Response to Literature Outline

Include all of the following, in order!

I. Introduction Paragraph
a. Strong opening statement that grabs your reader’s attention:
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b. Author, Title (quotation marks, not underline), main characters, setting:
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c. Brief summary of story – 2 sentences:
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d. Thesis statement – arguable, supportable, and original:
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II. Body Paragraph #1 – Discuss the first topic you identified in your thesis
a. Topic Sentence – identify what is going to be discussed in this paragraph
(do NOT use an example from story):
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b. Concrete Detail 1 - example that illustrates the topic (For example…):
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c. Commentary 1 – explains HOW the CD1 illustratest the theme (This
shows…)
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d. Concrete Detail 2 - example that illustrates the topic (For example…):
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e. Commentary 2 – explains HOW the CD1 illustratest the theme (This
shows…)
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f. Concluding sentence that sums up the ideas presented in this paragraph –
NOT a repeat of the topic sentence:
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III. Body Paragraph #2: Discuss the 2nd topic you identified in your thesis
a. Topic Sentence – identify what is going to be discussed in this paragraph
(do NOT use an example from story):
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b. Concrete Detail 3 - example that illustrates the topic (For example…):
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c. Commentary 1 – explains HOW the CD1 illustratest the theme (This
shows…)
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d. Concrete Detail 4 - example that illustrates the topic (For example…):
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e. Commentary 2 – explains HOW the CD1 illustratest the theme (This
shows…)
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f. Concluding sentence that sums up the ideas presented in this paragraph –
NOT a repeat of the topic sentence:
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IV. Body Paragraph #3 – Discuss the third topic you identified in your thesis
a. Topic Sentence – identify what is going to be discussed in this paragraph
(do NOT use an example from story):
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b. Concrete Detail 5 - example that illustrates the topic (For example…):
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c. Commentary 1 – explains HOW the CD1 illustratest the theme (This
shows…)
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d. Concrete Detail 6 - example that illustrates the topic (For example…):
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e. Commentary 2 – explains HOW the CD1 illustratest the theme (This
shows…)
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 f. Concluding sentence that sums up the ideas presented in this paragraph –
NOT a repeat of the topic sentence:
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V. Conclusion Paragraph
a. Restate your thesis using different words
b. Sum-up story examples used in your body paragraphs
c. Closing remarks on the subject and theme
d. Avoid repeating!!! You could take your thesis a step further by raising a
question or sharing a relevan personal observation.
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Tips: Include a truth about life we can all learn from the story, not just what the
characters in the story experience.
Keep your concrete details/examples specific – avoid too much summary and don’t try to
include too much information – pick a SPECIFIC example
Keep your CD 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 separate from each other – separate them with your
commentary.
Make sure your concrete details are connected to the theme. You are trying to prove your
point, that the character is to be admired or not.
Use your commentary to show unique and analytical insight. This shows your ability to
read and analyze a story.
Do not summarize the story in your commentary. These are YOUR thoughts.
Keep your summary statement to a few sentences; avoid too much summary!
Transitions: For example…..Another example…..This illustrates….This shows….It is
clear…..Clearly….It is obvious….Obviously….It is easy to see…..This is evidenced
through…..In this sotry…..In conclusion….In fact…..In summary…..This is evidence
that…..In addition to……
Use the present tense when talking about the events in the book.
Do not use “I” statements. We know this is what you think because it’s your paper.
Your argument will sound stronger without “I think” or “I feel” in front of your beliefs.
Remember to include a title that indicates specifically what your paper is about. Do not
simply use the title of the book and the author; instead, use a main idea from your thesis.
Always read your writing before submitting it. This helps you discover awkward
sentences that do not have flow. Make sure that all of your evidence supports your
argument. If it doesn’t (even if it sounds good), take it out.