Writing Assignment: Argument Essay Our goals for this essay are multiple.

First, we want to continue to learn to write in formal style and forming logical arguments, as we did in the cause and effect essay. Second, we want to learn about research and how to document sources in the MLA. The minimum length of this paper should not include the words in the Works Cited page at the end. Assignment: Compose a well-structured argument for a topic that interests you. You should focus on creating an interesting introduction containing a narrow, clear, and arguable thesis, writing a clearly organized body with logical support and external sources for your assertions, and a conclusion that makes a reasonable and persuasive point. Topic Selection: The subject of your paper may be chosen from the following persuasive topics:
Abolishing or expanding the death penalty Allowing private citizens to purchase prescription drugs from other countries Arming commercial airline pilots in the cockpit Continuing or ending affirmative action Developing a foreign policy regarding weapons of mass-destruction Limiting awards for pain and suffering in medical malpractice cases Making English the official language of the US Reducing the number of illegal aliens Replacing the current Federal income tax system with a flat tax or a national sales tax Changing college grading standards to pass/fail instead of numerical or letter grades Requiring recipients of federal aid such as food stamps or unemployment to be tested for substance abuse (or not) Eliminating or revising social security

Length Requirement: 600 to 700 words, as counted by Microsoft Word on the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. (Notice that this requirement is longer than previous

essays; however, it is still easily manageable.) The word length includes only the words in the body of the paper. Diction Requirements: This is a formal paper. The personal pronouns I and You in all their forms are not allowed. Contractions not are allowed. Adhere strictly to proper grammar and mechanics. Word Processing Requirement: The body of the paper must be typed according to MLA Style guidelines, even if you have no sources. (These are the requirements found in How to Set Up Your Paper). The paper MUST be submitted in .rtf, .doc, or .docx format. Under NO circumstances should you submit this paper in Works (.wps format) or Wordpad (.wpd format). If you do not have Microsoft Word, download OpenOffice from OpenOffice.org and use it: the program is free (cant beat that price!), and it has a facility to save in the .doc format. (It also gives you a spreadsheet that is compatible with Excel and a presentation program that is compatible with PowerPoint.) Source Requirements: This paper requires at least TWO in-text citations (a quote, a paraphrase, or a summary) to be taken from at least two separate sources. Wikipedia, quotation databases, or various dictionaries CANNOT be used as a source. A Works Cited page is required. It must have at least TWO separate sources listed on it. All sources quoted, paraphrased, or summarized must be cited in the new MLA style. An explanation of the MLA documentation style is found in Diana Hackers supplement posted to the MLA Style unit on Desire2Learn. o In-text citations must be indicated by the proper combination of signal phrases and parenthetical references. They must clearly point to a unique and readily identifiable entry on the Works Cited page. An index to in-text citations is found on page 3 (page 6 of the .pdf file). o Works Cited entries must conform to MLA style. An index to Works Cited entries is found on page 13 (page 16 of the .pdf file). All Works Cited entries must be alphabetized under the first word of the entry; that is, either under the authors last name or the first word of the title.

MLA documentation is worth a total of 50 points; a paper cannot earn an A or B without proper documentation of sources. On-Line Research Resources: The Florence-Darlington Tech Library is well-stocked with appropriate materials, many of which can be accessed on-line. o While students are on campus, they are encouraged to visit the colleges homepage and visit Library > eResources > eBooks. From there, they should click on NetLibrary and create an account. This will allow off-campus access to NetLibrary resources. o Students who are on campus but are unable to visit the library in person are encouraged to go to the college website (www.fdtc.edu) and enter via Library > eResources >eDatabases. On the top blue bar of the index, click on Arts and Humanites. There students will find a number of good resources for completing the assignment. In particular, students will find the alldiscipline databases indexed under Academic OneFile (InfoTrac) Discus and Opposing Viewpoints (Gale) very helpful. o Students who are off campus can access these same databases by a different means. Students should go to the college website (www.fdtc.edu) and enter via Library > Off-Campus Access. There students can find a number of entry points, including the aforementioned NetLibrary resources. In addition, students may access all of the same databases they can access on campus, but they must do so using the WebFeat search engine. Sign-on instructions are located on the page.