how to write an english literature assignment

How to Write a Good English Literature Essay

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

How do you write a good English Literature essay? Although to an extent this depends on the particular subject you’re writing about, and on the nature of the question your essay is attempting to answer, there are a few general guidelines for how to write a convincing essay – just as there are a few guidelines for writing well in any field.

We at Interesting Literature  call them ‘guidelines’ because we hesitate to use the word ‘rules’, which seems too programmatic. And as the writing habits of successful authors demonstrate, there is no  one way to become a good writer – of essays, novels, poems, or whatever it is you’re setting out to write. The French writer Colette liked to begin her writing day by picking the fleas off her cat.

Edith Sitwell, by all accounts, liked to lie in an open coffin before she began her day’s writing. Friedrich von Schiller kept rotten apples in his desk, claiming he needed the scent of their decay to help him write. (For most student essay-writers, such an aroma is probably allowed to arise in the writing-room more organically, over time.)

We will address our suggestions for successful essay-writing to the average student of English Literature, whether at university or school level. There are many ways to approach the task of essay-writing, and these are just a few pointers for how to write a better English essay – and some of these pointers may also work for other disciplines and subjects, too.

Of course, these guidelines are designed to be of interest to the non-essay-writer too – people who have an interest in the craft of writing in general. If this describes you, we hope you enjoy the list as well. Remember, though, everyone can find writing difficult: as Thomas Mann memorably put it, ‘A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.’ Nora Ephron was briefer: ‘I think the hardest thing about writing is writing.’ So, the guidelines for successful essay-writing:

1. Planning is important, but don’t spend too long perfecting a structure that might end up changing.

This may seem like odd advice to kick off with, but the truth is that different approaches work for different students and essayists. You need to find out which method works best for you.

It’s not a bad idea, regardless of whether you’re a big planner or not, to sketch out perhaps a few points on a sheet of paper before you start, but don’t be surprised if you end up moving away from it slightly – or considerably – when you start to write.

Often the most extensively planned essays are the most mechanistic and dull in execution, precisely because the writer has drawn up a plan and refused to deviate from it. What  is a more valuable skill is to be able to sense when your argument may be starting to go off-topic, or your point is getting out of hand,  as you write . (For help on this, see point 5 below.)

We might even say that when it comes to knowing how to write a good English Literature essay,  practising  is more important than planning.

2. Make room for close analysis of the text, or texts.

Whilst it’s true that some first-class or A-grade essays will be impressive without containing any close reading as such, most of the highest-scoring and most sophisticated essays tend to zoom in on the text and examine its language and imagery closely in the course of the argument. (Close reading of literary texts arises from theology and the analysis of holy scripture, but really became a ‘thing’ in literary criticism in the early twentieth century, when T. S. Eliot, F. R. Leavis, William Empson, and other influential essayists started to subject the poem or novel to close scrutiny.)

Close reading has two distinct advantages: it increases the specificity of your argument (so you can’t be so easily accused of generalising a point), and it improves your chances of pointing up something about the text which none of the other essays your marker is reading will have said. For instance, take In Memoriam  (1850), which is a long Victorian poem by the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson about his grief following the death of his close friend, Arthur Hallam, in the early 1830s.

When answering a question about the representation of religious faith in Tennyson’s poem  In Memoriam  (1850), how might you write a particularly brilliant essay about this theme? Anyone can make a general point about the poet’s crisis of faith; but to look closely at the language used gives you the chance to show  how the poet portrays this.

For instance, consider this stanza, which conveys the poet’s doubt:

A solid and perfectly competent essay might cite this stanza in support of the claim that Tennyson is finding it increasingly difficult to have faith in God (following the untimely and senseless death of his friend, Arthur Hallam). But there are several ways of then doing something more with it. For instance, you might get close to the poem’s imagery, and show how Tennyson conveys this idea, through the image of the ‘altar-stairs’ associated with religious worship and the idea of the stairs leading ‘thro’ darkness’ towards God.

In other words, Tennyson sees faith as a matter of groping through the darkness, trusting in God without having evidence that he is there. If you like, it’s a matter of ‘blind faith’. That would be a good reading. Now, here’s how to make a good English essay on this subject even better: one might look at how the word ‘falter’ – which encapsulates Tennyson’s stumbling faith – disperses into ‘falling’ and ‘altar’ in the succeeding lines. The word ‘falter’, we might say, itself falters or falls apart.

That is doing more than just interpreting the words: it’s being a highly careful reader of the poetry and showing how attentive to the language of the poetry you can be – all the while answering the question, about how the poem portrays the idea of faith. So, read and then reread the text you’re writing about – and be sensitive to such nuances of language and style.

The best way to  become attuned to such nuances is revealed in point 5. We might summarise this point as follows: when it comes to knowing how to write a persuasive English Literature essay, it’s one thing to have a broad and overarching argument, but don’t be afraid to use the  microscope as well as the telescope.

3. Provide several pieces of evidence where possible.

Many essays have a point to make and make it, tacking on a single piece of evidence from the text (or from beyond the text, e.g. a critical, historical, or biographical source) in the hope that this will be enough to make the point convincing.

‘State, quote, explain’ is the Holy Trinity of the Paragraph for many. What’s wrong with it? For one thing, this approach is too formulaic and basic for many arguments. Is one quotation enough to support a point? It’s often a matter of degree, and although one piece of evidence is better than none, two or three pieces will be even more persuasive.

After all, in a court of law a single eyewitness account won’t be enough to convict the accused of the crime, and even a confession from the accused would carry more weight if it comes supported by other, objective evidence (e.g. DNA, fingerprints, and so on).

Let’s go back to the example about Tennyson’s faith in his poem  In Memoriam  mentioned above. Perhaps you don’t find the end of the poem convincing – when the poet claims to have rediscovered his Christian faith and to have overcome his grief at the loss of his friend.

You can find examples from the end of the poem to suggest your reading of the poet’s insincerity may have validity, but looking at sources beyond the poem – e.g. a good edition of the text, which will contain biographical and critical information – may help you to find a clinching piece of evidence to support your reading.

And, sure enough, Tennyson is reported to have said of  In Memoriam : ‘It’s too hopeful, this poem, more than I am myself.’ And there we have it: much more convincing than simply positing your reading of the poem with a few ambiguous quotations from the poem itself.

Of course, this rule also works in reverse: if you want to argue, for instance, that T. S. Eliot’s  The Waste Land is overwhelmingly inspired by the poet’s unhappy marriage to his first wife, then using a decent biographical source makes sense – but if you didn’t show evidence for this idea from the poem itself (see point 2), all you’ve got is a vague, general link between the poet’s life and his work.

Show  how the poet’s marriage is reflected in the work, e.g. through men and women’s relationships throughout the poem being shown as empty, soulless, and unhappy. In other words, when setting out to write a good English essay about any text, don’t be afraid to  pile on  the evidence – though be sensible, a handful of quotations or examples should be more than enough to make your point convincing.

4. Avoid tentative or speculative phrasing.

Many essays tend to suffer from the above problem of a lack of evidence, so the point fails to convince. This has a knock-on effect: often the student making the point doesn’t sound especially convinced by it either. This leaks out in the telling use of, and reliance on, certain uncertain  phrases: ‘Tennyson might have’ or ‘perhaps Harper Lee wrote this to portray’ or ‘it can be argued that’.

An English university professor used to write in the margins of an essay which used this last phrase, ‘What  can’t be argued?’

This is a fair criticism: anything can be argued (badly), but it depends on what evidence you can bring to bear on it (point 3) as to whether it will be a persuasive argument. (Arguing that the plays of Shakespeare were written by a Martian who came down to Earth and ingratiated himself with the world of Elizabethan theatre is a theory that can be argued, though few would take it seriously. We wish we could say ‘none’, but that’s a story for another day.)

Many essay-writers, because they’re aware that texts are often open-ended and invite multiple interpretations (as almost all great works of literature invariably do), think that writing ‘it can be argued’ acknowledges the text’s rich layering of meaning and is therefore valid.

Whilst this is certainly a fact – texts are open-ended and can be read in wildly different ways – the phrase ‘it can be argued’ is best used sparingly if at all. It should be taken as true that your interpretation is, at bottom, probably unprovable. What would it mean to ‘prove’ a reading as correct, anyway? Because you found evidence that the author intended the same thing as you’ve argued of their text? Tennyson wrote in a letter, ‘I wrote In Memoriam  because…’?

But the author might have lied about it (e.g. in an attempt to dissuade people from looking too much into their private life), or they might have changed their mind (to go back to the example of  The Waste Land : T. S. Eliot championed the idea of poetic impersonality in an essay of 1919, but years later he described  The Waste Land as ‘only the relief of a personal and wholly insignificant grouse against life’ – hardly impersonal, then).

Texts – and their writers – can often be contradictory, or cagey about their meaning. But we as critics have to act responsibly when writing about literary texts in any good English essay or exam answer. We need to argue honestly, and sincerely – and not use what Wikipedia calls ‘weasel words’ or hedging expressions.

So, if nothing is utterly provable, all that remains is to make the strongest possible case you can with the evidence available. You do this, not only through marshalling the evidence in an effective way, but by writing in a confident voice when making your case. Fundamentally, ‘There is evidence to suggest that’ says more or less the same thing as ‘It can be argued’, but it foregrounds the  evidence rather than the argument, so is preferable as a phrase.

This point might be summarised by saying: the best way to write a good English Literature essay is to be honest about the reading you’re putting forward, so you can be confident in your interpretation and use clear, bold language. (‘Bold’ is good, but don’t get too cocky, of course…)

5. Read the work of other critics.

This might be viewed as the Holy Grail of good essay-writing tips, since it is perhaps the single most effective way to improve your own writing. Even if you’re writing an essay as part of school coursework rather than a university degree, and don’t need to research other critics for your essay, it’s worth finding a good writer of literary criticism and reading their work. Why is this worth doing?

