FINAL STUDY GUIDE 1. Types of Papers a. Narrative- Telling a story.

Sample topics: My Life in Mississippi, The Happiest Day of My Life, etc. b. Process Analysis- Explain how to do something. Two types: writing to people who WILL perform the task, and writing to people who wont perform the task. Sample topics: How to Start Rock Climbing, How to Make Spaghetti c. Compare/Contrast- When you compare and contrast two ideas/things/people, etc. Its important that the items you compare do have things in common (ie you cant compare apples to oranges!). Sample topics: Michael Jackson and Chris Brown, College and High School Experiences, etc. d. Cause and Effect/Causal Analysis- Explore the causes and/or effects of an event or situation. Important to recognize the difference between causes and effects. Sample Topics: Why Relationships Fail, Effects of Gang Violence, etc. e. Argumentative Paper- Must explore a DEBATABLE claim. Sample Topics: Anti-Tobacco, Gun Control (pro or con), etc. 2. MLA Style a. Paper format: double-spaced, centered titled, first page includes the following, flush with the left margin: Name Course Teacher Date b. Each page should also include a header (upper right-hand corner) with your last name and the page number c. Citations- ANYTHING that you quote, paraphrase or summarize should be cited twice: once in-text, and once on the works cited page. i. In-text citations include authors last name and page number (Novara 3). 1. Example: At one point in Lolita, the protagonist states: blah blah blah blah (Nabokov 213). ii. Works Cited entries vary based on research type. Some samples: 1. Books: Wilk, Max. Every Days a Matinee. New York: Norton, 1975. Print. 2. Online Article (journal): Smith, Joan. Effects of Gang Violence in Chicago. Journal of Something 17.2 (1995): 20-25. Web. 25 March 2014.

3. Online Article (periodical): Smith, Joan. Effects of Gang Violence in Chicago. Newsweek 24 March 2013: 20-22. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 March 2014. 4. Films: Frankenstein. Dir. James Whale. Perf. Boris Karloff, John Boles, and Colin Clive. Universal, 1931. DVD.

3. Writing Skills/Ideas a. Show vs. Tell- describe in detail, expand, explain, analyze etc. For example, dont just say She was sad, instead say something like she had tears flowing down her face. b. Assertive language- instead of saying might be, its possible, I think. Try using language like it is, I firmly believe, we must, etc. c. Logos/Ethos/Pathos i. Logos- appeal using facts, logic, etc. Using statistics in a paper, appealing to common sense ii. Pathos- appeal to emotions- PETA ads that describe animals suffering. Commons emotions are pity, fear, nostalgia, guilt iii. Ethos- building up the credibility of the speaker/writerusing titles, degrees, name-dropping. d. Logical Fallacies i. Stereotyping- Examples: Everyone from Southern Illinois is a farmer. ii. Ad Hominem- When you attack the speaker and not the message. Example: Dont listen to Nells views on writing because she hates dogs. iii. Either/Or Fallacy- When you claim that only two choices exist, even though others are possible. Example: If you dont sign this petition, thousands of dogs will die. iv. Post hoc, ergo propter hoc- meaning after this, therefore because of this. When we claim that because one event follows another, it is therefore the direct effect. For example: superstitions (If you see a black cat and then get hit by a car), Gay marriage was legalized in Illinois, and then the next day your friends get divorced, marriage is ruined!

4. Writing Component- Based on the paper types we have already discussed, you can choose prompts.