Acadia English Model Essays
Acadia English Model Essays
The four model essays presented here are all examples of sound academic writing.
The general link takes you to the site, which looks like this:
To choose the essay you’d like to view, click on the drop down menu to select your
choice, and then click submit. Alternatively, choose a specific essay from the choices
outlined below, after you’ve read through the assignment details.
Once you’ve chosen an essay, there are two ways to access the comments.
You can read the essays straight up or choose to view all or any of the four types of
commentary available, or some combination thereof by clicking on the following
categories in the display box on the left hand side of the screen:
Organization & Format
Correctness & Choice
Thought & Detail + Content & Understanding (Thought & Detail + Content & Understanding)
Literary & Rhetorical Matters
Each of these categories is colour coded.
OR you can click on the Show/Hide button in the central box. You can adjust the
Font Size and Line Spacing using the arrow buttons next to the Show/Hide feature.
Please note that in practice all English essays should be double-spaced (and note
that EVERYTHING is double spaced in MLA style, including block quotations and
Works Cited), and pages should be numbered and include your name in the header
(page numbers and breaks do not show up on these html model essays). There should
be no additional space inserted between paragraphs (set paragraph spacing to
zero).
You can also switch to another essay, using the select box. The print feature allows
you to print the essay. If you would like the comments to print, you have two
choices. You can choose “show all bubbles” on the print page, or you will first need
to open the comments boxes you wish to have displayed (shown below). In some
cases you’ll need to do this strategically as a comment box might cover up your
access to another highlighted passage. To return to the essay from the print page,
use the back button in the top left corner. All the comments will have closed upon
your return.
When you select one or more of the comment categories from the display box,
certain portions of the essay text are highlighted in those colours. To see the
comments associated with those highlights, click on the highlighted portion and a
text box will pop up. To remove the textbox, click again. Where there is a
highlighted asterisk * in the essay, there is an additional comment.
These categories are the same as those set out in our Essay Writing Guideline Chart
and are grounded in the criteria set out by the NS Board of Education. Please note
that your professors will not identify their comments using these categories in their
marking of your work; however, the principles still apply.
For explanations of some of the grammatical terms, see the Departmental Grammar Pages.
In addition to these categories, each comment is flagged with a road sign to signal
the following:
this symbol means there is an error of some kind that needs correcting
this symbol provides a tip, suggestion, or cautionary note
this symbol denotes a success, reassurance, or compliment
There are two categories of Model Essays: First Year and Upper Level.
Instructions: The descriptions of the assignments are given below. Click on the link
to view the essay.
Instructions: The descriptions of the assignments are given below. Click on the link
to view the essay.
Short Formal Literary Analysis (Persuasive): Poem Explication, English 1406:
Writing and Reading Critically. Length: 4-5 pages (Times New Roman 12pt.) MLA
style.
This essay is based on Philip Larkin’s poem “Home is so Sad.” You can read this
poem at: https://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16659
ASSIGNMENT:
Topic: A discussion of literary devices and themes in a poem of your choice from our
anthology. You are encouraged to design your own essay topic, but can use any of
the topics we discussed in class. [Note: Proposal, Outline, and Draft submissions
were required for this essay.]
Your essay will focus on a specific aspect of, or devices in, the poem and provide a
persuasive analysis thereof.
Comparison Essay, English 1406: Writing and Reading Critically. Requirements:
research essay of 1500 words using at least 2 creditable secondary sources and
following MLA style.
ASSIGNMENT:
Who is the tragic hero in Antigone? Be sure to carefully explain what you mean by
"tragic hero" in your response.
Research Essay, English 3973: Children’s Literature 1. 9-12 pages double-spaced in
Times New Roman 12 point font, or the equivalent, with standard margins. A
minimum of 3 creditable (reputable) scholarly sources required. MLA style.
The student combined two general suggestions in coming up with her topic as
outlined below.
ASSIGNMENT:
Here are a few general ideas to help you come up with an essay topic.
Option 2: Book to book. Pair any book on the syllabus with another book of your
choice (could be the same author) and examine how these books “talk to” each
other. (You can also pair up 2 books from the syllabus, if you like.) What does one
gain from considering these 2 books together? In other words, how does one book
illuminate the other? What points does the comparison illuminate? (Note: If I don't
own a copy of your 2nd choice, I ask that you hand one in with your essay.)
Option 3: The marriage of text and illustration. Choose a picture book and discuss
the integral relationship between the text and the illustrations. In your analysis,
identify the key elements of the story as it is told in words and pictures and
explicate to what ends they are working. What sort of marriage is it? Equivalent?
Dominant partner? Abusive? Wholesome?
Applied Theory Essay, English 2006: Strategies for Reading Literature. 2000-2500
words.
This essay is based on Marge Piercy’s poem “Barbie Doll.” You can read the poem on
Piercy’s website:
http://www.margepiercy.com/Piercy%20Website/sampling/Barbie_Doll.htm
ASSIGNMENT:
In this assignment you are required to apply a particular critical perspective to one
of the short stories or poems on the course outline, drawing on one of the
theoretical readings to help frame your approach to the text. You may also make
reference to the critical introductions to theses approaches in Ann Dobie’s Theory
into Practice and in the Rivkin and Ryan theory anthology. Essentially, the aim is to
develop a critical argument about the poem or short story in the context of a
particular approach: New Criticism, feminism, postcolonialism, etc.
Option 2: In Gender Trouble, Judith Butler stresses the way in which gender identity
is shaped by social expectations—that is, she describes gender as something that is
performed by individuals in response to society’s assumptions about and standards
of what it means to be male or female. Write an essay looking at Marge Piercy’s
poem “Barbie Doll” in light of Butler’s theory of gender.
High School Teacher Resource for University Preparation:
How to write a University Paper—a High School English Lesson