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Additional material
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Definition Essay Requirements
The purpose of this definition essay is to define one of the following:
ü A slang word or term
ü
A philosophical, political, medical, etc. idea or concept
ü a coined word or term
A Slang Word or Term
üUse this idea to define a word or term in current usage, or a word in common usage in a previous era. Examples: “Gibson girls”—“zoot suits”—“bathtub gin”—“bad”—“girlfriend”—“girl”
üUse examples, dialogue, sensory description, and/or narration
A Philosophical, political, artistic, etc. idea or concept
üUse this to define a difficult concept on varying levels Ex. Beauty, Love, Friendship, Religion (general—not specific) Right/Left Wing, Yin/Yang, etc.
A coined word or term
ü
Use this to define a term/word that you use in your family or with friends that
means something
different than normal usage or that is one you made up, or one that you think should
exist to explain something. Ex. “Blazicist”—
someone who
practices the art of living to the extreme without impinging on
others. ( from a former student’s paper!)
Points to Remember:
ü Any time you use a word ina sentence that is not a working part of the sentence, i.e., not a subject verb, etc, it should be in quotes. Ex. When defining the term “philosophy,” some issues must be remembered.
ü Do not use a dictionary or encyclopedic definition—create your own.
Peer Review
1. What is the word/term being defined? Can you use it properly after reading this paper?
2. What category does the term/word being defined fall into—coined, slang, etc.”
3. How many (if any) and what kind of examples are used?
4. Are any descriptive terms used—sensory, objective, subjective? What are they?
5. Is any narration used? What?
6. Was the essay enjoyable to read?
a. What type of Introduction?
b. What type of Conclusion?
Comparison is looking at the similarities between
two things, people or ideas. Contrast is looking at differences between two
things, people, or ideas. 1.
For this essay, you are required to turn in the grid (part of your brainstorming as discussed in class). 2.
Furthermore, you are required to use subject by subject (aka block by block) formatting as opposed to point
by point formatting. 3.
Paragraph two should be the first subject, with only one forward reference to the next subject. Use transitions
to create a smooth movement from point to point. 4.
Paragraph three should be the second subject, with only one reference backward to the previous subject, and
not the same point as was mentioned forward from the previous subject. 5.
Paragraph four should deal with one point in detail from both subjects—the same point. Author: Editor: 1.
What type of introduction is used? 2.
What two subjects are discussed? 3. a. How many points are used total? b. How many comparisons? c. How many contrasts? 4. a. What point forward is referred to in the first subject? b. Is more than one point referred forward? 5.
a. What point is referred to backward? b. Is more than one point referred to backward? 6. What point is discussed in detail in paragraph four? Is it
discussed enough? Is only one point detailed? General ideas to compare/contrast Subject 1—specific info Subject 2—specific info a b c d e f g h The essay should follow this pattern: I.
Introduction II.
All about Subject 1—a, b, d, g, f, e III. All about Subject 2__a, b,
d, g, f, e IV.
All about the one most important comparison/contrast. V.
Conclusion Comparison/Contrast
Guidelines
Peer Review
Causal Analysis
(aka Cause and Effect)
Causal Analysis deals with an event. Once the event is established, then you find the reasons why that particular event occurred. Never are both the causes and effects addressed in the same venue. The name was changed from Cause and Effect to reflect that either the causes or the effects are addressed, not both.
For the Causes, a number of things must occur to create the event; if all these things don’t occur, there will not be that event. For the Effects, the Event must occur for the Effects to be evident. Remember that there is no direct correclation between a particular cause and a particular effect; all the causes need to occur for the event to happen so the effects are revealed.
Causes
Event
Effects
Hurricane
Peer Review
1. Does the thesis statement clearly reflect either the causes or the effects and not both? Which? Thesis statement?
2. a. If using causes, are the most important ones used? What causes are addressed in the essay?
b. If using effects, are the most important ones used? What effects are addressed in the essay?
3. What is the event? Is a logical connection made between the causes of the event or the effects of the event to the event made?
4. a. In a Causal essay, the effects may only be presented briefly in the first and/or the last paragraph(s). Are any effects presented, and if so, which ones?
b. In an Effects essay, the causes may only be presented briefly in the first and/or the last paragraph(s). Are any causes presented, and if so, which ones?
5. In the body paragraphs, does the importance of the causes/effect progress from least iimportant to most important? What are they, in order?