Answer the following questions about the paragraphs below, providing the writer with feedback and/or suggestions:

1. Is the topic sentence in the first sentence? Fill in the blanks with the topic sentence:

2. Does the topic get explained or clarified in the second and/or third sentences?

sentence, or define terminology you may not be familiar with?

3. Does the evidence seem to back up the topic sentence?

Does the evidence stray into other areas?

4. Does the paragraph contain at least four quotations and/or paraphrases?

5. Is each quotation or paraphrase introduced so that you understand a little bit about it?

about the source or author from whom it was derived?

6. Is each quotation or paraphrase properly cited at the end with a page or paragraph number in parentheses?

7. Does the author explain each piece of evidence, demonstrating how it works?

backs up the topic sentence?

8. Is the writer’s language clear and direct enough for you to understand?

what is he/she saying?

9. Is there a concluding sentence that summarizes the paragraph and connects it all back to the thesis statement?

10. Do transitions appear throughout the paragraph to indicate where the

Where is the material going?

11. Where would you like to see more evidence (second sentence, fourth sentence)?

sentence, and so on)?

12. What kind of evidence do you want to see in each of these?

sentences?

13. Do you believe the writer presented too much information in which places?

or perhaps evidence?

14. Where do you get bored the most?

15. In which areas do you become perplexed?

16. Is there anything else you’d like to see in the paragraph?

17. Are there any punctuation issues in the paragraph?

18. Are there any grammatical errors in the paragraph?

19. Are there any sentences in the paragraph that are excessively long or unwieldy?

20. What is your favorite part of the paragraph?

Death has never been an easy subject to broach, but the fact that a patient has the right to choose when the pain stops gives them time to mentally and emotionally prepare. Emotional detachment comes naturally to most people. On the other hand, some people believe that family is everything. A family’s bond is so precious and pure that it can never be replaced. I recently came across an incredible story about a young girl named Brittany Maynard who touched the lives of Americans with her brave battle against a brain tumor. Catherine Schoichet quoted Brittany in an interview in a CNN article. â€I will die upstairs in my bedroom, with my husband, mother, stepfather, and best friend by my side, peacefully,†she wrote. I can’t imagine robbing anyone else of that option.†(CNN) Brittanyâ€TMs word choice, rob, caught me off guard. Patients truly believe that the state is depriving them of their rights. A story like Brittany’s changed my perspective on physician-assisted suicide. Brittany fought for her right to physician-assisted suicide, moving from California to Oregon to exercise it. Brittany was filled with love, happiness, and joy even after she was diagnosed; she believed that â€people who pause to appreciate life and give thanks are the happiest.†We can change our world by changing our thoughts! Love and peace to everyoneâ€TM. (CNN) Brittany was ready to make peace not only with her illness, but also with herself. She did not give up hope, but rather gave herself permission to rest in peace. Many people are afraid of death, but how can we be afraid of something we don’t understand? The truth is that once you’ve accepted death, you’ve become courageous, strong, and fearless. Who are we to say that life after death isn’t more amazing than life on Earth? Brittany describes her greatest fear: “The worst thing that could happen to me is that I wait too long because I’m trying to seize each day, but my disease somehow takes away my autonomy because of the nature of my cancer.” (CNN) Brittany’s story was one of the most upbeat I’d ever read. Brittany Maynard chose to end her life on November 1, 2014, in Portland, Oregon, leaving her family and loved ones behind, becoming the first advocate for the legalization of medical aid in dying. Many people try to live their lives to the fullest today because tomorrow is never guaranteed. What if tomorrow comes sooner than you think? In the case of Brittany, she accepted her illness overnight because she had no other options. People should not feel judged for the choices they make in their own lives. The death with dignity organization protects the rights of terminally ill patients and assists them in exercising their rights as an American citizen. If a patient cannot live their dream of dying in peace, why pass a law that allows them to do so? Physician-assisted suicide allows a patient to be mentally and emotionally prepared to end his or her life. The majority of the time, the families who hold on are the most difficult part. Robert Orfali’s book Death With Dignity: The Case for Legalizing Physician-Assisted Dying and Euthanasia perfectly describes this situation. â€The bottom line is that there is no real lobby for the terminally ill,†he says. Instead, there is a grassroots movement that is both selfless and altruistic. It’s altruistic because we want to make our loved ones’ deaths as comfortable as possible. It’s selfish because we’re also making our own deaths easier. Let’s face it, we’re all going to die at some point. – (12) This is very true; we will all have to accept death in some form or another. We will all die someday, whether we are old or young, healthy or sick. Why not give those who must accept death sooner and with greater severity than others the option of not suffering?