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Advice to share with your students

Note: CEA = claim, evidence, analysis

THE HOOK: Don’t neglect the “interesting” introduction line. Impress your reader right off the bat!
THE THESIS: Vague thesis statements will not impress your reader. Show you’re going to fully answer the prompt, AND show you’re going to discuss a meaningful idea/theme. Spend a HUGE chunk of your time figuring out the prompt, making sure you’re fully answering it, and deciding what deeper idea/theme you can connect to.
EVIDENCE: Use MORE specific evidence from the text. Don’t skimp on evidence. It makes your paper seem either rushed or lazy.
ANALYSIS: Do not just make claims and then provide evidence. You must then explain how the evidence proves the claims. (Basically, don’t forget the “A” part of “CEA”!)
LITERARY TERMS: You need to have an arsenal of 15-20 literary terms you can easily discuss. Make a list for yourself to study. (Consider terms like characterization, theme, point of view, tone, imagery, diction, setting, speaker, narrator, etc.)
TRANSITION WORDS/PHRASES: Try not to neglect transitions, both at the start of new body paragraphs AND from idea to idea WITHIN paragraphs.