ESL21A Essay Assignment

ESL 21A Essay Assignment

Topics about the War on Drugs:

Would the legalization of drugs reduce drug-related problems or increase them?

Should drug addiction be treated as a disease or punished as a crime?

How has the legalization of drugs in some countries made a positive difference and should the United States consider legalizing drugs?

Reread Unit 5 in Raise The Issues and visit the Links site and click on links entitled Common Sense for Drug Policy, Drug Wars, and Frontline.

Introduction

1. Hook - You can use "I" or "my" in your first sentence to attract your readers by conveying personal information about the subject that your readers will be able to relate to.

2. Background - summarize briefly the issue of legalization and evaluate the significance it would have on drug addicts, drug pushers, the black market, and children and teenagers. These can be a few sentences of narration and description. Like the hook, they will be in the past tense. By determining the significance you will establish a need in your audience to read and understand the ideas in your essay.

3. Credentials - how are you qualified to discuss this topic? Explain briefly where you have learned your information (mass media, internet, discussions, readings). You can use "I" and "my" here. Use present perfect tense.

4. Thesis - answer the essay question in one sentence using cause (reasons, factors) and effect (results, consequences) words; underline present tense using the modal "should" with passive voice. It is the last sentence in your introductory paragraph, and it indicates your purpose and tone.

Body Paragraph # 1

1. Topic Sentence - this statement of your opinion should explain one reason why you think the legalization of drugs would decrease or increase drug-related problems. Do not use "I think" or "My opinion is". This complex sentence should be a combination of past tense and present tense. You can indicate in the topic sentence what your claims (assertions, subsections of your paragraph) are going to be.

2. Claims - these should be your reasons (at least three) for or against the legalization of drugs; use transitions e.g. "Firstly", "Second", "Finally", "Another reason".

3. Data - each reason should be supported by details, examples, facts, information from an authority etc. Use transitions e.g. "For example".

4. Warrant - this is a statement that comments on the relationship between your data and your claims. These comments help the reader understand your reasoning (logic/ organization), make your essay more interesting, and separate the strong papers from the weak papers.

5. Transition/ summary - this statement is optional, but may be needed to help the reader understand your main idea and move with greater comprehension to your next sentence.

Body Paragraph # 2

1. Topic Sentence - this statement of your opinion should explain another reason why legalization would decrease or increase drug-related problems. Do not use "I think" or "My opinion is". This sentence should contain the modal "should" plus the passive voice in present tense. You can indicate in the topic sentence what your claims (assertions, subsections of your paragraph) are going to be.

2. Claims - these should be your other reasons (at least three) for or against the legalization of drugs; use transitions e.g. "Firstly,", "Second,", "Finally,", "Another reason,".

3. Data - each reason should be supported by details, examples, facts, information from an authority etc. Use transitions e.g. "For example,".

5. Transition/ summary - this statement is optional, but may be needed to help the reader understand your main idea and transition more easily to your concluding thoughts.

Conclusion

1. Restate your thesis using different vocabulary; use a transition "In conclusion," "To summarize," ect.

2. Write a closing statement of your opinion which may relate back to ideas or information in your introduction. (You could make a prediction using the conditional, or you could state your hopes for the future using future tense.)