First Writing Assignment
m of the Spring Semester
Mr. McCormack
Respond to Plot: Readers never learn what decision
the princess makes in “The Lady, or the Tiger?” although
her decision would surely have a major impact. The
author plants several clues in the story to support either decision. Which decision do you think the
princess makes? Write a brief essay that states your opinion and supports it with evidence from the
story.
Before you draft your essay, review every detail about the princess. As you draft, remember that people
have been wrestling with this question for years. Try to be as convincing as possible in your arguments.
Be sure to structure your essay with an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Rubric
6
IDEAS
The ideas show
a complete
understanding
of the reading.
Various quotes
are incorporated
and analyzed
thoroughly.
5
4
3
2
1
The essay has a
clear thesis and
necessary
supporting details.
The essay has a
clear thesis.
Unnecessary
details need to be
cut.
The thesis is too
broad. A variety of
details are
needed.
The thesis is
unclear. More
details are
needed.
The essay needs
a focus statement
and details.
Various quotes
are incorporated
but not explained
sufficiently.
Few quotes are
incorporated and
analyzed.
Various quotes
are incorporated
and analyzed
thoroughly.
Various quotes
are incorporated
but need further
analysis.
No quotes are
incorporated and
analyzed.
ORGANIZATION
All the parts
work together to
create an
insightful essay.
CONVENTIONS
Grammar and
punctuation are
correct, and the
copy is free of
all errors.
The organization
pattern fits the
topic and
purpose. All parts
of the essay are
well developed.
The organization
pattern fits the
topic and
purpose. A part of
the essay needs
better
development.
The organization
fits the essay’s
purpose. Some
parts need more
development.
The organization
doesn’t fit the
purpose.
A plan needs to
be followed.
The essay has
one or two errors
that do not
interfere with the
reader’s
understanding.
The essay has a
few careless
errors in
punctuation and
grammar.
The errors in the
essay confuse the
reader.
The number of
errors make the
essay hard to
read.
Help is needed to
make corrections.
Steps of The Writing Process
1. Pre-writing
2. Writing
3. Revising
4. Editing
5. Publishing
Which came out of the opened door--the lady, or the tiger?
(Circle one)
Lady
Tiger
Was it the lady, or the tiger? The author plants several clues in the story to support either
decision. Use the table below to gather the textual evidence that supports your resolution
(lady, or the tiger).
How does this support your decision?
Page Quote:
Write on the back of this page if you need more space.
INTRODUCTION: (Paragraph 1)
1. Avoid injecting your
1. General Statement: Introduce the topic in a broad,
own opinions or impressions
general sense. Get the reader’s attention.
into this essay. What you think
about the topic is irrelevant. Your task
2. Bridge: Take your reader from the
is to support your thesis by providing evidence from
general to specific.
the text, and nothing more.
2. Do not use the first person (I).
3. Thesis—was it the lady, or
3. Use the present tense. Discuss the events of the
the tiger?
plot as though they were happening in the present.
1. General Statement: Begin by introducing the topic in a broad, general sense. In the case of a
literary essay, make sure to include the title and author of the short story. For example: Unlike
the typical short story, Frank Stockton’s “The Lady, or the Tiger?” leaves it to the reader to provide
the resolution.
2. Bridge: Take your reader from the general to the specific. In the case of a literary essay, make
sure to provide some background information about the plot and characters. This can be a brief
summary—nothing too detailed. You use the bridge to work your way to the thesis.
3. Thesis: The specific focus of the essay. In the case of THIS essay, this sentence should answer
the question given to you in the assignment: Which decision do you think the princess makes?
Example:
Question: Which decision do you think the princess makes?
The answer (thesis): Many clues in the story suggest that the princess led the young man to the tiger.
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Body Paragraph 1
1. Topic sentence. The topic is the
main idea of your paragraph.
2. Support your topic sentence with at
least 3-4 details from the speech.
3. Expand on the details. Make sure
your details support the thesis.
4. Concluding sentence. Find a way to
relate the information in the
paragraph back to the thesis.
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While you can refer to the speaker by name, and even refer to the speech
directly, it's not a good idea to do that too often. And, as is the case with
most expository essays, you never want to refer to yourself:
Bad Examples:
 I listened to a speech by former Pittsburgh Steelers coach
Chuck Noll... NO!!!!!!!
 In the speech, he said.... He also said..... He also said..... Then
he said.... NO!!!!!
You certainly don't want to do either of those things. You can refer to
the speaker and/or the speech in your introduction, as you establish your
controlling idea, but you should address the speaker's points directly in
your body paragraphs, rather than attributing every fact to the speaker or
the speech.
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Body Paragraph 2
1. Begin with a topic sentence that uses a transition word or phrase.
2. Follow the format of the first paragraph.
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Conclusion Paragraph
An effective concluding paragraph should provide closure for an essay, leaving the
reader feeling satisfied that the thesis has been fully explained. Follow this simple
format to write an effective conclusion for your comparative essay.
1. Restate your thesis, using different words.
Example:
Original Thesis
Restated thesis in different words
If the settings of these stories were altered, the impact
of their themes might diminish.
In both novels, if the setting had been different, the
reader might not have been able to emotionally feel a
connection with the characters.
Fate could be harmful, if pursued. It certainly proved
to be such in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman as
well as in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex.
As seen in these two tragedies, fate could be a
destructive force—pursuing it, running away from it,
merely keeping it in mind.
Friendly people, beautiful scenery, and great food
make Australia a good place for a vacation.
Tourists choose Australia as their favorite vacation
spot because of its good eats, viewing treats, and
great people to meet.
Books such as To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and
Men show the interaction between positive and
negative aspects of human nature.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, and Of Mice
and Men, by John Steinbeck, are two books that
illustrate this balance of good and bad.
2. Summarize the ideas of all of your body paragraphs. Do this in one to three sentences.
3. Give your listening essay a fresh ending. Give the reader something new to think about. This
could be a provocative question, quotation, call for action, warning, or suggestion to the
reader.
Examples:
a. Simply put, the concept of fate should be ignored.
b. Choosing Australia for a family vacation eliminates the fussing and fighting that accompanies
such trips, since there is something for everyone Down Under.
c. Atticus Finch and Juror Eight showed, by obeying their own conscience above the beliefs and
objections of others, that they were truly brave and admirable men.
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