Appropriate Verbs
• Emphasizes * Juxtaposes
• Compares* Demonstrates
• Suggests * Exemplifies
• Creates * Identifies
• Implies * Mirrors
Guidelines
• Identify the author by the last name after first using full name
• Write about literature in present tense
• Avoid “I think,” “I believe,” or “I feel”
• Avoid speculation about scenarios or motivations; anchor your analysis in what the text says
Other Guidelines
• Focus on the text; do not write about the author’s life unless asked to do so
• Avoid praise and other forms of compliment; explain what the text means and why certain details are important, not how great you think the author is
Proper Citation
• All quotes must be correctly cited.
• If you state the author’s name in the sentence just put the page number in parentheses.
• Example: Daphne Du Maurier suggests that the narrator “is so very different from Rebecca” (87).
Citations Continued
• If you do not state the author’s name then include author’s name and page number.
• Example: Mrs. Danvers becomes even more sinister, possessing the “face of an exulting devil” (Du Maurier 218).
• Once you state the author, subsequent quotes just need the page number.
Quotations
• Do not over-quote -- 20% quoted material is maximum
• Choose a quote that helps support your point. Don’t use a quote that just explains what happens; use a paraphrase in that case
• Include only the best part of the quote – “the golden nugget”
Possible Prompts
• Explain how a character changes over the course of the story
• Compare characters from two different stories or within the same story
• Identify and discuss an important theme in a text
Quick Write Rubric
• Rubric can be found on the class home page. Please save it in an easy to find spot on your computer so you can refer to it often.
Ideas 10
• Writing reflects original thought
• Ideas are “fresh” and offer a unique perspective
• Writer seems to care about the topic and ideas
• Writer genuinely explores possibilities and speculates on options.
Support 10
• Ideas supported with specific evidence from the text
• At least 2 relevant quotes (properly cited) are effectively integrated into body of quick write