ogerian Argument Checklist
Reviewing your essay one last time is an important part of ensuring you have done all you can to get the best grade. This checklist will help you look for elements you can easily fix before submitting your essay. Make sure you can say yes to every item on this list. If you check no or don’t understand the paper element description, review lesson materials in Moodle or ask your professor or Writing Center tutor for help.
| Paper Element – Format | Yes | No |
| It has a header with the last name and consecutive page numbers in the upper right-hand corner about ½” from the top of the page. The header is also in the correct font: Times New Roman size 12. | ||
| The essay title is your own. It is not the name of the assignment and it is not punctuated. It should indicate what the essay will be about. | ||
| The title is capitalized correctly.
Capitalize the following: · Words with more than four letters · The first and last word · Nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions. Lowercase the following: · articles, coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions. |
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| It follows MLA format requirements: 1-inch margins all around, Times New Roman 12 point font, double-spaced, no space after paragraphs of the same style, and all first lines of a paragraph indented .5”
Beginning at the top, 1” margin, you’ve listed the following information, double-spaced: First Name Last Name Professor’s Title and Name ENGL 1213 Day Month Year – in this order and without a comma |
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| The essay meets the length and source requirements (4 to 5 full pages; 4 quality sources). | ||
| Paper Element – Mechanics | ||
| It does not include first-person pronouns “I” or “we,” or the second-person pronoun “you.” | ||
| It does not use cliché and trite phrasing like “back in the day,” “nowadays,” or “once upon a time.” | ||
| Any acronyms or initialisms like OCCC are spelled out the first time like this: Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC). It only uses the acronym after introducing it this way. | ||
| It does not try to speak for the world in the essay by using phrases like “around the world” or “in society today.” | ||
| The writing is not too casual. It is written in complete sentences, does not use contractions, explains any jargon or terms unfamiliar to the reader; it does not use slang. | ||
| None of the sentences begin with conjunctions. These include the words for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. | ||
| It does not address the reader directly or announce what will happen anywhere in the essay. Here is one example: Next, we will talk about gun safety. Another example is: Let us talk about chemicals. | ||
| A grammar checker has been used to correct sentence fragments, run-on sentences, comma splice errors, subject-verb agreement, verb-tense shift errors, etc. | ||
| Paper Element – In-Text Citations | ||
| If you used a quote as a “hook,” it is placed within quotation marks and a correct citation has been provided there and on the Works Cited page. | ||
| Quotes are integrated using the 3-part ICE method (introduce, cite, explain) | ||
| Quotes are limited to 2-3 lines maximum. It does not make use of “block quoting.” The length of the essay does not justify the use of such a large amount of material that is not the author’s own. | ||
| Quotes are used to support the assertions/claims of each side of the issue, not to write a sentence. The author’s ideas are not used to support the sources. In other words, the essay is mostly the author’s voice. It does not have mostly quotes, paraphrases, and summaries from sources. | ||
| The sources are credible, reliable, and reflect college-level information or academic research. | ||
| In-text citations use proper MLA formatting and guidelines for citation information. | ||
| No phrases or sentences copied from sources are included without quotation marks and correct MLA parenthetical citations. | ||
| Paraphrased or summarized information from sources begin with a signal phrase (ex: “According to”) and end with correct parenthetical citations. | ||
| Paper Element – Paragraphs | ||
| Each paragraph represents part of the Rogerian Argument structure (The parts are not introduced with headers or by using the words: introduction, Side A, Side B, Opposing Side, etc.) | ||
| Transitions:
· Transition words or phrases are used to help the reader move from paragraph to paragraph, and from one essay section to the next. · A list of transition words and phrases can be found here: https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/style/transitions/
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| Paragraphs do not end OR begin with quotes or any other source. (See ICE method for quoting). | ||
| Introduction: The essay has a clear introductory paragraph that engages the reader and supplies context for the topic and issue about to be presented. It concludes with a specific thesis that is clearly stated and reflects the purpose of a Rogerian argument. A Rogerian thesis should not argue for one side over the other. | ||
| Clear topic sentences in the body paragraphs help the reader follow along as the various parts of the argument are given. | ||
| The author stays neutral when describing both sides of the issue. Insulting or condescending language is not used. | ||
| Topic sentences should not be quotes or paraphrased/summarized evidence. They cannot start with pronouns (“I” or “you” or “we”) | ||
| Sub claims and Evidence in paragraphs:
· Claims are written in the author’s own words. · Every time a claim is made, supporting evidence from research is provided to support the claim and the evidence is correctly cited. |
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| The common ground or compromise section does not ask one side to change their minds, does not try to “win,” and does not propose a solution that is already in practice or that has been tried and failed. A true compromise requires both sides to give a little in order to make progress. | ||
| The essay has a strong conclusion paragraph that provides a summary, final thought, or both. It does not introduce a new idea. The conclusion paragraph does not begin with, “In conclusion.” |
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