Critical Response and Analysis Paragraph

 Easy, efficient, and reliable way to respond to
literature and other texts.
 Teaches you to use primary source quotes
effectively.
P.C.-Q.-E.C.

 Makes writing a paragraph “easy peasy,” or “peasy q. easy.”
 P.C.-Q.-E.C.=
• P oint
• C ontext
• Q uote
• E xplanation
• C onclusion
Formula For A Perfect Paragraph

1 Topic Sentence/Point
+ 1-2 sentences of Relevant Context
+ 1 sentence Primary Source Quote (Observation)
+ 2-3 sentences of Explanation (Inference)
+ 1 sentence of Conclusion
=Perfect Paragraph
(TS) Topic Sentence/Point: Clearly states what
you intend to demonstrate to the reader.
(CD) Context: Relevant facts from the text that are related to your
point and lead into your primary source quotation.
(DQ) Primary Source Quote: An
observation. Two essential ingredients: 1) is introduced/
tagged and 2) has a parenthetical citation.
(CM) Explanation: An inference. This
is the hardest part. In this portion of the paragraph, you are explaining the
significance of the quote. You are NOT just paraphrasing or summarizing it,
and you are not stating facts or opinions. This is where you interpret and
justify. If you can’t interpret the quote you chose, then you chose poorly.
(CS) Conclusion: In this last sentence, you re-emphasize
your point by specifically stating what the author (or narrator, or character)
intended when writing what he/she did. What was his/her point?
Perfect Paragraph

In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain emphasizes the
ways in which Tom Sawyer is a dynamic character.
Perfect Paragraph

In 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 has bizarrely audacious fantasies involving
murdering and being dead; however, after witnessing the murder of
Dr. Robinson, he comes to fear the threat of mortality. This is made
clear during a scene in which he is listening to Aunt Polly discuss his
own apparently-missing corpse.
Perfect Paragraph

In 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 has bizarrely audacious fantasies involving
murdering and being dead; however, after witnessing the murder of
Dr. Robinson, he comes to fear the threat of mortality. This is made
clear during a scene in which he is listening to Aunt Polly discuss the
search for his own apparently-missing corpse. As Tom’s aunt
describes the sad circumstances, Mark Twain reports Tom’s reaction
by writing, “Tom shuddered” (Twain 95).
Perfect Paragraph

In 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 has strangely bold fantasies and plays bizarrely
audacious games involving murdering and being dead; however, after
witnessing the murder of Dr. Robinson, he comes to fear the threat of
mortality. This is made clear during a scene in which he is listening to
Aunt Polly discuss the search for his own apparently-missing corpse. As
Tom’s aunt describes the sad circumstances, Mark Twain reports Tom’s
reaction by writing, “Tom shuddered” (Twain 95). In that shudder, the
author reveals Tom’s horror over hearing the effects of his supposed
death on his family. While such an event would have delighted Tom
previously, he does not think it funny now. In fact, he is stunned into a
physical tremor that suggests a newfound vulnerability, openness, and
maturity.

Perfect Paragraph

In 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 has bizarrely audacious fantasies involving
murdering and being dead; however, after witnessing the murder of Dr.
Robinson, he comes to fear the threat of mortality. This is made clear
during a scene in which he is listening to Aunt Polly discuss the search
for his own apparently-missing corpse. As Tom’s aunt describes the sad
circumstances, Mark Twain reports Tom’s reaction by writing, “Tom
shuddered” (Twain 95). In that shudder, the author reveals Tom’s horror
over hearing the effects of his supposed death on his family. While such
an event would have delighted Tom previously, he does not think it
funny now. In fact, he is stunned into a physical tremor that suggests a
newfound vulnerability, openness, and maturity. Twain thus succeeds in
realistically depicting the moment when everyone learns the sad reality
of death, one of the hardest parts of growing up.
MLA
Modern Language Association
Basic MLA Reminders

 12 Point Times New Roman Font
 Black Ink
 Double-Spaced
 1 inch margins (may not be default)
 Last name and page number at top right of every
page
 MLA Heading
 Papers have an informational title – not bold, not
underlined, not italicized… just centered on first
page with no extra space before or after.
Quotations

 When providing a quote, you must tag it. I call untagged
quotes “orphaned” quotes. Here is an untagged/orphaned
quote:
Patrick Henry energetically 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 energetically 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.
OR
Patrick 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, paraphrasing, or
summarizing someone else’s ideas, you must
provide a parenthetical citation.
 A parenthetical citation helps the reader find the
relevant source on the Works Cited Page.
 It lets the reader know where you got your
information in case he/she wants to look it up.
Now, it’s 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).
OR
Patrick 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 one or more parenthetical citations, then
you must have a Works Cited Page.
 Last page.
 Top right-hand corner: Has, like all preceding pages,
last name and page number.
 Center: Words “Works Cited”
 Left: Works listed immediately below it,
alphabetically.
