In-class essay 1: persuasive format practice

You may type the essay or write it out longhand.  If you write it by hand, double-space and write on one side of the page only.  If you type it, be sure to save the file on floppy diskyou may use one of my disks if you don't have one.

Background:

Your name is either Gladys or Fernando, and you are a freshman here at CofC.  You live on campus and you work four nights a week waiting tables at a Market Street restaurant of your choice.

Your parents are divorced: your mom is a dentist who lives in Orlando, and your dad is a race car driver whose shop is in Concord, NC.  While the divorce was traumatic for your whole family (you may have as many siblings as you like), you have dealt with the pain, and until now you have gotten along with both parents very well.  For the first two years after the divorce, your mom and dad were vicious in their hatred of one another, but now they are at least on speaking terms.  Both have gotten over the incident in that custody hearing, when he tried to shut her up by stuffing the bailiff's toupee down her throat, and she responded by kicking him in theyou remember, that's when she broke his nose.

Both parents contribute funds towards your education, but you yourself are paying a hefty chunk of your tuition.  You and your parents each paid equal parts for the candy-apple red 1991 Ford Taurus you drive.  It has a tinted sunroof, white-letter tires (oversized in the back), and fiery black flames painted down the sides.  Your taste is questionable, but you love this caryou worked at Chuck E. Cheese's all through high school to pay for itit's your pride and joy.

The problem:

You are in trouble.  You either

a)  made an F in Pottery 101 because your teacher was "totally unfair,"
b)  got arrested after an exciting CofC basketball game, when you and three friends got caught trying to carry a backboard into the library,
c)  got caught cheating on a Biology exam, or
d)  have just moved out of the dorm to "live in sin" with your (imaginary) sociology instructor.

Your parents are not happythey are deeply concerned.  How could their precious child do this (a, b, c, or d)?

Your mom wants to bring you to your senses, she wants to punish you by taking away your beloved car.  She has told you that your father agrees that they should take away the car, but you haven't talked to your dad since he found about a, b, c, or d.

You are in trouble!  You might lose the beloved Taurus!

The assignment:

Write a letter in the persuasive format to your dad arguing that you should be allowed to keep your car.  If you wish, you may switch the parents' roles so that you write your mom instead of your dad.

But before writing the letter:

1.  Write down your intro question
2.  Write the topic sentence for the opposing view (Mom)make sure this sentence answers the intro question directly and gives her main reason for wanting to take away the beloved Taurus.
3.  For at least two separate paragraphs of "your views," write topic sentences that answer the intro question directly and give the main reasons you think you should be allowed to keep the car.
4.  Write the thesis that will be presented in your conclusion.

Now write a persuasive letter!

Note: The opinions expressed in this assignment are not necessarily those of the College of Charleston, and no offense is intended to anyone who may own, lease, or otherwise have in possession a candy-apple red Ford Taurus with big tires, sunroof, and black flames painted on the sides, hood, roof, and/or trunk.