ENG 10H- Mrs. Curley

Lord of the Flies argumentative essay checklist

Be mindful of the following as you complete your essay:

Essays must be posted electronically on in the appropriate class section by 7 AM on Tuesday, May 16th. Hard copies of essays are due in class on the same day.

Staple the following to the back of the essay: completed quotations graphic organizer and rubric. The rubric is the last element included.

Unstapled papers lose 3 points. Failure to include quotations graphic organizer in a timely fashion on the day the paper is due results in loss of 10 points. Failure to include rubric results in loss of 5 points.

Late papers lose 20 pts. per day.

Formatting of header, MLA heading and body paragraphs : 12 pt, Times New Roman font throughout, double spaced, MLA heading with correct elements and correct spacing in upper left hand corner on page 1, header w/ your surname and page #s listed in upper right hand corner of each page. The spacing in the MLA heading must be identical to that in the text of the body of your essay.

Title: Include an imaginative one in nonbold, nonunderlined, nonitalicized 12 pt TNR font immediately below the MLA heading. No extra spacing between MLA heading and title and no extra spacing between title and 1st sentence of paper.

Length: 5 well-developed paragraphs, not less than 3 full pages. Papers of insufficient length immediately lose 20 points.

Introduction must:

  • Be well-developed.
  • Contain a compelling lead-in idea. Do not begin directly w TAG.
  • Contain a properTAG. (No “written by”- why? That is sloppy passive voice).
  • Explain and reference the fact that there is some sort of debate occurring regarding the boys’ behavior on the island (biology or environment).
  • Contain a thesis statement as the last sentence of the introductory paragraph that clearly and intelligently indicates your position on the argument and the reasons why you feel the way you do.

Body paragraphs must:

  • Be well-developed and avoid plot summary. For example, we understand and know that a “group of boys are marooned on an island.”
  • Analyze, not summarize, relevant plot points.
  • Contain a topic sentence that is directly related to the thesis statement.
  • Contain direct quotations from LF with proper, sophisticated introductions and proper in-text citations. (ICE your quotations).
  • Not include block quotations, or quotations of 4 lines or more. You may use an ellipsis to make a quotation suit your particular purpose.
  • Use literary present tense when discussing the allegory and the nonfiction pieces.
  • Contain direct quotations (textual evidence) from your nonfiction articles. Do not provide parenthetical in-text citations for these sources. Instead, for the purposes of this assignment, including the properly formatted title of the article/experiment and the first and last name of the author within the sentence itself will suffice. Why? You do not have the proper page numbers from the original publications, and the citations would look cluttery and sloppy in this instance.
  • Contain clear and logical explanations of your quotations in terms of how these quotations are relevant to your argument.
  • Contain clean and strong logic.
  • Explain how the nonfiction sources prove your side of the argument.
  • Provide context for the quotations from the nonfiction pieces.
  • Briefly reference ANDbriefly refute the counterargument. (For example: “Some may argue…”)
  • End cleanly and neatly to avoid abrupt shifts between paragraphs.
  • Not include the following: contractions, expressions/clichés, informal language, 1st and 2nd person pronouns, “a lot”, “good”, “bad”, “very”, “book”, “kids”, “so”, and “things”, and any lazy, vague wording. (Example: instead of writing very tired, you could write “fatigued”).
  • Contain vibrant diction. Do not repeat verbs. Use “show” only once, if at all. Use “however” only once. Why? It is overused. Note alternative such as “yet”, “still”, “conversely”, “on the other hand”, etc. Use “state” only when referring directly to a character or person.
  • Contain immaculate punctuation. Do not end sentences with just commas since this creates run-on sentences.
  • Contain sentences that show interesting variety. (You may wish to review previously reviewedhandout on this issue). After all, sentences can begin with adjectives, verbs, prepositions. Include compound and complex sentences, too. Use semicolons stylishly.
  • Contain clean and grammar. Your sentences- the wording within, the syntax- should flow well.

Concluding paragraph must:

  • Be five sentences or more.
  • Contain a clear rewording of your thesis statement/position on the argument.
  • Sum up all previously-mentioned ideas using fresh wording.
  • Not contain the following terms: “in short”, “in summary”, “in conclusion.”
  • End on a strong note of resonance or significance.

Please review the rubric!

As always, I look forward to reading your work 