help me please
ENGLISH 101: NARRATIVE APHORISM ESSAY
Purpose: This writing assignment is designed to allow you to practice developing a central idea by using relevant and specific details to explain and illustrate the truth (or untruth) of an aphorism of your choice. A great deal of time will be devoted to practicing writing process, using concrete and specific details to help your reader visualize your ideas, and revising a draft to make it more effective. Finally, this assignment will give you experience in considering both audience and purpose: who could gain from reading this essay and what might they gain?
Task: Write an essay that describes a personal experience that illustrates the truth/untruth or value of the aphorism you select. The bulk of the essay should be devoted to a narrative in which you describe the experience or incident that demonstrates the truth/untruth of the aphorism. The introduction should draw the reader in—get the readers attention or give them a reason to continue reading. The conclusion should remind the reader about what you, the author, want them to come away with after reading the essay
Keep in mind the necessity to allow your audience to visualize the experience and understand the relationship between the experience and the aphorism.
Guidelines:
The essay must have a clear central point/thesis The central point must be adequately supported with relevant and
specific details
Organizational strategy must be appropriate to the writing situation (tip:
chronological order of events will most likely work best for this
assignment)
Minimal errors in grammar punctuation and spelling
At least 2 typed, double-spaced pages
Steps to Complete Aphorism Essay: You will use the writing process described in pages 259-285
Initial Steps:
Decide on aphorism and the event or experience and its relevance to the aphorism
Pre-writing/planning: These strategies are discussed beginning on p. 249, or you might want to try the Planning Sheet for Essay 1
Consider what you believe is the purpose of your essay and who might be an appropriate audience
First Draft: TBD
PLANNING FOR APHORISM ESSAY (NARRATIVE)
Reporter’s Questions
Since this is a descriptive narrative in which you must develop a central idea/thesis in a meaningful way (purpose & audience), it may be useful to begin writing down important features relevant to the event that support the aphorism. A simple way to begin accumulating ideas to include in the essay is to use the “reporter’s questions”: who, what, when, where, why, and how. Keep in mind, however, that there could be more than one answer or response to each of these questions. Furthermore, be open to the notion that once you begin asking and answering these questions even more ideas may occur to you. I would recommend that you make note of all ideas that you have as you engage in this prewriting exercise.
Who? (people who were involved or relevant to the experience)
My friends and my baseball coaches
What? (what happened, what did you learn, what caused the incident, of what value is the experience)
We played a stacked team in the championship and won, I learned that no matter what happens there is always a chance
When? (when did the experience take place, you age, year, season, time)
I was 11 so it happened in 2012
Where? (setting, place)
Howell new jersey
Why? (why is the experience memorable/significant, why should others read about it, why, why does the aphorism relate to the incident)
Because it taught me a lot about myself
How? (how did it change you, how does the aphorism fit the experience, how should others behave given a similar experience, how can the readers gain from this narrative)
It gave me a lot more confidence and taught me that I can do anything if I want it
