Step 1: Finding Quotations That Are Worth Mentioning

Double Entry Journal (DEJ) Cheat Sheet

Step 1: Finding Quotations that Are Worth Mentioning

Are you reading your book/essay/article and can’t figure out what quotations to choose from your reading? Ask yourself the following questions as you are reading, or after you have finished reading, to help you choose some quotations that you can write intelligent responses for:

A] Connections

A1.What is a part of this reading that I personally connect with?

A2.What does this story remind me of?

A3.Can I relate to any of the characters in the story?

A4.Did my reading remind me of anything in my own life?

A5.Does anything in my reading trigger a memory of another book I read or a movie I watched?

A6.How is this text similar to other things I have read?

A7.How is this text different from other things I have read?

A8.Do any passages remind me of something that is currently happening in our world today?

A9.What does this remind me of in the real world?

A10.How are events in this story similar to things that happen in the real world?

A11.How are events in this story different from things that happen in the real world?

B] Observations/Analysis

B1.What is one part of my reading that is interesting?

B2.What sentences are particularly funny?

C] Questions

C1.Are there parts of my reading that force me to ask any questions? What are my questions?

C2.Is there a part I read that made me wonder what the character meant when he/she said that?

D] Predictions

D1.Can I make a prediction about what will happen next or how the story will end based on a part of my reading?

E] Opinions

E1.Is there anything in my reading that I very strongly agree with?

E2.Is there anything in my reading that I strongly disagree with?

E3.Do I have an opinion on a character’s decision or action?

F] Emotional Reactions

F1. What is a passage that is very powerful or makes me feel a strong emotion?

G] Vocabulary

G1.Are there any words that I don’t understand?

G2.Are there any words I find especially interesting or descriptive?

H] Plot

H1.Do I notice a part of my reading where the plot shifts or changes?

H2.Did my reading include an element of the Plot Diagram (exposition, main conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution) that I can point out?

H3.Did my reading describe the setting (time and place) of the story?

I] Character

I1. Are there any passages that reveal a character’s personality traits?

I2. Is there a sentence or two that shows how a character functions in the story’s plot?

I3. Is there a part I just read that shows how the character changed or will change?

J] Theme

J1. Did this reading include one of the story’s themes?

J2. Is there a passage that contains a specific message?

K] Writing Techniques

K1.Is there a passage in my reading that reveals the author’s writing style?

K2.Do any parts of my reading make me wonder why the author writes this way?

L] Grammar/Sentence Structure/Punctuation

L1. Can I make an interesting comment on any of the sentences’ punctuations?

L2. Can I make an interesting comment on the way a sentence was arranged?

Step 2:I Found Quotations in the Reading That I Think Are Important. What Do I Write as My Response?

Write down the sentences from your reading that apply to the question(s) you can respond to. When you write these sentences word for word from your reading, they are quotations. That means you should be using quotation marks.

Your response is basically an intelligent way of answering the question(s) you chose using your own words. Your response provides an explanation for why you chose the quotation(s) in the first place. You choose parts of your reading because they are important or stood out to you. Your response is your opportunity to explain why.

Donot summarize the quotation(s) you chose – this is repetitive and does not show that you have thought about the quotation in a creative or investigative way.

Good Example:

Let’s say you are able to respond to question I2: Is there a sentence or two that shows how a character functions in the story’s plot?

You would fill out your DEJ row like this:

DEJ # and
Page # / Quotations from the reading
Salient Points:Important passages from the reading that stand out to you. Use an ellipsis (…) to indicate where you omitted unnecessary text from the quote. / Response
General: Connections, Observations, Analysis, Questions, Predictions, Opinions, Emotional Reactions
Specific: Vocabulary, Plot, Character, Theme, Writing Techniques, Grammar, Sentence Structure, Punctuation
1.
Page #_2_ / “Margot stood alone…She was an old photograph dusted from an album, whitened away, and if she spoke at all her voice would be a ghost.” / This line proves that Margot is truly different from all the other children. She is not described as a typical child in this quote; it’s almost as if she is so much older or wiser than the others around her. This passage also hints that Margot will continue to be an outsider and apart from what is considered normal by everyone else.

Example of What You Should Not Do:

Below is an example of a poor response. The response simply summarizes the quotation. It is repetitive and does not show thoughtfulness or effort.