2. Indenting
When you write a paragraph, you
should indent . This means you begin
a few spaces to the right, so that the
first line is not lined up with the other
lines of the paragraph.
The symbol for indenting is:
Do not center your paragraph! That’s
for poetry (and not always then).
3. No Announcements!
Do not “announce” to the reader what you
read or what you are going to write about.
The reader is (presumably) not stupid.
Incorrect: My book was . . .
Correct: Inkspell, by Cornelia Funke…
Incorrect: I am going to give you an example
Correct: For example, when Sarah, the main
4. The Word “You”
Try to avoid using “you.” If you are trying to say
that the author does something that impacts the
reader, use the phrase “the reader.” You may
also use “me” when referring to what you
thought or how you felt.
Incorrect: This makes you want to keep
reading.
Correct: This makes me want to keep reading.
Correct: This makes the reader want to keep
reading.
5. Italicize the Title of the
Book
Do not put the title of the book in
quotation marks. The title of a book
should be italicized, unless you are
writing by hand. If you are writing by
hand, you underline the title. NEVER
do both (underlining and italics)
together.
And forget about bolding or using all
CAPITAL LETTERS for titles.
6. Analysis vs.
Summarization
Some of you are writing a summary of
the story instead of doing the actual
assignment. Please take care to write
a paragraph that responds to the
assigned question.
You will need to include examples, but
that’s different from a summary.
7. Characters
If you mention a character by name,
take the time to let your reader know
who this character is. Don’t assume
your reader knows.
Incorrect: Bobby is an interesting boy.
Correct: Bobby, the main character, is
an interesting boy.
8. Missing Examples
Many of you make statements but
don’t provide specific examples from
the text (the book you are reading).
Incorrect: Davy is a shy, sensitive boy.
Correct: Davy is a shy boy because in
the first chapter he is too embarrassed
to make eye-contact with the clerk
helping him at the store.
9. Context, context,
context!
Before you give an example from the
book or quote from the text, always
provide context so your reader
understands it. Never assume your
reader is familiar with the text and
doesn’t need context.
Quotes and examples without context
are CONFUSING!
10. Context – an Example
Incorrect: Bobby’s unkind because he
says, “Out means out. Outside. Out of the
house. Somewhere that is not here.”
Correct: Bobby can be unkind at times. For
example, when his mom questions him
about what he means when he says he’s
going “out” for a while, Bobby responds with
sarcasm: “Out means out. Outside. Out of
the house. Somewhere that is not here.”
11. Commentary is key!
If the paragraph offers an example
from the text, there must be an
explanation of how the example
supports the opinion.
For every example, be sure to clearly
explain HOW it supports the opinion.
12. Don’t State the Obvious
– Dig Deep!
Avoid making obvious observations.
Gasp!: If the events happened in a different
order it would change everything. - duh
Eek!: If a different person narrated the story
the reader wouldn’t get the perspective of
the other character. – duh
Yikes!: The character Hannah and I are like
because we both have blonde hair. – so?
13. YOUR PURPOSE
Keep in mind that your purpose is to
express an opinion about the writing.
AND why does what you noticed
matter?
In other words: What’s significant
about your opinion or observation?
