5For exam 007127, Writing Skills:  A Personal Narrative, you are asked to write a personal essay, based solely on your first-hand personal experience(s), told from the first-person point of view (using the pronoun “I”), meeting the length requirement of between 750 and 2500 words.  This essay should not require or contain any type of research; it should be told from thoughts and memories.In short, this essay should be about you and your experience(s).This assignment is the SAME as exam 007868, The Writing Skills Writing Assignment, so there are multiple resources available to you, many of which are iWriting Skills: A Research Project5■Upon posting of the grade, the student gains accessto an instructor feedback file, which indicates wherethe exam content was found, provides an explanationof plagiarism, and extends a warning regarding possibledisciplinary action.■The student is required to complete the retake assignment,constructing an entirely new essay.Please refer to the section on “Academic Integrity”on page 8 of yourPenn Foster High School StudentCatalogfor more information.ESSENTIALS:FORMATTING YOUR ESSAY■Please be sure to include a header at the top of eachpage that includes your last name and a page number atthe right margin.■The very first page of your essay shouldn’t contain aheader, but it should include your name, your studentID number, and the exam number.■Your paper should be typed and double-spaced usingMicrosoft Word or another word processing programsuch as WordPad, X Word, AbiWord, and so on. It mustbe submitted in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format for gradingpurposes.■Use double-spacing, standard one-inch margins, and afont no larger than the equivalent of Times New Roman 12.■Your final draft should contain between 500and 1,500 words.This video clip provides information on specific types of plagiarism10 Types of Plagiarism:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF5eFeJMplAIf the direct link fails to work, go to youtube.com and type “10 Typesof Plagiarism” into the search bar. Next, click on the video clip titled“10 Types of Plagiarism.”Writing Skills: A Research Project6■Please save your document using your student number,the appropriate exam number, and your last name, allconnected by underscore symbols. For example, if JohnSmith’s student number was 23456789 and he hadcompleted exam 007130, the file would be saved as23456789_007130_Smith.HELPFUL HINTSTo create a header using MS Word, click on theInserttab at the top of the page and then onthe Header icon in your toolbar. Choose the blank header. While you’re still within the header,click onInsertagain (if necessary) and then onPage Number. First choose the option toplace the page number at the top of the page and then the option that will right-justify yourpage number. Once your page number is in place, type your last name immediately before itwith a space in between. Once you click out of the header, your last name should be on eachpage along with the appropriate page number.To remove the header from the first page, once again click on theInserttab at the top of thepage and then on theHeadericon in your toolbar. Click onEdit Headerin the drop-downmenu and finally onDifferent First Page.Writing Skills: A Research Project7SOME QUESTIONS TOCONSIDER BEFORE SUBMITTINGAsk yourself all of the following questions before you evenconsider submitting your essay for grading. If your answerto even one of these questions isno,then you still havesome work to do.■Does my introduction attempt to “hook” the reader?■Does my essay have a clear and specific thesis statement?■Does my essay accurately develop the ideas included inthe chosen topic option?■Does my essay include both personal experienceand research?■Have I used the first-person point of view (the pronoun “I”)throughout the essay?■Have Iclearly indicated where paragraphs begin and end?■Does each of my paragraphs support my thesis statement?■Does my conclusion summarize and give closure tomy essay?■Have I effectively proofread my essay?■Have I met the length requirement for this assignment?■Have I followed MLA style for including both parentheticaland end citations?■Have I included a Works Cited page?■Is my essay formatted according to the instructions?■Have I reviewed the grading rubric on pages 9 and 10?■Have I reviewed the sample paper at the end of thisbooklet?If you have answeredyesto every question, you’re readyto submit!Writing Skills: A Research Project8Submitting Your Exam1. Log on to the Student Portal.2. Click onTake Examnext to the assignment you’ve completed.3. Follow the instructions provided to submit your exam.SUMMARYYou’ve received your second writing assignment for yourWritten Communicationcourse in its entirety, as well as theinformation needed to complete that assignment!You’ve learned what a personal research project is, andyou’ve been given the two topic options that you’re able toexpand upon for this assignment. You’ve reviewed what thefirst-person point of view is and why it’s necessary, as well asthe basic guidelines for avoiding plagiarism.You’re encouraged to revisit the graded writing assignmentforWriting Skills: A Personal