Fri. Dec. 16, 2016: Merchant Exam

Today, students wrote their comprehension exam for The Merchant of Venice. I then presented them with the essay assignment they will have to complete next week. This will allow those who need more time the opportunity to work on it this weekend. I have pasted the assignment below.

ELA B10

Formal Essay

Time Allowed: Three Hours (one day for rough; one day for typed; one day for revision)

Instructions: Using the Shakespearean play we studied in class, answer either a., b. or c.

a.       How have inequalities impacted the characters in the Shakespearean play read in class? OR b.      How important are relationships when it comes to the outcomes of the Shakespearean play read in class?

·         This is to be a five paragraph essay with proper layout (12 point font, Times New Roman, zero “before” and “after” spacing, title page information on first page, page numbers with name on all pages, works cited page).

·         You MUST use your essay editing checklist to ensure you are revising your copy (on the back).

·         You MUST staple this to the back of your essay for submission.

                                                                Essay Editing Checklist

Style

1.      No personal pronouns (except in quotes)

2.      No Contractions

3.      No questions allowed

4.      Use the noun instead of a word used to describe it (or be sure to describe with enough detail not to be confusing).

a.       E.g.: Sinclair Ross used this because the wife keeps calling herself a fool over and over.

b.      They say that the beast was furry...

5.      Pronoun referencing: When you are talking about more than one character in the same paragraph and they are of the same gender, use the name and not the pronouns he/him or she/her.

6.      Use of “who” or “that”: pronoun referencing: “who” refers back to a PERSON: are you referring to a person or a thing? Use “who” if it is a person whom you are referring to.

7.      No clichés/slang: a cliché is an overused phrase: “stands up to” “looks down on” “sucks” “trigger happy” “man with the plan.”

8.      Write your essay in present tense = verbs that end in “s” not “ed” – tense shifts are a serious error (see #10 in “15 Common Errors” Booklet.

9.      No possessive errors (Bob Brown’s binder = correct). See #13 in your “15 Common Errors” booklet.

10.  Ensure that your essay has word variety – have a thesaurus open when you are typing, and have a transition word list open when you are typing.

Mechanics

1.                  No spelling errors (check for red line and do synonym checks if in doubt).

2.                  No capitalization errors (capitals at the beginning of sentences, on proper nouns, on titles, etc.).

3.                  No sentence fragments (watch for sentences that start with “that” “because” “and” “but” “which” or “who”. (see #1 in your “15 Common Errors” booklet).

4.                  Subject verb agreement (they is = wrong. They are = correct). See #3 in your “15 Common Errors” booklet.

5.                  Comma usage (see #2, #8, and #15 in your “15 Common Errors” booklet.)

6.                  No run ons (#2 in your “15 Common Errors” booklet).

7.                  Strong verb usage (run or fled)

Format

1.                  12 point, Times New Roman, spacing at zero, last name and page number in header

2.                  First page info. (name, teacher, class, date) and “works cited” page

Content

1.                  Following the introductory paragraph layout

2.                  Body paragraphs: start with a main point (opinion), provide evidence to support opinion and explain how evidence supports opinion.

3.                  A conclusion (the “so what”)