Published criticism has at least one thing in its favour, at least if it’s published by an academic press or has appeared in an academic journal, and that is that it’s most probably been peer-reviewed, meaning that other academics have read it, closely studied its argument, checked it for errors or inaccuracies, and helped to ensure that it is expressed in a fluent, clear, and effective way.

If you’re serious about finding out how to write a better English essay, then you need to study how successful writers in the genre do it. And essay-writing is a genre, the same as novel-writing or poetry. But why will reading criticism help you? Because the critics you read can show you how to do all of the above: how to present a close reading of a poem, how to advance an argument that is not speculative or tentative yet not over-confident, how to use evidence from the text to make your argument more persuasive.

And, the more you read of other critics – a page a night, say, over a few months – the better you’ll get. It’s like textual osmosis: a little bit of their style will rub off on you, and every writer learns by the examples of other writers.

As T. S. Eliot himself said, ‘The poem which is absolutely original is absolutely bad.’ Don’t get precious about your own distinctive writing style and become afraid you’ll lose it. You can’t  gain a truly original style before you’ve looked at other people’s and worked out what you like and what you can ‘steal’ for your own ends.

We say ‘steal’, but this is not the same as saying that plagiarism is okay, of course. But consider this example. You read an accessible book on Shakespeare’s language and the author makes a point about rhymes in Shakespeare. When you’re working on your essay on the poetry of Christina Rossetti, you notice a similar use of rhyme, and remember the point made by the Shakespeare critic.

This is not plagiarising a point but applying it independently to another writer. It shows independent interpretive skills and an ability to understand and apply what you have read. This is another of the advantages of reading critics, so this would be our final piece of advice for learning how to write a good English essay: find a critic whose style you like, and study their craft.

If you’re looking for suggestions, we can recommend a few favourites: Christopher Ricks, whose  The Force of Poetry is a tour de force; Jonathan Bate, whose  The Genius of Shakespeare , although written for a general rather than academic audience, is written by a leading Shakespeare scholar and academic; and Helen Gardner, whose  The Art of T. S. Eliot , whilst dated (it came out in 1949), is a wonderfully lucid and articulate analysis of Eliot’s poetry.

James Wood’s How Fiction Works  is also a fine example of lucid prose and how to close-read literary texts. Doubtless readers of  Interesting Literature will have their own favourites to suggest in the comments, so do check those out, as these are just three personal favourites. What’s your favourite work of literary scholarship/criticism? Suggestions please.

Much of all this may strike you as common sense, but even the most commonsensical advice can go out of your mind when you have a piece of coursework to write, or an exam to revise for. We hope these suggestions help to remind you of some of the key tenets of good essay-writing practice – though remember, these aren’t so much commandments as recommendations. No one can ‘tell’ you how to write a good English Literature essay as such.

But it can be learned. And remember, be interesting – find the things in the poems or plays or novels which really ignite your enthusiasm. As John Mortimer said, ‘The only rule I have found to have any validity in writing is not to bore yourself.’

Finally, good luck – and happy writing!

And if you enjoyed these tips for how to write a persuasive English essay, check out our advice for how to remember things for exams  and our tips for becoming a better close reader of poetry .

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30 thoughts on “How to Write a Good English Literature Essay”

You must have taken AP Literature. I’m always saying these same points to my students.

I also think a crucial part of excellent essay writing that too many students do not realize is that not every point or interpretation needs to be addressed. When offered the chance to write your interpretation of a work of literature, it is important to note that there of course are many but your essay should choose one and focus evidence on this one view rather than attempting to include all views and evidence to back up each view.

Reblogged this on SocioTech'nowledge .

Not a bad effort…not at all! (Did you intend “subject” instead of “object” in numbered paragraph two, line seven?”

Oops! I did indeed – many thanks for spotting. Duly corrected ;)

That’s what comes of writing about philosophy and the subject/object for another post at the same time!

Reblogged this on Scribing English .

• Pingback: Recommended Resource: Interesting Literature.com & how to write an essay | Write Out Loud

Great post on essay writing! I’ve shared a post about this and about the blog site in general which you can look at here: http://writeoutloudblog.com/2015/01/13/recommended-resource-interesting-literature-com-how-to-write-an-essay/

All of these are very good points – especially I like 2 and 5. I’d like to read the essay on the Martian who wrote Shakespeare’s plays).

Reblogged this on Uniqely Mustered and commented: Dedicate this to all upcoming writers and lovers of Writing!

I shall take this as my New Year boost in Writing Essays. Please try to visit often for corrections,advise and criticisms.

Reblogged this on Blue Banana Bread .

Reblogged this on worldsinthenet .

All very good points, but numbers 2 and 4 are especially interesting.

• Pingback: Weekly Digest | Alpha Female, Mainstream Cat

Reblogged this on rainniewu .

Reblogged this on pixcdrinks .

• Pingback: How to Write a Good English Essay? Interesting Literature | EngLL.Com

Great post. Interesting infographic how to write an argumentative essay http://www.essay-profy.com/blog/how-to-write-an-essay-writing-an-argumentative-essay/

Reblogged this on DISTINCT CHARACTER and commented: Good Tips

Reblogged this on quirkywritingcorner and commented: This could be applied to novel or short story writing as well.

Reblogged this on rosetech67 and commented: Useful, albeit maybe a bit late for me :-)

• Pingback: How to Write a Good English Essay | georg28ang

such a nice pieace of content you shared in this write up about “How to Write a Good English Essay” going to share on another useful resource that is

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A well rounded summary on all steps to keep in mind while starting on writing. There are many new avenues available though. Benefit from the writing options of the 21st century from here, i loved it! http://authenticwritingservices.com

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Journal Synthesis Assignment Sheet & Rubric

Oer assignments for introduction to literature, pov assignment sheet & rubric, ya/children's lit assignment sheet & rubric, introduction to literature assignments.

This project was part of the Western Maryland M.O.S.T. Institutional Grant (2020). While it focuses primarily on a 100-level Introduction to Literature course, the open resource and subsequent assignments could easily be adapted for upper-level undergraduate literature courses. Furthermore, the design of this project allows instructors to continue to utilize texts with which they are most familiar.

Introduction

See the attached document for the full resource.

This project was part of the Western Maryland M.O.S.T. Institutional Grant (2020). While it focuses primarily on a 100-level Introduction to Literature course, the open resource and subsequent assignments could easily be adapted for upper-level undergraduate literature courses. Furthermore, the design of this project allows instructors to continue to utilize texts [1] with which they are most familiar.

As the instructor, first explore the primary resource from Oregon State University used in this project. The Oregon State Guide to English Literary Terms video series is licensed by creative commons (CC BY) and available online at https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/oregon-state-guide-english-literary-terms .  The open assignments that follow were created to support instructors utilizing the Oregon State resource in collaboration with texts in the literature classroom. Each assignment contains instructions for instructors, tips for teaching, the assignment, and if applicable, a rubric. This resource is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license © 2021 and can be reproduced or revised as necessary.

[1] Here are a few Open Literature Resources if you need texts to work with in your class:

• https://www.gutenberg.org/
• https://www.oercommons.org/courses/the-open-anthology-of-earlier-american-literature/view
• https://americanliterature.com/100-great-short-stories
• https://most.oercommons.org/courseware/3

Literary Terms Identification Quiz

Instructions for Instructors

Create a quiz of terms and definitions. This can be comprehensive or just a few you introduce in a specific unit. (Bloom’s Taxonomy: Remember). It is recommended that you select terms and definitions ( https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/oregon-state-guide-english-literary-terms )  which you have covered in class and consider essential to meeting the objectives of your particular course. 

Tips for Teaching

You may wish consider these as two sections of the same quiz OR as two related assignments given with a week or two of each other. For instance, you may wish to assign a short quiz in which your students identify/ define several related literary terms (for example, terms related to figurative language) and then, after having read some works which focus those terms, assign the literary terms application quiz based on those works. The students learn to identify the terms first and shortly after, apply them to actual words of literature. You can repeat this combination through the semester as you move from section to section if you arrange your course around different learning units.

Instructions for Students

The objective of this assignment is to assess your ability to remember the definitions of key literary devices and terms. After watching your assigned videos from The Oregon State Guide to English Literary Terms , match  each term to its definition.

Anaphora -the repetition of words or phrases in the beginning of a group sentences, phrases or poetic lines.

Blank Verse -poetry written in unrhymed but metered lines, almost always iambic pentameter.

Deus Ex Machina -a literary device in Latin meaning “God from the machine”, in which a plot is solved at the end of a story through an “miraculous” event.

Ekphrasis -a literary description of a work of art.

Enjambment -the poetic term for the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next.

Epistrophe - the repetition of phrases or words in a set of clauses, sentences, or poetic lines.

Figurative Language- a literary device asking the reader or listener to understand something by virtue of its relation to some other thing, action, or image.

Flashback -a trigger that interrupts the present (usually chronological) action of a story to show readers a meaningful scene that happened in the past.

Flat Character -a character who is superficial, predictable, or otherwise not very sophisticated.

Foreshadowing -a narrative device in which suggestions or warnings about events to come are dropped or planted.

Frame Story -a narrative that surrounds another story or set of stories.

Free Direct Discourse -a point-of-view that blends first and third person perspectives.

Genres -categories that have developed over time for what we read, what we watch, and what we listen to.

Graphic Novel -a narrative that involves both pictures and words.

Hyperbole -the art of exaggeration to convey an amplified personal response.

Imagery -the use of vivid language designed to appeal to the senses.

