Essay+notes+-+Scarlet+Letter

Expository Essay Notes – Scarlet Letter Essay helpful hints Textual evidence (examples) Use MLA format
 * Introduction
 * Starts broad.
 * Include name of the text and the name of the author.
 * Narrows to thesis = opinion + topic
 * Body paragraphs
 * 2 or 3 body paragraphs
 * must use 6 pieces of textual evidence
 * in the whole essay
 * 2 or 3 per paragraph
 * Start with a topic sentence
 * Ties this paragraph to the thesis
 * Offer context
 * First example from the text
 * Explain first example
 * Second example
 * Second explanation
 * Start next paragraph with a transitional phrase
 * Conclusion
 * Start with a restatement of your thesis
 * Then relate some aspect of this thesis to something
 * Beyond the scope of the thesis, related to the book
 * Beyond the book, related to the thesis
 * No “I”, “me,” “in my opinion”
 * Be bold!
 * No “you”
 * Don’t use passive voice
 * Not “It is often thought that”
 * But “people think”
 * If you get stuck, go to the Purdue OWL
 * For each example you put in your essay:
 * Start with a Signal Phrase
 * These are your words, showing that words from the text are coming.
 * Include the example within this sentence.
 * The words from the text must be in quotation marks
 * At the end of the sentence put the page number (just the number) in parentheses.
 * Finally, a period.
 * Exceptions: If your example ends with a question mark or exclamation point, put those inside the quotation marks.
 * You’ll still have your period at the end.
 * If you want to shorten a passage
 * Use an ellipsis in brackets [. . .]
 * Brackets show it is your ellipsis
 * Not the author’s
 * Example:
 * When Chillingworth looked into Dimmesdale’s shirt he saw something that made him “dance with glee like the devil”(137).
 * Format rules
 * Size 12 font
 * Something normal – times new roman, etc.
 * Heading on top left
 * Name
 * teacher
 * Class
 * Date
 * 1” margins
 * double-spaced