You will need to respond to the following questions of your assigned essays. Number your responses and answer in complete sentences.

TWO ESSAYS

1. Hook –Which of our hook strategies (check outline) does the introduction use? If it doesn’t use any of the outlined strategies, which one would you recommend?
2. Thesis – What word is the author defining? What is their definition of the word? Does their definition appear at the end of the introduction – it should not appear at the start of the essay! If the definition is not clear, explain what they can do to make it clearer.
3. Body Paragraph 1

   What’s the focus of the first body paragraph?
   Is this main point mentioned in the thesis?
   Does it incorporate a personal example?

4. Body Paragraph 2

   What’s the focus of the second body paragraph?
   Is this main point mentioned in the thesis?
   Does it incorporate a personal example?

5. Body Paragraph 3 

   What’s the focus of the third body paragraph?
   Is this main point mentioned in the thesis?
   Does it incorporate a personal example?

6. Conclusion –Does the conclusion restate the thesis statement?
7. Praise – What’s one thing you liked about this essay?

NiveenKhreisha

ENGL 100-20390

Professor Altebarmakian

15 Feb 2020

Essay 1 – Ethnicity

“The identity is more likely to be ascribed, rather than voluntary. For the individuals who fit into

this particular category, ethnicity is inescapable” (Origins and Importance of Ethnicity). This

quote is powerful, and there is a deeper meaning behind it. I have come to the conclusion that

whether or not someone may be initiated to their ethnicity, it plays a key role in their identity. We

may not realize it, but our actions and decisions are shaped due to our cultural background.m

Ethnicity is the fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural

tradition. Ethnic is an adjective that relates to larger groups of people who share a certain racial,

religious, cultural, or other traits. In Middle English, ethnic meant heathen or pagan. The word

originated from the Late Latin ethnicus, from Greek ethnikos “foreign,” from ethnos “nation.” The

word ethnicity has been used for paganism in the 18th century, but now came to the meaning of

what it is today. The term was first recorded in 1935 and entered the Oxford English Dictionary

in 1972. What most people generally think of when they hear the word ethnicity is their

background and language. To me, ethnicity means embracing myself through my religion,

traditions, and family.

Religion plays a role in terms of my identity and ethnicity. Without an underlying belief or

value, it would be purposeless to me. Having these morals are connected to my ethnicity and

have shaped me to become who I am today. For instance, I am a Palestinian muslim, both my

ethnicity and beliefs are intertwined because of culture. This religion is the reason I may think

twice about certain decisions, I would say my perception is definitely different from the rest. I

tend to observe rather than speak. My religion is based on the aspects of peace. Another great

example of a tradition we have in our culture is Ramadan. Ramadan happens once every year

during the summer. We fast all day and feast at a certain time. This is a way of cleansing our

souls. I love this because it reminds me to cherish my God as well as the ones I love most. It

also teaches me to practice good behavior and live life fearlessly. Religion is such an important

factor within a culture, because religion is something that many middle easterns value most.

Religion is taken very seriously and that is why ethnicity has it’s factors that are linked back to

one’s identity. By embracing my religion, it means that I am embracing my ethnicity. For me,

ethnicity correlates with the values behind the culture. With that being said, my religion is a part

of my background and where I come from. Without this connection with my morals and values,

my identity would be complete. Along with that, my ethnicity is so important in terms of

understanding morals and values. There is a sense of respect that should be understood when

dealing with a culture like mine. Whenever I find myself in times of distress and encounter the

biggest setbacks of my life, religion is a component of my ethnicity that comforts me and shows

me the light of my life.

Traditions are important to one’s ethnicity and identity in general. Within these traditions,

we tend to find happiness with these routines. We are surrounded by family and what makes us

the happiest. Traditions in the middle east are slightly different from other cultures. Of course,

foods vary depending on the type of culture. For example, in a mexican culture, tamales are

served for christmas. On the other hand, middle easterns, for any celebration, we serve Mansaf.

Mansaf is a dish in which it consists of rice, lamb, and a dairy sauce. This meal is supposed to

symbolize happiness and joy. It was originally made to be eaten with one’s hands. There are no

spoons or forks involved, families would eat from one big play of rice. It all depends, sometimes

it can get messy and it would be easier off if it was just eaten off of everyone’s own plate. The

beauty of eating this certain dish is eating it with the ones you love. Side by side, enjoying the

meal and having conversations filled with laughter. Another tradition would be the serving of

coffee for gatherings. Typically, when there are people over, I would have to arrange beautiful

coffee silverware, and serve them to each person. This is a sign of respect to the people. There

are so many traditions within my culture, and each and every one of them have shaped my

identity and have helped get one step closer to finding who I am.

