The Lady or the Tiger
Writing a short essay …
and getting an “A”!
Overview of a Paragraph
1) Transitional word/phrase
2) Topic Sentence
3) Set up quote
4) Give quote (and page #)
5) Rephrase/Explain quote
6) Analysis & tie back to thesis
Thesis Statement
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Includes:
Author
Title
Your answer to the question & why.
In the end of “The Lady or the Tiger” by
Frank Stockton, the princess leads her
lover to open the door of the tiger. The
reader knows this because… (list reasons).
Topic Sentence
• Tells the readers what THIS
paragraph is about.
• Should relate directly to proving the
thesis.
• At the start of EVERY body
paragraph.
NO First or Second
Person Perspective
• NO first person: “I think” or “I believe”
• NO Second person: “You can see”
• INSTEAD: “The reader sees” or “The
reader knows”
• Keep it in 3rd person: “The reader”,
“The audience” or “people”
Identifying Characters
• Avoid vague (unclear) pronouns
• Pronouns replace nouns
• Ex: he, she, them, it, her, him, they,
etc.
• INSTEAD, use…
• Character names or descriptions
• Ex: The princess, her lover, James
Avoiding Vague Pronouns
• (NO) Vague Pronouns Example:
• She thought she wasn’t good enough
for him.
• (YES) Clear sentence structure:
• The princess thought the lady behind
the door wasn’t good enough for her
boyfriend.
Using Quotes
• In order for a quote to make sense &
be useful, you need to:
• SET UP the quote
• Use a DIRECT quote
• Include the PAGE NUMBER
• EXPLAIN the quote (in your own
words)
• APPLY the quote (to your main topic)
Set Up Your Quotes
• Set up the quote: WHO is speaking,
and any important context clues
• Ex: The narrator says about the
princess, “She loved him
passionately” (3).
Using a Direct Quote
• Term “Direct Quote” means exactly that.
• It comes directly from the text, word for
word.
• However, you may choose the most
important part of the quote which will
prove your point.
• Example: The princess was, “…the apple of
his eye” (3).
Include the Page Number
• Page numbers go after quotes (unless
included in the sentence prior to the
quote).
• Periods go at the END of the
parenthesis, not the quote.
• Do NOT use “page” or “p.” or “pg.”
• Ex: The narrator stated, “She was
semi-barbaric” (2).
Page numbers continued…
• Ex: The princess exclaimed, “I hate her!”
(4).
• Ex: The king asked, “Do you love him?” (5).
• Ex: The narrator describes the lover’s
feelings saying, “He loved her more than
ice cream on a hot day” (2-3).
EXPLAIN the Quote
• Most people think quotes can stand up for
themselves… they can’t!
• So you have to explain what the quote
means, in YOUR OWN WORDS.
• Ex: The narrator asks the question, “Wouldn’t it be better
for him to die at once, and go wait for her in the blessed
regions of semi-barbaric futurity?” (6). Here the author
encourages the reader to remember that the princess and
her lover may also meet up again in the afterlife, should she
choose the tiger for her lover’s fate.
APPLY the Quote
• Once you have put the quote in your
own words, you need to APPLY the
quote to your main topic (yep, you
gotta draw the connection FOR the
reader).
• We’ll use our previous example…
Example…
• The narrator asks the question, “Wouldn’t it be better for
him to die at once, and go wait for her in the blessed
regions of semi-barbaric futurity?” (6). Here the author
encourages the reader to remember that the princess and
her lover may also meet up again in the afterlife, should she
choose the tiger for her lover’s fate.
• This strengthens the argument that the princess chose the
tiger. For, this idea gives the princess the option of
choosing the tiger and still getting to be with her lover.
Sure he’ll be dead, but someday they both will be and at
least they’ll be together.
Using Quotes As Proof
• Remember, YOU come up with the idea or
the opinion.
• The quote is PROOF to your reader that
your opinion or idea could be correct.
• Make sure you choose quotes that
PROVE your point, not just something
that fills up the page or your need
for another quote.
Transition Words
• Transition words are used to show
movement from one TOPIC to another OR
to introduce NEW INFORMATION.
• Often, they will be used at the start of a
new paragraph or prior to a quote.
• What are some transition words?
• Illustration: for example, in other words,
to illustrate, for instance…
• Contrast: in contrast, contrarily,
nevertheless, in spite of this, conversely,
notwithstanding
• Addition: in addition to, additionally,
furthermore, however, similarly, in the
same way, moreover…
• Time/order: Next, second, last, at first,
subsequently, to begin with, meanwhile,
finally, previously, afterwards…
Quick Review
• Avoid “I think” or “you” statements (use
“the reader”)
• Avoid vague pronouns (she, he, them)- Use
character names and descriptions
• Topic sentence includes…
• Explain & apply quotes
• Don’t forget page numbers!
• Transition words
• Quotes PROVE you know what you’re
talking about! 