ENGLISH 9 HONORS
A TALE OF TWO CITIES: Writing Assignment
To complete the unit on A Tale of Two Cities, you will write a five-paragraph essay on one of five options. These options, listed on the second page of this packet, should look familiar because we discussed many of them as an introduction to the novel.
Here is a quick refresher of the format of the five-paragraph essay.
I.Introduction
A.Lead-in Sentence
B.Central Idea Sentence
C.Thesis Sentence
II.Body Paragraph #1 – Thesis Point #1
A.Topic Sentence
B.Examples and quotations supporting the topic sentence
C.A sentence that connects your details to the central idea
III.Body Paragraph #2 – Thesis Point #2
A.Topic Sentence
B.Examples and quotations supporting your topic sentence
C.A sentence that connects your ideas to the central idea
IV.Body Paragraph #3 – Thesis Point #3
A.Topic Sentence
B.Examples and quotations supporting your topic sentence
C.A sentence that connects your ideas to the central idea
V.Conclusion
A.Restate your thesis.
B.Restate your central idea.
C.End with a strong statement(s) that summarizes your essay and leaves the
reader with something to think about.
Specific Guidelines and Recommendations
For this paper, you are required to incorporate direct quotations from the text. In order to receive an A in content, you must accurately and smoothly incorporate one quotation per paragraph. Please don't use any more than five quotations in your entire essay. Here are some tips and examples about smoothly incorporating quotations into your writing.
1.Lead in to the quotation.
Example #1: Stryver's arrogance is illustrated with the following words: "'She will have in me a man already pretty well off, and a rapidly rising man, and a man of some distinction: it is a piece of good fortune for her, but she is worthy of good fortune'" (144).
Example #2: Lucie's genuine kind and empathetic nature is clear when she says to her husband, "'I think, Charles, poor Mr. Carton deserves more consideration and respect than you expressed for him tonight'" (208).
2.Include the page number in which the quotation is found. Follow the format in
the examples.
Example #3: "'How goes it, Jacques?'" (211).
"It was dark when Charles Darnay left him" (125).
3.Adequately and completely explain the quotation that you use.
Example #4: "So polite and so impressible was Monseigneur, that the Comedy
and the Grand Opera had far more influence with him in the tiresome articles of state affairs and state secrets, than the needs of all France" (110). This description exemplifies the Monseigneur's interest in personal pleasure and his apathy toward the people in his charge.
Here is a sample line that encompasses all of the characteristics that your quotation needs to contain:
Stryver is a comical character, known for his arrogance and high opinion of himself when he says to Sydney Carton that he is, "'a man already pretty well off, and a rapidly rising man, and a man of some distinction: it is a good piece of good fortune fo her. . .'" (144). In this statement, Stryver illustrates his belief that he would be an excellent husband for any woman because of his high social standing. Ironically, no one else in the novel shares this high opinion of Stryver.
Your essay will be worth 85 points. Use the attached scoring guide for specifics.
Your essay must be typed and double-spaced. Any essay that does not follow these guidelines will not be accepted.
Your essay is due ______Monday, December 3, 2007______. I will not accept any paper after the due date, since you (as a class) chose this date.
A Tale of Two Cities Essay Options
Directions: Choose ONE of the following and respond in a formal five-paragraph essay.
1.Use events and/or characters from the novel to support the following statement:
The most noble of causes can become corrupt without the right leaders.
2.Use events from the novel to support the following idea: A crowd of people is
capable of doing things that could not be done by individual, either positive or negative.
3.Use events and/or characters from the novel to support the following statement:
A person can never truly escape our duty or responsibility to others; if he/she does not act on this duty, he/she will most likely be plagued by guilt.
4.Choose the character you feel has been shaped the most by his/her past. Support
your opinions with examples and quotes from the novel.
5.If there is a topic in which are interested that is not listed here, please see Ms. Raub with a clear, concise central idea and thesis statement. Please make sure that if you choose a topic not listed in numbers 1-4 that you have your central idea and thesis statement approved. New ideas are welcome, but I want to make sure that you are starting off with a strong topic before you begin writing.