NAME_________________________________
Personal Essay
Definition of the Personal Essay:
A personal essay is either a personal narrative in which the author writes about a personal incident or
experience that provided significant personal meaning or a lesson learned, or it is a personal opinion about
some topic or issue that is important to the writer.
Goal: Write a personal essay using one of the following prompts. Make sure you organize your paper before
you begin.
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What is unique about your family?
Identify and describe a personal habit or idiosyncrasy—of any nature—that helps define you.
What’s something important to you that often goes unnoticed in your life?
What is one personal characteristic that makes you different from anyone else in the world? Explain.
For this assignment focus on the following:
o Write an introduction that either “puts” the reader straight into a moment or “grabs” the reader by an
emotion.
o Use descriptive and precise language.
o Make purposeful paragraph breaks for the introduction and conclusion, to show the passage of time, to
begin a new idea, to contrast two ideas, or to insert a pause if a paragraph becomes too long.
o Tell a story that directly answers the prompt (main idea) and is interesting to the reader.
Guidelines:
o One page- typed- MLA format
o Interesting, original opening sentence
o Statement of purpose (much like a thesis) is the last sentence of introduction
o Introduction must be at least four sentences (including statement of purpose)
o Paper must stay focused around the statement of purpose
o Conclusion must be at least three sentences (must reiterate statement of purpose)
o Last sentence of conclusion must include insight or reflection (come full circle in the essay)
o Proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling required
o You may use 1st person for this paper
o Must participate in editing
Organizational Tool: Organize your paper below. You may use an outline format or another kind of structure
(i.e. web, lists, etc.)