English 1A: Paper 1 Draft

I’m trying to learn for my English class and I’m stuck. Can you help?

For your first written assignment, you are tasked with taking the essential elements of writing a profile that we have covered in lecture, and creating a profile about a person of interest to you. Beyond just relaying factual ideas about whomever you choose to be your subject, you should identify a central theme about their lives that you want to highlight. A good starting point might be looking at a person who has attempted to solve an everyday problem or taken on a societal issue that is large and daunting. The choice is up to you, but remember, the task of all writing is to persuade so use your words to make your reader see an essential element of the person’s life that you choose to write about. You should begin your writing with an outline by identifying the five steps to a portrait detailed on page 167 of your text, which are:

1. Identify a subject
2. Identify your interest in the subject. Why did you choose this person? What is interesting to you about their life?
3. Find a central theme you want to write into about this person’s life or experience that you are highlighting
4. Define how you will do your research and get info on your subject
5. Assess who your target audience is. Think outside of just myself or your classmates as the readers. Imagine your profile was going to be featured in a publication. What types of people would read that publication? Who would be your audience?

Your paper should be:

• 2 pages, double-spaced and formatted according to MLA guidelines in respect to headers, page numbering (last name and pg. number in top right corner of each page)
• MLA Work Cited Page identifying the sources of your information- see OWL Resource for example
• Adhere to all grammatical and punctuation conventions of academic writing
• Go through several iterations before turning it in
• Turned in on time with your outline as a generative prewriting activity