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How to Write a Stand Alone Paragraph Response. Step 1 - TAG. Step 1 - TAG. Not THAT TAG! T – title A – author G – genre Ex. – In the story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. Step 2 – Answer the Question. In the first sentence , you must make sure to answer the question
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Step 1 - TAG • Not THAT TAG! • T – title • A – author • G – genre • Ex. – In the story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut
Step 2 – Answer the Question • In the first sentence, you must make sure to answer the question • You only have one paragraph to try to explain your answer, so get right down to it • Do NOT paraphrase the story – you don’t have enough space • Be specific!
Step 2 – Answer the Question • Ex. In the story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Harrison represents individual freedom. • Here, you have included tag and clearly answered the question so there is no way to misread your purpose • Now prove it! Tell WHY.
Step 3 – Add quotation • You need proof from the text, this is where quotes come in. • Quotations should be maximum 6-8 words. Any longer than that and you are running out of space to explain it • Choose ONLY quotes that will help your purpose. If you are proving that Harrison symbolizes freedom, don’t include a quote about Hazel – Stay on topic!
Step 4 – Explain your quote • Now that you have your quote, you need to explain why that quote is important • DO NOT explain what the quote means • Once again, DO NOT summarize the story • DO NOT repeat the quote • Ex. George thought the ballerinas should not be handicapped, “maybe they shouldn’t be handicapped”
Step 4 – Explain your quote • Instead, you need to explain WHY your quote is important to your thesis (or your answer in the first sentence). • How does the quote prove he represents individual freedom? • Ex. When Harrison “tore the straps of his handicap harness” and it “crashed to the floor”, Harrison was proving that he would no longer be like everyone else, and that he was, in fact, stronger than the average.
Quotes and Explanations • You should have 2-3 quotes taken from throughout the story and explanations to match • If you choose a quote from the beginning, the middle and the end, it proves you understand the whole story
Step 5 – Wrap it up • You always want to have a conclusion sentence to wrap up everything you just said • Quickly touch on the topics you talked about, and then restate your answer/thesis
Then you will have an excellent Stand Alone paragraph response!