Narrativein order to review theessential parts of an essay (the introduction, the body, theconclusion, and voice), as well as steps of the writing processand resources to improve your skills in both grammar andmechanics.Writing Skills: A Research Project9GRADING RUBRIC:EXAM 007130ExemplaryProficientFairPoorNot ShownGrammar and Mechanics (45 points)Introduction (5 points):The essay establishes a specifictopic and approach and sets an appropriate tone/moodfor the rest of the essay. It engages the reader andcreates interest.543–210Coherence and Unity (10 points):Ideas flowclearlyand logically as the essay is developed. Each paragraphcontains one main idea (with enough detail to developthat idea clearly and logically) and a connection to theideas that precede and follow it. Clear transitions arepresent between sentences as well as between para-graphs. The author remains focused on the topic.10–98–76–54–10Sentence Structure (10 points):Sentences are variedin both structure and length. Sentences are complete,expressive, clear, and to the point. The essay includesno run-on sentences or fragments.10–98–76–54–10Spelling, Word Choice, Grammar and Punctuation(15 points):Essay is free of spelling errors. Appropriatelanguage is chosen for each situation, fitting themood/tone set in the introduction. Word choice comple-ments, does not inhibit, clarity. Essay utilizes correct andconsistent verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, clearpronoun-antecedent agreement, and so on. Grammarerrors do not interfere with comprehension. Essay is freeof errors such as comma splices, misplaced commas, andinappropriate end punctuation. All punctuation is usedcorrectly so as not to inhibit clarity. Errors should notinterrupt or distract the reader.15–1413–1110–76–10Conclusion (5 points):The conclusion provides adequateclosure, reinforces the meaning/significance established inthe introduction, and effectively wraps up the essay.543–210Research and Citations (40 points)Support for Ideas (15 points):Adequate detail andaccurate support are provided for each idea introduced.Specific, accurate, and relevant examples are used toshow meaning. The essay does not simply make blanketclaims without support. Qualitysources (credible, accurate,reasonable, supported) are used effectively to enhancethe author’s ideas.15–1413–1110–76–10In-text Citations (10 points):Included for all borrowedmaterial and properly formatted. Each one has a corre-sponding Works Cited entry. Web addresses and/or linksare not acceptable.10–98–76–54–10Works Cited (15 points):Page is included at end ofdocument. Entries are alphabetized, and each entry hasat least one corresponding in-text citation. All entries arecorrectly formatted according to MLA guidelines.15–1413–1110–76–10ContinuedWriting Skills: A Research Project10SAMPLE PAPERA sample paper is provided on the following page. Review thepaper before submitting your paper for grading. The samplepaper has examples of in-text citations and contains a WorksCited page. These items are essential for a research paper.Without these items, you’ll start off with a grade that is belowpassing.GRADING RUBRIC:EXAM 007130ExemplaryProficientFairPoorNot ShownContent Requirements (10 points)Essay meets basic content specifications.Writing an Editorial—Issue chosen is current, personalconnection is explained, editorial approach is taken,informed explanation of issue is offered, informed expla-nation of proposed solutions is offered, support offered asto how/why solutions can work.Planning a Career—Career choice is clear, personal rea-sons for choice are explained, details about career(training/education/certification, events of a day or week,current salary/financial outlook, impact of geography) areoffered, explanation given regarding how/why careerchoice is a good fit.10–98–76–54–10MLA Formatting (5 points)Heading (1 point):Included and correctly formatted.Must appear left-justified on first page ONLY and includefull name, student number, and exam number.1*.5*0Running Header (1 point):Included and correctly for-matted. Begins on page two and includes student’s lastname and page number ONLY.1*.5*0Titles (2 points):Both title of essay and title of workscited page are included and properly formatted. Must becentered and in same font as rest of essay. Neither isbolded, italicized, quoted, or underlined.2*1*0Double Spacing and Indenting (1 point):Entire paperis double spaced. Paragraphs are indented. Block para-graphing is not allowed.1*.5*0TotalsWriting Skills: A Research Project11Student Name: John DoeStudent Number: 12345678Exam Number: XXXXXXScranton’s Tax SystemI have always had to drive a good distance to work. Theaverage commute last year was about 26 minutes (Cortes andJarosz), which is about the same as what I have been drivingover my 10 years of working full time. Each experience ofcommuting was very different, including the types of roadsand travel time. However, each of the places I worked felt likea community of workers, where we worked towards commongoals to make the community a better place. That almostchanged, though, with the commuter tax that was proposedin July of 2014 in Scranton, Pennsylvania.Although