AP English Literature AMSCO Guided Notes
6.5: Writing About Literature VI
AP English Literature Guided Notes
AMSCO 6.5 - Writing About Literature VI
Essential Questions
- How can you communicate in writing an interpretation of a work of literature that asserts a claim and supports it with evidence?
I. Developing a Thesis Statement and Commentary
1. What is a thesis statement and what must it accomplish in a literary analysis essay?
2. How does commentary connect textual evidence to your thesis statement and line of reasoning?
II. Developing a Line of Reasoning
1. What is a line of reasoning and how does it connect evidence to your thesis statement?
2. What criteria make a line of reasoning and commentary effective in supporting your thesis?
III. Evidence
1. What forms can evidence take in literary analysis and how must it be connected to your argument?
2. What criteria determine whether evidence is sufficient to support your line of reasoning?
3. How is developing and supporting an interpretation of a text a recursive process?
IV. Communicating Clearly with the Elements of Composition
A. Artful Syntax
1. How do coordination and subordination differ in showing relationships between ideas?
2. When should you use coordination to combine sentences and when should you use subordination?
3. How does the placement of prepositional phrases affect clarity and sentence variety in your writing?
B. The Power of Words
1. What should you consider when choosing words to ensure they match your purpose and create strong impressions?
2. What specific revisions can you make to strengthen weak verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs in your writing?
C. Punctuation and Meaning
1. How can punctuation marks create meaning and emphasize ideas beyond their conventional usage?
2. What questions should you ask when revising for punctuation to ensure it conveys relationships among ideas?
Key Terms
thesis statement
commentary
line of reasoning
evidence
coordination
subordination
punctuation