Op-Ed: Write to Change the World

ENGL 111 – Fall 2023

Important Details
Due date: On Canvas by 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, October 25
Length: 800-1,200 words. Please note: Op-ed pieces run approximately 800-1,200 words. Make sure to
adhere to this convention. Do not exceed the word count; get used to writing succinctly. Writing less
means you must be very precise. Your language should be professional and polished and free of
grammatical and syntactical errors.
Percentage of final grade: 10%
Number of sources: 3 outside sources
Citation style: APA or MLA
Document design: 12-point font, 1” margins, Times New Roman or Calibri font
Acceptable file types: .doc, .docx, .rtf, .pdf (do not submit Google Docs or you will not receive credit)

Assignment Description
An op-ed is a piece of evidence based argumentative writing that is timely and of public value. It also
provides a platform to communicate your ideas to a broader audience with the intention of making a
strong claim or suggestion. Op-eds are commonly published in newspapers and online sources and serve
to sway public opinion and change minds using convincing argument and presenting it in a concise,
readable way.

This assignment also provides you an opportunity to reflect on the writing process and to refamiliarize
yourself with the conventions of engaged professional writing. This assignment is designed to teach you
how to effectively use evidence in support of your argument and use precise language to emphasize
important points.

Aspects of the Genre and How to Begin

Compose a formal op-ed piece in response to an issue that you care about—a response that you want to
see in print. Take seriously the challenge of adding something new to the public conversation, something
you would like to have people read. Take a position on any political, educational, or cultural issue.

Some questions that are useful to ask yourself when getting started:
 What specific issue or controversy are you responding to?
 What is it important to consider this issue now?
 What evidence or insight have other authors offered in support of their positions?
 What is problematic about the claim and/or the evidence that other author(s) used?
 What additional evidence or insight do you have that could shed new light onto the matter at
hand?
Lead
The first line of an op-ed is crucial. The leading sentence may grab the reader’s attention with a strong
claim, a surprising fact, a metaphor, a mystery, or a counterintuitive observation that entices the reader
into reading more. The opening also briefly lays the foundation for your argument.
A news hook is what makes your piece timely and often is part of the lead. Be bold, but incontrovertible.
Tell an anecdote if it illustrates your point. Use humor, if appropriate. Use clear sentences. Look at the
leads we have analyzed in class.
Conclusions
Every good column or op-ed piece needs a strong ending that fulfills some basic requirements:
 Echoes or answers the introduction
 Has been foreshadowed by preceding thematic statements
 Is the last and often most memorable detail
 Contains a final epiphany or calls the reader to action
There are two basic types of endings. An open ending suggests rather than states a conclusions, while a
closed ending states rather than suggests a conclusion. The closed ending in which the point of the piece
is resolved is by far the most used.

Grading
Your op-ed will be evaluated according to the following criteria. In fact, I will be asking myself these
questions when I read your essays. You may find it helpful to revisit these questions throughout your
writing process.
1. Is this writing style appropriate for the target audience?
2. Does the writer take a position? Indicate where in the essay you find this statement.
3. Is the claim contestable (i.e., is there more than one way to look at the issue)?
4. Does the writer account for the contestability of the issue?
5. Does the writer make a strong argument? (Hint: Could you easily outline the main points?)
6. Is the argument logical? Is it well organized? Is it clear?
7. Does the writer provide you with enough information so that you could review the evidence for
yourself (if you were so inclined)?
8. Is the writer’s reasoning logically sound?
9. Does the author provide an engaging hook at the beginning of the essay that would be
appropriate and interesting for their target audience? Or an audience that may not already have
interest in the topic?
10. Note the specific aspects of the essay that seemed most engaging to you and explain why.
11. Can you underline an sentence (or two that indicate precisely what the author wants readers to
do with the information in this essay (i.e. is there a call to action)?
12. Do you have any specific questions or suggestions about how the writer might develop, extend,
qualify, make more precise, complicate, or rethink the essay’s central point and supporting
evidence? If so, please offer them here.