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Personal Narrative Assignment Assignment Guidelines: 1

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Personal Narrative Assignment

Assignment Guidelines:

1.  Your assignment is to write a Personal Narrative Essay that reflects a significant event or experience in your life.  The personal event or experience you choose to write about should be something that --

*heightened your self-awareness in relation to others (e.g. a volunteer experience that allowed you to experience life from someone else’s perspective)--

*changed your path in life (e.g. an event that influenced your career choice, or made you realize could achieve a goal) -- or

*provided you with the confidence to overcome a problem (e.g. a person or event that helped you change negative habits or actions).

2.  Your essay should contain the following:

• • A minimum of 4 to 6 well-developed paragraphs [which equates to about 1 ½ to 2 pages in length]
    • An introductory paragraph that identifies the topic and previews the essay’s main points
    • Three to four supporting paragraphs that serve as the body of the essay to further develop and describe the main points previewed in the introductory paragraph
    • Final or conclusionary paragraph that summarizes your topic and leaves the reader with a lasting impression about your personal experience
  • A TITLE at the top of the essay that is personalized and reflective of your essay topic
    • The title should be in 12 point font

3.  Formatting – your essay

• Should be in MLA format

4.  General Writing Guidelines

              Your essay should

• • • Show that you engage in the writing process (pre-writing – drafting – editing/revising)
    • Contain strong topic sentences for each paragraph
    • Include descriptive details
    • Be free of grammatical and mechanical errors
    • Show organization and cohesiveness of ideas
    • Be thoughtful and insightful as how this experience impacted you
    • Reflect the required elements as addressed here and on the RUBRIC

	Strong	Solid	Needs Work	Problematic
Introduction Purpose and audience have been considered. Thesis clearly conveys main message. Catches attention and draws reader into essay Focuses on topic and previews content
Body Paragraphs Topic sentences demonstrate relationship to thesis (unity). Relate to main point of essay Develop sufficient details and examples Correct length
Conclusion Relates to or comments on the thesis Summarizes essay’s main points Conveys effective lasting impression
Organization Arrangement of ideas is clear and consistent. Rhetorical pattern is clear.
Language Skills Correct use of spelling, punctuation, grammar, diction, and syntax Evidence of revising and editing
Format (MLA Style) Appropriate document design Double-spaced and indented paragraphs Appropriate font and pagination
Total Points

English Composition 1: Narrative Essay Common Assessment

Guidelines

Choose ONE of the designated topics and write a narrative essay. Your goal is to tell a story with concrete, descriptive examples. Be sure to selectively choose details that engage the reader and advance your. Also, be sure to highlight a thesis (main point) for your story – a rationale that demonstrates why you wrote about your selected topic. Answers to either or both of the following questions will help you amplify the essay’s thesis: What did you learn from the experience? What should the audience gain from reading about your experience?

Narrative Essay Grading Rubric