Drawing upon various sections of A Border Passage, discuss Leila Ahmed’s views on Islam. Describe her understanding of the relationship between women and Islam.  Tell me what you think about her id

Writing Tipz to keep in mind:

1. Use a title that’s meaningful for each writing assignment.

1. If you want to use enormous fonts and spacing to write your title, name, date, etc, that’s your business, but you are still expected to write out the number of pages that I request for an assignment. So, if I ask for two single-spaced pages of writing, there should be two full pages of writing. Use 12-point fonts and standard (1-inch) margins, please.

1. Don’t write a book report. Instead, your paper should have an argument, ask a question, or explore a problem or puzzle. Say something. Don’t just describe.

1. Don’t make an argument that has already been widely made or which already seems manifestly true. Whatever you do, try to put your own spin on the argument. Be original.

1. Don’t forget to tell me what you are doing at the beginning. Don’t wait until the end of the assignment to tell me what you think. Somewhere in your intro, there should be a strong thesis statement.

1. Use good topic sentences. Every paragraph in the body should mean something. What is the point of the paragraph? That should be clear in the paragraph’s first sentence. Don’t wait until the last line of the paragraph to tell me the paragraph’s point.

1. Use footnotes. Citations don’t have to be quotations but should refer to something specific from the readings. The first time you cite something you should make a full footnote, then use the shorter form after that.

For books, use this format:

(long form): Juan Cole, Napoleon’s Egypt: Invading the Middle East (New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007), 46.

(short form): Cole, Napoleon’s Egypt, 72.

For an article, use this format:

Jonnie B. Goode, “The Best Uses of Criminal Technology,” New Age Review, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Summer, 2014), pp. 376-388, here 380.

Goode, “Criminal Technology,” 382.

1. Don’t write entire sentences in quotations. “It would be like writing a sentence like this.” Instead, you need to “put the quotation into the sentence,” like this.

1. Signpost. Explain where you’re going and what you’re saying in the intro. Use good topic sentences. Ask, at various points and when it seems necessary, a rhetorical question or otherwise remind the reader of what’s at stake in the paper.

1. Don’t use contractions (don’t, isn’t, etc.) in formal writing; don’t use the words ‘I’, ‘in my opinion,”, “I think,” “in conclusion,” etc. Don’t use overly colloquial language (“whatnot,” “bogus,” etc.).

1. Avoid using the word “thing.” There’s almost always a better word to employ.

1. Be specific. Refer to specific events and real developments, institutions, etc. Cite them when discussing. Do not ignore pertinent information that complicates or contradicts your point.

1. Avoid using the passive voice (“These measures were often supported…”). Also, avoid trying to give agency to abstract concepts or principles (like “nationalism brought…,” “Islam understands….”). Show me who is doing what with clear writing in the active voice.

1. Only capitalize proper nouns (the names of people and places, titles of books, etc.). Don’t capitalize abstract concepts like “nationalism,” “progress,” “the state,” etc.

1. Don’t just tell me what you want to say, show me by drawing upon examples and details from the readings. Illustrate your points with examples and details.

1. The conclusion should not simply repeat the introduction. Take me someplace broader. What’s the bigger issue here? What’s the larger importance of what you’ve been writing?

1. Mix your sources well. Don’t rely too much on any one source.

1. Regarding outside sources: they should be well-chosen, so [for secondary sources] pay attention to when the book was published. (Again for secondary sources) Has it been eclipsed by something newer?

1. Find books and articles through J-Stor, Project Muse, and WorldCat. Order books through the MSU Inter-Library Loan (ILL) Department.

1. Use the Writing Center, which can be found at Wilson Hall, Room 1-114. (994-5315).

1. Are there people with names doing things in your writing? Or are the only people with agency anonymous and faceless “Bolsheviks,” “Turkish authorities,” “Soviet citizens,” etc?