ACQC Paragraphs
Assertion, Context, Quote, Commentary
Most paragraphs will follow an ACQC pattern, in which quoted evidence is analyzed to support one
assertion (claim/controlling idea/topic sentence).
Assertion: think “SCRAPY” the first sentence of the paragraph
1.
2.
S: Specific and detailed roadmap for the argument to follow in the paragraph
____C: Covers the full argument of the paragraph to follow; there should be no “left hand turns”
____
within the paragraph that do not align closely to the argument in the assertion
R: Related to the prompt or thesis statement if the paragraph is part of a larger essay
____A: Analytical and “deep.” The assertion should be interpretive and high-level, rather than
3. ____
4.
obvious
5.
P
____ : Provable argument. Must be an argument or opinion – do not state a fact and avoid
beginning with a summary or context for the scene rather than an argument interpreting the
significance of the scene.
Y
6. ____ : You can understand it, a.k.a. clarity. Another peer can read your assertion and
summarize it
Context : set up the quote preparing the reader for the analysis to follow
7. ____ What is happening or being described by the narrator (no analysis)
8. ____ Begin with an example transition: “for instance” or “specifically” work well if you can’t think of a
phrase to connect the assertion to the example.
9. ____ Context is in a dependent clause (rather than a full sentence) and is attached to the quote to form
one smooth sentence.
10. ____ Tip: begin your dependent clause with context words like after, before, during, when, while, as
11. ____ Introduce the speaker of the quote in the context (even if the speaker is the narrator or the author
as 3rd person narrator) and the character(s) being spoken to, if applicable or if you wish
12. ____ If you are not using the advanced embedding method, vary your speaker words. Try one of the
following as appropriate: acknowledges, admits, agrees, argues, asserts, believes, claims, comments,
compares, confirms, contends, declares, denies, disputes, emphasizes, endorses, grants, illustrates,
implies, insists, notes, observes, points out, reasons, refutes, reports, responds, suggests, thinks, writes
QUOTE EMBEDDING:
13.
How do I Embed my Quotes?
,
FORMAT: [Specifically ] [after/before/during][CONTEXT of the scene]
quote OR Author’s Last Name] [speaker word]
(54).
14.
, [Speaker of
, “…most important excerpt from quote”
EXAMPLE: For instance, when Gatsby smiles at Nick during their first meeting, Nick
notes, “It believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself”(48).
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Quote : the evidence you use to support your assertion
15. ____ Use proper “quotation marks”
16. ____ If you are quoting dialogue, use single quotes within the larger quoted text: “’Why do you love sin?’
Papa asked” (57).
17. ____ Avoid over-quoting! Only include words and phrases that are important to your analysis; the rule
of thumb is to analyze twice what you quote, so chose your key phrases wisely and think: is this evidence
I could paraphrase into my own words or is there something specific here I want to analyze such as a
metaphor, symbol, simile, or diction (word choice) indicating a certain mood or tone? If not, write in
your own words instead!
18. ____ Skip over unnecessary words with ellipses (…) but the overall context + quote must be a complete
sentence/thought that makes grammatical sense
19. ____ Include page number in parentheses in the form: “blah, blah, blah” (11). Do not write: “pg.” “page”
or “pp”
20. ____ If you are using 2 quotes to support your assertion, note that “two quotes” often mean two
selections of short phrases from the same passage or scene. This way, your paragraph will not feel too
disjointed.
Commentary : (1) transition + (2) explain + (3) connect + (4) go big
21. ____ Commentary Transition: Use a commentary transition to introduce your commentary, or
analysis of your evidence: Here…, This comment characterizes [character] as… , In this instance, [Author]’s
description highlights…, This scene’s details depict…, This exchange between [Character A] and [Character B]
illustrates…
22. ____ Explain: Think about this sentence as your mini-assertion about the quote, specifically. The
“explain” step summarizes your overall insight: what about the quote is doing the revealing (a
character’s comments or actions? a description?), and what does the quote reveal? (1 sentence)
23. ____ Connect: This is the close reading, or word and phrase level analysis part as well as the part of
commentary in which you make your case clearly to the reader, elaborating upon the quote and
explaining with crystal clarity how the quote proves the assertion (but avoid saying “This quote proves
the assertion because…”) For 2-3 sentences, the quote is thoroughly and slowly explained to an unknowing
reader – how does it prove the assertion? What is the connection?
Here’s where you do stuff (if related to thesis) like
____1) explain those hard vocabulary words,
____2) explain the meaning and significance of metaphors, symbols, and diction (word
choice) indicating mood and tone
____3) discuss whether this has been said before or if this marks a change in the character,
comparing him now to before
____4) explain character motivation, or WHY a character has said something, 5) compare this
character to other characters (2-3 sentences total for “Connect”)
24. ____ Go Big: Final lines of the paragraph make a connection to the text as a whole, discuss theme and/or
deeper, universal connections, and specifically connect to the thesis statement (1-2 sentences):
____1) what primary subjects does the quote reflect or contribute to? what theme does it suggest?
____2) what does the quote suggest about a character’s overall role in the story? Does it develop a
comparison or contrast between one character and another?