Irony -words or actions that depart from what characters or the reader expect them to say or do.

Juxtaposition -the position of two objects next to one another for the purpose of drawing attention to them.

Metaphor -a comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated.

Metonymy -a comparison of two objects that are not similar in qualities.

Narrator -the fictional construct the author has created to tell the story through.

Oxymoron -the rhetorical term that describes words or phrases that, when placed together, create paradoxes or contradictions.

Personification -when something nonhuman is described using human characteristics.

Poetic Meter -the basic rhythmic structure of a line within a poem.

Point of View - the audience’s perspective on the events of the narrative.

Prologue -Comes at the start of a literary work and introduces background information such as characters and setting.

Rhyme Scheme -the pattern of end rhymes in a stanza.

Round Character -characters that have a certain depth or complexity.

Satire - the art of making someone or something look ridiculous, raising laughter in order to embarrass, humble, or discredit its targets.

Simile -the comparison of tow objects, usually involving the words “like” or “as”.

Sonnet -a 14-line poem using a specific rhyme scheme.

Stanza -smaller units of prose cut into lines.

Steam of Consciousness -a narrative style that tries to capture a character’s thought process in a realistic way.

Symbolism -a literary device in which words or actions represent something else.

Synecdoche -a metaphorical device in which a part of something represents the whole object.

Understatement -the description of something as having much less of a particular quality than it does.

Unreliable Narrator -a first person narrator that may not be completely trustworthy or unbiased.

Literary Terms Application Quiz

Create a quiz of terms and literary passages. This can be comprehensive or just a few you introduce in a specific unit. (Bloom’s Taxonomy: Apply). Below are example questions to revise for the terms, definitions, and texts you are using in your literature course.

It is recommended that you select terms and definitions which you have covered in class and consider essential to meeting the objectives of your particular course. For each exercise, select a passage from a work your students have studied. Ask that the students to identify a specific literary term in each passage and then write a 1 paragraph (7+ sentences) explanation of how this particular term helps the reader understand the larger work more fully.

In each passage, identify the literary term requested and write a brief definition of that term. Then write a 1 paragraph response explaining how the term in this passage helps the reader understand the whole work. The objective of this assignment is to assess your ability to identify and apply key literary devices and terms.

Question 1. In "Ex-Basketball Player", John Updike writes about a former high school athlete who now works as a gas station attendant. In the 2nd stanza, he has the young man, Flick, identify with the "idiot pumps" using basketball imagery. Aside from this second stanza, where else in the poem does the author use imagery that suggests Flick's preoccupation with his basketball career? Write a 1-paragraph response addressing the following.

• Define the term Imagery.
• Locate a line outside of the 2 nd stanza and explain how the poet is using imagery.
• Explain how the poet is using this imagery to create a broader theme related to Flick and his former glory?

Question 2. In Katherine Mansfield’s story, “Miss Brill”, the story follows the title character through her Sunday afternoon walk to the public gardens. The point of view of the story plays a significant role in how the reader views this story. Write a 1-paragraph response addressing the following.

• Define point of view.
• Explain the specific point of view of this story, quoting at least one line that shows this point of view.
• Describe how this specific point of view provides the reader with unique insights into understanding this story.
• [Bonus] Contrast how this story would be very different if told from a different point of view. Use details from the story to support your claims.

Question 3. The short story, “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne uses various symbols to provide meaning to the story. Write a 1-paragraph response addressing the following.

• Define what a symbol is.
• Locate an object or action in this story that serves as a symbol in the story.
• Explain how this specific object or action provides meaning to the story, using specific references to the text to support your claim.

Point of View Essay

This assignment works best when your students have already been introduced to/ have worked on the concept of point of view. This assignment can be a challenge for some students as it asks them to imagine a concept that isn’t present in the text already. For those students, you may help them get started by engaging in class (or small-group) discussions that practice this change of point of view. This can help some students start to understand how the exercise can work. Edit the highlighted text before giving the assignment sheet to students.

See the sample assignment sheet and rubric that you can modify for your class.

In literature, point of view (POV) is the audience’s perspective on the events in the story. For this assignment, you’ll choose one of the short stories we have read to discuss and apply your understanding of POV. This assignment will have two parts. For Part 1, you’ll analyze and explain the POV in the story. In Part 2, you’ll retell a portion of the story from a new or different POV.

Children’s/YA Literature Essay

This assignment works best when your students have a solid understanding of a variety of literary terms (maybe around the midterm), so they feel like they have various options. Some students who have fond memories of favorite works of children’s or young adult literature (or have favorites they share with their children now) will be able to locate texts for this assignment easily. However, those students who did not read much when they were younger may have difficulties identifying possible children’s texts on their own. Therefore, you may want to prepare a collection of children/YA works that you enjoyed and make recommendations to that latter group of students. 

See the attached assignment sheet & rubric that you can modify to fit your class.

The objective of this assignment is to identify and analyze the literary devices we have discussed in class. For the Children’s Literature Essay, you will analyze a favorite story you read as a kid. A literary analysis examines and interprets a piece of literature. It is NOT a summary. The essay will present an argument, or claim, about the work and the literary devices it employs. The purpose is to demonstrate what you’ve learned about literature and the devices authors use to tell a story.

Journal Synthesis

This assignment works best no earlier than midway through a semester, perhaps even later. If you are asking your students to regularly journal about the literary works, they should ideally have a substantial portfolio of their journals (or discussion boards, if applicable) from which to observe and reflect on their growth during the semester by the time you're deep into the semester.

See the attached assignment sheet & rubric that you can modify for your class.

The objective of this assignment is to synthesize your growth as a reader and writer in Introduction to Literature. For the Journal Synthesis, you will compose a synthesis of your weekly journals, reading strategies, and writing processes throughout the semester. A synthesis is a way to make connections between texts with the goal of presenting and supporting a claim. The purpose is to demonstrate your achievements as a reader, writer, and critical thinker this semester.

Drama Assignment

Audience Your instructor

• Read one of the plays from our list of texts. If you can find a full staged version live or recorded on a platform like YouTube.com, you may watch that performance. Make sure you are well-acquainted with the play as it is written/ performed before an audience.
• Locate a movie/ TV movie full-length adaptation of the same play and watch that movie version.  Consider the written play version the original text and the movie version as the adaptation of the original.
• Characters : Are there significant characters added or subtracted in the movie adaptation? Do some of the characters have greater or lesser importance in the movie version? What is the significance of these differences in character?
• Plot : Are there significant plot differences between the written version and movie adaptation? What plot points/ complications are added or subtracted from the written version? How do these plot changes influence the movie version? Why do you think the creators of the movie made these changes?
• Language/ Content : Are there significant language differences between the written and movie version? What are these differences? What do these changes suggest about what is permitted in a play version and a movie version? Are there themes or issues that are addressed in the original play that are changed in the movie version? Are these differences related to the eras when the play was written and when the movie was produced?
• Setting : Does the movie version set scenes in locations different than are presented in the original play version? Are scenes arranged in a different order in the different versions? How does the movie version employ use of flashbacks/ flashforwards or time changes versus the play version? What are tools regarding scene and time changes that can be used in a play version versus in a movie version?
• Music/ Lights - Do the two different versions of the text use background music/ underscoring? Does the use of music differ between versions? What is the effect of these uses of music? Do the two versions employ lighting in different ways? What is the effect of these differences?
• You may wish to merely identify the significant differences in your essay or you may wish to analyze and critique these differences and their effects on the two versions of the play.
•  Be aware that changes from the original version are not automatically bad. Some changes might be necessary or appropriate when producing a play versus a movie. You may wish to research whether the playwright participated in the production of the movie version.
• MLA Web Publications Citation on a Works Cited page, information about electronic sources from the Purdue OWL: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_electronic_sources.html
• Writing in Literature- suggestions about how to structure a literature paper from Purdue OWL. There are several excellent links within this main page: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/index.html

Note to Instructors: The seven plays below work well for this assignment. This list also includes at least 1 movie/ TV movie adaptation of the play. You may wish to screen these plays and movie versions for content, language, etc. ahead of assigning them.

          Play                                Playwright                        Movie Version Date/ Details

Grading rubric.

            *Overall grade will be reduced one letter grade each day the assignment is late.

Narrative Assignment

Personal narrative assignment.

Objective: To research an excerpt from a personal narrative and explain its theme and purpose and the historical context of the narrative.

Audience: Your instructor

Length: 500-700 words

Assignment:

• Read one of the personal narrative excerpts below.
• Research important biographical information of the author and the historical context of the narrative
• Write a paragraph (at least seven sentences) in which you provide basic biographical information about the author of the narrative. Make sure you properly cite the source of this biographical information following Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines.
• Write a full paragraph (at least twelve sentences) in which summarize the actions, events of the narrative. You may wish to directly quote from the narrative but make sure no more than 20% of this paragraph is direct quotes.
• The setting of the events of the narrative (where and when did it occur)
• The purpose of the author writing this narrative
• The audience of this narrative
• The general reaction of this narrative
• What sections of the narrative did you find most interesting/ compelling?
• What sections of the narrative were the hardest to understand/ relate to?
• How do you respond to the author as a person?
• Do you see any similarities in this narrative to your own experiences?

Makes sure that you use in-text citations when necessary and provide an appropriate Works Cited page at the end. Both the in-text citations and Works Cited page should follow MLA guidelines.

List of Narrative excerpts:

Mary Antin- “The Promised Land”

Olaudah Equiano “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”

Fanny Fern- “The Working Girls of New York”

Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins – “Life among the Piutes”

Red Cloud  “Address to Cooper Union” [All I want is Peace and justice]

Mary Rowlandson “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson”

Zitkala-Sa- ”The School Days of an Indian Girl”

Booker T Washington “Up From Slavery” 

[Instructors may add/ subtract works as needed]

Poetry rhythm assignment, poetry- rhythm assignment.

