ENG 4U: Diagnostic
Assessment
Feedback and Next Steps
Developing an Argument
Sample Arguments:
• When triggered,
students withdraw
from learning, which is
the opposite of what
educational
institutions want to do
• Literature is a way for
us to go to ‘dark
places’ and find the
strength to overcome
difficulties in our lives
Tips:
• A strong thesis looks at
the topic in a new or
unusual way
• Answers the ‘so what?’
question
• Phrase the topic in the
form of a question–
your thesis will answer
this question
Dissecting Your Essay
• Highlight your thesis statement
• Is it in your intro? Is it in your conclusion?
• Count the number of sentences each of your body paragraphs
• They should be between 8-10 sentences.
• Put boxes around your two examples
• Are they specific? Are they from media, literature, current events
and/or personal experience?
• Underline what you say to introduce/describe your examples
• This should be 1-2 sentences at the beginning of the body
paragraphs
• Highlight what you say to analyze your examples and connect
them to your thesis
• This should be the bulk of your body paragraphs (4-8 sentences)
Sample Thesis Statements
Level 1
Trigger warnings on books will lead to a bland homogenization of
literature.
Level 2
Trigger warnings on literature will have a negative effect on college
students because they won’t learn about the bad things happening in the
world.
Level 3
Trigger warnings on literature shield students from real-world difficulties
that they will surely face when they enter the adult world.
Level 4
The danger of trigger warnings is that they shield students from the
darkness they will encounter in our world, when in fact literature can be
the safest way to confront this darkness and combat against it.
Evidence and Examples
• The Kite Runner
• The news: 9/11,
young girl’s
abduction in Alberta
• 50 Shades of
Grey/Ghomeshi
• Sex ed curriculum
• Photo of young
migrant boy from
Syria
Tips:
• Always use specific,
concrete examples
• Read instructions
carefully
• Don’t use the
examples used in the
essay
Areas for Improvement
• Keep a list of frequently misspelled words/grammar points in
your English binder
• Do not use second person (‘you’) in essays
• Do not simply ‘discuss’ or summarize examples; instead,
analyze them– dig deep, give specific detail
• Spend twice the amount of time analyzing an example as you
do describing it
• Always tie examples to your thesis statement– THAT is how
you support and ‘prove’ your thesis!
HAMBURGER ANALOGY = MS. KIM DOESN’T LIKE MEATLESS
HAMBURGERS
Final Suggestions
• To improve your writing, write every day (keep a journal).
• To improve your reading/analytic skills, read opinion pieces (I like
Huffington Post and The Atlantic). Discuss them with people you
know; engage in debate.
• To improve your mechanics, review the corrections your teachers
make and look up what you are doing wrong. Or come to Ms. Kim
for a mini grammar lesson.
• Always write an outline before you write an essay, especially if you
are prone to going off topic or have trouble organizing your
thoughts.
• See Ms. Kim for extra help and to look over rough drafts and give
feedback before submitting assignments.
• If you get extra help from someone, never let them write on/correct
your paper without showing you what they are doing and explaining
why they are doing it.