1. Begin with a simile or a metaphor.  Follow the metaphor with a series of active verbs.

Birds are angels of the air.  They swoop; they flutter, they chirp unobtrusive hosannas as they perch impossibly high in treetop aries.  They bless the lives of those around them, unseen, unheralded, eliminating pesky insects and pollinating the bright blossoms of summer gardens.  Their brilliant feathers glow and twinkle under the gentle rays of golden sunlight and silver moonlight. 

2. Begin with an image and follow it with a series of questions.

A feathery purple bird sings softly to himself amid the topmost branches of a tangled emerald-green tree in the deepest part of the Brazilian rainforest.  His song reaches the ears of no one; his gaudy plumage is unseen by any living soul. Is this songbird a hidden treasure, a secret luxury of humanity, sage because unknown?  Or is it an unplumbed resource, a potential source of enjoyment, or medicine, or experimentation by human beings, to be found, captured, and exploited? 

3. Begin with a subordinate clause to acknowledge the opposing point of view.

Although many people think of birds as nuisances because of the clutter they sometimes create in pools, city streets, and recreation areas, the fact is that birds are more beneficial to human beings than harmful to them.  Consuming many times their body weight in annoying insects like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas, pollinating flowers, providing tuneful accompaniments to dawn and dusk, and showing, through their bewildering multiplicity of forms, the glory of nature’s diversity, birds are an essential part of the earth’s ecology. 

4. Begin with a paradox, twist of words, or contradiction.

A wise man once said, “Look before you leap.”  But where would the world of human invention be right now if no one leapt before he looked?  Inventors and visionaries throughout the ages have made leaps of faith that resulted in huge advances for human science and technology.  To men and women like these, caution is a vice and prudence an anathema.  One such inventor was Thomas Edison, the man whose leaps of the imagination brought the world such inventions as the phonograph and the light bulb.  

Thesis Statement Model #1: Sample Thesis Statement

Example: Parents should regulate the amount of television their children watch.

Thesis Statement Model #2: Thesis with Concession

Notice that this model makes a concession by addressing an argument from the opposing viewpoint first, and then uses the phrase "even though" and states the writer's opinion/main idea as a rebuttal.

Example: Even though television can be educational, parents should regulate the amount of television their children watch.

Thesis Statement Model #3: Thesis with Reasons

Here, the use of "because" reveals the reasons behind the writer's opinion/main idea.

Example: Parents should regulate the amount of television their children watch because it shortens children's attention spans, it inhibits social interaction, and it isn't always intellectually stimulating.

Thesis Statement Model #4: Thesis with Concession and Reasons

This model both makes a concession to opposing viewpoint and states the reasons/arguments for the writer's main idea.

Example: While television can be educational, parents should regulate the amount of television their children watch because it inhibits social interaction, shortens children's attention spans, and isn't always intellectually stimulating.

Embedding Quotations

Using quotations is important in the writing process because they add strong evidence when used appropriately. However, embedding quotations effectively into sentences is just as important as finding the correct quotations to use. Correctly embedded quotations move the reader from the quoted text back into the paragraph smoothly.

Signal Phrases

Signal phrases introduce the article a quotation is from, the person who said the quotation, or both. They are key for embedding quotations. The signal phrases used in the examples of this handout are written in bold print.

according to claims points out discusses proposes notes

states writes demonstrates argues explains says

Strategies for Embedding Quotations

There are three strategies you can use to embed quotations: set off quotations, build in quotations, or introduce quotations with a colon.

Set off Quotations

Set-off quotations are set off from the sentence with a comma. Capitalize the first word of the quote. Notice the signal phrases (in bold print) used in the following examples.

Examples of Setting off Quotations

• As Jane Smith explains, “A duck’s quack doesn’t echo.”

• “Cheese is the most stolen food in the world,” according to Jane Smith.

• In the article, Jane Smith writes, “Snails can sleep for three years without eating.”

• “Dolphins,” as Jane Smith notes, “have highly developed emotion centers in their brains.”