Objective: To identify the specific rhythm of a poem and explain how that rhythm is significant to understanding that poem.

Audience: Your instructor.

Length: 250-350 words

Select two poems from the list of poems [Instructor- it is best to provide a list of poems in order to limit opportunities for plagiarism and give students some boundaries]. Make one of your poems [name of “base” poem, which you’ve discussed with class]. Select a second poem which we have not covered as a class.

For each poem write a paragraph identifying the rhythm(s) of the poem and explaining how the rhythm(s) provide specific meaning to the poem. Feel free to quote specific lines or phrases from the poems to support your points.

If you use outside sources to assist you in writing this assignment, please use MLA format in-text citations and a Works Cited page at the end of the journal. 

List of Poems

Theodore Roethke – “My Papa’s Waltz”

William Shakespeare- Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day”

William Shakespeare- “My Mistresses’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun”

Gwendolyn Brooks- “We  Real Cool”

Claude McKay- “The Tropics in New York”

Alfred, Lord Tennyson- “Break, break, break”

[Instructors may add/ subtract poems as needed]

Poetry speaker assignment, poetry- speaker/voice assignment.

Objective: To examine a poem and identify how the poet creates a speaker or voice in the poem that we recognize as separate from the actual voice of the poet.

Length of assignment: 250-350 words.

Assignment: Select a poem from the list below. Read it several times to determine the “voice” or “speaker” of the poem. Write a 250-350 journal in which you explain how the poet intentionally creates a distinct speaker or voice in the poem, separate from that of the poet. Refer to or quote specific lines to support your points. Explain how the poet creates a full, unique character as the speaker of this poem.

List of poems:

                A.E. Houseman- “Is my Team Ploughing?”

                Robert Browning- “My Last Duchess” or “Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister”

                William Blake- “The Chimney Sweeper”

                Langston Hughes- “Mother to Son”

                Jane Johnston Schoolcraft- “Invocation”

                Wilfred Owen- “Dulce et Decorum Est”

                Howard Moss- “The Pruned Tree”

                James Stephens- “ A Glass of Beer”

[Instructors: Add/ Subtract from this list as you choose. Just make sure that the poems involve a speaker or voice who is distinct from the voice of the poet]

Short Fiction Theme

Short fiction-theme assignment.

Objective: To identify and trace a theme or motif in a short story.

Assignment Length 400-600 word essay:

• Select one (1) short story from the list below.
• Read it carefully, noting keys plot points. Make a list of the key characters and their main goals and actions through the story.
• Identify a key theme, locating at least three (3) specific instances/ references to this theme in the story.
• Summarize the plot of the story in one paragraph. Do not attempt to mention every minor plot point; highlight the key events that following the main characters and their most important goals and actions.
•  In 1-2 paragraphs, articulate the central theme identified in (3) above. Specifically quote these instances, explaining how these references to the theme add to a greater understanding of the story as a whole.  You do not need to retell the plot; your goal is to highlight the key moments when this theme is used to articulate the larger idea of the story.

List of Short Stories.

John Cheever- “The Swimmer”

James Joyce- “Araby”

Flannery O’Connor- “Good Country People”

Tobias Wolf- “Hunters in the Snow”

John Updike “A & P”

Kate Chopin- “The Story of an Hour”

“ Zora Neale Hurston- Spunk”

Katherine Mansfield- “Miss Brill”

Bobbie Lee Mason- “Shiloh”

Alice Munro- “How I Met My Husband”

W.W. Jacobs- The Monkey’s Paw

[ Instructors can add/ subtract works according to their preferences]

Version history.

• Peterborough

Writing the English Essay

Understanding the english essay.

• Understanding The English Essay
• Developing a Topic and Thesis for an English Essay
• Drafting the English Essay
• Using Secondary Sources in an English Essay
• Glossary of Common Formal Elements of Literature
• Documenting Sources in MLA Style (Modern Languages Association)

What is an English Essay?

The formal elements of literary works, considering theme, considering the formal elements and theme.

An English essay is an organized and analytical discussion and interpretation of a work or works of literature in English. There are many approaches to writing the English essay, but most start with you closely and actively reading, responding to and thinking about the text(s) being written about. You, the reader and essay writer, must ask and try to answer questions about what the work means, how it makes meaning, and how the author’s choices affect meaning. An English essay is built around what the essay writer thinks about the text(s), and the most important evidence and support in the essay will come from the texts themselves. Many English essays, then, are not research essays and require no use of secondary sources.

There are many approaches to the study of literature. We can

• consider the work in relation to its background or in relation to its author or its original readers or viewers
• think about and reflect on the themes in the work
• consider how the work is constructed and how it creates the effects it does
• read from a particular theoretical perspective
• examine the work in terms of its genre.

When we write an English essay, we, can approach the work or works in different ways. We might

• consider what the work means
• consider why the author made a particular choice
• consider what the central theme(s) of the work are
• analyze how parts of the work relate to the theme or themes
• consider the "craft" of the author (the author's use of language).

Many English essays analyze how the formal elements of a literary text work together to create meaning or affect the reader. The term formal element is used here to refer to the different techniques and tools writers have at their disposal. Essay writers must pay attention to the ways authors can arrange and pattern words, their medium, to create effect.

Often the essay topics assigned by professors focus on these formal elements; for example

• “What is the relationship between setting and character in 'The Painted Door'?"
• “How does the imagery of 'The Waste Land' contribute to our understanding of its themes?”

For a helpful explanation of the most common formal elements you will encounter in a literature course, see the Glossary of Formal Elements.

When an essay focuses on a literary work’s theme or themes, it is focusing on the major or central ideas that the work seems to be considering or expressing. The assumption is that a work of literature is about ideas and preoccupations of the “real world,” and through its story, plot, characterization and formal elements, it not only entertains but is saying something meaningful and important about central preoccupations all people share: Love, Duty, Right, Wrong, Justice, Friendship, Death, God etc. Literary works may also be thematically concerned with political, social, religious and psychological concerns of the work's particular place and time.

English essays often seek to uncover and clarify what the major themes in a text are and what the writer seems to be saying about them. When we study and write about a literary work, we may study it for theme, but we must also look at how a work's themes are being expressed and conveyed with the tools, the formal elements, unique to literature and the particular literary genre or form.

Remember, writers love words and what they can do with them. In a literary work, the words have been chosen and arranged to make meaning, create effect, and to make you feel, think, and interpret. The best English essays never forget that the plot, characters, setting etc do not really exist but have been created by the writer using words arranged in certain ways and using all the tools at their disposal (the formal elements) to create effect and express meaning (themes).

Other English essays have an even broader focus than the formal elements of a particular work in relation to its theme or themes. They may focus on the relationship among works by an author, or the relationships between the author’s life and work or the political, historical, or social context of the work(s).

It is important to be aware of what you are doing or what your assigned topic is asking you to do. If your topic’s focus is on the formal elements of a work or its theme(s), your primary, perhaps only, source will be the work; for essays with a broader focus, secondary sources may be necessary.

Responding to literature

Get started, understand the assignment, understand your text.

• Choose your topic
• Construct your argument
• Create an outline
• Draft your essay
• Revise for clarity
• Format your sources
• Visit the Writing Centre

Books to help you get started

In most English courses, you will be asked to read and respond to a work of literature by writing an essay. This can either be about a poem, a short story or a play. How do you respond to literature and where do you start?

• Understand your essay guidelines
• Different kinds of writing assignments

 First of all, you can start by making sure you understand the essay guidelines:

Read the guidelines carefully.

Are there questions that need answering?

When is the assignment due?

How long should the paper be? (number of words or pages)

What citation style is required? (Usually, for English classes, you use MLA.)

What physical format is required? (Do you need a title page,  margins, line spacing ?)

Do you need to include secondary sources? What type of sources and how many are required? (books, journal articles? Are websites allowed?)

Does your instructor give a grading rubric or criteria for marking the essay? If so, what are they?

If you are unclear about the guidelines, check with your instructor.

This guide is intended to help you with the most common types of essays you use when writing about literature: the analytical essay, the compare and contrast essay or the argumentative essay. However, reading your assignment guidelines carefully will help you determine which kind of writing or response your instructor is looking for. The five most common types of academic writing are the following:

Report-  Reports are generally fact-based and descriptive with an objective tone. The purpose is to describe something. A book report, for example, will generally focus on a description of setting, characters, plot, conflict, etc. and will not focus too much on analysis. 

Analysis-  An analysis is an explanation of how parts of something relate to a whole. The purpose of an analysis is to look closely at certain elements of something and explain how they work together to create larger meaning.

Summary-  A summary is an abbreviation of the main points of an original text. Its purpose is to communicate in a condensed fashion the main points of something.

Reflection-  A reflection is a personal response to something that is based on your own feelings, sensations, initial reactions, etc. A reflection is subjective, can use first person ("I") and is a good way to start thinking about how a text has made you feel. 

Essay-  An essay is a piece of writing that is structured in such a way that it supports a debatable claim. It should be written from an objective standpoint, and its purpose is to persuade the reader to believe the claims you are making. An essay consists of a series of organized paragraphs that offer details in support of a position. In addition to different types of academic writing, there are different types of academic essays.