____3) how does the quote develop the primary conflict?
____4) what events does the quote foreshadow?
____5) how does the quote connect to a previous image or event?
commentary words! The difference between clunky and classy!
reveals, demonstrates,
depicts, exposes, explores, suggests, emphasizes, highlights,
discusses, underscores
25. ____ Utilize Commentary Words throughout to explain your analysis:
26. ____ Wherever possible, use the author’s last name in your commentary. Doing so indicates your awareness
of author’s purpose and author’s craft and facilitates a higher-order analysis.
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Transitions : example, commentary, addition, contrast, cause-effect
27. ____ Strategically use transition words, phrases, and clauses ("however," "consequently," "before... it must be
noted that...") to link each idea to the next. Using transition words and phrases helps your argument
tremendously because it makes your paper so much more easy to follow.
28. ____ Use an example transition to introduce your first piece of evidence: for instance, specifically, namely
29. ____ Use a commentary transition to introduce your commentary, or analysis of your evidence: Here…,
This comment characterizes [character] as… , In this instance, [Author]’s description highlights…, This
scene’s details depict…, This exchange between [Character A] and [Character B] illustrates…
30. ____ Use an addition transition to introduce a second point or second piece of evidence: further,
furthermore, moreover, also, similarly, likewise, additionally, not only… but also
31. ____ Use a contrast transition to compare characters to each other, compare different scenes, tones,
moods, or compare a character to himself or herself if you’re discussing character development. The following
are contrast transitions: however, rather, on the other hand, nevertheless, contrastingly
32. ____ Use a cause-effect transition to explain in your commentary why an event occurred or the effect of a
character’s behavior on others, on the tone, on the development of theme… What else? Cause effect transitions
include: consequently, because, therefore, thus, for this/that reason, subsequently
Exemplars of ACQC parts
A - Make an Assertion
Requirements
Sample:
Tips
How is Gatsby
characterized?
•
•
•
author, title, type of work
provides a clear argument
that answers the question
defines important
characters/terms –
consider using nonessential phrases
•
•
In Fitzgerald’s novel The
•
Great Gatsby, Gatsby,
Nick’s wealthy neighbor, is
characterized as both
sincere and superficial.
Fitzgerald portrays
•
Gatsby, Nick’s wealthy
neighbor, as a sincere
•
man who hides behind a
false identity in his novel
The Great Gatsby.
Underline longer works, like
novels & plays; shorter works,
like poems, short stories, and
articles, should be in
quotation marks
Avoid directly restating the
question
Your assertion must be
arguable and debatable – it
should not be a fact
C & Q - Embed 1-2 Supporting Quotes
Requirements
Sample:
Tips
How is Gatsby characterized?
Basic Embedding:
•
•
•
Transition
Context
Speaker
•
For instance, when Gatsby smiles
at Nick during their first meeting,
Nick notes, “It believed in you as
you would like to believe in
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Transitions – When using 2
quotes:
•
1st quote – use example
Requirements
Sample:
Tips
How is Gatsby characterized?
o Avoid “says” –
use states,
mentions,
explains,
responds
• Quote
o Use… to skip
words
o Must contain
complete
sentence
• Location
Advanced
Embedding:
Transition
Context & Quote –
combine fluidly
into a complete
sentence
o Use brackets to
change or add
words
o Use ellipses to
skip words
• Location
•
•
yourself”(48).
transition
• 2nd quote – use appropriate
transition (may be contrast,
comparison, addition, effect,
sequence)
Context:
Explain what is occurring in
the story when the quote
arises – who is involved?
where are the characters?
when is the quote stated?
• Use context words (after,
before, during, when, while,
as)
Quote:
•
•
When Nick meets Gatsby for the
first time at one of the latter’s
parties, in fact, he notes that
Gatby’s smile seemed to
“underst[and] you…and believ[e]
in you as you would like to believe
in yourself”(48).
Must support the assertion
Use proper quotation marks
Single quotation marks
should be used for dialogue
Location:
•
•
•
•
Should be in the form: … he
states, “blah” (109).
C - Provide Commentary
Requirements
Tips
Commentary:
! Use a transition word or phrase (Here, This scene’s details depict…)
! Explain: Think about this sentence as your mini-assertion about the quote,
specifically. The “explain” step summarizes your overall insight: what
about the quote is doing the revealing (a character’s comments or
actions? a description?), and what does the quote reveal? (1 sentence)
! Connect: Quote is thoroughly and slowly explained to an unknowing
reader – how does it prove the assertion? What is the connection?
o Here’s where you do stuff (if related to thesis) like 1) explain those hard
vocabulary words, 2) explain the meaning of metaphors and symbols, 3)
discuss whether this has been said before or if this marks a change in the
character, comparing him now to before 4) explain WHY a character has
said something, 5) compare this character to other characters (1-2
sentences)
! Go Big: Final lines make a connection to the text as a whole, and
specifically to the thesis statement (1-2 sentences):
o what primary subjects does the quote reflect or contribute to? what theme
does it suggest?
o what does the quote suggest about a character’s overall role in the story?