Build in Quotations

Unlike set-off quotations, built-in quotations are built seamlessly into a sentence. They are not set off with commas and usually use the word “that” along with a signal phrase. Do not capitalize the first word of these quotes.

Examples of Building In Quotations

• In the interest of animal sleeping habits, Jane Smith proposes that “dolphins sleep with one eye open.”

• Jane Smith points out, in her article about the sun, that “only 55% of all Americans know that the sun is a star.”

Introduce Quotations with a Colon

For this strategy, the signal is a complete sentence that goes before the colon. This sentence provides some information about the quotation to introduce it. The quotation follows the colon, and the first word in the quotation is capitalized.

Examples of Introducing Quotes with a Colon

• In her book about pets, Jane Smith discusses the benefits of owning a dog: “Dog owners are less likely to suffer from depression and have lower levels of stress than people who do not own dogs.”

• Jane Smith argues that there are many good reasons for consuming dark chocolate: “Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, lowers blood pressure, and is high in vitamins and minerals.”

Common Errors in Embedding Quotations

When embedding quotations, be sure to avoid the following common errors.

Ambiguous Pronouns

Make sure the name of the person who said the quote is not in an introductory phrase, but part of the subject. The subject of the sentence should use the name of the person who said the quote.

Incorrect: In Jane Smith’s book about pets, she claims that “people who own dogs have lower levels of stress.”

Correct: In her book about pets, Jane Smith claims that “people who own dogs have lower levels of stress.”

Floating Quotations

Embedding quotations is important because the reader can follow the paragraph more easily. This means that there should be no sentences composed entirely of a quotation, or the reader may find it difficult to connect the quotation to the point one wishes to make in the paragraph.

Incorrect: Jane Smith states that there are many good reasons to eat dark chocolate. “Dark chocolate contains many antioxidants.”

Correct: Jane Smith states that there are many good reasons to eat dark chocolate, including that “dark chocolate contains many antioxidants.”

Correct: Jane Smith states that eating dark chocolate is good for one’s health. For instance, “Dark chocolate contains many antioxidants.”

Outline Structure for Literary Analysis Essay 

Paragraph 1: Introduction (BAT)

1. 1. Beginning strategy

   2. A short summary (two sentences) and main characters (for fiction or works that have characters)

   3. Thesis statement

Paragraph 2: First Body 

2. 1. Transition word or phrase

   2. Topic sentence

      1. What this paragraph will discuss / how will it support your thesis

   3. Context for the quote

      1. Give a brief summary of the background information needed to understand the quote you will use

   4. Quote from the text

      1. Introduce

      2. Grammar

      3. Cited 

   5. Commentary = analysis of the quote / discussion

      1. How does this support your thesis

   6. Closing sentence 

      1. End paragraph to effectively transition to the next paragraph

Paragraph 3: Second Body

3. 1. Transition word or phrase

   2. Topic sentence

      1. What this paragraph will discuss / how will it support your thesis

   3. Context for the quote

      1. Give a brief summary of the background information needed to understand the quote you will use

   4. Quote from the text

      1. Introduce

      2. Grammar

      3. Cited 

   5. Commentary = analysis of the quote / discussion

      1. How does this support your thesis

   6. Closing sentence 

      1. End paragraph to effectively transition to the next paragraph

Paragraph 4: Third Body

4. 1. Transition word or phrase

   2. Topic sentence

      1. What this paragraph will discuss / how will it support your thesis

   3. Context for the quote

      1. Give a brief summary of the background information needed to understand the quote you will use

   4. Quote from the text

      1. Introduce

      2. Grammar

      3. Cited 

   5. Commentary = analysis of the quote / discussion

      1. How does this support your thesis

   6. Closing sentence 

      1. End paragraph to effectively transition to the next paragraph

Paragraph 5: Conclusion

5. 1. Transition word or phrase

   2. End strategy

   3. Reword thesis statement

      1. Substitution strategy

   4. Summarize main points

Expository Essay Outline

Introduction Paragraph

1. 1. Beginning strategy 

      1. Simile

      2. Metaphor

      3. Subordinate clause (complex sentence) acknowledging opposing viewpoint

      4. Imagery followed by a series of questions

      5. Paradox, twist of words, or contradiction

   2. Thesis statement

      1. Simple thesis statement

         1. Claim.

      2. Thesis with reasons

         1. Claim because reason #1 and reason #2.

Body #1 Paragraph (PEEL strategy) = Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link

