Literary Paragraphs

ENGLI SH 10
MS. KI RK
Literary Paragraph simply means a piece of
writing that analyzes a piece of literature.


1) The first step when writing a paragraph is
coming up with your main idea (argument)

2) Once you have an argument, you then need
to organize. There is a very organized structure
to expository writing.


IDEA:
What am I going to say
about this piece of
literature.
ORGANIZATION:
I need to order my points for greatest
impact.
Organization: Topic Sentence
Asserting your main argument in the topic sentence will guide the reader through your
paragraph and set a strong tone.
A topic sentence should include:
a) title and type (short story / novel / poem) of the piece of literature.
b) name of the author.
c) your argument or stance on the question.
Example:
In Isaac Asimov's short story All the Troubles of the World the greatest conflict is the internal
battle within Multivac as it predicts all of humanities problems.

A.C.E. for Supporting Points

A Assert your argument. Make a clear statement.
C Cite your evidence. Integrate a quotation.
E Explain your reasoning. How does this quote support your
statement?



Example From All the Troubles of
the World
A - Assert Multivac was facing an internal struggle as it continued to be
burdened by more human issues, such as disease prediction.
C - Cite The likelihood of human disease was added to the list of
Multivacs duties when, As (crime) intentions feel of and
Multivacs capacity was enlarged (7).
E - Explain The increased burden forced Multivac to try and burn its own
circuits.
ACE Techniques
For this class, every literary paragraph should
contain at least two supporting points that
back up your main argument.

Incorporate your quotation into a sentence.
Quotes do not stand alone!
After your evidence, your explanation should
reassert your point and help to add meaning
to your evidence (citation).


Concluding Sentence

Your concluding statement should summarize
your main points in a interesting way, and
answer the original question.

Your concluding statement should not include
the author, title/ literature type, or original
question.
Concluding Sentence Example

Multivac was created to end poverty,
disease, and crime; however, eventually
there was a role reversal and society
changed to serve Multivac as it
developed a consciousness of its own.

This is the second most important sentence in
your paragraph. Take your time and make sure
this sentence is a synthesis of your main
arguments.


Transition Words
These words act like clues for the reader and guide them through your argument.
Contrary to popular belief, these words to not have to start a sentence but can be used at any
time.
Be careful not to overuse these, or your risk sounding wooden or formulaic.