Summary Of A's For Everyone By Alicia Shepard

When everyone gets first place, does anyone truly win? “A’s for Everyone!” by Alicia Shepard is a persuasive essay discussing how grade inflation affects professors at a collegiate level. Shepard’s credentials are satisfactory: she is a journalism professor who’s experienced demanding students first-hand. These students believe they are entitled to receive A grades, regardless of their exam scores. Shepard used professors’ experiences to persuade readers that grades should be based on students’ scores, not their hard work. Shepard used quotes from professors and students to convey the emotions felt on either side. The emotional appeals exhibited by the professors include annoyance and offendedness as seen in Professor Swallow’s comments in

Paragraphs 25 and 26 illustrate grade inflation at highly respected universities and what strategies are utilized to combat it. Without statistics and hard facts, Shepard’s argument would have been viewed as isolated issues instead of an epidemic. These hard facts provided a foundation for every claim made, and solidified the logicality of the professors’ statements. Her argument became reasonable because of the statistics provided, and proved grade inflation is a nation-wide problem in need of

Using an informal style and easy grammar minimized confusion and allowed readers to visualize themselves as Shepard better, thus persuading them to take her side. Shepard’s narrative approach, opposed to an academic journal, adds a personal touch that lessens the abrasiveness. For example, paragraphs 15 and 16 introduced the idea of grades being based on effort. Had this idea been presented in a blunt statement (Grades should not be based on effort and hard work doesn’t make up for natural talent) many readers would find the tone too harsh and not care to listen to the rest of the argument. Shepard’s persuasion was strengthened using a narrative format because she was able to present blunt information without losing audience