essay

For the Unit 6 Writing Assignment, you will read all three articles presented in the Unit and select ONE of the three articles as your source for a critical analysis essay.

You may select one, two, or three of the criteria below to analyze your chosen article. OR, you may use all three of these criteria for a five paragraph essay (one paragraph for tone/style, one for audience, one for author’s purpose):
1. Tone/Style
2. Audience
3. Author’s purpose

For (1) Tone/Style, you must consider the language the author uses in his/her article. This means, you will pay close attention to diction and syntax: What types of words is the author using? Are these words formal or informal? Is the sentence structure simple or complex? The language choices an author makes is considered an authorial style. The style determines the author’s tone. For example, if the author uses casual, simple language, the tone could be considered conversational, or “light.” In contrast, if the author uses complex words and sentence structures, the tone may be considered formal, or “serious.” When selecting this option for your analysis, be considerate of how the language “sounds” as you read and consider WHY the author has chosen to write in his/her particular style.

For (2) Audience, you must consider to WHOM the author is writing. Does the author seem to be writing to a highly educated audience or a “lay” audience? Does the author address specific people or types of people, or is the address more general? Why does the author narrow or broaden his/her reach? What is the purpose of the author’s choice to write toward certain demographics?

For (3) Author’s purpose, you must consider the author’s INTENTION. What does the author of your selected article intend to convey, argue, persuade, or inform the reader about? Does the author seem to be supplying information for education, for change, or for argument? Why do you think the author has decided to argue and/or inform the reader on this topic?

Your essay must include a strong, clear thesis and at least one example per paragraph from the text to support your thesis. Make sure you offer a hook in your introduction and that your conclusion concisely wraps-up your analysis.

Use must also adhere to proper MLA citation guidelines for quotations.