Welcome to the Writing Center, where you will be completing your writing assignment for Texas College Bridge.
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Click the Continue button and use the space on the next screen to write your essay response.
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Texas College Bridge
Writing Assignment
Writing Assignment
Write a multi-paragraph essay about A Person Who Inspired You. How have you been inspired to think or behave in a certain way by a book character, movie character, musician, friend, or family member? What attributes convinced you this person was worth admiring and why?
Your essay should clearly explain why this person inspires you to think or behave in different ways.
The first paragraph will introduce the topic by grabbing the reader’s attention in an interesting way. Remember to explain why the topic is important. In other words, why should readers be interested in people who are inspiring? Remember to emotionally engage your reader with vivid language rather than just dictating to the reader in a mechanical way. Your first paragraph is a tool to open the essay and hook your reader. You will need a thesis/claim statement in your introduction as well. This sentence should clearly indicate the person who inspires you and why.
The two body paragraphs that follow the introduction need to include the two “why” points listed in your thesis/claim statement. Make sure each paragraph convinces the reader that this person is worthy of your admiration. You could focus on the person’s character, accomplishments, personality, etc. You may choose to write about how you relate to the person. Remember to be clear why these attributes bring you inspiration to think or behave in a certain way. Also, remember that graders of your essay come from different backgrounds, so you will need to be careful to explain details that the average person may not be familiar with. Further, think critically about your reader and your points. This means you may need to consider a skeptical reader who could possibly disagree with you in some instances. Don’t forget that each paragraph should have a topic sentence that introduces the main point for that paragraph. Finally, each of your paragraphs should offer a separate point and be independent of each other but work together coherently.
As you wrap up your essay with a concluding paragraph, you should include a sentence at the end of your last paragraph that gives a final, interesting thought on your topic.
The grading rubric below will help you further develop your paper.
Rubric
Your essay will be graded using four separate categories: Purpose and Focus, Organization and Structure, Development and Support, and Mechanical Conventions. Each of these four items will be rated as Proficient, Developing, or Needs Improvement.
Proficient means that you have met the standards of an effective response. Developing means you have partially met the standards of a response, but it needs some revision. Needs Improvement means you did not meet the standards of a response.
You must earn a grade of C or better on this essay, combined with a score of 90 on both Stages in your EdReady study path, to be eligible for an exemption from developmental education courses in accordance with Texas Education Code §51.338(e)(f) for freshman-level reading/writing courses at Texas Institutions of Higher Education that partnered with the school district or an Institution of Higher Education that signed the Texas College Bridge memorandum of understanding.
Proficient
Developing
Needs Improvement
Score
Points Value
25
12
1
Purpose and Focus
Consistency – student stays on topic and does not contradict ideas
Coherence – student reasoning is logically supportive of thesis/claim
Audience – student has considered general audience (what might the average essay grader already know – or not know?)
Essay shows clear focus and consistent purpose
Essay does not fully communicate purpose and focus is inconsistent
Essay does not communicate purpose and is not focused
Organization and Structure
Introduction – student includes effective statements on the topic and a clear thesis/claim
Body paragraphs – student has two supporting points/reasons that support the thesis/claim and appear in two paragraphs (includes a minimum of 5 sentences per paragraph)
Conclusion – student concludes with effective statements on topic
Essay shows strong organization of ideas
Essay shows limited organization of ideas
Essays shows poor organization of ideas
Development and Support
Explanation – student explains and elaborates on supporting points/reasons in each body paragraph
Evidence – student gives examples that work as evidence to bolster each supporting point/reason
Counter – student considers and responds to a potential reader who may disagree with one or both of their points/reasons
Essay thesis/claim rests on strong, well-developed supporting points/reasons
Essay thesis/claim rests on limited supporting points/reasons
Essay thesis/claim is not well supported
Mechanical Conventions
Grammar
Punctuation
Vocabulary
Sentence structure
Essay shows strong control of mechanical conventions
Essay shows limited control of mechanical conventions
Essay does not show control of mechanical conventions