• Analytic-  The analytical essay is the most common kind of essay you will write for a literature course. The analytic essay goes beyond simple summary and description.  Rather than telling the reader the facts of the situation, the analytic essay demands that you examine information and evaluate it. In other words, the analytic essay does not simply ask what, where and when; it asks how, why and what is the effect of this?
• Compare and contrast-  This is the examination of similarities and differences between two things. You may choose to compare and contrast two stories or two poems by the same or different authors. However, you must have a purpose in deciding why to compare or contrast two texts that goes beyond a mere explanation of the similarities and differences between them. It should explain what the implications of these similarities and differences are, and what one might learn from looking at these two texts side-by-side. 
• Argumentative-  Argumentative essays bring up an important debatable issue that has two distinct sides. The thesis of an argumentative essay always clearly states which side of the issue is being supported; it does not merely state that there are two sides to the issue. In literature, you may be arguing why or how your interpretation of a text is valid and insightful, and how it may differ from another common interpretation or analysis.
• Expository-  Expository essays are intended to persuade an audience of a particular position by addressing one side of a debatable issue. In order to write an expository essay you must have a strong, debatable thesis statement (an argument or a claim), evidence to support your thesis, and a logical organization of your materials. Usually, expository essays only deal with one side of an argument without addressing the opposition.
• Descriptive-  The purpose of a descriptive essay is to persuade the reader of a particular position or belief through the use of rich descriptive detail. Descriptive essays are often paired with narrative arguments because effective stories contain evocative descriptions of people, places, and events. Descriptive writing does not just tell readers what to think, but instead shows readers why one way of looking at the world is better than another. These kinds of essays should contain specific details that bring a picture to life for the audience. It focuses on showing rather than telling. This may be less common when you are asked to write about literature, but may be a useful practice when looking to incorporate more creativity and description into your academic writing style.
• Cause and effect- The cause and effect essay traces the relationship between reasons and results. It asks why something happened, and what the consequence was. This may be less common when you are writing about literature, but is useful for things like illuminating patterns in society and underlining the consequences if trends are not reversed.
• Research-  A research essay can take the form of any of the above essay methods, but must always include credible, scholarly research that supports the claim(s) you are making.
• Review literary terms
• Identify themes

Many English essays analyze how formal elements of a literary text work together to create meaning or affect the reader. E very word, action, place, thought and object described in a literary text is deliberate.  Analyzing how an author uses different literary devices can help you identify themes and understand how the author is constructing meaning through their text. 

1. Plot- Plot refers to the elements that govern the unfolding of the actions, including the conflict and its development in a story or play. Probably the single most revealing question you can ask about a work of literature is, "What conflict does it dramatize?" Often, analyzing the conflict can point to the meaning or theme of the story.

1. Characters-  In literature, all actions, interactions, speeches, and observations are deliberate. In a story or play, you may expect that each action or speech, no matter how small, is a presentation of the complex inner and outer worlds that constitute a human being. Examining the actions, descriptions, statements and thoughts can give you insight into what the author is trying to say about a particular person with particular experiences.

3. Point of View - Point of view is the speaker, narrator, persona or voice created by the author to tell stories, make observations, present arguments, and express personal attitudes and judgments. There are four common point of views:

• Omniscient point of view- In this point of view, the author, not one of the characters, tells the story, and the author assumes complete knowledge of the characters' actions and thoughts.
• Limited omniscient point of view- When this method is used, the author still narrates the story but restricts (limits) his or her revelation—and therefore our knowledge—of the thoughts of all but one character. One name for this character is "central consciousness." A device of plot and characterization that often accompanies this point of view is the character's gradual discovery of himself or herself until the story climaxes in an epiphany. 
• First person point of view- In the first person position, the author is even more restricted: one of the characters tells the story, eliminating the author as narrator. Here, the narrator is restricted to what one character says he or she observes. The narrator can therefore be unreliable (subject to their own thoughts, experiences, maturity level, etc.) or reliable (a credible source of information).
• Objective (dramatic) point of view- Objective point of view is the most restricting of all. Though the author is the narrator, he or she refuses to enter the minds of any of the characters. The writer sees them (and lets us see them) as we would in real life. In this method, we learn about the characters from what they say and do, how they look, and what other characters say about them. We don't learn what they think unless they tell us. This is sometimes called "dramatic" point of view, because we learn about characters in the same way we would in a play. 

4. Tone - Tone also has a great deal to do with the narrator. Tone is the narrator's predominant attitude toward the subject, whether that subject be a particular setting, event, character or idea. The narrator conveys tone through the way devices are handled, including word choice, which may be directly stated or indirectly implied. 

4. Structure- A structure is anything made with a clear organizational pattern. Every literary work has a structure of some sort. Sometimes the structure is new and original; often, it follows a known, set format, like that of a sonnet or a haiku. Certain structures have certain meanings attached to them. For example, a sonnet is traditionally used for love poetry. If a poet is writing a love poem following only certain rules of the sonnet structure, that may reveal elements of traditional notions of love that they accept and reject. Analyzing the structure or form of a story or poem can help reveal certain layers of meaning the author may be referencing.

5. Setting - Setting refers to where and when the plot occurs and the environment in which the characters are described as living. This environment includes the natural environment, the material environment, and the social environment. After determining basic questions such as, "Where does the story take place?" and " What sensuous qualities does the author give to the setting?" you can move on to other questions like, "What relationship does place have to characterization and theme?"

6. Imagery - Imagery is a term used for descriptive language that evokes the senses such as sights, sounds, smells, tastes and other physical sensations. The word "imagery" is also used for other kinds of figurative language, such as metaphor and simile.

7. Figurative language - Figurative language is something that is described in terms of something else, usually taking the form of a metaphor or simile.

• Metaphor- A metaphor compares something to something else without using "like" or "as" or other comparative terms. For example, "Your words are music to my ears." We know that words are not music, but by making this comparison, we ascribe a musical, pleasing quality to these words.
• Simile- A simile shows similarities between things that are different, using words like "like" or "as". For example: "My love is like a red, red rose" (Burns). What we know about a red rose helps us to understand what the beloved is like.

8. Denotation and Connotation- Denotation and connotation both deal with word meaning.

• Denotation- means the explicit meaning or dictionary definition of a word.
• Connotation- refers to the implications, feelings and cultural associations a word has collected through its use over time, for example, the association of red roses with romantic love.

9. Symbolism-  A symbol is a thing that represents another thing which is usually larger and more abstract. For example, a cross is a symbol of Christianity, or a heart is a symbol of love. In literature, words, characters, setting, events and situations can all be symbolic.

10. Rhythm-  Rhythm is the stresses that come at regular intervals to create effect. Poetry is built on a rhythmic pattern, called metre, which also contributes to effect and meaning. A metrical pattern is made up of a sequence of stressed and unstressed syllables.

11. Rhyme- Rhyme is a sound device in which identical or very similar sounds are repeated, often at the ends of lines in poems or songs.

12. Irony- Irony plays with the differences between appearances and reality, or between meaning and the words used to convey that meaning. An example of verbal irony occurs when a character says or does something without the knowledge that other characters and the readers/ viewers share.

13. Diction- Diction refers to the words and grammatical constructions a writer selects and which may reveal, among other things, the nationality and level of education of the writer or of the literary character given those words by the writer. A writer's diction will affect the "tone" of the text and its meaning.

14. Allusion- Allusion is a reference inside a work to something outside it, such as a person, place, event or other work. A writer making an allusion often presupposes that the reader knows something about the external reference and will understand how it adds to the work.

15. Genre- Genre has its roots in French, meaning "type" or "kind." Literature is divided up into genres or types, which share conventions or similar features. The major literary genres are drama, poetry, and fiction, which can be further subdivided by type. Knowing more about the conventions that are specific to certain genres can help in your analysis and understanding of the text.

Adapted from Writing About Literature by Edgar V. Roberts and Writing the English Essay by Mary Ann Armstrong

Once you have reviewed some of the formal elements of a text, you can start to draw some conclusions about what message the author is trying to convey. 

Literature and poetry usually tell us more than just a story. The story can often be representative of some aspect of what it means to be alive, to be human, to connect or to not connect with others, etc. These are what we call themes.  A theme is a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly.

They can be things like

• Dreams and disillusionment
• The beauty of simplicity
• The illusion of power, etc.

Identifying what some of the themes of the story are, and how the author expresses these themes, is a good place to start when deciding what you want to write on.

You can ask yourself questions like

• Aside from the basic elements of plot, setting, and character development, what is the story really about? Then, how do other literary elements contribute to the development of this theme?
• What symbols and metaphors does the author use and what might these represent? How do these further enhance an overall theme or message of the story/poem?
• If there are several themes/messages, how might these be working together? What is the result of the author exploring these issues side-by-side?
• How might the historical context during which the story/poem was written influence the way the author portrays certain elements of these themes?

Often, your instructor will provide you with a list of questions specific to the text to help you start thinking about it in these terms.

• Next: Choose your topic >>
• Last Updated: May 3, 2023 2:58 PM
• URL: https://camosun.libguides.com/RespondingToLiterature

Chapter One: Understanding the Assignment / Types of Research Projects / Preliminary Research

Understanding the Assignment

You are viewing the first edition of this textbook. a second edition is available – please visit the latest edition for updated information..

We discuss the following topics on this page:

Intended Audience for the Project

Purpose of the project, understanding the assignment prompts, guidelines, and expectations, the role of analysis in research projects.

Key Takeaways

Be sure you fully understand the assignment before you begin research. If there are terms in the assignment you don’t understand or methods you don’t yet know how to do, you will need to obtain this knowledge as soon as possible. The best source for information about your assignment is the person who gave the assignment (usually your instructor). For additional help understanding the assignment, visit the UCF Writing Center .

Jada’s assignment was to write a 10-12 page paper that analyzed a work of literature (she chose James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”) while employing two schools of criticism and citing five scholarly sources using the MLA format. This is a fairly common but deceptively complex literary studies research assignment. Instructors might also stipulate that your research includes biographical or historical information about your chosen subject. Other kinds of research can include textual analysis, comparative readings, genre studies, or theory-based approaches. We discuss various theories and methods in future modules. For now we will discuss four major types of research projects. These include 1) interpretive, 2) critical, 3) historical, and 4) creative.

