Diagnostic Writing Assignment

I’m working on a English exercise and need support.

When you suspect you have a medical problem, you go to a doctor to find out what is wrong and what to do about it. The doctor will ask you questions, check your vital signs, perform a physical exam, and possible order additional tests so she can make a diagnosis. The proper diagnosis allows your doctor to prescribe the best treatment for your problem.

That is the purpose of this assignment. By giving me a sample of your writing, I can see what you do well and what you might need to work on to make your writing the best it can be. It also helps me see the big picture of what the class as a whole might need.

Here are the instructions for this diagnostic assignment:

• FIRST, read “The Appointment in Samarra” by W. Somerset Maugham. A link is attached below.
• “The Appointment in Samarra” is a considered a fable. A fable is a “a short tale, often involving animals or supernatural beings and stressing plot above character development, whose object is to teach a pragmatic or moral lesson” (Kirszner and Mandell 4).
• In this fable the moral isn’t stated outright; it is implied. How would you state the moral in your own words? Write a short essay that explains your interpretation. Use details and/or examples from the story to support your claims.
• Before you plunge into writing, be sure you’ve watched the Writing Process video. Following these steps will ensure you produce your best work.
• Use traditional essay organization: an introductory paragraph, at least one body paragraph, and a concluding paragraph.
• Include a clearly identifiable thesis statement in your introductory paragraph.
• Body paragraph(s) should be adequately developed (for this assignment, 8-10 sentences is a good length). All sentences should relate back to your thesis in some way.
• Use the Standards for Written Work to format your essay. Name your document Yourname.Diagnostic.doc (or .pdf)
• Upload your document here and then click the Submit button.