How Can I Answer a Question Persuasively and Thoroughly?

How can I answer a question persuasively and thoroughly?

Identify what the question or task is asking you to do: circle, underline, or number the parts of the task that you must be sure to answer.

HINT: Most of the time you will be asked how a writing technique contributes to the meaning, so you must 1) provide specific examples of the technique, 2) tell what you think the meaning of the text is, and 3) show how the technique helps reveal the meaning.

For example, on your narrative quiz test, look at number 4:

Analyze this sentence for syntax: “My father, who is one of the few Indians who went to

Catholic school on purpose, was an avid reader . . . . “ Whattechnique of sentence composing

makes this portion of the sentence effective?

What is your task?

What is your example?

How does the example support the meaning?

Find evidence in the text that provides examples of what you have to prove: make notes in the margins.

For example, on your narrative quiz, look at number 9:

Discuss how Alexie uses parallel structure and repetition in the last two paragraphs (7 & 8). Pay particular attention to the final sentences in each.

1) Find some compelling examples that make your point about what the parallelism is doing.

2) Find some compelling examples that make your point about what repetition is doing.

3) Pay attention to the final sentences in each paragraph and how they are parallel.

4) How do these techniques make Alexie’s larger point about learning to read?

Do these answers do that?

He puts great detail in his words.
Trying to make it personal.
He draws the reader’s attention to tell you what he wants you to hear.
He is letting us know how his process went as a child.
To show the things he does.
How reading those books are boring
To show the kind of person he is.
To show a deeper meaning.
To catch the reader’s attention.
It makes the reading more dramatic.
It shows the author’s point.

“The Ring of Time”

Revisit #1, 2, and 3. You can resubmit this assignment by next Tuesday, October 1.

Rewrite the paragraph-length answers for each question, offering specific examples and how those examples help reveal the author’s purpose and the meaning.

College Essay

Grade yourself according to the freshman composition writing rubric.

Descriptive writing

Bring your description to life with concrete words, metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole andallusion.
Use specific details and diction to create three separate paragraphs of description for each of the following for homework:

a favorite place.
a person (not family member or main squeeze or best friend) AND
the most interesting object in your room