This is the section that explains how to increase your chances of earning a higher grade on the Final Examination and the Argumentative Essays that precede the Final Examination. I advise to apply the principles below to the Argumentative Essays that precede the Final Examination.

When grading your final examination, the English Department wants to see that you have a plan for how the essay will evolve, which means that you need to have a thesis statement that contains three items of focus. Below, I will explain what I mean by three items of focus.

After you choose your thesis from the examples on the Final Examination Assignment Prompt, open a blank document in Word, name it and save it where you can find it easily, paste your thesis into the Word document, erase the period at the end of the thesis, and add the word "because." Here is an example:

Example one: Tobacco companies should be held liable for the damage their products do to people's health.

This is a reasonable thesis, but it does not demonstrate excellence.

Example two: Tobacco companies should be held liable for the damage their products do to people's health because (you will add to this).

This is the beginning of a far better thesis because you are going to add three specific reasons (three items of focus) why tobacco companies should be held liable.

Next step: come up with three solid reasons (three items of focus) why tobacco companies should be held liable. For example:

1) They drive up health care costs for everyone.
2) There is legal precedent insofar as tobacco companies have been successfully sued in the past.
3) There is sufficient evidence to suggest that they market to children and adolescents.


Next step: combine the reasons into your thesis, like so:

Tobacco companies should be held liable for the damage their products do to people's health because they drive up health care costs for everyone, there is legal precedent, insofar as tobacco companies have been successfully sued in the past, and there is sufficient evidence to suggest that they market to children and adolescents.

This is quite a strong thesis, and it is, in fact, what the department is looking for students to demonstrate with regard to thesis-composing skill.

In effect, you have just created a map for your essay. You have told the graders of your essay exactly what your three body paragraphs will focus on. With that thesis, here is what you just told the graders the structure of your essay will be:

1) Introductory paragraph: lays out the topic and the problem. Finishes with the thesis.
2) First body paragraph: focuses on how tobacco companies drive up health care costs for everyone.
3) Second body paragraph: focuses on how tobacco companies have been successfully sued in the past.
4) Third body paragraph: focuses on how tobacco companies market to children and adolescents.
5) Final paragraph: Write a conclusion paragraph.

Apply the strategy above not only to the Final Examination, but to the Argumentative Essays in this course that precede the Final Examination, for I will grade those essays, in part, over how well you use the thesis-strategy above.

Now that you have an understanding of this new thesis-strategy, here is exactly what you should do when you show up to the testing center to take the final examination:

Open a blank document in MS Word, format it in a Times New Roman 12 point font, set the line spacing at double, give the file a name, and save it to a place where you can find it easily. Do not work on an unsaved document, for computer mishaps can cause you to lose the file entirely before the examination is concluded.

Login to D2L, access this course, click on "Quizzes," click on the final examination, and start the examination.

Now the two-hour timer has begun to run.

Take your time and read the prompt over carefully.

You will choose one of six possible thesis statements from the assignment prompt, so take a few minutes and decide on one.

Follow the strategy above for writing a thesis with three items of focus.

Write exactly five paragraphs. No more, no less. An introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, one conclusion paragraph.

In terms of length, more is not better. Stay between 500 to 600 words.

Use academic prose: just follow the academic prose requirements in "Lecture 2: Formatting and Academic Prose: Read This Before Turning in Any Work."

Absolutely make your thesis statement the final sentence of the introductory paragraph.

Compose an introductory paragraph that sufficiently lays out the topic for the reader, which means that it would be a good idea to review "The 5 Paragraph Essay Format," under Course Documents. In other words, demonstrate through the introductory paragraph's length, process of narrowing the topic, and focus, that you have adequate skills for writing introductory paragraphs.

Compose a conclusion paragraph that revisits at least one point from each of the essay's previous paragraphs, and revisits the thesis as well. In other words, demonstrate through the conclusion paragraph's length and focus that you have adequate skills for writing conclusion paragraphs.

Proofread and edit carefully. Grammar and punctuation count.

Copy and Paste your final examination essay from MS Word into the text box on the actual final examination. DO NOT FORGET TO SUBMIT IT!!!

Upload the MS Word copy of your final examination to the D2L dropbox titled "Final Examination." DO NOT FORGET TO CLICK ON THE SUBMIT BUTTON!!!

Although I cannot guarantee the grade your essay will receive by following this strategy, I am confident that it dramatically increases your chances to do well on the final examination. Your job on the final exam is to write an argumentative essay, and you will be given six possible thesis statements to choose from—two on each topic. For example, "tobacco companies should be held liable for the damage their products do to people's health," or "tobacco companies should not be held liable for the damage their products do to people's health.

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