“Improving Essay Writing Skills: Addressing Common Mistakes and Utilizing Appropriate Sources”

MUST BE REWRITTEN ACCORDING TO PROFESSOR COMMENTS BELOW:
.1. Look at #2 on the syllabus’ last page (FW handout). Watch the video where I go over the syllabus’ last two pages (EW & FW handout). Do NOT use headers or division markers in writing essays. 2. Also, do NOT ever waste sentence space on what should ONLY be in parentheses: (a) ANY reference to the text (author, italicized title, edition, chapters, chapter titles, pages, etc.); nor (b) ANY dates of reigns, specific examples, dynasties, etc. These should ONLY be in parentheses. See the Citing Sources handout and WATCH the video accompanying that handout. 3. Paragraphing Every Discussion post Module, and all Sample Thesis Statements handouts and their accompanying videos, discusses paragraphing. For every chapter, there will ONLY be either ONE body paragraph (on each chapter’s TWO specific examples of the ONE theme), OR there will be TWO body paragraphs (ONE for each specific example, in chronological order. THUS, for the TWO chapters, there will either be TWO body paragraphs (one for each chapter’s TWO specific examples), or FOUR body paragraphs (one on each specific example, in chronological order by chapter). 4. Body paragraph topic sentences MUST be stronger! Use the Writing Checklists handout. Each body paragraph in a short essay must begin with a 1-sentence topic sentence which outlines what the paragraph analyzes, and thus includes: (a) the ONE theme; (b) the specific time period(s) and place(s) — which are NOT dates; (c) the specific example(s); and (d) possibly the parenthetical date(s) of each example IF the parenthetical date is not ALREADY given in the thesis statement. This is written on the Writing Checklists handout. So use the handout! 5. Get rid of your current first and fourth paragraphs. ONLY have TWO paragraphs: one on EACH chapter’s TWO specific examples, in chronological order by chapter. 6. PROBLEM You are putting in information from sources that are NOT part of our allowable sources in this class. Please look on the Citing Sources handout. Written on it are the ONLY two sources allowed in this class: (a) the textbook and (b) my Canvas videos. That is IT! Please rewrite ONLY using those two sources. NOTHING else, especially off the internet, including AI! 7. You are not citing sources correctly. EVERY body paragraph sentence, EXCEPT the topic sentences, MUST end with a parenthetical source citation, or you are plagiarizing, as NONE of the research is your original work. Use the Citing Sources handout, and watch the accompanying video. See me for more help. This is a simple skill you can and must master! 8. PROBLEM: I’m not sure what your ONE chosen theme is. Is it writing? Or is it power and hierarchy? See my comment #4, above.