Writing Assignment #2

Student 1
Ima Student
Mr. Bell
ENGL 1A
7 Mar. 2022
Writing Assignment #2
As many of the authors in Chapter 5 of Writing about Writing contend, there are “a
variety of ‘Englishes,’ and . . . different varieties of English are valued differently” (Wardle and
Downs 362). Writing and linguistic scholars alike understand that language is always changing,
and words and shorthand (abbreviations, etc.) that were once marginalized sometimes make their
way into our vernacular and, sometimes, our writing. Someone who reads Williams’ “The
Phenomenology of Error” might intuitively understand that the use of the pronoun their—which
is, grammatically speaking, a third-person pronoun—to refer to a singular subject instead of the
often tedious he or she.
For this assignment, you should have read the readings from weeks 7-9 (Brandt,
Williams, Fish, Young, Cisneros, Mellix, Wan, and Tejada, et al.); then read through pages 362-
65 in our textbook about “Linguistic Observation and Analysis” and carefully consider the
questions at the end of each passage writing down your answers to the blue bullet points in order
to formulate an opinion and position on the following prompt:
In an essay of 850 to 1000 words, discuss your experience with the English language
both in spoken and written form. Do you see anyone speaking one clear version of
standard English? Do you see people switching back and forth between different
versions of English? Do you think they are code switching, code meshing, or both?
Is there one standard form of English, and if so, who or what dictates what is
acceptable? What effect(s) has technology like social media and texting had on the
Student 2
way we write and speak? Do you feel like there is room for your unique voice? Your
essay should cite two to three of the assigned readings listed above.
*Note: I do not expect you to conduct the research under “Observations and Interviews” on page
362 unless you think it will add to your experience. Many of you already have daily experiences
dealing with these ideas. However, I do expect that you will at least read through it and
consider the questions.
A superior essay will do the following:
• Not simply summarize the sources you cite but instead establish a thesis that takes an
original position (i.e., your own) on the topic and attempts to persuade the reader.
• Include well-placed quotations or paraphrases from at least two sources to support or
further your own argument.
• Avoid the use of unnecessary second-person pronouns that generalize or seem to
speak for the reader and first-person phrases like “in my opinion” or “I believe.”
Writing Assignment #2 is due on Monday, March 28th, and must be submitted on
Canvas no later than 11:59 p.m. the same day. The assignment must be typed, MLA formatted,
and include a works cited page. Late assignments lose 5% for each day they are late up to 50%.
This assignment is worth 10% of your overall grade.