English Tools & Help

All essays for all ELA courses are expected to be a minimum of five paragraphs. This includes a clear introduction of your topic with a thesis statement, three main points that support your thesis statement, and a clear concluding statement. Your introduction should include a single sentence that helps the reader understand what your essay is about--this is your thesis statement--followed by an introduction to the points you will make that support your thesis in the order you will present them as your body paragraphs, and a clear transition statement that helps the reader seamlessly transition to the first body paragraph. Your body paragraphs should be organized in the order they are introduced in your introduction. Use research and quotes to support your claims. Your conclusion should summarize all important points made in your essay without saying the exact same thing again and without introducing new ideas. (I use a Generic AP Rubric for essays. See the rubric below.)

All sources used must be cited in MLA format and quotes may not exceed two sentences per paragraph. Refer to the above links regarding plagiarism and for the MLA style guide.

To help ensure a quality essay with appropriate transitions, writing mechanics, citations, and length, click the button below for a free online tool, similar to Grammarly. This cite will help you ensure your paper is well written and grade level appropriate. Be sure not to go down the ad hole. Scroll all the way to the bottom to insert your paper, choose the type of essay it is and the grade level of the course, and then submit. Use the suggestions given by Paper Rater to make improvements before turning in your final draft.

APS has a zero tolerance Plagiarism policy. In my courses I do not allow plagiarism. Plagiarism is any section of an assignment, short write, essay, or project that has been copied from another sources without proper citation and giving credit to the original author for their ideas. I do not give credit to any written assignment that is plagiarized and will not allow students to re-do plagiarized assignments. Students will also receive zeros on all assignments in the lesson with a plagiarized response, because plagiarism demonstrates a lack of usage of the information presented throughout the lesson. To understand Plagiarism and how to prevent it click the "Plagiarism Tutorial" button below.

To prevent plagiarism consult Purdue Owl by clicking the "Purdue Owl's MLA Style Guide" button below. All essays and projects should adhere to MLA style formatting and citations with a Works Cited page and all sources used cited properly.

The use of Brainly.com, Quizlet.com, or copying and pasting questions into a search engine, such as Google, are also prohibited for any part of online courses. The use of these sites to complete online work is considered cheating and will result in a zero for the assignment. It is encouraged that students take notes and use outside cites only to understand vocabulary or complex concepts to help increase comprehend the material, however it is never acceptable to copy and paste questions into Google to find the answer or to copy and paste answers from outside sources into Edgenuity.