I think the law itself was misguided and unfair,the idea behind the tax is a good one. Pennsylvania Act 205,the act Mayor Courtright used to justify the new tax, wouldallow the city to use new measures to strengthen local pen-sions for retired city workers. Mayor Courtright stated, “themoney will go directly to the pensions. We can’t use it foranything other than the pensions” (Deabill). The other localtaxes, most notably property taxes, go towards public serv-ices. From the city’s point of view, adding a greater burden toScranton residents would be unfair, since commuters benefitfrom those services, such as police protection and fire pre-vention services. Residents of Scranton do already pay thethird highest wage tax in the state as well, so why increasethat burden? After all, a community sense of sharing bur-dens is an ideal that has historically helped America to growand prosper (Lockwood).A group of commuters challenged the law in state court.A near-by mayor, Alexander Chelick, explained the frustra-tions of commuters, like me, stating “employees are going tohave to pay for parking, they’re going to have to pay a com-muter tax” (Deabill). The greater point was also that taxeswere being levied on people who had no power to affect theCreate a header and placeit in the upper-left handcorner of your paper.Center the title of yourpaper. Use double spacingthroughout your paper.Specific information takenfrom an outside source.The information is followedby an in-text citation, whichis used to provide the sourceThe first paragraph is theintroduction. It establishesthe topic which is commut-ing to another communityto work and the proposalin that community for com-muters to pay a tax. Thewriter draws the reader’sattention by getting thereader to want to learn moreabout the commuter tax.This in-text citation relatesto the information thatcomes after the previousin-text citation.Notice how the in-text citationcomes after the quotationmarks, but before the endpunctuation.112233445566Writing Skills: A Research Project12local government through their votes, since people who donot live in Scranton are not part of its elections. The court’sdecision, written by Judge Braxton, based in Philadelphia,came about 12 hours before the new tax was set to be imple-mented (Lockwood). The judge ruled the state law that gaveScranton the power to create the tax was used incorrectlybecause an unfair burden was placed on commuters by thecity, and it is against the state Constitution to set tax a cer-tain segment of the population (Lange).From the beginning, various commuters argued that thecity was downplaying the effect commuters have on its econ-omy, even though we do only come to the city for work. Assomeone who works in the city, I also use my money inScranton. There is a grocery store nearby for quick shoppingafter work, and there are fast-food restaurants for quick con-sumption and gas stations for when a fill-up will get mehome again. Commuter usage of these services helps thelocal economy, which continues to benefit the city(Horstmann).Earlier this year, the city exercised its rights underPennsylvania Act 47, which allows cities categorized as eco-nomically distressed to triple what is called the local servicestax, or LST (Lockwood). This new strategy added additionaltaxes to all people who work in the city (residents and com-muters alike), instead of just those who travel into the city towork. A judge reviewed the plan and agreed with the city thatthe plan was permissible and the state act was constitutional(Lockwood). The plan has also not been as widely condemnedas the original commuter tax because it does seem muchfairer. Some business owners and groups are critical of thesize of the tax increase, however, and are concerned abouthow it will affect people’s desire to work in and ability tospend money in the city.In all, I do think that this new plan is part of a better,more balanced approach by the city. The city can create newrevenues with tax increases and through other, more creExamination102Examination Questions1. Write a composition usingoneof the topics listed below. Yourcomposition needs to bethree to five paragraphs long.It mustcontain an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.a. Argue for or against the limitation of speed limits.b. Explain why a certain sport is your favorite.c. Compare and contrast driving in the winter and driving inthe summer.d. Analyze the best way to buy a car, mow a lawn, or preparea meal.e. Describe a memorable day in your life.2. Write a letter of complaint. Follow the rules for a business letter,and use thefull-block style.The complaint may be about anythingyou wish (such as malfunctioning equipment, poor building main-tenance, or disruptive noises from a nearby business). You canbase your letter on a true experience, or you can make up all thedetails you need.Please note that a form letter or a templatecannotbe usedin constructing your response to question 2. When a formletter or template is used, you are giving little to no thoughtto wording or formatting, and you are not actually creatingyour own complaint; you are simply filling in the blanks ofsomeone else’s wo