English 2850H Fall 2013

English 2850h Fall 2013

In-class Essay Exam, Mon Nov 4

General Instructions: Bring your books/copies of readings. Please, no phones etc . during the exam. No sharing books or readings (sorry). Dictionaries are fine. Bring a blue, green or black pen to write with. Please, no pencils (harder for me to read). The exam will start promptly at 12:25. I will collect your Part 1 at exactly 1:05 and hand out the essay question at that time. The exam will end promptly at 2:10 (I will allow 5 minutes of bonus time if you need it).

The exam will consist of two parts:

Part 1: Identifications (40 minutes). Closed-book. Will be worth a little less than 50% of the total grade.

I will give you three sets of 2-3 short passages from any of our readings up to that point. You will choose one from each set, state the title and author of the work it’s from, and briefly discuss the significance of the passage (one paragraph of about 5-7 sentences). The passages will be important to the overall meaning and message of the text and/or will contain significant symbols or images to analyze.

Part 2: Essay (60 minutes). Open Book. Will be worth a little more than 50% of the total grade. You will need all three books to be on the safe side.

I’ll give you a specific question that involves a theme or issue that can be traced across at least two and probably three of our readings from the first day of class through Oct. 30. I will give you three (maybe two) groups of 2-4 readings (A, B, and C) and ask you to choose one reading from each group in responding to the question. I may ask you to reference your personal experience with the essay topic in the conclusion.

A 5-paragraph essay will be perfectly appropriate for this task. Write an intro that gets to the point quickly and makes your argument clear, include one paragraph (or so) on each text you’re using to support your argument, and write a conclusion that sums it all up clearly and (hopefully) compellingly. Formulas like the 5-paragraph essay are GREAT for timed essays when you just don’t have time to design a more complex organization. Tips for Writing In-class Essay Exams: When your professors evaluate your in-class essays, they not only look for your command of the facts, but also your argumentative, analytical, organizational and essay-writing skills. In an essay, you must do much more than simply regurgitate information from a class discussion. You need to demonstrate your original capacity to apply the knowledge you’ve learned in class to a specific question. You need to present a clear and compelling argument and a structure that flows logically. In short, your in-class essays are graded both on substance and style. Substance  Does the essay adequately cover the issues raised in the question?  Does the essay thoroughly define key terms and concepts?  Is the thesis too general? Is it appropriate to the complexity of the material?  Is the essay's argument logical?  Does the essay include specific references to the readings and lectures? Style  Does the essay respond directly to the question?  Does the essay adequately document its arguments using the kinds of evidence asked for in the question? For direct quotations from a class text, you don’t have to waste time writing out the entire quote; instead, just write the first few words, followed by a …, and then the last few words of the passage you want to quote. Include the page number(s)!  Is the essay well-organized? Does it have more than 2 or 3 paragraphs and are they reasonably focused?  Are quotations thoroughly analyzed?  Is it written legibly? Watch for Key Words: Most essay questions contain a specific instruction, question, or “prompt” that you are to respond to, which includes specific words that capture what the prompt is asking you to do. Look for words like these in an exam question:  Argue: Advance a clear, opinionated position on a given question.  Compare and Contrast: Stress notable similarities as well as dissimilarities, differences, or unlikeness of things, qualities, events, or problems.  Describe: Recount, characterize, sketch or relate something in narrative form.  Discuss: Examine, analyze carefully, and present considerations pro and con regarding the problems or items involved. This type of question calls for a complete and detailed answer.  Explain: Clarify, elucidate, and interpret the material you present. In such an answer it is best to state the "how or why," reconcile any differences in opinion, and, where possible, state causes.  Identify: Thoroughly describe or define a specific person, event, or concept, and state its significance.  Illustrate: Explain or clarify your answer to the problem by presenting a concrete example.  Justify, Prove: Provide the grounds for your point of view. Present your evidence in a convincing form.