Pattern of Organization Essay

Assignment Information: Description/Profile Essay
Assignment Overview:
Interview a subject and write a descriptive essay profiling a person in your community. The purpose of a personality profile is to capture the essence of someone’s nature, from mannerisms and tone of voice to the eccentric habits and behaviors exhibited by this individual. Literally, you want to capture a human being’s spirit on paper. Note: You are encouraged to select an interview subject as soon as possible so that you are able to meet the due dates of this assignment and module.
cartoon of video interviewer, interviewee, and videographer

You will want to select carefully the information you’ll include in the essay, choosing only those details that help to show the person’s dominant impression and personality traits that you decide to emphasize. Keep in mind that information from the interview must be included in your essay.
Select a subject for your profile essay whom you want to know more about and whom you think your audience will find engaging. Anyone can be interesting if presented in an engaging manner, so don’t forget people such as professors, local business people, etc. You might consider interviewing someone who is knowledgeable about one of the following themes:
RACE AND ETHNICITY
MEDICINE AND MEDICAL ISSUES
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS
CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
BUSINESS AND COMMERCE
HUMAN RIGHTS
GLOBAL AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
ANIMALS AND ENDANGERED SPECIES
JOURNALISM
It’s up to you as the interviewer to uncover the details that will make these people interesting to your readers. Remember that your main goal is to present a dominant impression of the person that engages, entertains, and informs. I would encourage you not to select a family member, immediate supervisor, your own professor, etc.; anyone you already know or that you answer to for your subject. This essay works best when the observations are new and you’re learning something through the interview, and when you don’t have any direct connections with the person.
When writing, you should refrain from using 1st (I, Me) or 2nd Person (You, Yours).
Primary Tasks:
Construct interview questions that will probe for personality characteristics
Conduct an interview with a subject of choice
Describe all noteworthy aspects of the individual
Develop a creative angle that emphasizes an element that stands out about the interview subject
Detail not only what the interviewee says, but also how they say it
Helpful Advice:
Research the interview subject and his or her interests/hobbies prior to the interview to formulate probing questions
Keenly observe during the interview (watch for patterns, facial features, etc.)
Include background information and a physical description in the profile (paint a realistic picture)
Make sure the lead reflects the character of the person
Use speech tags when introducing quotes (detail how the subject says a quote)
Use anecdotes to reveal character
Remain as objective as possible throughout the profile (try not to end with your opinion of the person)
End with a quote that reflects the personality of the interviewee/li>
Audience:
Your audience for this essay is your classmates. In other words, the essay should appeal to other students, more than likely about your same age, who appreciate quality, college-level writing and who want to know something substantial and important about you.
Assessment:
Your profile essay will be assessed and graded based on the following criteria:
Does the essay clearly detail the personality and habits of the interviewed subject? Does the essay use adjectives and adverbs to describe the mannerisms and presence of the subject?
Is there a specific angle recognized in the story? Is the lead/introduction engaging? Does the essay capture interest? Does the essay display the significance of the subject?
Does the essay contain a vivid presentation of the individual? Specifically, does the essay use vivid language and specific details? Does the essay have a dominant impression (thus demonstrating a focused, main point)? Is the essay clearly organized?
Does the essay have a clear main point? Does the essay instruct as well as entertain?
Does the essay demonstrate control over grammar, spelling, and punctuation?
Profile Essay RubricActions

Additional Notes:
Keep in mind that you, of course, want to follow the conventions of the language, which means using good grammar and applying the rules of punctuation appropriate for academic writing. The final draft should be at least 3 COMPLETE pages typed and double spaced.

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