Family plays a big role within the actions of the household. Within the household, we all

share the same rules and responsibilities. Because we are all middle eastern, our ethnicity

shapes the kind of parenting that has been set off. To illustrate, typically, if anyone in the house

would like to go out to watch a movie, or do anything fun, they would have a curfew. Parents

within our culture tend to worry a lot more, and they usually would never let their children spend

the night over anywhere else but their own home. Another good example would be the way

situations are handled between siblings. For me, I am the youngest in the house, so when I

make mistakes, they tend to be a little harder on me for my actions. I have learned the hard way

in certain situations, but these setbacks have definitely given me a stronger character. I am

grateful to live in such a culture and ethnicity that is so unique. Middle easterns definitely

perceive the world in a different lense, but that is the beauty of it. My identity was developed

also through discipline. Discipline is so important within our culture. Respect amongst our

parents and elders is important. Family is the main puzzle piece to a beautiful culture, since

behind culture and ethnicity lies the tradition, rules, and understanding.

All in all, religion, tradition, and family have all been components of my ethnicity and

identity. Understanding your ethnicity means finding portals to embracing who you are, finding

your purpose, and cherishing every moment along the way. This topic on ethnicity is so

important because people must understand that each cultural value is different and they are all

affected by the way it is structured. Different cultures have different morals, different foods,

languages, there is a certain style and motive to every ethnicity. The main importance and

significance is to embrace who you are, there is beauty within all ethnicities. One may think that

an ethnicity does not alter an individual, but it does! My experiences have taught me that your

background and who you are is intertwined with your perceptions of the world, therefore, your

identity is very well connected with ethnicity.

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Snow Ai

Professor Altebarmakian

English 100

Feb 19, 2020

What is Love, to You?

Love is a word that many writers write about, musicians perform about, dancers dance

about, businesses capitalize on, etc. It is evidently something that plays a significant role in many

aspects of our lives. However, if I were to ask you, “what is love?” how quick would you be in

answering, if at all? The consensus is that love is an unconditional affection for someone or

something. Nevertheless, you will often come across a plethora of definitions for love. With this,

love is an obscure concept that many people are still trying to figure out. According to Oxford

dictionary, “[love is] a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone.” In other words, love is

based on extrinsic elements such as lust and infatuation. In the media, love has often been

associated with marriages and weddings: marriage seemingly legitimizes the love in the

relationship and weddings celebrate and display the legitimized love. Conversely, to me, love is

intrinsically-based: it is the feeling and mental state of wanting the best for someone or

something, being a space of comfort, and being able to compromise; and I believe that this love

is found in my relationship with my significant other of nearly 9 years.

First, my significant other and I routinely engage in selfless acts toward each other, that

is, we often find ourselves wanting the best for one another. For example, all I want from him is

for him to be happy every day: whether it is doing something that he strives for or even finding

someone to replace my spot as his significant other. As for him, he hopes for my continued

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studiousness, diligence and good health. But beyond hoping, he provides generous support for

me to ensure the feasibility and success of those goals. For example, in times when I struggle

with a concept, he would tutor me to help me understand it; in times of mental burnouts, he

would take on the role of being a life coach and/or provide me videos to give me the morale

boost that I need and many more. He never once gave up on me even when I had my doubts. He

tends to prioritize my well-being over his own. Additionally, he tends to lack sufficient self-care;

he does not know how to take a break. Consequently, I worry about his health a lot, physically

and mentally. He is not the type to take care of his body; he does not know how to take a break at

all. Sometimes, I must remind him to take a rest, eat on time, chew properly, and sleep on time.

With this, because we love each other, we value each other’s welfare as much as each of our own.

Next, love is also about providing comfort to the people you sincerely care about as can

be seen in my relationship. This can be demonstrated in our acceptance of each other’s silliness

towards each other or each other’s embarrassing moments. For example, when I attempted to

cook a dish, it did not come out the way I had hoped as I forgot to purchase some of the

ingredients the recipe had asked for. I warned my boyfriend before he tasted the dish;

nevertheless, he assured me that it was still so delicious: “hun, what the, this is amazing! I love

it!” And when he attempted his first handstand after several years, he nearly immediately fell on

his back. Instead of shaming him and making him feel insecure, I complimented his efforts: “A

for effort!” We both wanted each other to know that it is okay to be “human,” that is, it is okay to

make mistakes, especially around each other; there is no need to maintain an image. The

providing of comfort can also be seen in our encouragement of the expression of deep feelings

from one another. For instance, I have always encouraged him to share any of his issues with me

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as long as he feels ready to, explaining to him that I am judgment-free of whatever the issue may

be. Additionally, I would always do my best to empathize. This is also equivalently reciprocated

by him. A phrase he often recites to me is, “love, I am here to listen, what’s up? You can tell me

anything.” And he would often respond to my response with a remark to the effect of, “I totally

get it,” or “oh my goodness, I know what you mean. That was so me.” Here, he is providing

comfort by letting me know that he is here for me and that he is not here to judge.

