem, you need to see it anew, to look at it from new angles and in new contexts.
Since a proposal tries to convince readers that its way of defining and solving the problem makes sense, proposal writers must be sensitive to readers' needs and expectations. As you plan and draft a proposal, you will want to determine whether your readers are aware of the problem and whether they recognize its seriousness. In addition, you will want to consider what they might think of any other solutions. Knowing what your readers know, what their assumptions and biases are, what kinds of arguments will be appealing to them is a central part of proposal writing, indeed of all good argumentative writing.
Choosing A Topic:
In considering topics for this essay, try listing several problems within our college or within your community. Then select one you know something about and consider possible solutions to this problem. Decide on an individual or group who could take action on your proposed solution, and figure out how you would go about convincing this audience that the problem is serious and must be solved and that your proposed solution is feasible and should have their support. Consider carefully what questions readers might ask about your solution and how they might object to it.
To explore how others have approached the Problem-Solution essay might help you as you consider topics. Former student topics include: smoking on HCC campus, college campus food prices, overuse of paper on HCC campus, driving to campus, procrastination, water oversue, planned obsolescence, modern technical climbing in national parks.
Basic Features of Problem-Solution/Proposal Essays:
A Well-Defined Problem:
A proposal is written to offer a solution to a problem. Before presenting the solution, a proposal writer must be sure that readers know what the problem is. The writer may also have to establish that the problem indeed exists and is serious enough to need solving. Sometimes a writer can assume that readers will recognize the problem. At other times readers may not be aware of the problem.
A Proposed Solution:
Once the problem is established, the writer must present and argue for a particular solution. Be sure that your topic is narrow and that your solutions are reasonable.
A Convincing Argument:
The main purpose of a proposal is to convince readers that the writer's solution is the best way of solving the problem. Proposals argue for their solutions by trying to demonstrate:
that the proposed solution will solve the problem
that it is a feasible way of solving the problem
that it stands up against anticipated objections or reservations
that it is better than other ways of solving the problem
Guidelines:
2 pages in length
Double space all papers.
Font size: 12 point.
New Times Roman font; do not use fancy type fonts.
Margins: top/bottom 1 1/2 inches, sides 1 inch.
Put a title on your paper.
Every paper should have an introduction stating the thesis, a body, and a conclusion.
Proofread your paper very carefully. Items to particularly pay attention to are: spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure. Be aware that some spell and grammar checkers will not catch all errors. Also, they cannot differentiate between words like "there" and "their"; they are both words, so one will be accepted in place of the other when it should not be. Further, if you type "toe" for "to" as in "to the class", it will be accepted as correct. Always proofread and revise several times.
Due Dates:
Rough draft: Wednesday,4/19
Final draft: Wednesday 4/26,