1. Transitional word or phrase

2. Concrete example #1 (specific)

   1. Movies, books, tv shows, cartoons, historical figures, real world person, characters

3. Writer’s craft - compound, complex, pitchfork sentences

4. Connection to thesis / Link

Body #2 Paragraph (PEEL strategy) = Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link

1. Transitional word or phrase

2. Concrete example #2 (specific)

   1. Movies, books, tv shows, cartoons, historical figures, real world person, characters

3. Writer's craft - compound, complex, pitchfork sentence

4. Connection to thesis / Link

Conclusion Paragraph

1. Transitional word or phrase

2. End strategy

   1. Extended metaphor

   2. Draw deduction from the facts

   3. Dismiss an opposing idea

   4. Provide a strong contrast

   5. End with quote that illustrates your main point

3. Reword thesis (substitution strategy)

4. Summarize main points

Argumentative / Persuasive Essay Outline

Introduction Paragraph

1. Beginning strategy 

   1. Simile

   2. Metaphor

   3. Subordinate clause (complex sentence) acknowledging opposing viewpoint

   4. Imagery followed by a series of questions

2. Thesis statement

   1. Simple thesis statement

      1. Claim.

   2. Thesis with concession

      1. While concession, claim

   3. Thesis with reasons

      1. Claim because reason #1 and reason #2

   4. Thesis with concession and reasons

      1. While concession, claim because reason #1 and reason #2

Body #1 Paragraph 

1. Transitional word or phrase

2. (PEELS strategy) = Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link

3. Writer’s craft - compound, complex, pitchfork sentences

4. Link to thesis

Body #2 Paragraph 

1. Transitional word or phrase

2. (PEEL strategy) = Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link

3. Writer's craft - compound, complex, pitchfork sentence

4. Link to thesis

Conclusion Paragraph

1. Transitional word or phrase

2. End strategy

   1. Extended metaphor

   2. Draw deduction from the facts

   3. Dismiss an opposing idea

   4. Provide a strong contrast

   5. End with quote that illustrates your main point

3. Reword thesis (substitution strategy)

4. Summarize main points

Transitions

Transition words and phrases are used to relate ideas. Writers may use transitions within paragraphs or between paragraphs so that ideas flow smoothly between sentences and between paragraphs. The following table provides some common transitions and how they are used.

Use a Transition Word or Phrase...

To add

Examples: and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.)

To compare

Examples: whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, although, conversely, meanwhile, in contrast, although this may be true

To prove

Examples: because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is

To show time or sequence

Examples: immediately, thereafter, soon, finally, then, later, previously, formerly, first (second, etc.), next, and then

To give an example

Examples: for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration

To summarize or conclude

Examples: in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently

To emphasize

Examples: definitely, obviously, in fact, indeed, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably

To repeat

Examples: in brief, as I have said, as I have noted, as has been noted

Possibilities for Conclusions

1. Draw a deduction from the facts

2. Pose a related question

3. Provide a strong contrast

4. End with a quotation that especially illustrates the main point

5. Dismiss an opposing idea

6. Provide a final illustration

7. Return to the idea or structure of the beginning

   1. Address or extend the metaphor

   2. Answer the question series

8. Give a statement of the subject’s overall significance

9. Create a useful analogy or comparison

6-Steps

1. LIST the task verb. What must you do intellectually? (analyze / compare / explain / evaluate)

2. LIST the topic. What idea is in play? (death, memory, honor, language, the living…)

3. LIST the required texts or vehicles (devices / elements). (metaphor, irony, characterization, etc.)

4. REWRITE the prompt as a question you can answer in one sentence.

5. LIST the must-haves. What you list in step 2 & 3 pluse textual evidence in commentary. (ATT, text evidence, commentary, elaboration, embedded, etc.) 