Audience awareness is an important aspect of good writing (and one we will discuss many times throughout this course). If your instructor does not stipulate an intended audience, assume you are writing for a journal of literary studies and that your classmates or other students and literary scholars are your imagined audience. It can be tempting to think of your instructor as your audience since they will be reading and grading your paper. However, you should avoid doing so unless told otherwise. Rather, think of your instructor as an editor who gives an assignment and evaluates your work for publication. The true “audience” in this case would be the readers of your real or imagined journal.

Different journals and conferences favor certain kinds of research over others and you should explore a few journals to see what kinds of research they publish. It is useful to review the submission guidelines for various literary journals and conferences to find out what kinds of research they prefer. Many journals publish articles with very specific formatting and methodology requirements, and learning about them can provide insight to beginning researchers. By studying the field, you can also be more prepared if or when you’re considering graduate school or are thinking about writing beyond class assignments. Publishing and presenting on a more professional level await!

The typical purpose of a research paper in literary studies is to convince an audience to share your conclusion about a work of literature (or about a genre, a historical period, an author, a theory, etc.). Thus, you want to make a well-supported case to convince your reader to adopt your understanding and not some other understanding. The research method you choose (and your effectiveness in using it) will determine whether you succeed.

It’s common to begin a research project with a broad topic that you refine and focus throughout your research. Jada’s journey started with a general interest in James Baldwin’s short story, “Sonny’s Blues,” but became a more clear, complex, and focused question that drove her research.

First, Jada needed to know the parameters of the assignment. Instructors may provide a specific prompt focused on a particular literary work, an author, a literary form, a historical period, a theme, a theory, a method, or some other aspect of literary studies  or  the instructor may offer a choice of prompts. The instructor may require that your paper argue for or against a certain proposition. Alternatively the instructor may leave the assignment open-ended, requiring students to identify their own topic and produce their own prompt (otherwise known as a research question).

In addition, the instructor may list other requirements for your research project such as page length, number and type of sources, citation format, style guidelines, etc. Be sure to familiarize yourself with all these requirements before you begin your project; you don’t want to get to the deadline only to realize you needed five more citations, your paper is five pages too short, and you don’t know the difference between MLA and APA formats. The best source for information about the research paper guidelines is your instructor. If you have questions about the assignment or just want to go over the requirements before you begin your work, please ask your instructor for help. They are there to help you!

Research projects should make  arguments , which are not to be confused with  analysis . An analysis does not necessarily pose any arguments. Any research project must include some analysis, but this analysis must be used to support an interpretive, critical, or historical claim (or to give a creative work some rhetorical agency).

Analytical work will help you better understand a literary text. The goal of analysis is to describe what type  a text is, how it  functions , what its  parts  or  elements  are, and how it achieves its  effects.  You must do an analysis, but you should not stop with one; an analysis is a necessary step to creating an argument. Later in this course we will discuss how you use analysis to build your arguments.

The following pages will include more details about types of research projects, Jada’s project, including short videos of her discussing her approach to finding resources, establishing relevance, refining and evaluating her research question, and managing her research.

reasons given to persuade others that a belief or action is right or wrong.

examination of the elements or structure of something.

Strategies for Conducting Literary Research Copyright © 2021 by Barry Mauer & John Venecek is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Annotate Texts

Use the links below to jump directly to any section of this guide:

Annotation Fundamentals

How to start annotating , how to annotate digital texts, how to annotate a textbook, how to annotate a scholarly article or book, how to annotate literature, how to annotate images, videos, and performances, additional resources for teachers.

Writing in your books can make you smarter. Or, at least (according to education experts), annotation–an umbrella term for underlining, highlighting, circling, and, most importantly, leaving comments in the margins–helps students to remember and comprehend what they read. Annotation is like a conversation between reader and text. Proper annotation allows students to record their own opinions and reactions, which can serve as the inspiration for research questions and theses. So, whether you're reading a novel, poem, news article, or science textbook, taking notes along the way can give you an advantage in preparing for tests or writing essays. This guide contains resources that explain the benefits of annotating texts, provide annotation tools, and suggest approaches for diverse kinds of texts; the last section includes lesson plans and exercises for teachers.

Why annotate? As the resources below explain, annotation allows students to emphasize connections to material covered elsewhere in the text (or in other texts), material covered previously in the course, or material covered in lectures and discussion. In other words, proper annotation is an organizing tool and a time saver. The links in this section will introduce you to the theory, practice, and purpose of annotation. 

How to Mark a Book, by Mortimer Adler

This famous, charming essay lays out the case for marking up books, and provides practical suggestions at the end including underlining, highlighting, circling key words, using vertical lines to mark shifts in tone/subject, numbering points in an argument, and keeping track of questions that occur to you as you read. 

How Annotation Reshapes Student Thinking (TeacherHUB)

In this article, a high school teacher discusses the importance of annotation and how annotation encourages more effective critical thinking.

The Future of Annotation (Journal of Business and Technical Communication)

This scholarly article summarizes research on the benefits of annotation in the classroom and in business. It also discusses how technology and digital texts might affect the future of annotation. 

Annotating to Deepen Understanding (Texas Education Agency)

This website provides another introduction to annotation (designed for 11th graders). It includes a helpful section that teaches students how to annotate reading comprehension passages on tests.

Once you understand what annotation is, you're ready to begin. But what tools do you need? How do you prepare? The resources linked in this section list strategies and techniques you can use to start annotating. 

What is Annotating? (Charleston County School District)

This resource gives an overview of annotation styles, including useful shorthands and symbols. This is a good place for a student who has never annotated before to begin.

How to Annotate Text While Reading (YouTube)

This video tutorial (appropriate for grades 6–10) explains the basic ins and outs of annotation and gives examples of the type of information students should be looking for.

Annotation Practices: Reading a Play-text vs. Watching Film (U Calgary)

This blog post, written by a student, talks about how the goals and approaches of annotation might change depending on the type of text or performance being observed. 

Annotating Texts with Sticky Notes (Lyndhurst Schools)

Sometimes students are asked to annotate books they don't own or can't write in for other reasons. This resource provides some strategies for using sticky notes instead.

Teaching Students to Close Read...When You Can't Mark the Text (Performing in Education)

Here, a sixth grade teacher demonstrates the strategies she uses for getting her students to annotate with sticky notes. This resource includes a link to the teacher's free Annotation Bookmark (via Teachers Pay Teachers).

Digital texts can present a special challenge when it comes to annotation; emerging research suggests that many students struggle to critically read and retain information from digital texts. However, proper annotation can solve the problem. This section contains links to the most highly-utilized platforms for electronic annotation.

Evernote is one of the two big players in the "digital annotation apps" game. In addition to allowing users to annotate digital documents, the service (for a fee) allows users to group multiple formats (PDF, webpages, scanned hand-written notes) into separate notebooks, create voice recordings, and sync across all sorts of devices. 

OneNote is Evernote's main competitor. Reviews suggest that OneNote allows for more freedom for digital note-taking than Evernote, but that it is slightly more awkward to import and annotate a PDF, especially on certain platforms. However, OneNote's free version is slightly more feature-filled, and OneNote allows you to link your notes to time stamps on an audio recording.

Diigo is a basic browser extension that allows a user to annotate webpages. Diigo also offers a Screenshot app that allows for direct saving to Google Drive.

While the creators of Hypothesis like to focus on their app's social dimension, students are more likely to be interested in the private highlighting and annotating functions of this program.

Foxit PDF Reader

Foxit is one of the leading PDF readers. Though the full suite must be purchased, Foxit offers a number of annotation and highlighting tools for free.

Nitro PDF Reader

This is another well-reviewed, free PDF reader that includes annotation and highlighting. Annotation, text editing, and other tools are included in the free version.

Goodreader is a very popular Mac-only app that includes annotation and editing tools for PDFs, Word documents, Powerpoint, and other formats.

Although textbooks have vocabulary lists, summaries, and other features to emphasize important material, annotation can allow students to process information and discover their own connections. This section links to guides and video tutorials that introduce you to textbook annotation. 

Annotating Textbooks (Niagara University)

This PDF provides a basic introduction as well as strategies including focusing on main ideas, working by section or chapter, annotating in your own words, and turning section headings into questions.

A Simple Guide to Text Annotation (Catawba College)

The simple, practical strategies laid out in this step-by-step guide will help students learn how to break down chapters in their textbooks using main ideas, definitions, lists, summaries, and potential test questions.

Annotating (Mercer Community College)

This packet, an excerpt from a literature textbook, provides a short exercise and some examples of how to do textbook annotation, including using shorthand and symbols.

Reading Your Healthcare Textbook: Annotation (Saddleback College)

This powerpoint contains a number of helpful suggestions, especially for students who are new to annotation. It emphasizes limited highlighting, lots of student writing, and using key words to find the most important information in a textbook. Despite the title, it is useful to a student in any discipline.

Annotating a Textbook (Excelsior College OWL)

This video (with included transcript) discusses how to use textbook features like boxes and sidebars to help guide annotation. It's an extremely helpful, detailed discussion of how textbooks are organized.

Because scholarly articles and books have complex arguments and often depend on technical vocabulary, they present particular challenges for an annotating student. The resources in this section help students get to the heart of scholarly texts in order to annotate and, by extension, understand the reading.

Annotating a Text (Hunter College)

This resource is designed for college students and shows how to annotate a scholarly article using highlighting, paraphrase, a descriptive outline, and a two-margin approach. It ends with a sample passage marked up using the strategies provided. 

