Transcript Writing & Analyzing Essays and Literature

Coach Jordan
English 2
 Analyze the Prompt
 Break down the prompt…identify the topic or situation, your
writing purpose, the product you must create, and the
audience with the following device:
 A-P-P-T-T-P
 Audience – who is the intended audience for your writing? This
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can dictate tone, diction, figurative language
Product – what is the end product you are being asked to create?
A letter? Paragraph? Well-developed essay?
Purpose – to persuade? Analyze? Explain?
Topic – what is the general topic?
Thesis – construct a thesis sentence appropriate for your work
Pre-Writing – choose the pre-writing tool that will best help you
organize your thoughts
 Analyze the Prompt:
 Know your audience (A)
 Make sure you know the product and proper length (P)
 Know the PURPOSE (P) – key words: “list,” “describe,”
“explain,” “persuade”
 Topic (T) – identify the correct one to construct your thesis!
 Plan Your Response
 Thesis (T) – remember a thesis is subject + opinion. It must
be in formal language, clear and certain, and state your
opinion as a fact.
 Example:
 I think it would be a good idea get out of school at an earlier time.
 Versus…
 Having the school day end at an earlier time would serve as the
beginning to many positive outcomes.
 Pre-Writing
 I know you don’t want to….but you must!
 List? Make a web.
 Narrate? Story map, 5-W’s & H
 Summarize? Main Idea, Supporting Details chart
 Compare/Contrast? Venn Diagram
 Persuade? Opinion/Reasons Organizer
 Analyze? Web, Main Idea, Supporting Details chart,
Formal Outline
 For a paragraph, develop your Topic Sentence (comes
first)
 For an essay, develop your Thesis Sentence (last
sentence of your introductory paragraph)
 Use your pre-writing method to put your ideas in order
(this support in parag #1, this one in #2, etc)
 Support your statements! Direct evidence is quoted,
indirect evidence summarized or paraphrased
 Ideas- Does your paper adequately address your main
idea(s)? Do you need to add or subtract supporting details?
Is everything relevant and related with good transitions?
 Organization – Does your introduction give “just enough”
but not too much? Is the information presented in a
logical order? (“Funnel” the introduction to the thesis)
Are paragraphs in most powerful order?
 Voice – is it YOUR voice? Are your attitude and tone clear
without using slang or informal language?
 Diction (Word Choice) – Have you used words that are
too general or vague? Choose precise words, original and
descriptive adjectives. Try to use collegiate level vocabulary
by looking for synonyms for ordinary words
 Sentence Fluency – Do your sentences flow? (No tennis
matches!) Do your sentences vary in their beginnings, their
structure, and their length?
 Conventions – check and re-check all spelling, grammar,
and punctuation!
 Revising is making your work the best it can be by using the Six
Traits of writing
 Proofreading (sometimes called Editing) needs to include some
more specific grammatical steps:
 Spelling…Microsoft Word WILL NOT catch all spelling errors!
 Noun capitalization…are proper nouns and adjectives capitalized?
 Punctuation – check quotation marks and surrounding
punctuation
 Apostrophes – Try to eliminate contractions in formal writing.
Check that possessive nouns have apostrophes in the right places!
 Consistency – is your style consistent, with proper form
throughout?
 Finally….before turning it in!!
 Everything typed with an MLA heading on the first page
 1 inch side margins, 12-point plain font, stapled
 Be proud of your work! Writing is immortal!!
 The Introduction
 In literary analysis, include the title of the work and the
author in the FIRST SENTENCE
 Grab reader’s interest and present them with the overall
(broad!) idea or subject of essay (Do not “show your
hand” too early)
 Begin to “funnel” in – intro starts broad and narrows to
your thesis
 Usually 3-5 sentences building to thesis
 Thesis (subject +opinion) is last statement in intro
paragraph
 Body Paragraphs
 Support and develop your thesis statement by following
the introduction with paragraphs that contain topic
sentences that are transitions, then followed by
supporting details (quoted or paraphrased evidence)
 First sentence of every BODY paragraph is the Topic
Sentence that must function as a transition. It broadly
references where you are going with that paragraph…do
NOT be TOO specific
 Organization – decide the best order of the paragraphs –
strongest one last
 Focus – avoid wordiness, run-on sentences, or
“common” conversational language
 Conclusion
 Your opportunity to “funnel” back out
 Begin with a reference to your thesis – NOT a
restatement
 Then begin “funneling” outwards toward the
significance of the subject and in literary analysis, THE
MEANING OF THE WORK
 Usually 4-5 sentences, ending with a broader perspective
of the topic or issue, or a final thought-provoking
statement.
 In literary analysis, after stating author’s full name in
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introduction, reference him/her by last name only through paper
Know how to integrate direct excerpts with proper punctuation
(a period goes inside the quotes, as does a comma) – only a
question mark or exclamation mark goes OUTSIDE quotation
marks
The Conclusion is about the MEANING OF THE WORK – that
should always be in the back of your mind throughout literary
analysis paper
Body Paragraphs – don’t end with summary sentences…end with
insight and transition to the next body (flow!)
Transitions at the beginning of the paragraph should not be
“first,” “second,” “finally,” etc.
No informational or conversational language!! (“I just told you/I
will tell you/In this paper I will say/by now you should know”)