Mr. Mattingly
English 1
Short Story Theme Analysis Paragraph Assignment: 30 Points
Length:
Prompt:
Approximately 3/4 to 1.25 pages
What is one of the significant themes in the short story? How is that theme supported by the
characters, plot, and/or other literary elements?
Requirements: Your paragraph must include and will be assessed on the following:
 correct use of MLA format
 well-organized paragraph format: topic sentence, at least two quotations that connect with
the example or incident used as evidence/support, and a closing sentence that connects
with the topic sentence
 quotations introduced, integrated, and cited correctly in MLA format
 effective analysis of chosen examples/quotations
 use of transition words
 use of present verb tense
 No 1st or 2nd person (I, you, us)
 correct use of spelling, grammar, and punctuation
Short Story Theme Analysis Paragraph Rubric
MLA Format
_____ Correct left hand heading
_____ Original title centered, standard font
_____ Proper citation of literature titles (“short story”)
_____ Double-spaced throughout (no extra spaces)
_____ Proper header in right corner (1/2 inch from top)
_____ One-inch margins (top, bottom, left, right)
_____ Quotations in MLA format
_____ Font Times or Times New Roman, Size 12
Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage
_____ Correct spelling
_____ Correct punctuation
_____ Correct capitalization/lower case
_____ Correct grammar
Content
_____ Clear topic sentence that answers the question in the prompt
_____ Two specific examples are effectively presented
_____ Quotations are effectively presented (introduced and integrated)
_____ Examples/Quotes are discussed & analyzed, developing a sophisticated argument that goes beyond summary
_____ Transitions are properly used to link examples and ideas within the paragraph
_____ Closing/concluding sentence sums up the ideas of the paragraph (repeats the topic sentence)