Many of you only had one article in your outline — review the guidelines — you need two articles. I will be reading your drafts this week, but only with a cursory (quick) glance as I can’t read all drafts and final drafts in order to grade. Please keep looking for comments in gradebook and review the tips below for both your draft, your revision, and your final submission, which all take place this week.
Here are some tips as you revise and proofread for draft/final submission:
Two sources are required: one article from a magazine or newspaper that you will use to examine for its use of ethos, logos, and pathos. The second source can be a report from an organization, a scholarly article, etc. You will be using this for background information on your topic to help you expand the discussion.
On your Works Cited page, you must properly cite two articles. They both need to be cited and referenced in your actual paper or else it’s plagiarism.
Do not use first-person pronouns or personal anecdotes. Use formal, professional, and academic writing and language.
Review MLA citation and formatting rules. Make sure you have a proper MLA heading for papers.
Your paper should be 4 pages long (can be longer but not shorter), not including the Works Cited page, double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 font size, indenting new paragraphs, with your last name and page number on the right-hand corner of each page.
Titles of articles should be in “quotation marks” — not italicized. We only italicize titles of books.
Use signal phrases to introduce quotes — and vary your language: DelVecchio contends, argues, purports, posits, claims, proposes, etc. Avoid “they say, the authors say.”
In MLA your verb tenses should be in the present tense: DelVecchio frustrates her students when she insists on formal and institutionalized writing.
Avoid “you” statements.
Avoid asking rhetorical questions — take them out for your final draft. Make declarative sentences.
Your thesis statement should be an argument about how the author uses the three rhetorical appeals — I should see the terms logos, ethos, and pathos in your thesis statement. Look over the model paper: In her article, DelVecchio successfully employs ethos, logos, and pathos to show the negative psychological and financial impact COVID-19 has had on single mothers of color.
Avoid repetitive phrases such as “the author, the author, the author.” Vary your language and the ways in which you begin your sentences. Your author has a name — use it. But never only use the first name of the author.
I have to see the terms ethos, logos, and pathos in the topic sentences that introduce how the author uses each to get his/her/their points across. This is a road map for me, telling me what you’re doing and where in your paper: DelVecchio utilizes ethos to demonstrate her knowledge over the content and support her views that COVID-19 negatively impacted the mental health of teens.
Do not overquote or quote lengthy passages: limit yourself to three quotes, one quote per the ethos, logos, pathos paragraphs. Take everything else and paraphrase/summarize — and cite.
Review the Turnitin videos before submitting your draft: check it for plagiarism, fix errors, and submit it again.
Use Upswing or the CAE (it’s on our Sakai tabs) for online tutoring and to have another pair of eyes on your paper. It’s a free service.