6. ANSWER the question = working thesis. Then choose evidence that actually proves that answer.

Example - Six Step Prompt Analysis: 

(1) Verb, (2) Topic, (3) Vehicle: Elements/Devices, (4) Rewrite, (5) Requirements, and (6) Answer

1. Prompt: Compare how Dickinson and Job (chapters 1–3) each answer the first shock of mortality or loss. Cite each text.

   1. Verb: Compare, answer, cite

   2. Topic: Each speaker’s first answer to the shock of death or loss

   3. Vehicle - Elements/Devices: Tone (courtesy vs. blessing/curse); chronology (ride that still moves vs. birthday Job wants undone); personification of Death

   4. Rewrite: Show how Dickinson’s first move and Job’s first move are alike when loss hits.

   5. Requirements:

      1. Tone

         1. Dickinson: “He kindly stopped for me” / “For His Civility” = courteous, unhurried, not terrified.

         2. Dickinson (shift): “The Dews drew quivering and Chill” = courtesy gives way to cold.

         3. Job: “the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (1:21) = restrained, worshipful.

         4. Job: he “cursed his day” (3:1); “Let the day perish wherein I was born” (3:3) = lament, bitter, undone.

      2. Chronology

         1. Dickinson: “We passed the School… Fields of Gazing Grain… the Setting Sun” = a life still moving in order.

         2. Dickinson: “Since then – ’tis Centuries – and yet / Feels shorter than the Day” = time collapses after the grave.

         3. Job: four messengers in sequence, then seven days of silence (2:13), then “After this opened Job his mouth” (3:1) = loss in order, cry delayed.

         4. Job: “Let the day perish wherein I was born” (3:3) = he tries to erase the starting point of time.

      3. Personification

         1. Dickinson: “Death… He kindly stopped for me” = Death as a polite gentleman caller.

         2. Dickinson: “The Carriage held but just Ourselves – / And Immortality” = Immortality as a third passenger.

         3. Dickinson: “He knew no haste” = Death as a driver who will not rush.

         4. Job 1–3: little true personification. The Lord and the Accuser are speakers in the council, not objects turned into people. If you need a stretch: the “wind” that “smote the four corners of the house” (1:19) acts with force, but the stronger craft in Job here is voice and lament, not personification.

   6. Answer: In the poem “Because I could not stop for death,” the author Emily Dickinson utilizes the speaker to answer the shock by yielding to a civil ride while in the poem Job, Job addresses the initial shock by openly displaying his faith.  

Types of Commentary

1. Diction / connotation

2. Contrast or juxtaposition

3. Character motive vs. stated reason

4. Author’s purpose / intended reader effect

5. Connection to a motif or earlier scene

6. Implication or “if this continues…”

Vehicle aka LET Method (Literary Elements and Techniques

Instructions

Give students something concrete to write about.

Identify one device or element in the text (diction, imagery, irony, contrast, point of view, motif, characterization, metaphor, simile, symbolism, etc. etc.)

How it works:

1. Quote: 

2. Device: 

3. Define/Description/Details: 

4. Effect/Purpose: 

5. Link to claim: 

Example

Prompt: Compare how Dickinson and Job (chapters 1–3) each answer the first shock of mortality or loss. Cite each text 

Claim: In the poem “Because I could not stop for death,” the author Emily Dickinson answers the first shock of loss by freezing feeling so the self can survive; meanwhile, in the book of "Job", Job answers it by calling down darkness to unmake the day he was born.

Text 1 — Emily Dickinson, “After great pain, a formal feeling comes—”

1. Quote: 

   1. “This is the Hour of Lead — / Remembered, if outlived, / As Freezing persons, recollect the Snow — / First — Chill — then Stupor — then the letting go —”

2. Device: 

   1. Extended metaphor + simile (grief as freezing / as lead)

3. Define/Description/Details: 

   1. “Hour of Lead” = heavy, dull, almost metallic time

   2. “Quartz contentment, like a stone” and “Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs” = hard, ceremonial, unfeeling

   3. Sequence is clinical: Chill → Stupor → letting go

   4. The body keeps moving (“Feet, mechanical”) while feeling is shut down

4. Effect/Purpose: 

   1. Dickinson does not show screaming or bargaining. The first shock is answered by a protective shutdown. Feeling is postponed so the person can keep standing.