• Use commentary words
throughout: highlights,
emphasizes,
underscores,
accentuates, suggests,
indicates, reveals,
exposes, illustrates
• Avoid simply
summarizing the
quotes – explain HOW
each quote supports
the assertion
• Avoid repeating your
assertion
• When using multiple
quotes, transitions and
4
o
o
o
!
Does it develop a comparison or contrast between one character and
another?
how does the quote develop the primary conflict?
what events does the quote foreshadow?
how does the quote connect to a previous image or event?
Utilize Commentary Words throughout to explain your analysis: suggests,
implies, highlights, underscores
analysis may be
inserted in between
quotes OR may be
included at the end
Commentary Examples
Prompt: How is Gatsby characterized
Example A:
(Explain) Here, Nick’s description of Gatsby’s smile emphasizes his kind nature. (Connect)
Although Gatsby is extremely wealthy and throws august parties, he makes Nick, a stranger to
him at this point, feel important and special when he speaks to him. (Go Big) In this
explanation of Gatsby’s swift change, Nick captures the latter’s superficiality; he suggests that the
way Gatsby speaks is overly fancy and unnatural, which exposes Gatsby as a fraud.
Example B:
(Explain) Here, Nick’s description of Gatsby’s smile contrasts with his observations about
Gatsby’s language. (Connect) Initially, Gatsby makes Nick, a stranger to him at this point, feel
welcome and special; unlike any of the partygoers, Gatsby and Nick share an intimate moment of
actual significance. The latter quote, however, reveals a swift but drastic change. It captures the
latter’s superficiality; Nick suggests that the way Gatsby speaks is unnatural, (Go Big) which
exposes him as a fraud.
Example C:
(Explain) Fitzgerald includes this scene in order to emphasize that while Gatsby – much like
everyone else that Nick has met in the novel – is certainly concerned about the impression he
makes on others. (Connect) He possesses, at heart, a realness and a desire for intimacy that
others lack. (Go Big) This foreshadows that Gatsby may serve as a source of hope as Nick
becomes progressively more disillusioned with recklessness and wildness that surrounds him in
New York.
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A+ Exemplar Body Paragraph ~ ACQC-CQC
[1] Fitzgerald portrays the necessity of dreams through the symbolic
use of the color green. [2] Specifically, when Nick, the narrator, spies Jay
Gatsby, his mysteriously wealthy neighbor, for the first time, Gatsby
“stretche[s] out his arms toward the dark water…[where there was] nothing
except a single green light, minute and far away…” (20-21). [3] This image
symbolizes Gatsby’s devotion to Daisy. [4] The green light, which is at the end
of Daisy’s dock, represents his ultimate goal: Daisy’s love and loyalty. [5] The
light shines in the darkness, “far away” from Gatsby; likewise, Daisy’s love is the
single positive force in Gatsby’s dark world, and he is “far” from knowing how
he will win her back. [6] Moreover, the color green is associated with life,
growth, and moving forward; Gatsby’s desire for Daisy gives him life and
energy. [7] However, just before Gatsby’s death and just after Daisy chooses
Tom, her husband, over Gatsby, Nick and Gatsby “hun[t] through [Gatsby’s]
great rooms for cigarettes…. [They feel] over innumerable feet of dark wall for
electric light switches… [then sit] smoking out into the darkness” (147-148).
[8] Here, Gatsby and Nick’s actions symbolize the death of Gatsby’s dream.
[9] Gatsby’s home is dark and they cannot see what they are looking for; this
represents that Daisy, his “light,” is gone, and without her he doesn’t know
where he is headed in life. [10] The only light comes from the cigarettes, which
would be red and smoky; this contrasts with the green light. [11] Gatsby’s life
has “stopped” and is fading away like the cigarette’s ashes. [12] Clearly, Gatsby
is unable to survive without his dream because he has no motivation. [13] Life
is difficult, and without a clear goal, it can become too much to bear.
Label: (A) Assertion, (B) Example transitions, (C) Contexts, (D) Advanced embedded quotes, (E)
Page location, (F) Commentary transitions, (G) Commentary: Explain – overall insight about the
quote, (H) Commentary: Connect – connecting quote “chunks” to the assertion, (I) Commentary: Go
Big – connecting the commentary to an overall theme in the novel or making a prediction, (J)
Addition transitions, (K) Comparison transitions, (L) Contrast transitions, (M) Appropriate use of
semicolons, and (N) Appropriate use of colons (:)
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