Guide to Annotating the Scholarly Article (ReadWriteThink.org)

This is an effective introduction to annotating scholarly articles across all disciplines. This resource encourages students to break down how the article uses primary and secondary sources and to annotate the types of arguments and persuasive strategies (synthesis, analysis, compare/contrast).

How to Highlight and Annotate Your Research Articles (CHHS Media Center)

This video, developed by a high school media specialist, provides an effective beginner-level introduction to annotating research articles. 

How to Read a Scholarly Book (AndrewJacobs.org)

In this essay, a college professor lets readers in on the secrets of scholarly monographs. Though he does not discuss annotation, he explains how to find a scholarly book's thesis, methodology, and often even a brief literature review in the introduction. This is a key place for students to focus when creating annotations. 

A 5-step Approach to Reading Scholarly Literature and Taking Notes (Heather Young Leslie)

This resource, written by a professor of anthropology, is an even more comprehensive and detailed guide to reading scholarly literature. Combining the annotation techniques above with the reading strategy here allows students to process scholarly book efficiently. 

Annotation is also an important part of close reading works of literature. Annotating helps students recognize symbolism, double meanings, and other literary devices. These resources provide additional guidelines on annotating literature.

AP English Language Annotation Guide (YouTube)

In this ~10 minute video, an AP Language teacher provides tips and suggestions for using annotations to point out rhetorical strategies and other important information.

Annotating Text Lesson (YouTube)

In this video tutorial, an English teacher shows how she uses the white board to guide students through annotation and close reading. This resource uses an in-depth example to model annotation step-by-step.

Close Reading a Text and Avoiding Pitfalls (Purdue OWL)

This resources demonstrates how annotation is a central part of a solid close reading strategy; it also lists common mistakes to avoid in the annotation process.

AP Literature Assignment: Annotating Literature (Mount Notre Dame H.S.)

This brief assignment sheet contains suggestions for what to annotate in a novel, including building connections between parts of the book, among multiple books you are reading/have read, and between the book and your own experience. It also includes samples of quality annotations.

AP Handout: Annotation Guide (Covington Catholic H.S.)

This annotation guide shows how to keep track of symbolism, figurative language, and other devices in a novel using a highlighter, a pencil, and every part of a book (including the front and back covers).

In addition to written resources, it's possible to annotate visual "texts" like theatrical performances, movies, sculptures, and paintings. Taking notes on visual texts allows students to recall details after viewing a resource which, unlike a book, can't be re-read or re-visited ( for example, a play that has finished its run, or an art exhibition that is far away). These resources draw attention to the special questions and techniques that students should use when dealing with visual texts.

How to Take Notes on Videos (U of Southern California)

This resource is a good place to start for a student who has never had to take notes on film before. It briefly outlines three general approaches to note-taking on a film. 

How to Analyze a Movie, Step-by-Step (San Diego Film Festival)

This detailed guide provides lots of tips for film criticism and analysis. It contains a list of specific questions to ask with respect to plot, character development, direction, musical score, cinematography, special effects, and more. 

How to "Read" a Film (UPenn)

This resource provides an academic perspective on the art of annotating and analyzing a film. Like other resources, it provides students a checklist of things to watch out for as they watch the film.

Art Annotation Guide (Gosford Hill School)

This resource focuses on how to annotate a piece of art with respect to its formal elements like line, tone, mood, and composition. It contains a number of helpful questions and relevant examples. 

Photography Annotation (Arts at Trinity)

This resource is designed specifically for photography students. Like some of the other resources on this list, it primarily focuses on formal elements, but also shows students how to integrate the specific technical vocabulary of modern photography. This resource also contains a number of helpful sample annotations.

How to Review a Play (U of Wisconsin)

This resource from the University of Wisconsin Writing Center is designed to help students write a review of a play. It contains suggested questions for students to keep in mind as they watch a given production. This resource helps students think about staging, props, script alterations, and many other key elements of a performance.

This section contains links to lessons plans and exercises suitable for high school and college instructors.

Beyond the Yellow Highlighter: Teaching Annotation Skills to Improve Reading Comprehension (English Journal)

In this journal article, a high school teacher talks about her approach to teaching annotation. This article makes a clear distinction between annotation and mere highlighting.

Lesson Plan for Teaching Annotation, Grades 9–12 (readwritethink.org)

This lesson plan, published by the National Council of Teachers of English, contains four complete lessons that help introduce high school students to annotation.

Teaching Theme Using Close Reading (Performing in Education)

This lesson plan was developed by a middle school teacher, and is aligned to Common Core. The teacher presents her strategies and resources in comprehensive fashion.

Analyzing a Speech Using Annotation (UNC-TV/PBS Learning Media)

This complete lesson plan, which includes a guide for the teacher and relevant handouts for students, will prepare students to analyze both the written and presentation components of a speech. This lesson plan is best for students in 6th–10th grade.

Writing to Learn History: Annotation and Mini-Writes (teachinghistory.org)

This teaching guide, developed for high school History classes, provides handouts and suggested exercises that can help students become more comfortable with annotating historical sources.

Writing About Art (The College Board)

This Prezi presentation is useful to any teacher introducing students to the basics of annotating art. The presentation covers annotating for both formal elements and historical/cultural significance.

Film Study Worksheets (TeachWithMovies.org)

This resource contains links to a general film study worksheet, as well as specific worksheets for novel adaptations, historical films, documentaries, and more. These resources are appropriate for advanced middle school students and some high school students. 

Annotation Practice Worksheet (La Guardia Community College)

This worksheet has a sample text and instructions for students to annotate it. It is a useful resource for teachers who want to give their students a chance to practice, but don't have the time to select an appropriate piece of text. 

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Common Assignments: Literature Reviews

Basics of literature reviews.

A literature review is a written approach to examining published information on a particular topic or field. Authors use this review of literature to create a foundation and justification for their research or to demonstrate knowledge on the current state of a field. This review can take the form of a course assignment or a section of a longer capstone project. Read on for more information about writing a strong literature review!

Students often misinterpret the term "literature review" to mean merely a collection of source summaries, similar to annotations or article abstracts. Although summarizing is an element of a literature review, the purpose is to create a comprehensive representation of your understanding of a topic or area of research, such as what has already been done or what has been found. Then, also using these sources, you can demonstrate the need for future research, specifically, your future research.

There is usually no required format or template for a literature review. However, there are some actions to keep in mind when constructing a literature review:

• Include an introduction and conclusion . Even if the literature review will be part of a longer document, introductory and concluding paragraphs can act as bookends to your material. Provide background information for your reader, such as including references to the pioneers in the field in the beginning and offering closure in the end by discussing the implications of future research to the field.
• Avoid direct quotations . Just like in an annotated bibliography, you will want to paraphrase all of the material you present in a literature review. This assignment is a chance for you to demonstrate your knowledge on a topic, and putting ideas into your own words will ensure that you are interpreting the found material for your reader. Paraphrasing will also ensure your review of literature is in your authorial voice.
• Organize by topic or theme rather than by author. When compiling multiple sources, a tendency can be to summarize each source and then compare and contrast the sources at the end. Instead, organize your source information by your identified themes and patterns. This organization helps demonstrate your synthesis of the material and inhibits you from creating a series of book reports.
•  Use headings . APA encourages the use of headings within longer pieces of text to display a shift in topic and create a visual break for the reader. Headings in a literature review can also help you as the writer organize your material by theme and note any layers, or subtopics, within the field.
• Show relationships and consider the flow of ideas. A literature review can be lengthy and dense, so you will want to make your text appealing to your reader. Transitions and comparison terms will allow you to demonstrate where authors agree or disagree on a topic and highlight your interpretation of the literature.

Related Multimedia, Social Media, and Other Resources

Randolph, J. J. (2009). A guide to writing the dissertation literature review. Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation , 14 (13), 1–13. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1219&context=pare

Didn't find what you need? Email us at [email protected] .

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Learn how to write a review of literature

What is a review of literature.

The format of a review of literature may vary from discipline to discipline and from assignment to assignment.

A review may be a self-contained unit — an end in itself — or a preface to and rationale for engaging in primary research. A review is a required part of grant and research proposals and often a chapter in theses and dissertations.

Generally, the purpose of a review is to analyze critically a segment of a published body of knowledge through summary, classification, and comparison of prior research studies, reviews of literature, and theoretical articles.

Writing the introduction

In the introduction, you should:

Define or identify the general topic, issue, or area of concern, thus providing an appropriate context for reviewing the literature.

Point out overall trends in what has been published about the topic; or conflicts in theory, methodology, evidence, and conclusions; or gaps in research and scholarship; or a single problem or new perspective of immediate interest.

Establish the writer’s reason (point of view) for reviewing the literature; explain the criteria to be used in analyzing and comparing literature and the organization of the review (sequence); and, when necessary, state why certain literature is or is not included (scope).

Writing the body

In the body, you should:

Group research studies and other types of literature (reviews, theoretical articles, case studies, etc.) according to common denominators such as qualitative versus quantitative approaches, conclusions of authors, specific purpose or objective, chronology, etc.

Summarize individual studies or articles with as much or as little detail as each merits according to its comparative importance in the literature, remembering that space (length) denotes significance.

Provide the reader with strong “umbrella” sentences at beginnings of paragraphs, “signposts” throughout, and brief “so what” summary sentences at intermediate points in the review to aid in understanding comparisons and analyses.

Writing the conclusion

In the conclusion, you should:

Summarize major contributions of significant studies and articles to the body of knowledge under review, maintaining the focus established in the introduction.

Evaluate the current “state of the art” for the body of knowledge reviewed, pointing out major methodological flaws or gaps in research, inconsistencies in theory and findings, and areas or issues pertinent to future study.