5. Link to claim: 

   1. Dickinson’s first answer to loss is anesthesia. Survival comes before meaning. The cost is delay: the “letting go” only happens later, if the person outlives the hour.

Text 2 — Job 3:1–10 (after the losses in Job 1–2)

1. Quote: 

   1. “Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, ‘A man is conceived.’ Let that day be darkness; may God above not seek it, nor light shine on it.” (Job 3:3–4)

2. Device: 

   1. Symbolism — darkness stands for the wish that Job’s life had never begun

3. Define/Description/Details: 

   1. Light normally means life, birth, and God’s notice

   2. Job calls for the opposite: darkness, no dawn, no stars, no “joyful shout”

   3. He treats the day of his birth as a thing that can be unmade

   4. This is his first speech after the losses in chapters 1–2 and seven days of silence

4. Effect/Purpose: 

   1. Job does not go numb. He answers the shock by trying to black out the starting point. Darkness is not just mood; it is the tool he uses to erase the day that produced him.

5. Link to claim: 

   1. Job’s first answer to loss is un-creation. Where Dickinson freezes feeling so the person can keep living, Job uses darkness-symbolism to say living was the mistake.

Graduate from "This shows that..."

The word/phrase “___” emphasizes…

By [device], the author…

This moment reveals… because…

Readers are meant to see that…

This is significant not only because… but because…

If X were not true, then…

ATC Strategy

Answer the question that is being asked.

Textual Evidence (quote) from the text to support your answer.

Commentary on how the textual evidence you selected supports or connects to your answer.  Explain the how and why this is significant. 

Example: NO strategy used

In John Donne’s poem "No Man is an Island," the speaker conveys the theme that humans were not created to be isolated from one another. The narrator says, "No man is an island entirely of himself."  This shows that you are never alone as you are not only surrounded by people, but also a contributing member of a functioning society.

Example: Honors English 2 Expectations (One-Word Zoom Strategy)

In John Donne’s “No Man Is an Island,” the speaker uses the metaphor of an island to argue that isolation is unnatural and ultimately impossible for human beings. The speaker asserts, “No man is an island entirely of himself.” Donne's use of the word “island” reveals the depth of this claim: an island is geographically cut off, self-contained, and separate from the mainland, suggesting total independence. Yet Donne rejects this idea, implying that the desire to stand alone is a false and dangerous illusion. By declaring that no person is an “island,” the speaker emphasizes that human identity and survival depend on connection. Each individual is inherently linked to others, just as land is joined to a larger continent. This single word therefore captures the poem’s central warning: to live as an island is to deny one’s place in the human community and to invite a kind of spiritual and social death.

Create Meaning - Simile / Metaphor

Tenor: The underlying idea, topic, concept, object, or person you want to talk about or understand.

Vehicle: The physical object, concept, or image whose traits are borrowed to explain the tenor.

Purpose: To use the tension and similarities between the vehicle and the tenor to express abstract or unfamiliar concepts in a concrete, memorable way.

Example: Time is a thief.

Tenor: time

Vehicle: thief

Purpose: To show that time steals moments away from us stealthily and irreversibly

Pair stems with a "So what?" ladder

What does the quote say? (literal)

What does it show? (interpretation)

Why did the author make this choice

How does this support my claim?

Why should a reader care about this in the whole work?

One-Word Zoom

Because [what that word does]

which means [interpretation]

so [link back to the claim]

Answer Four Questions After Quote

What does this evidence reveal? (not what happens)

How does it support my Answer/claim?

Which word, image, or contrast is doing the work? (zoom in)

Why does that choice matter in the whole text?

Sentence Types Tutorial for Honors English 2

Understanding sentence types helps you write with clarity, variety, and sophistication which is the expectation in Honors English 2 analytical paragraphs and essays. There are two main ways to classify sentences: by structure (how the sentence is built) and by purpose (what the sentence does). Both matter for strong writing.

