Response to Readings

English 100
In a 2 ~ to three-page (625-750 word) essay (double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman) you
will briefly summarize Jean Twenge's "Generation Me on Trial," present a thesis that responds
to this essay, and develop your thesis in an organized essay. Your thesis will give your opinion
about an issue or issues that the articles address; the essay will develop your ideas using
examples from your experience and observation. You will also consider material from at least
one other source related to the ideas that Twenge raises, quoting selectively and using MLA
form. These sources will be provided in class.
1. Introduction: In a one-paragraph introduction, name the author and title of the Twenge
article (the article titles go in quotations marks), give a summary or overview of the
article (5-7 lines) and state your thesis (1-2 sentences). Your thesis gives your response
to/opinion about the issue(s) the article addresses. You may "raise" issues from the
second essay in your introduction, or you may choose to introduce that material later.
2. Body: The body is made up of a series of paragraphs that develop your thesis. Divide
your ideas into logical points. You are "responding" to the articles with your own
experience, observations, and opinions. Questions to get you thinking: Do you agree or
disagree with point(s) in the article(s)? How do examples or ideas relate to your
experience? Do the articles present a problem(s) that you see ways of solving? Explain
what you know about the issue, tell (brief) stories or give examples of what you have
observed and explain what you believe about the issue as a result. (PLEASE NOTE:
avoid the simplistic five-paragraph theme. You will have a series of points, but there may
be more than three and they will show a logical progression of ideas rather than just a
"list" of simple ideas as the five paragraph theme often does.)\
3. Your response should also show you "interacting" directly with the articles. Include
at least two (but not more than six) direct quotations from each article that you use.
Choose quotes (partial sentences or a whole sentence) that support what you are saying or
make a point particularly well. Use signal phrases, including present tense verbs to
discuss what the author does. Ex. White argues, the author notes, she agrees that,
according to journalist Michael Brown. Do not refer to the author by his or her first name
only, as in According to Alice.

4. Introduce the quotation so that it makes sense and "flows" into your sentence. Do
not insert a quotation by itself; this is a dumped quotation.

Good example. The tools of the embalmer's trade, including scalpel, forceps, and clamps, are,
Mitford explains, "crudely imitative of the surgeon's" (79).
Good example. The tools of the embalmer's trade, "crudely imitative of the surgeon's" (Mitford
79), include scalpel, forceps, and clamps.
Example of what not to do: a dumped quotation:

Mitford's essay examines the cultural reasons behind a coroner's preparation of dead bodies.
"The purpose of embalming is to make the corpse presentable for viewing in a suitably costly
container" (78).
Here's one way to correct it:

Mitford, examining the cultural reasons behind a coroner's preparation of dead bodies,
comments that embalming will "make the corpse presentable for viewing in a suitably costly
container" (78).
5. Citations. Put page numbers in parenthesis after the quotation. Put the author's name in
the parenthesis if it doesn't appear in the signal phrase.
6. Never plagiarize the author's language. If you want to use the author's words, quote.
Otherwise, be careful to use your own ideas and your own words.
7. Conclusion: Write a one-paragraph conclusion that sums up (but does not repeat wordfor-word) your ideas and/or leaves your reader with your important final thoughts on the
issue(s).
8. Create an MLA Works Cited list for the articles that you have cited in your paper. I have
included one example below.

Works Cited
Twenge, Jean M. "Generation Me on Trial." The Chronicle of Higher Education. 18
March 2012. 1-3. <http://chronicle.com/article/Generation-Me-on-Trial/131246>