Thoughts About The Crossing Essays
Some thoughts for all of the AP McCarthy prose responses, as you approach your revision.
- 1. Be careful about the use of the passive voice. You want each sentence to be active, reflecting how McCarthy creates meaning in the passage. Active voice is always preferable in these essays and will help you avoid plot summary that is not analytical.
2. Limit your use of quoted material. Brief, short passages only.
3. Each claim needs two other elements: proof and a connection to the topic sentence/thesis. Too often, claims are made without supporting information.
4. Instead of just stopping at 1 1/2 pages, why not go crazy and finish the response? It was amazing how many third body paragraphs lacked development and ended exactly at 1 1/2 pages.
5. Every sentence and word should be precise. Don’t tell me that the protagonist experienced emotion; tell me what emotion it was.
6. Make sure that your topic sentences identify which section of the passage you are writing about. If it is paragraph by paragraph, you don’t need line numbers.
7. Transitions between paragaphs need to be better. Try to hook back to the preceding paragraph, rather than just saying things like “Next.”
8. It’s the protagonist, not the main character.
9. Avoid using weasel words in your analysis, like almost, maybe, could, and might. Your analysis should be direct and clear.
10. Different language in outlines than in drafts of the paper. Chore-like works in an outline, but not so much in an essay.
