Timothy L Pagaard: Sample student writing
MLA conventions,
writing evaluations,
and college services
Sample student writing
Mechanics
"Epitaph: The good Earth--we could have saved it, but we were too damn cheap and lazy."
--Kurt Vonnegut
Excellent models and useful resources
These are "A" papers written by past students of mine. Feel free to use them as models for your work, both as examples of effective approaches to the subjects you will write about and as examples of perfect MLA format. You may cite them as well and even look into their primary and secondary sources. Notice that the first sample listed under Assignment #1 in English 120 and 124 has been highlighted and annotated as I would like you to do on all of your writing for these two courses (minus, of course, the legend at the top--which I've included strictly for your reference here).
Sorry, but so far no writing samples for English 098, and 221/222 are available. These will be added as I collect them.
go to Top | ENGLISH 122 | 124 | 231/232
English 120: College compositiion and reading
Assignment #1: Exemplification go to Assignment #2 | #3 | #4 | #5
Write about someone you have known for at least five years; using examples, analyze her or his influence. Show how to some extent you are who you are today as a result of your relationship with this person, good, bad, or both.
Death of a Dear Hunter (with highlighting and annotation)
Forever Seeking out the Mysteries of the World: My Father's Influence upon Me
To Be a Great Tree: My Father's Influence upon Me
Assignment #2: Process analysis go to Assignment #1 | #3 | #4 | #5
Analyze a process, either one you know well but with which the rest of the class is likely to be unfamiliar or one which is familiar to everyone but that you want to make interesting to read about.
The Process and Benefits of Efficient Wastewater Treatment
Drink Responsibly: Know Your Espresso
Assignment #3: Causal analysis go to Assignment #1 | #2 | #4 | #5
Explain why a trend has occurred or is occuring. First establish the existence of the trend and then analyze a wide variety of causes.
The Home-Schooling Brigade: Rolling Up Their Sleeves To Educate Their Own
Politicians vs. Entertainers: Election 2000
Assignment #4: Argumentation/persuasion go to Assignment #1 | #2 | #3 | #5
Argue one side of a controversial local issue. Then convince your readers to take some action based upon your argument. Argue for or against an action, not a fact. (This is the research paper.)
Ocean Beach Says "No" to Starbucks
Is The Grass That Much Better Than Your Bed?
Have You Buckled-Up Your Kid Today?
Assignment #5: Comparison/contrast go to Assignment #1 | #2 | #3 | #4
Develop a comparison or contrast or both between two or more objects, events, ideas, places, or people. Keep a purpose in mind beyond mere mechanical comparison: Provide information, make an evaluation, persuade your readers, clear up misconceptions, or draw an analogy.
Port-a-Potties and Relationships: You Aren't the Only One Who Sees It!
go to Top | ENGLISH 120 | 124 | 231/232
English 122: Introduction to literature
Happiness in Fahrenheit 451 and in Our Society
Open Mouth, Insert Foot: The Swipe in Sherwood Anderson's "I'm a Fool"
The Unbridled Spirit in Albert Camus's "The Guest"
The Quality of Books: Fahrenheit 451 and "Interpreter of Maladies" (optional long essay)
The Use of Opposites in Literature (optional long essay)
Does Anyone Care? Alienation in Literature (optional long essay)
go to Top | ENGLISH 120 | 122 | 231/232
English 124: Advanced composition
Assignment #1 go to Assignment #2 | #3 | #4 | #5
Analyze any story by Flannery O'Connor not in the syllabus.
Judgmental Attitudes in Flannery O'Connor's "The Comforts of Home" (with highlighting and annotation)
Flannery O’Connor's "The Train": Driven by Fear
Talkin' to Myself in Flannery O'Connor's "You Can't Be Any Poorer Than Dead"
Flannery O'Connor Illustrates the Human Spirit and Conscience in "The Life You Save May Be Your Own"
Control by Death in Flannery O'Connor's "A View of the Woods"
Life Is a Bull-like Beast in Flannery O'Connor's "Greenleaf"
Structuring and Shattering the False Self-Image in Flannery O'Connor's "The Turkey"
Destroyer, Executioner, and Lover: The Bull in Flannery O'Connor's "Greenleaf"
Taming Fear in Flannery O'Connor's "Wildcat"
Assignment #2 go to Assignment #1 | #3 | #4 | #5
Explore a single global stylistic quality of O'Connor's fiction. Discuss as many of her stories as you can. (This is the research paper.)
Pride vs. Love in the Short Fiction of Flannery O'Connor
The Reality of Horror in Flannery O’Connor’s Short Fiction
A Good Man Is Always Hard To Find in Flannery O'Connor
The Moral Intelligence of Flannery O'Connor
Imagery Enhances Experience in Flannery O'Connor's Short Fiction
The Comic Path to the Serious Purpose of Flannery O'Connor
Assignment #3 go to Assignment #1 | #2 | #4 | #5
Compare any short story of O'Connor's with any of Ernest Hemingway's.
Kilimanjaro's Chill Snows: O'Connor and Hemingway
Two Sides of the Same Coin: O'Connor's "Parker's Back" and Hemingway's "Cat in the Rain"
A Good Cat Is Hard To Find in the Rain: A Comparison of O'Connor and Hemingway
Assignment #4 go to Assignment #1 | #2 | #3 | #5
Analyze any major character in The Sun Also Rises (except Jake Barnes): Robert Cohn, Brett Ashley, Bill Gorton, Michael Campbell, or Pedro Romero. Discuss your character's influence on Jake.
Lady Ashley's Ring of Indiscretions in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises
Robert Cohn as an Antagonist in The Sun Also Rises
The Queen Bee: Lady Brett Ashley in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises
Brett Ashley's Insatiable Search for Love in The Sun Also Rises
Assignment #5 go to Assignment #1 | #2 | #3 | #4
What has Jake Barnes learned in The Sun Also Rises?
The Banderillas in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises
How Jake Learns Not To Go to Hell in The Sun Also Rises
Jake Barnes's Choices: Kierkegaard's Either/Or and Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises
go to Top | ENGLISH 120 | 122 | 124
English 231 & 232: American literature I & II
The Dangers of Not Reaching Far Enough: Elizabeth Bishop's "Man-Moth"
A Lady's Lock-Critique in Willa Cather's Mighty Aphrodite
Zen and Gary Snyder's "Riprap" and "Wave"
Copyright Jef Mallet 2005. All rights reserved.
