C100: Foundations
C173: Effective Communication
Instructions for Writing an Analytical Essay
1. SPECIAL SITUATION. You are a newly assigned staff officer working in the ACofS, G3 section of the 4th Infantry Division and the chief of staff (CofS) has directed the G3 to provide him an assessment of the persuasiveness of the argument presented in the article below:
Article for Argument Analysis
Title: Women Should Have to Register for the Draft
Author: Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Date: February 11, 2016
Format available: CNN Online
http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/10/opinions/women-should-register-for-draft-ben-ghiat/
2. REQUIREMENT
a. You must write an analytical essay of a published article (provided to you in a separate document). You must evaluate the overall persuasiveness of the argument made in the article and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the argument. You must then articulate that evaluation in the form of an analytical essay.
b. Double-space your essay with one-inch margins all around (top, bottom, left, and right) in Arial font, size 12-pitch. The paper should be three-to-five (4-to 5) typed pages; do not exceed five pages. Indent new paragraphs five spaces.
c. Your paper should include the use of proper grammar, punctuation, and be generally free of errors. Use active voice and third person for academic writing; use complete sentences (subject, verb, complement) that communicate full thoughts. Finally, organize the sentences to construct a coherent argument leading to your paper’s conclusion.
. Another person may proofread your paper for correctness and clarity; however, you must list this person as a reference in your footnotes or endnotes.
d. Always cite the sources used to write your paper. If something is not your original thought, you must cite your source using either footnotes or endnotes IAW the Turabian style of documentation; do not use parenthetical citations. This includes direct quotations, paraphrases, and summaries of the assigned readings, doctrinal references, videos, or any outside sources.
e. To complete this requirement, you must submit the essay and the associated 1009w Writing Evaluation Form to DDE using the instructions provided in Blackboard. If you do not complete the student self-assessment portion of the 1009w Form, your grader will deduct 5 points from your final score.
3. REFERENCES:
a. AR 25-50, Preparing and Managing Correspondence (17 May 2013).
b. Student Text 22-2, Writing and Speaking Skills for Army Readers (31 March 2016).
c. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertation: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers (8th
edition).
d. Lesson materials for C171 Effective Writing and C172 Writing Workshops.