Essay #2

English C1001: Essay #2

Instructor: Brian Young

(Approx. 1200-1500 words)

Essay Guidelines:

• This essay has only ONE prompt, but you can choose to write about any of the 30 Days episodes provided in the list from Week 7 OR you can use AI/LLMs as a topic for the essay.
• Give your essay a title that reflects its content.
• Focus your topic carefully by stating a clear, well-defined thesis (in the first paragraph), and build and develop your thesis coherently through logically organized paragraphs toward a significant conclusion.
• Use the present tense to discuss the work you are analyzing and avoid superfluous background information and digressions.
• Review and proofread your essay several times, carefully and slowly.
• Pay attention to the required components necessary, as well as the general structure (discussed below).

Using one the episodes of 30 Days (or the AI/LLM material) and the chapter/outline on Rogerian Argument as models, write an essay exploring your chosen topic. In your essay, you should objectively investigate both sides of the issue, using quotations and examples from the episode you watched. You should also articulate any common ground that the participants of the episode reached (or if they didnt reach common ground, areas where there were clear missed opportunities). If you are choosing AI/LLMs, you can simply articulate any points where the two sides have common ground. Your thesis should state an argument that is not necessarily sided, but rather one that proposes a solution or a place of compromise given the two opposing sides.

This essay must demonstrate Rogerian elements; be sure to include:

• The problem (provide a brief explanation in the introduction) and an overall goal that the two opposing sides might have (your main argument and thesis).
• A neutral and in-depth explanation of the first position including support/evidence, and description of the context in which it is indeed valid.
• A neutral and in-depth explanation of the second position, including support/evidence, and description of the context in which it is valid.
• An analysis of the common ground of the two positions (as seen in the episode, or places you feel that compromise could be reached)
• A conclusion

Note: each of the above bullet points is a section of the paper and may require more than one paragraph. However, the bullet points above provide a general way to outline your essay. That is, in your essay, the first few body paragraphs should be all about one side [neutrally] and the second set of body paragraphs relate to the other side [neutrally]. Then, your last (set of) body paragraph(s) can discuss the common ground.