AUDIENCE: Your paper should be directed to those who teach at the same level that you do (or will). Do not assume that your readers have a better understanding of grammar, grammatical concepts or grammatical terminology than is normal for non- specialists.

LENGTH: 1600 - 2400 words of text.

FORMAT: Use the new MLA (Modern Language Association) documentation style instead of footnotes or endnotes. Include a Works Cited sheet at the end of your paper. Details concerning the new MLA style can be found in The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers or in recent handbooks of writing style—or online references such as the Purdue Online Writing Lab. In the top left corner staple or paper clip the pages together. Do not put your essay in a folder or plastic cover, and do not include fly sheets (i.e. sheets with nothing on them).

TOPIC SELECTION: Please provide the instructor with your paper's title on or before Thursday, February 25. A change in your research paper topic must be approved by the instructor no later than Thursday, March 25.

LATE PAPERS: Late papers will be penalized one letter grade for each class meeting that they are late.

DUE DATE: The beginning of class on Thursday, April 15.

GRADING: The research grade (i.e., the research paper grade combined with the oral report grade) will account for 20% of the overall course grade.