Short Response
How to Respond to a Short Answer
Question
Structure and Terms to Know
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Overview Information – Title of text, name
of author or speaker, necessary background
information, or introduction of issue being
presented. Sometimes called a hook, you want
to say something that will grab your reader’s
attention.
Structure and Terms to Know
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Claim/Thesis – Your assertion/opinion in
response to the question being asked.
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Example #1 – (Begin with a transition word.
Ex: For example) This is where you prove your
claim with an example stated in your own
words. The example must be from the text
with which you are dealing.
Structure and Terms to Know
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Concrete Detail (CD) #1 – Cited
quote/direct evidence that illustrates your
point.
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Commentary (CM) #1 – Thoroughly explain
your piece of evidence as it relates to your
claim. How does your piece of evidence prove
that your claim is true? (Analyze do NOT
summarize!)
Structure and Terms to Know
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Example #2 – (Begin with a transition word.
Ex: In addition, moreover, additionally, etc.) This is
where you prove your claim with another
example. Arguments are always stronger when
they have appropriate evidence.
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Concrete Detail (CD) #2 – Cited
quote/direct evidence that illustrates your
point.
Structure and Terms to Know

Commentary (CM) #2 – Thoroughly explain your
piece of evidence as it relates to your claim. How
does your piece of evidence prove that your claim is
true?
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Conclusion– (Begin with a transition word. Ex:
Therefore, in conclusion, in short.) Restate your claim and
reference back to your evidence. End with a sentence
that leaves the reader thinking about the topic and/or
that connects to your hook (full circle).
Structure
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Overview Information
Claim/Thesis
Example #1
Concrete Detail #1 (cited!)
Commentary #1
Example #2
Concrete Detail #2 (cited!)
Commentary #2
Conclusion
Example: Why does Steinbeck convey Lennie’s physical characteristics as
animal-like qualities?
In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck tells the tale of two rootless men, George
and Lennie, who are migrant farm workers in the era following the Great Depression.
Throughout chapter one, Steinbeck uses animal-like diction to describe the
characteristics and qualities possessed by Lennie because, like animals who are not
able to think logically through their decisions, he wants readers to realize that
Lennie is not responsible for his actions. For example, as the two men walk into the
valley, Lennie is described in terms usually used to describe a bear. “And he walked
heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws” (2). By saying that
Lennie walked “heavily” and that he “dragged his paws” Steinbeck implies that
Lennie is physically oafish and slow. By using these particular words the reader is
led to believe that Lennie is not just physically slow, but mentally slow as well. In
addition, as the men sit down to rest by the water, Lennie’s first action is
exceptionally animalistic. When he plunges his head into the river and laps up water
without using his hands, the image of a dog drinking from a bowl comes to mind as
George, Lennie’s primary caretaker, says, “you’d drink out of a gutter if you was
thirsty” (3). Here the reader is presented with the image of a man who is not
intelligent enough to check if the water is fresh. This description implies that
Lennie’s mental handicap makes him almost less than human and, therefore, unable
to discern right from wrong, good from bad. While many other examples exist in
the opening chapter of Of Mice and Men, it is clear that Steinbeck paints Lennie like
an innocent animal to show readers that Lennie’s own ignorance acquits him of any
guilt that might accompany his actions later in the book.
Annotating
 The Steps to Success!!!
Annotating…
 What is it?
-making notes
directly on a text
-actively engaging
in a text and its
materials
-thinking with a
text
 What are its
advantages?
-notes are close to
the text
-it is organized
-it is easy to
understand
How do you annotate?
First, ensure you have the following
items: a YELLOW highlighter and a
pencil.
Second, make sure you clearly
understand why you are reading the
text, specifically what you should be
looking for.
How do you annotate?
Third, as you read, highlight key information
that addresses your reason for reading.
*In the margins, use your pencil to make
notes about the key information. Why is
this important? What is it saying? How
does it relate to your reason for reading?
Show your thinking through your
comments! (Every highlighted part MUST
have notes in the margin!)
How do you annotate?
Fourth, [bracket] areas where you have
questions and write your questions in
the margin.
Fifth, circle words you do not know or
understand. If you cannot define
them based on context clues, look up
the definitions and write them in the
margin.
What is NOT annotating?
1. Highlighting everything
2. Highlighting nothing
3. Highlighting with no notes in the
margins
4. Noting personal connections to the
text (“I did this once.” “This is so
scary!”)
Citing
What it is
Why we do it
How to do it
What is citing?
To cite something is to quote it or refer to it
as a supporting example.
In writing, you cite your CD’s because they
come directly from the text.
To properly cite, we use MLA style and
parenthetical documentation or in-text
citation.
In-Text Citation
Every time you cite something in your writing, you must give the
original work credit. You do this by placing the appropriate
material in (parenthesis) at the end of your sentence.
*Note: the sentence ends after the end parenthesis, so
place your period AFTER the (parenthesis).
If there is an author: (Last name & page number)
(Simon 93).
If there is no known author: (Title & page number)
(The Effects of Love 55).
If the source is an online source, you do NOT use page numbers.
(Simon).
(The Effects of Love).
Source Citation
We will practice citing a multitude of
different source types, but we will not cover
all of them. So…
Reference the Owl Purdue website on MLA
citing for assistance with all types of citing.
(Google Owl Purdue MLA)
Some examples are provided on the
following slides.
Citing a Book
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. City of
Publication: Publisher, Year.Medium of Publication.
*Brinkley, Alan. The Unfinished Nation. New York: Knopf,
1993. Print.
If there are two authors:
First given author’s Last Name, First Name, and second
author’s First Name Last Name. Title of Book. City of
Publication: Publisher, Year. Medium of Publication.
*Brinkley, Alan, and Kevin Sharp. The Unfinished Nation.
New York: Knopf, 1993. Print.
(NOTE: The second lines of citations are INDENTED!)
Citing A Website/Webpage
Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). “Name of Article.” Name
of Site. Version number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with
the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available).
Medium of publication. Date of access.
Remember to use n.p. if no publisher name is available and n.d.
if no publishing date is
Example website (with author):
Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory. Purdue U, 28 Nov.
2003. Web. 10 May 2006.
Example webpage (without author):
"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 24
Feb. 2009.
Matching Citations
Your in-text citations MUST match your source citation. For example,
look at the following sources and their in-text citation:
Example #1:
Brinkley, Alan. The Unfinished Nation. New York: Knopf, 1993. Print.
“Our nation is ever growing and every changing. It is unclear exactly
what the future holds for the United States” (Brinkley 105).
Example #2:
"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 24
Feb. 2009.
Some of the best Chili comes from family recipes and actually contains
no meat (“How to Make Vegetarian Chili”).
Quoting as Evidence (CD’s)
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To quote a text means to cite its information word for word, exactly
as it appeared in the original text.
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You may quote entire sentences, phrases, clauses, or words.
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When you quote, you MUST put quotation marks around the cited
information.
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Don’t forget to use IN-TEXT CITATION after!
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Example: Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow
of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
Paraphrasing as Evidence (CD’s)
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To paraphrase a text means to SUMMARIZE its information in
YOUR OWN WORDS.
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You MUST CITE PARAPHRASES because the information came
from another source, and you must give credit to that source. Putting
it in your own words DOES NOT MAKE IT YOURS!
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When you paraphrase, summarize the information in ONE
SENTENCE.
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Don’t forget to use IN-TEXT CITATION after!
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Example: Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the
creative process (263).
Practice Time
Now it’s time to put this into practice!
Let’s read a text and see how it’s done!
Are you ready????? Of course you are!!! 