Constructive Response Writing 101
Use for DQs, Essays, Literary Analyses, and Narratives
Checklist:
 Restate the prompt. Have a topic sentence
 Be specific with examples (give evidence from the text)
Weak
The Bulldogs beat the Jackets
Qs: When was the game? Is it high school or college? What sport?
Better
The Georgia Bulldogs beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 87-77 in Saturday’s basketball game.
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Paragraphs 4 to 6 sentences in length
No contractions
No abbreviations
Look for homonyms: there, they’re, their
to, too
Avoid “I” and “you”; get straight to the point
No fragments
Connect quotes to your explanation
 Punctuate titles (underline movies and books; quotation marks around poems and short stories)
EX: The Blind Side (movie) “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost (poem)
“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe (short story)
The Giver (novel)
 Identify characters in story by first name. Use the last name of the author.
SAMPLE
DQ Writing Prompt:
How is the characterization of Beowulf developed through the figurative
language, imagery, diction and sound devices used in the epic? Make sure to
identify and explain at least two poetic elements used.
The author develops the characterization of Beowulf through the figurative
language and imagery used in the poem. First, the author identifies Beowulf’s
greatness as a leader with the alliteration “the greatest of the Geats.” Beowulf is
viewed by society as being the best of his group of people, perhaps due to his
past adventures. Next, the author shows Beowulf’s knowledge of the sea in the
alliteration “he pointed the prow straight to the Danish shore.” This shows that
Beowulf is capable of guiding his crew on the ship to their destination.
(Note: If this were an assignment for an essay, the writer would expand on each
literary element explanation in paragraph form)