How professors will look at the technical aspects of a formal exposition paper:
These criteria come from Modules, Evaluation Criteria.
1. Elements of Organization
I. Opening paragraph: It needs both a thesis statement and an organizing idea. It should end with a statement of significance.
_____Thesis
_____Organizing Idea
_____Statement of Significance
V. Closing paragraph: It needs a summary, a conclusion, and a hint of things to come.
_____Summary
_____Conclusion
_____Hint of Things to Come
II. What is the American dream in general terms (but be prepared to relate your description to the novel)? 20 sentences Body paragraph
_____Does this paragraph have its own 1-3-1 shape? Is it fully developed? Is the method of development clear?
III. What is the American dream in The Great Gatsby? 20 sentences Body paragraph
_____Does this paragraph have its own 1-3-1 shape? Is it fully developed? Is the method of development clear?
IV. Relate the American dream to characters in the novel. 20 sentences
_____Does this paragraph have its own 1-3-1 shape? Is it fully developed? Is the method of development clear?
2. Methods of Development: Use description and example for the three-segment body of the paper.
_____Does each segment/paragraph of the body have ample description with example. Does each develop some aspect of the thesis and lead to the conclusion?
3. Mode of Order: The overall mode of order for this paper is general-to-specific; however, consider what your mode of order is for each segment as well.
_____Why is the first body paragraph first, the second second, and the third last? What is the mode of order you are using; is it clear, and does it help to make the paper stay together, cohere?
4. Mechanics: For a passing grade, review your paper for effective mechanics, with no more than four errors per page.
Include two quotes from The Great Gatsby.
Use a works cited page, referencing the novel.
Consider using quotes to support the examples you are presenting of the American dream.
Notice that it is “the American dream”: lower case “t” and “d.” Only the “A” is capitalized.
Always underline the title of the novel, The Great Gatsby. You need to mention the author and the novel’s title once in the first sentence of the paper, but after that you can refer to him as Fitzgerald and to the novel as the “novel” to avoid repetitiveness. So the first sentence, your thesis sentence, might look like this: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a search for the meaning of the American dream in modern society.
_____Is the title of the novel underlined?
_____Does the paper have two quotes at least using MLA in-text citations?
_____Does the paper have a Works Cited page?
_____Overall, has the paper been adequately proofread and edited?
5. Transitions: Use “first,” “second,” and “third,” for the three segments (paragraphs) of the body of the paper. Each is followed by a comma. Use “In summary,” and “In conclusion,” in the closing. Each is followed by a comma.
_____Are the three organizing transitions present and correct?
What transitions are you using to communicate your methods of development and your modes of order?
6. Format: Double space the entire paper beginning with your last name and page number in the upper right-hand corner, per MLA; note in the sample papers.
Four-line heading: Remember to put English 101, Paper 1 and your section number at this point. Follow the style from MLA.
So the four-line heading will look like this, with two minor changes that are noted below after the English 101:
Johnny Johnson
Professor Sprague
English 101
4 October 2007 (or whatever the accurate date is)
Use a title that hints at the thesis. Don’t try to write the title until your paper is over, so you can be sure that it hints at what the overall idea of the paper is.
Indenting: Every time you indent, you indicate that a new paragraph is starting. Indents are five spaces. Because this is a five-paragraph essay, you will have five indents.
Formal tone: Eliminate the use of the following: “I,” “me,” “my,” “mine”; “we,” “us,” “our,” “ours”; “you,” “your,” and “yours”). Formal exposition is not about us; it is about the topic that is being developed.
Works Cited: This should be the last numbered page of your paper. Check MLA to see what one looks like. Follow the rules for creating your works cited references from MLA.
Follow the rules for creating your in-text citations from MLA. Use signal phrases following MLA.
Outline. For your outline for Paper 1, copy and paste your thesis statement, the three topic sentences for the three-part body, and the conclusion onto a separate piece of paper at the end of your paper. It should be an unnumbered page because an outline is not part of MLA style. The outline is just for English 101. Use Roman numerals for the five pieces (I-V) of your essay.
_____Does the paper have a formatted heading?
_____Does the paper have a title?
_____Does the paper have formal tone without personal pronouns?
_____Does the paper have a five-sentence formal outline?
Study the Module Evaluation Criteria for additional information about how Paper 1 will be evaluated.