ENGL101 – Jewell – Timed Writing Practice
For this final writing exercise of the quarter, you may have a printed dictionary (not electronic) on your desk, but nothing
else. I will be grading you essay based on how well you respond to the prompt, whether you make and support an
arguable claim, the specificity of your references to the text, and the clarity of your writing.
While Mike Rose is himself the main focus of “I Just Wanna Be Average,” he describes his fellow students and his
teachers in great detail. What is his purpose in this essay? How do the descriptions contribute to his primary purpose and
main points? What is Rose’s persona in the essay and how does that contribute to or complicate his purpose? Are these
choices effective? Why or why not?
Your answer should be approximately 400 words long – about four to five sides of a handwritten page, double-spaced. Be
sure to address the question directly and to keep your focus on it throughout your essay. (A good idea is to quote
important words from the question in the beginning of your essay.) Always support what you say with specific details.