Speech Evaluation

Description

Assignment

Your goal is to write an essay, 2 to 4 page essay that evaluates/critiques an essay/article, writer, movie, book, etc. Your paper will use a variety of criteria to evaluate your subject. Use techniques we have covered in the past few weeks. Your essay will use appropriate APA or MLA format.

The Introduction

Your essay should begin with an introduction that does the following: (1) grabs the reader’s attention. There are many ways to do this. You could start with a fascinating quote from the essay or list a relevant statistic. (2) STATE YOUR THESIS. I will want to know up front the position you plan to take in your essay. (3) Provide background information. This is always a tricky one. You should provide enough contextual information so that your intended audience can follow the argument you intend to make. Assume a typical audience of college students and take a moment to reflect on what they might know about the topic.

Make Your Argument

The body of the paper is where you offer your argument. (Defend your topic choice – why is it the best/worst, etc. – clearly define your criteria and how your subject meets or does not meet these criteria) Use clear topic sentences. Begin each paragraph with a sentence that introduces the content of the paragraph and connects the paragraph to your thesis. Be sure to provide specific examples.

Write Your Conclusion

Most college professors will expect you to provide a conclusion that (1) restates your thesis and (2) provides closure and ties up loose ends. The same strategies that work for grabbing a reader’s attention in the introduction also work for a conclusion.