Body Paragraph Writing 1. Opening Claim 2. Specific Scene 3. Quote 1. End Claim

Each of these 3 types can be more than one sentence 1.Opening Claim: Your opinions, analysis, or ideas about your topic. Don’t summarize. Example: Cassandra is a dynamic character in the story, “The Nightmare Box.” She experiences a drastic change from someone who is very focused on her appearance to someone who does not care how she is perceived by others. In fact, not only does she stop adhering to cultural ideals of beauty, she eschews even the idea of modesty.

Paragraph Writing 2. Specific scene: summarize in your own words the Specific Scene that you will use as evidence to support your Opening Claim. Give enough description of this scene so a reader will understand the scene and the quote that you will take from this scene, but don’t include unnecessary details. Example: After looking into the Nightmare Box at an art gallery, Cassandra gives up her ideas of beauty. She had taken great care to dress fashionably in order to impress others: a strapless dress, earrings, and high heels. However, she becomes a very different person after looking into the box,

Paragraph Writing 3. Quote: the quote is taken from the Specific Scene. It provides strong evidence to back up the Opening Claim and is not longer than necessary. Quotes must be exact wording and can be any part of the text, not just what is in quotations (dialogue). Take note of MLA format. Example: However, she becomes a very different person after looking into the box, “The stiff front of her dress bags forward, gapping out away from her breasts with no bra inside. [...] She steps out of each high heel, standing flat-footed on the gallery floor, and the muscles in her legs disappear” (6). If quoting dialogue, use single quotation marks inside regular quotations marks.

Paragraph Writing 1.End Claim: This claim is another statement of opinion, an explanation of your quote. You are explaining exactly what it is your quote shows, and how it connects to your Opening Claim. Example: Cassandra had taken great care to make herself beautiful for her trip to the art gallery, and by cultural standards, she had succeeded; however, after looking into the box, these ideals no longer matter to her. She no longer cares how her dress looks or how the way her uncomfortable high heels make her legs look. She no longer even cares if people are able to see down her dress. There is very little resemblance between the Cassandra at the start of the story and the Cassandra at the end.

Finished Paragraph Cassandra is a dynamic character in the story, “The Nightmare Box.” She experiences a drastic change from someone who is very focused on her appearance to someone who does not care how she is perceived by others. In fact, not only does she stop adhering to cultural ideals of beauty, she eschews even the idea of modesty. After looking into the Nightmare Box at an art gallery, Cassandra gives up her ideas of beauty. She had taken great care to dress fashionably in order to impress others: a strapless dress, earrings, and high heels. However, she becomes a very different person after looking into the box, “The stiff front of her dress bags forward, gapping out away from her breasts with no bra inside. [...] She steps out of each high heel, standing flat-footed on the gallery floor, and the muscles in her legs disappear” (6). Cassandra had taken great care to make herself beautiful for her trip to the art gallery, and by cultural standards, she had succeeded; however, after looking into the box, these ideals no longer matter to her. She no longer cares how her dress looks or how the way her uncomfortable high heels make her legs look. She no longer even cares if people are able to see down her dress. There is very little resemblance between the Cassandra at the start of the story and the Cassandra at the end.

Paragraph Writing Switch to block quotes when: –Your quotation is 5 lines or more in YOUR paper –You are quoting more than one paragraph For Block Quotes: –Indented 2 tabs or 10 spaces –A third indent is necessary to show paragraphs, if quoting more than one paragraph. –You don’t need quotations marks, unless you are quoting dialogue. Use regular quotations marks for dialogue. –Block quotes are double-spaced, just like the rest of your paper.

Example of a Block Quote Just copy the red text into your notes Cassandra is a dynamic character in the story, “The Nightmare Box.” She experiences a drastic change from someone who is very focused on her appearance to someone who does not care how she is perceived by others. In fact, not only does she stop adhering to cultural ideals of beauty, she eschews even the idea of modesty. After looking into the Nightmare Box at an art gallery, Cassandra gives up her ideas of beauty. She had taken great care to dress fashionably in order to impress others: a strapless dress, earrings, and high heels. However, she becomes a very different person after looking into the box: The stiff front of her dress bags forward, gapping out away from her breasts with no bra inside. She reaches out and pushed her self back from the box. She steps out of each high heel, standing flat- footed on the gallery floor, and the muscles in her legs disappear. (6) Cassandra had taken great care to make herself beautiful for her trip to the art gallery, and by cultural standards, she had succeeded; however, after looking into the box, these ideals no longer matter to her. She no longer cares how her dress looks or how the way her uncomfortable high heels make her legs look. She no longer even cares if people are able to see down her dress. There is very little resemblance between the Cassandra at the start of the story and the Cassandra at the end.

Work Cited Page When you are using quotes in an essay, your essay must have a Work Cited page. This page is the last page of your essay. It is double-space, just like the rest of your essay. The format varies, but for novels it is this: Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Print.

Work Cited Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., Print.