Check marks—good or excellent.
You are doing something right. Do more of this.
You are doing something right. Do more of this.
X--incorrect or inaccurate commentary.
You have misread the prompt or the passage/poem. You may have labeled the wrong literary device. You are inaccurate in interpretation or content.
You have misread the prompt or the passage/poem. You may have labeled the wrong literary device. You are inaccurate in interpretation or content.
WC--Your choice of vocabulary is not precise; work on finding the right word for the situation. You may have been inadvertently humorous. In order to improve, examine the word circled and marked with WC. Consider what would be a better choice. Use a thesaurus or vocabulary list. When you identify a better word, remember it for next time. Situations often repeat themselves, and there will definitely be another opportunity to use your new word.
VOCAB--weak vocabulary.
Avoid words like “very,” “good,” “bad,” “sad,” “happy." VOCAB differs from WC in that VOCAB suggests the writer has used the correct word, but not in the appropriate academic register. Consider your audience. You are writing a scholarly essay for an educated audience.
Avoid words like “very,” “good,” “bad,” “sad,” “happy." VOCAB differs from WC in that VOCAB suggests the writer has used the correct word, but not in the appropriate academic register. Consider your audience. You are writing a scholarly essay for an educated audience.
VAGUE--Avoid vague commentary like “the author’s imagery makes the reader feel” or “the simile gets the reader’s attention.” Think specifically about the effect of the device. What emotions does the language evoke? Anger? Fear? Nostalgia? Regret? What is the specific tone of the piece?
OBV--Obvious.
Avoid obvious commentary. For example, we all know the speaker is sad when his brother dies. We know the character who meets someone scary is afraid. Consider the complexities of the situation. Perhaps a speaker who has lost his brother is mournful and full of remorse. Is he numb to emotions because of the loss? Is the character who meets someone scary intrigued or paralyzed? Life and human emotion is not simple. However, don't make random guesses. The answer to the complex feelings is in the language used by the author. Look at the words.
Avoid obvious commentary. For example, we all know the speaker is sad when his brother dies. We know the character who meets someone scary is afraid. Consider the complexities of the situation. Perhaps a speaker who has lost his brother is mournful and full of remorse. Is he numb to emotions because of the loss? Is the character who meets someone scary intrigued or paralyzed? Life and human emotion is not simple. However, don't make random guesses. The answer to the complex feelings is in the language used by the author. Look at the words.
X No Com--At the end of each paragraph, I should find your interpretative analysis. After you quote from the text, explain the feelings evoked. Don’t just stop with identifying the literary device or with a quote from the text. The literary analysis is about discussing the effect of the language used. You can never have too much discussion on the EFFECT.
X TS or Weak TS--Topic sentences need to announce topic of the paragraph and make interpretative claims. Get commentary, or interpretation/effect, in the topic sentences.
For example, "Dickinson's personification of death contributes to her feelings of acceptance."
For example, "Dickinson's personification of death contributes to her feelings of acceptance."
? You lost me. I don’t know what you are talking about. You might have used the wrong word or skipped a word, or ideas may be unclear. You might be missing a step in logic or explanation.
Style?--Your sentence structure might be repetitive. Your vocab may be weak. Generally, the language lacks maturity. Consider using stronger verbs, avoiding "be" verbs, or varying sentence structure. Are you overusing weak constructions like "there is/are" or "this is"? Sentence structure should vary between long and short sentences. Use Texas A&M Writing Center advice page on sentence structure.
TRANS?--Use transitions. You are missing transitions between ideas. Consider adding transitional words/phrases or using last line of the paragraph to transition into the next paragraph. Use Texas A&M Writing Center list.
REPEAT--You are saying the same things repeatedly. Try to develop your interpretation. Avoid spinning your wheels. Move past the first idea. Papers need to develop, or grow.
Comma ,
See comma rules at OWL.
See comma rules at OWL.
RO--Run on sentences. Write in complete sentences, using periods to end complete sentences. See OWL for details.
SENT FRAG--Sentence fragments. Write in complete sentences. See OWL for details.
CS--Comma splice. Either end the sentence or use one of the following: comma and coordinating conjunction or semi-colon. See OWL for explanation. Also called a fused sentence.
QUOTE?--In the case of a Question 3 analysis, the instructor will write "EVIDENCE?" Where are your citations? You need to cite the passage or poem to support your claims. If writing a Q3, you need evidence from the novel or play. The College Board description of a 9 essay in prose and poetry calls for "apt and specific" textual evidence. The College Board description of a 9 Question 3 calls for a discussion of the literary work that exhibits "significant insight and understanding."
BLEND QUOTES--When writing a literary analysis, you must cite the poem or passage to support your interpretation. The reader needs to see the device you are interpreting. However, your quotes need to blend in with your language. Try integrating the quotes by breaking them into parts. See this video for details or this handout from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.