Arab Open University Faculty of Language Studies Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA) EL121: The Short Story and Essay Writing Fall Semester 2015-2016 Part (I): STUDENT INFORMATION (to be completed by student) 1. Name: 2. Student ID No: 3. Section No:

Arab Open University
Faculty of Language Studies
Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA)
EL121: The Short Story and Essay Writing
Fall Semester 2015-2016

Part (I): STUDENT INFORMATION (to be completed by student)
1. Name: 2. Student ID No:
3. Section No: 4. Tel. : 5. E-mail:
I confirm that the work presented here is my own and is not copied from any source.
Student's signature:
Part (II): TUTOR'S REMARKS (to be completed by tutor)
Tutor’s name: Signature:
Date TMA received: Date returned:

TUTOR’S REMARKS:


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Language and Organization













Earned Mark



EL121: The Short Story and Essay Writing
TMA: Fall Semester 2015 - 2016
TMA: 20 points
Cut-off date: end of week 11

Write an essay of 800 to 1000 words on the importance of endings in short stories. Choose two short stories from Book One and compare their endings, showing how appropriate, surprising or successful these endings are.

Guide Notes: First read the short stories of your choice very carefully. Try to find out what is specific about each ending, what makes it particularly interesting, totally unexpected, and/ or rather inevitable. Compare these endings and try to see if they are similar or rather different from each other.

Throughout your close study of these short stories, it is very important to keep in mind what is said, during class debates, about endings in short stories. You should also use information in your textbooks and online resources relevant to this topic. Various sources can help you understand the topic and support your ideas.

Once you have fully analysed the topic and thought about its various aspects, it becomes easy to come up with an interesting thesis statement.

The following are some questions that can help you with your research, but feel free to add more questions, and to ask yourself different questions:

• Do the endings in the selected short stories resemble each other? What distinguishes each ending?

• Which ending is likely to impress the reader?

• How would each short story be with a different ending?

• Can there be a better ending for one or both short stories?

• Remember to ask yourself:

• Have I found a solid thesis statement?

• Have I organized my ideas and followed a proper plan?

• Have I justified my answers?

• Have I used secondary sources to support my ideas?

Note: Referring to material from the e-library will be appreciated

The following are guidelines on plagiarism:
If you submit an assignment that contains work other than yours without acknowledging your sources, you are committing plagiarism. This might occur when:

• Using a sentence or phrase that you have come across
• Copying word-for-word directly from a text
• Paraphrasing the words from the text very closely
• Using text downloaded from the Internet
• Borrowing statistics or assembled facts from another person or source
• Copying or downloading figures, photographs, pictures or diagrams without acknowledging your sources
• Copying from the notes or essays of a fellow student

(Slightly adapted from OU document on quoting versus plagiarism)

It is important to remember that plagiarism is strictly barred and would be subject to punitive action by the Arab Open University.


Enjoy your TMA
 
Marking Descriptor

GRADE CONTENT LANGUAGE & ORGANIZATION
A


(18-20) Excellent answers showing confident and wide-ranging knowledge of core material, good understanding of any relevant theory, and a capacity to address the question in a structural, direct and effective way, thoughtfully and with insight. Originality of thought or ideas from outside the course are an added asset. Examples are to the point. - Has an introduction defining plan of essay.
- Body divided into several paragraphs
- Conclusion which directly relates arguments to topic.
- Evidence that essay has been edited.
- Error-free grammar & register.
- Wide range of specialized terminology.

B to B+


(16-17) Very good answers showing secure knowledge of course materials. Adopting an analytical approach and providing relevant discussion covering most of the key issues. Distinguished from A answers by being less insightful or by showing less comprehensive knowledge of the course. - First four criteria above maintained
- Demonstrates extensive grammar control.
- Terminology specialized but less varied.

C to C+


(14-15) Competent answers reflecting adequate knowledge of the more directly relevant course material and concepts, with reasonable structure and adequate coherence related to the question set. - Introduction and/or conclusion short but still satisfactory.
- Evidence of editing.
- Less grammar control than above.
- Good range of specialized terminology.

D



(10-13)


Answers which omit some concepts /evidence and/or lack coherence /structure, and/or make minor errors while still demonstrating basic understanding. Or Bare pass answers which show awareness of some relevant material and attempt to relate it to the question. - Introduction and/or conclusion short but acceptable.
- no evidence of editing.
- Few grammatical errors that impede communication.
- Above average range of specialized terminology.
- Slightly confused introduction and/or conclusion, but body still fair.
- No evidence of editing.
- Some error types that impede communication.
- Fair range of specialized terminology.

F

Below
10 Answers which attempt to draw upon relevant material but do not reflect sufficient knowledge of the course and/or neglect the focus required by the question, and/or are incomplete in some important aspects whilst being acceptable in others. - No introduction and /or no conclusion.
- Body badly organized or irrelevant.
- Poor grammar control (extremely limited range of grammar & register).
- Limited or not specialized range of terminology.