Name: _________________________ Period: _____
Expository/ Analysis Essay: Why does Barbara Ehrenreich’s tone change so often in Nickel & Dimed? How does this rhetorical strategy affect her
purpose? Citing diction (a fancy term for word choice—individual words, phrases, and or sentences), analyze at least three different instances of tone in Nickel &
Dimed which represent the author’s complex and changing attitude towards her subject--low wage workers in America, and audience—us, corporate America &
Management, and/or the Government. Your thesis must address Ehrenreich’s tonal complexity. Include text evidence to prove each example, with page citation.
Your essay is not merely a summary; it is an analysis. Also, in your conclusion you must address how and why this complex and changing tone advances or hurts
the author’s purpose. Requirements: 2 to 3 double spaced pages. 1st draft due Tuesday, Nov 12th beginning of class. Final VIRTUAL draft due Friday Nov 15th
by 4pm, with Writing Process Worksheet completed.
Target
Exceeds
Meets
Approaching
Beginning
I can state my claims
and back them with
strong textual
evidence.
I can avoid using “I,”
and sustain my
expository essay using
appropriate academic
language.
Writer has more than 3
different examples of tone
with strong evidence
Writer has 3 different
examples of tone with strong
text evidence
Writer has 2 examples of tone with
text evidence, and/or examples
Writer has 1 or no examples of
tone
Writer builds a thoughtful
essay using academic
style/tone and follows the
rules of expository writing
(explaining, informing,
describing).
Writer builds an essay that
uses academic style/tone and
follows the rules of expository
writing (explaining,
informing, describing)
Writer tries to maintain an academic
style/tone in writing but sometimes
sounds too informal. The writer tries
to follow the rules of expository
writing but sometimes doesn’t quite
reach it.
Writer does not maintain an
academic style/tone and or/is
too informal. The writer
doesn’t seem to know or
follow any of the rules of
expository writing.
I can produce clear and
coherent writing in
which the
development,
organization, and style
are appropriate to task,
purpose, audience.
I can utilize all steps in
the writing process:
pre-write, draft, edit,
revision.
I can write a thoughtful
conclusion which
doesn’t just restate
what I already wrote,
but adds something
new and pushes my
essay to a higher and
more interesting level.
Writer produces clear and
coherent writing throughout
the essay which is
appropriate to task, purpose
and audience.
Writer produces coherent
writing throughout the essay
which is appropriate to task,
purpose and audience
Writer’s control is spotty in its
development, organization or style,
and not appropriate to task, purpose
and/or audience.
Writer demonstrates little
control or effort in the essay,
and misunderstands the task,
purpose and/or audience.
Writer has used all steps in the
writing process and carefully
applied feedback. Reflection is
evident on the process worksheet
Writer has used all steps in the
writing process. Some
reflection is evident on the
process worksheet
Writer has a strong conclusion
which does not merely restate
the thesis but explains the
importance of the topic or
explains the effects of
understanding the topic.
Writer tried to use all the steps in
the writing process but some are
incomplete. Little reflection is
evident on the process worksheet.
Writer attempts a conclusion but
merely restates the thesis or restates
it in a confusing way. May leave out
the importance of the topic or not
really explain the effects of
understanding the topic
Writer is missing steps in the
writing process. No reflection
is evident on the process
worksheet.
Writer has a partially
developed or incomplete
conclusion.
Writer has a well-crafted,
thoughtful conclusion which
does not merely restate the
thesis but explains the
importance of the topic.
Conclusion leaves reader
with a challenge or call to
action.