A college-level composition worthy of an “A” grade should have
1. A work of sophisticated argument or analysis that is developed into approximately five pages of double-spaced text using Times New Roman in 12 font with MLA format pagination, with 9-font headers in the upper right corner of the page including student name, essay title, and page number. The header would look like thus: Sarah Larkin/Why We Love Homer Simpson 1
2. A thesis, your central argument, which you can passionately support with mapping statements or components that “map-out” your supporting paragraphs.
3. A thesis that is sophisticated enough so that we can say that it is not “self-evident,” “obvious,” or “laden with clichés and truisms.”
4. An introduction that does one of the following: frames your subject, defines an important term that the reader may not understand, gets reader’s attention though a salient anecdote, or quotes someone whose words bear relevance to your topic.
5. Varied transitions that bridge the paragraphs.
6. Body paragraphs that are big and meaty, a good 130 words or so.
7. A seamless integration of outside sources, usually two or three, woven into your essay with no fewer than five direct quotes or paraphrases from outside text while maintaining a strong voice that does not get overshadowed by your sources.
8. A conclusion that restates your thesis in a dramatic, often euphonious way or that returns to your introduction.
9. A bold, assured writing voice.
10. A variety of syntax, mixing simple, compound, and complex sentence structures.
11. Clear, precise, and concrete language.
12. An MLA style Works Cited page at the end of your essay.
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