In an essay of approximately 750 words (about 2 1⁄2 typed pages), write an extended definition addressing a specific word or phrase of your choice. This word or phrase might be of personal interest to you or might relate to your life, your major field of study, or your current or future career. Please avoid choosing overused (and easy) words like “love,” “friendship,” “happiness,” “hate,” and so on; offensive or profane words; and words that are so technically oriented that others will have trouble following your paper’s ideas. Please note that you will need to choose a word or phrase to define that you can write about without conducting any kind of research. All of the ideas for the paper’s definition will need to come from your own knowledge. In preparing your definition essay: • Have an attention-getting introduction and a specific, underlined thesis statement. This introductory paragraph should include one overall definition of the paper’s topic. (This definition should come from you, not from a dictionary, from the Internet, or from any other type of research). The thesis statement (to be placed at the end of the introductory paragraph) should identify and briefly describe, in order of discussion in the body paragraphs, at least three definition strategies to be used to expand the paper’s one overall definition. Remember that appropriate definition strategies are: Synonym Negation Analogy Cause and Effect Narration Exemplification Description Comparison and Contrast Process Classification and Division • Have at least three clear and organized body paragraphs in which at least three definition strategies are used (one method of the definition should be used in each body paragraph, and each different definition method should help to clarify the paper’s one overall definition); • Have a conclusion that not only summarizes the paper’s major points but also challenges the reader to think (and care) about the concept the paper has just defined; To develop your essay, again, establish one definition of the word or phrase about which you are writing, and then use at least three different definition strategies (one strategy per body paragraph) to explain this one definition. Each definition strategy should help to clarify this one definition.
