The paper's format is specified in your syllabus, but let's recap more fully here. Your paper should be at least the length specified in the assignment, single spaced, printed in 12-pitch type (no larger), with margins of no more than one inch. It should be spellchecked, grammar checked, proofread and corrected, and printed on a legible printer. Finally, its pages should be stapled or paperclipped together.
The content is assigned, but there are also some groundrules. You need not tie yourself slavishly to the "argument paper" format (thesis statement in first paragraph, three paragraphs of support, and conclusion), but it should be clear from the start where your paper is going. Your evidence should be plentiful and clear; avoid generalities in favor of specific statements most of the time. Use page references and actual quotes whenever appropriate. Your paper should be handed in on the due date unless you have made arrangements for an extension. If for some reason, your paper is going to be late, it's a bad idea to skip class that day as well. Get an extension and come to class.
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