Writing Question

How does language shape who we are?
There will be no right or wrong answer to this question and so your writing will not be
evaluated based on what you answer but rather how you answer. Well organized and strongly
developed arguments that use sound reasoning will find the most success in this task.
Requirements and guidelines: The paper should meet these requirements to demonstrate that
we have learned the desired skills from this assignment:
• Length: be approximately 2-3 pages typed (500-750 words). A little more is better than
not enough. This guideline is in place to give you an idea of how much development
and detail is expected of you
• Organization: be organized into multiple paragraphs that follows the basic structure of
an introduction section that prepares the reader for what the text will discuss (at least
one paragraph) and your answer to the question (thesis), a body section that takes the
reader through the your defense of your thesis, and a conclusion that brings the text to
a natural end and gives the reader an idea of how we can use this new knowledge.
• Format: could be MLA formatting, but should just generally aim for looking neat and
presentable. It is nice to have normal standards such as 12 point font, 1” margins, and
Times New Roman/Calibri or some other standard font. This isn’t as critical as the
content and organization, but it helps to make it look like you put effort into this and
you understand the rules of the game in which you are playing.
• Content: Defending your opinion is crucial in this assignment. You’ll need to make clear
claims that support your thesis and support these claims with strong evidence and
sound logic. Our content is the substance of the text and what will ultimately decide if
your reader ends up being convinced by your writing or not.