Instructions for Essay

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind as you write your essays this week. Don't forget, your papers are due Tuesday November 27!

Formatting:
• 12-point Times New Roman
• Double-spaced
• 1-inch margins
• 5-7 pages
• Pages should be numbered
• Pages should be stapled together
• Use endnotes for citations (no footnotes or parenthetical documentation)
• No cover page necessary

Writing:
• PROOFREAD. Be especially aware of typos, misspellings, flow of ideas and citation of all sources.
• Keep your verb tense consistent; past events should be described in the past tense.
• Avoid the passive voice.
• Avoid clichés and slang.
• Write dates properly: a year (2006) and a decade (1950s) use numerals. (Note that there is no apostrophe in 1950s.) Spell out centuries (noun: nineteenth century; adjective: nineteenth-century).
• Use proper punctuation: Punctuation goes inside quotation marks, and notes go outside quotation marks. Be sure to use semi-colons and colons correctly.

Citations:
• Properly cite all quotations, paraphrases or ideas taken from a text.
• Commonly accepted facts, dates and events do not need to be cited.

Besides meeting all of the above requirements, and A paper will set forth an original argument, show good knowledge of course material, and display excellent writing. If you need help or have a question, feel free to email me. Or I can help you with a rough draft during office hours. If you want more in-depth help with your writing, visit the GWU Writing Center (www.gwu.edu/~gwriter).

Good luck!