Part 1: Sentences by Structure

These are the four types you will use most in literary analysis and essays. Mastering them prevents fragments and run-ons while giving your writing rhythm and depth.

Simple Sentence

Definition: One independent clause.

Rules: Has a subject + verb; may have modifiers or phrases, but only one complete thought.

Example: The speaker rejects isolation.

Compound Sentence

Definition: Two or more independent clauses.

Rules: Join with a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) or a semicolon.

Example: The speaker rejects isolation, and he emphasizes human connection.

Complex Sentence

Definition: One independent clause + at least one dependent clause.

Rules: Dependent clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions (because, although, since, if, when, while, etc.) or relative pronouns (who, which, that).

Example: Although the speaker rejects isolation, he still acknowledges human vulnerability.

Compound-Complex Sentence

Definition: At least two independent clauses + at least one dependent clause.

Rules: Combines the rules of compound and complex sentences.

Example: Although the speaker rejects isolation, he emphasizes human connection, and he warns against spiritual death.

Key Rules for Structure

• Every sentence needs at least one independent clause (a complete thought that can stand alone).

• A dependent clause cannot stand alone; it must be attached to an independent clause.

• Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction when joining two independent clauses (compound sentences).

• A semicolon can join two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction.

• Vary your sentence types. Relying only on simple sentences makes writing sound choppy; overusing long compound-complex sentences can make it hard to follow.

Honors-Level Examples (Literary Analysis)

• Simple: Donne’s metaphor of the island conveys isolation.

• Compound: Donne’s metaphor conveys isolation, yet it ultimately argues for interdependence.

• Complex: Because no man is an island, every individual remains connected to the larger human community.

• Compound-Complex: Although the speaker declares that no man is an island, he still recognizes the danger of isolation, and he urges readers to embrace their place in the whole.

Part 2: Sentences by Purpose

These describe the function of a sentence. In analytical writing you will mostly use declarative sentences, but knowing the others helps with rhetorical effect and variety.

Declarative

Purpose: Makes a statement.

Ending Punctuation: Period (.)

Example: The speaker argues that isolation is unnatural.

Interrogative

Purpose: Asks a question.

Ending Punctuation: Question mark (?)

Example: How does the island metaphor develop the theme of interdependence?

Imperative

Purpose: Gives a command or request.

Ending Punctuation: Period (.) or exclamation mark (!)

Example: Consider the connotations of the word “island.”

Exclamatory

Purpose: Expresses strong emotion.

Ending Punctuation: Exclamation mark (!)

Example: The isolation of the island is devastating!

Note for Honors Writing: Stick primarily to declarative sentences in formal analysis. Use interrogative sentences sparingly (often as a rhetorical question that you immediately answer). Avoid exclamatory sentences in academic essays.

Common Errors and How to Fix Them

• Fragment: Missing an independent clause.

  • Error: Because no man is an island.

  • Fix: Because no man is an island, every person is connected to others.

• Run-on / Comma Splice: Two independent clauses joined incorrectly.

  • Error: The speaker rejects isolation, he emphasizes connection.

  • Fix: The speaker rejects isolation, and he emphasizes connection.

  • Or: The speaker rejects isolation; he emphasizes connection.

• Choppy Writing: Too many simple sentences in a row.

  • Weak: The speaker uses a metaphor. The metaphor is an island. The island shows isolation.

  • Improved: The speaker uses the metaphor of an island to show that isolation is unnatural.

Tips for Using Sentence Types Effectively in Honors English 2

1. Start strong with a clear simple or complex topic sentence that states your claim.

2. Use complex and compound-complex sentences when analyzing evidence these allow you to show relationships (cause/effect, contrast, condition) between ideas.

3. Embed quotations smoothly inside any sentence type (especially complex ones).

4. Example: When the speaker asserts that “no man is an island entirely of himself,” he rejects the illusion of total independence.

5. Vary your structures within a paragraph for better flow and sophistication.

Check every sentence for a clear subject and verb, and make sure dependent clauses are attached to independent ones.