The Perfect Paragraph

Easy, efficient way to respond to literature

Skill being addressed is utilizing primary source quotes effectively.

Critical Response and Analysis Paragraph

1 Topic

Sentence + 2 sentences of Relevant

context + 1 sentence Primary Source

Quote +2 sentences of Explanatory

Inference + 1 sentence of

Conclusion Perfect Paragraph

Formula For A Perfect Paragraph

Topic Sentence: Clearly states what you intend to prove to the reader.

Context: Relevant FACTS from the text that are related to your topic, and lead into your primary source quotation.

Primary Source Quote: Is TAGGED, and has a parenthetical citation.

Explanatory Inference: This is the hardest part. In this portion of the paragraph, you are explaining the significance of the quote. You are NOT just summarizing it, and you are not stating more facts. This is where you interpret. If you can’t interpret the quote you chose, you chose a poor quotation.

Conclusion: In this final sentence, you summarize your point by specifically stating what the author intended when writing what he did. What was the author’s point?

During The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain emphasizes the ways in which Tom Sawyer is a dynamic character.

Perfect Paragraph

During The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark

Twain emphasizes the ways in which Tom Sawyer is a dynamic character. In the novel’s opening chapters, Tom repeatedly plays games and has bizarre fantasies involving murdering and being dead, but after witnessing the murder of Dr. Robinson, his perspective completely changes, and he comes to fear the threat of death. This is evident during a scene wherein he is listening to Aunt Polly discuss the search for Tom’s apparently missing corpse.

Perfect Paragraph

During The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark

Twain emphasizes the ways in which Tom Sawyer is a dynamic character. In the novel’s opening chapters, Tom repeatedly plays games and has bizarre fantasies involving murdering and being dead, but after witnessing the murder of Dr. Robinson, his perspective completely changes, and he comes to fear the threat of death. This is evident during a scene wherein he is listening to Aunt Polly discuss the search for Tom’s apparently missing corpse. As she describes the sad circumstances, Mark Twain describes Tom’s reaction and writes, “Tom shuddered” (Twain 95).

Perfect Paragraph

During The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain

emphasizes the ways in which Tom Sawyer is a dynamic character. In the novel’s opening chapters, Tom repeatedly plays games and has bizarre fantasies involving murdering and being dead, but after witnessing the murder of Dr. Robinson, his perspective completely changes, and he comes to fear the threat of death. This is evident during a scene wherein he is listening to Aunt Polly discuss the search for Tom’s apparently missing corpse. As she describes the sad circumstances, Mark Twain describes Tom’s reaction and writes, “Tom shuddered” (Twain 95). In that shudder, the author reveals Tom’s horror over hearing about the effects of his own death on his family. Such an event would previously have delighted Tom, but now that he has seen death firsthand, he learns it is no laughing matter.

Perfect Paragraph

During The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain emphasizes the ways in which Tom Sawyer is a dynamic character. In the novel’s opening chapters, Tom repeatedly plays games and has bizarre fantasies involving murdering and being dead, but after witnessing the murder of Dr. Robinson, his perspective completely changes, and he comes to fear the threat of death. This is evident during a scene wherein he is listening to Aunt Polly discuss the search for Tom’s apparently missing corpse. As she describes the sad circumstances, Mark Twain describes Tom’s reaction and writes, “Tom shuddered” (Twain 95). In that shudder, the author reveals Tom’s horror over hearing about the effects of his own death on his family. Such an event would previously have delighted Tom, but now that he has seen death firsthand, he learns it is no laughing matter. Twain thus succeeds in realistically depicting the moment when each individual learns the sad reality of death, one of the hardest parts of growing up.

Perfect Paragraph

A Few More Reminders

MLAFormatting For Manly Men

Basic MLA Reminders

12 Point Times New Roman Font Black Ink Double Spaced 1 inch margins (this may not be default) Header at top right of every page MLA Heading Papers have a creative title – not bold, not

underlined, just centered on first page with no extra space.

Quotations

When providing a quote, you must TAG it. I call untagged quotes “orphaned” quotes. Here is an untagged/orphaned quote:Patrick Henry vivaciously advocated for revolution. “Give me liberty or give me death.” He was willing to risk his life to end colonial enslavement.

Here is the same quote, tagged. Patrick Henry vivaciously advocated for revolution. In front of the Virginia Convention, he declared, “Give me liberty or give me death.” He was willing to risk his life to end colonial enslavement.

3 Ways To Tag

“Give me liberty or give me death,” Patrick Henry proclaimed to the Virginia Convention.

ORPatrick Henry proclaimed to the Virginia Convention, “Give me liberty or give me death.”

OR“Give me liberty,” proclaimed Patrick Henry to the Virginia Convention, “or give me death.”

Parenthetical Citations

When providing a direct quote or when paraphrasing someone else’s ideas, you must provide a parenthetical citation either way.

A parenthetical citation lets the reader know where you got your information.

It helps them find the relevant information on the works cited page.

Now time to add the parenthetical

citations

How to Tag with Citations

“Give me liberty or give me death,” Patrick Henry proclaimed to the Virginia Convention (Henry 167).

ORPatrick Henry proclaimed to the Virginia Convention, “Give me liberty or give me death” (Henry 167).

OR“Give me liberty,” proclaimed Patrick Henry to the Virginia Convention, “or give me death” (Henry 167).

Works Cited

Works Cited Page

If you have a parenthetical citation, you must have a works cited.

Last page of paper Continues pagination Also has header in top right Words “Works Cited” centered at top of page,

no other heading. Works listed below it alphabetically.