Finally, love is when you and your loved ones can compromise, that is, to come to a

mutual agreement. Whenever I have a heated argument with my significant other, whether it is

over something significant or petty, we tend to take a step back, reanalyze the situation we are in

and see if we can reach a middle ground. Most of the times, we can come to an agreement.

However, there are few times where we do not agree, and it can go south from there. For

instance, I get flustered when he does not see the way I vision things. I lashed out at him with my

negativity and he does not like it one bit; it can go both ways. What he and I can agree on is

letting time do its work. In due time, we came to an agreement, apologized, and became happy

again. So, in a way, love is about having empathy towards each other, being responsible for each

other’s actions, being compassionate, and coming to a mutual understanding.

In the end, love to me is being selfless, wanting to provide comfort and reach terms that

can satisfy both parties. I always want the best for my significant other even if it means to put

myself second; I know he would do the same for me. I also want to let him know that it is okay

to be comfortable around me and no matter what, I accept him and his imperfections (just as he

has been towards me). We may not always agree to certain things; however, we eventually

reconcile as we are not the type let our trivial matters ruin our relationship. And because of that, I

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am glad that I can be able to experience love with this wonderful man that I am happy to call

him, my love.

Definition Essay Outline

Directions: Follow this outline as you write your essay.

I. INTRODUCTION

a. Hook

i. Start your essay with a hook, not the thesis statement! Use one of the following
strategies:

1. Find an interesting quote about your word.
2. Or talk about a news story related to your word.
3. Or talk about something in pop culture related to your word.

b. Background information
i. Give some background information about your word by doing the following:

1. Start by providing the dictionary definition of the word.
2. Then, you talk about the origin of the word. What did the word mean thousands of

years ago? When and how was it first used?
3. You can also talk about what most people think of when they hear the word

c. Thesis statement
i. End your introductory paragraph with your thesis statement.
ii. Thesis = the word you’re defining and what it means to you in three points

1. For example, you might say, “To me, being a big sister means being a mentor, a
best friend, and an editor.” Notice how there are three points. These points will be
the focus of each body paragraph. The first body paragraph will be about how
being a sister is like being a mentor, the second will be about how being a sister is
like being a best friend, and the third will be about how being a sister is like being
an editor. 


II. BODY PARAGRAPH 1
a. TOPIC SENTENCE

i. Tell the reader which of your three points from your thesis this paragraph wil be about.
1. For example, my first main point would be: “As a big sister, I find that I often

have to act as a mentor for my younger sister.” Notice how the main POINT
repeats the word that is being defined in the thesis and repeats language from the
thesis.

b. EXAMPLE/EVIDENCE

i. Provide a personal example that illustrates your main point.

1. I would provide an example of how I’ve mentored my younger sister. I might talk
about the time I helped her pick her major in college.

c. EXPLAIN

i. Explain your example or evidence in detail.

1. This will take up the most space in your paragraph.

d. LINK

i. Link everything back to the main point by repeated the topic sentence in different words.
It might be helpful to think of your body paragraphs like little sandwiches. They’re self-
contained but are part of a larger meal.

1. I would reiterate my main point by saying the following: “Being the older sister, I
sometimes find myself having to take on the role of a mentor.” 


III. BODY PARAGRAPH 2
a. TOPIC SENTENCE

i. Tell the reader which of your three points from your thesis this paragraph will be about.
Pick one of the other points mentioned in your thesis statement.

1. My second main POINT will be: “While predictable, being a big sister means
having a forever best friend.”

b. EXAMPLE/EVIDENCE
i. Provide a persona example that illustrates your main point.

c. EXPLAIN

i. Explain your example or evidence in detail.

d. LINK
i. Link everything back to the main point by repeated the topic sentence in different words.

IV. BODY PARAGRAPH 3
a. TOPIC SENTENCE

i. Tell the reader which of your three points from your thesis this paragraph will be about.
Pick one of the other points mentioned in your thesis statement.

1. My third main POINT will be: “Since my sister is working on her graduate thesis,
I often find myself working as an editor for her – without pay.”

b. EXAMPLE/EVIDENCE
i. Provide a personal example that illustrates your main point.
c. EXPLAIN
i. Explain your example or evidence in detail.
d. LINK

Definition Essay Outline
Directions: Follow this outline as you write your essay.

i. Link everything back to the main point by repeated the topic sentence in different words. 


V. CONCLUSION

a. Thesis statement

i. Restate your thesis statement in different words

1. This helps remind the reader of the main point of the ENTIRE essay. If you find
that your thesis doesn’t sync with your body paragraphs, you’ll need to make
some changes.

b. Closing remarks

i. Wrap up the essay by doing one or more of the following:

1. If you didn’t use a quote in your introduction, you can use one here. Make sure it
relates to what you’ve discussed in the essay.

2. Why is your topic important? Why should anyone care?

3. What do you hope the reader takes away from this essay? What lesson can they
learn from it?