Conclude by providing some insight into the relationship between the central topic of the literature review and a larger area of study such as a discipline, a scientific endeavor, or a profession.

For further information see our handouts on Writing a Critical Review of a Nonfiction Book or Article or Reading a Book to Review It .

To learn more about literature reviews, take a look at our workshop on Writing Literature Reviews of Published Research.

Sample Literature Reviews

An important strategy for learning how to compose literature reviews in your field or within a specific genre is to locate and analyze representative examples. The following collection of annotated sample literature reviews written and co-written by colleagues associated with UW-Madison showcases how these reviews can do different kind of work for different purposes. Use these successful examples as a starting point for understanding how other writers have approached the challenging and important task of situating their idea in the context of established research.

• Sample 1 (PDF) A brief literature review within a political scientists’  National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship  grant
• Sample 2 (PDF) A several-page literature review at the beginning of a published, academic article about philosophy
• Sample 3 (PDF) A brief literature review at the beginning of a published, academic article about photochemistry

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Literature Review Assignment

Note to instructors: This literature review assignment may be used as part of an ongoing research project, or it may be used as a stand-alone project. You are encouraged to adopt, adapt, or remix these guidelines to suit your goals for your class.

Rough Draft:

Peer Review:

Final Draft:

This assignment will help you become aware of how writers and researchers consider previous work on a topic before they begin additional research. 

• Locate a variety of scholarly print and digital sources that represent multiple perspectives on a topic.
• Analyze sources by critically reading, annotating, engaging, comparing, and drawing implications.
• Methods of gathering and determining the credibility of sources
• Strategies for identifying and discussing multiple perspectives in research

A literature review provides context and establishes the need for new research. In your literature review, you will summarize and analyze published research on your topic by identifying strengths, weaknesses, commonalities, and disagreements among your sources.

For this assignment, you will conduct research on your topic and then compose a thoughtful, well-organized literature review that reflects your own analysis of at least five scholarly sources and their contributions to your topic. (Note that a literature review differs from an annotated bibliography, which simply lists sources and summaries one-by-one. A literature review also differs from a research paper because it does not include new arguments or unpublished primary research.)

Your literature review should have three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

Introduction

In the introduction, identify your research topic and provide appropriate background information to clarify the context in which you will be reviewing the sources. You should also identify commonalities, conflicts, and/or gaps in published research. Finally, you should explain the criteria you’ve used to analyze, compare, and contrast sources.

In the body, discuss your sources. Organize your discussion of sources based on a common characteristic such as authors’ purposes, findings, or conclusions; research methodologies; or chronology. Briefly summarize each source and describe the strengths and weaknesses of each source. Identify and analyze each source’s contribution to the topic and address differing viewpoints. Integrate source information effectively using lead-in phrases and citations. 

In the conclusion, discuss the ways your sources have contributed to greater knowledge and understanding of the topic and address shortcomings in the existing research. Answer the following questions: What has your review of the sources revealed or demonstrated about the topic? What new questions that have been raised? What areas need further study? 

Formatting requirements

Follow MLA format. Use black Calibri or Times New Roman font in size 12. Double-space the entire document. Use 1-inch margins on all sides.

Criteria for success

General criteria:.

• The writing is clear and coherent/makes sense. 
• The tone and language are appropriate for the audience.
• The writing adheres to grammar and punctuation rules.
• All sources are cited properly, both within the literature review and on the Works Cited page. 

In the introduction, you should . . .

• Identify the general topic or issue you have researched.
• Provide appropriate background information to clarify the context in which you will be reviewing sources. 
• Identify overall trends conflicts, and/or gaps in research and scholarship; and/or identify a single problem or new perspective. 
• Explain the criteria you’ve used to analyze, compare, and contrast sources.
• When necessary, state why certain sources are, or are not, included. 

In the body, you should . . .

• Include at least five scholarly sources.
• Organize discussion of sources logically according to a common characteristic (E.g.: authors’ purposes, findings, or conclusions; research methodologies; or chronology)
• Briefly summarize individual sources.
• Describe strengths of each source.
• Describe weaknesses of each source.
• Identify and analyze each source’s contribution to the topic. 
• Address differing viewpoints.
• Integrate source information effectively using lead-in phrases and citations.

In the conclusion, you should . . .

• Discuss the ways your sources have contributed to greater knowledge and understanding of the topic.
• Address shortcomings in the existing research. 
• Note new information or understanding the literature review has revealed about the topic. 
• Note new questions that have been raised.
• Note areas where further study is needed.

The literature review should adhere to all formatting criteria:

• Follow MLA format throughout the literature review and on the Works Cited page.
• The entire document should be double-spaced. 
• The font should be Calibri or Times New Roman in size 12.
• The margins should be one inch on all sides.

This material was developed by the COMPSS team and is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . All materials created by the COMPSS team are free to use and can be adopted, adapted, and/or shared as long as the materials are attributed. Please keep this information on materials you adopt, adapt, and/or share. 

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Writing an English assignment can be troublesome at times. The students lack the proper information which is required to write an assignment. Apart from this there are many more things which are necessary for an assignment writing and such things are highlighted in this article.

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• ↑ https://www.openpolytechnic.ac.nz/current-students/study-tips-and-techniques/assignments/step-by-step-guide-to-assignment-writing/
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• ↑ https://www.uq.edu.au/student-services/learning/structuring-your-assignment
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How to write a literature review in 6 steps

What is a literature review?

How to write a literature review, 1. determine the purpose of your literature review, 2. do an extensive search, 3. evaluate and select literature, 4. analyze the literature, 5. plan the structure of your literature review, 6. write your literature review, other resources to help you write a successful literature review, frequently asked questions about writing a literature review, related articles.

A literature review is an assessment of the sources in a chosen topic of research.

A good literature review does not just summarize sources. It analyzes the state of the field on a given topic and creates a scholarly foundation for you to make your own intervention. It demonstrates to your readers how your research fits within a larger field of study.

In a thesis, a literature review is part of the introduction, but it can also be a separate section. In research papers, a literature review may have its own section or it may be integrated into the introduction, depending on the field.

➡️ Our guide on what is a literature review covers additional basics about literature reviews.

• Identify the main purpose of the literature review.
• Do extensive research.
• Evaluate and select relevant sources.
• Analyze the sources.
• Plan a structure.
• Write the review.

In this section, we review each step of the process of creating a literature review.

In the first step, make sure you know specifically what the assignment is and what form your literature review should take. Read your assignment carefully and seek clarification from your professor or instructor if needed. You should be able to answer the following questions:

• How many sources do I need to include?
• What types of sources should I review?
• Should I evaluate the sources?
• Should I summarize, synthesize or critique sources?
• Do I need to provide any definitions or background information?

In addition to that, be aware that the narrower your topic, the easier it will be to limit the number of sources you need to read in order to get a good overview of the topic.

Now you need to find out what has been written on the topic and search for literature related to your research topic. Make sure to select appropriate source material, which means using academic or scholarly sources , including books, reports, journal articles , government documents and web resources.

➡️ If you’re unsure about how to tell if a source is scholarly, take a look at our guide on how to identify a scholarly source .

Come up with a list of relevant keywords and then start your search with your institution's library catalog, and extend it to other useful databases and academic search engines like:

• Google Scholar
• Science.gov

➡️ Our guide on how to collect data for your thesis might be helpful at this stage of your research as well as the top list of academic search engines .

Once you find a useful article, check out the reference list. It should provide you with even more relevant sources. Also, keep a note of the:

• authors' names
• page numbers

Keeping track of the bibliographic information for each source will save you time when you’re ready to create citations. You could also use a reference manager like Paperpile to automatically save, manage, and cite your references.

Read the literature. You will most likely not be able to read absolutely everything that is out there on the topic. Therefore, read the abstract first to determine whether the rest of the source is worth your time. If the source is relevant for your topic:

• Read it critically.
• Look for the main arguments.
• Take notes as you read.
• Organize your notes using a table, mind map, or other technique.

Now you are ready to analyze the literature you have gathered. While your are working on your analysis, you should ask the following questions:

• What are the key terms, concepts and problems addressed by the author?
• How is this source relevant for my specific topic?
• How is the article structured? What are the major trends and findings?
• What are the conclusions of the study?
• How are the results presented? Is the source credible?
• When comparing different sources, how do they relate to each other? What are the similarities, what are the differences?
• Does the study help me understand the topic better?
• Are there any gaps in the research that need to be filled? How can I further my research as a result of the review?

Tip: Decide on the structure of your literature review before you start writing.

There are various ways to organize your literature review:

• Chronological method : Writing in the chronological method means you are presenting the materials according to when they were published. Follow this approach only if a clear path of research can be identified.
• Thematic review : A thematic review of literature is organized around a topic or issue, rather than the progression of time.
• Publication-based : You can order your sources by publication, if the way you present the order of your sources demonstrates a more important trend. This is the case when a progression revealed from study to study and the practices of researchers have changed and adapted due to the new revelations.
• Methodological approach : A methodological approach focuses on the methods used by the researcher. If you have used sources from different disciplines that use a variety of research methods, you might want to compare the results in light of the different methods and discuss how the topic has been approached from different sides.

Regardless of the structure you chose, a review should always include the following three sections:

• An introduction, which should give the reader an outline of why you are writing the review and explain the relevance of the topic.
• A body, which divides your literature review into different sections. Write in well-structured paragraphs, use transitions and topic sentences and critically analyze each source for how it contributes to the themes you are researching.
• A conclusion , which summarizes the key findings, the main agreements and disagreements in the literature, your overall perspective, and any gaps or areas for further research.

➡️ If your literature review is part of a longer paper, visit our guide on what is a research paper for additional tips.

➡️ UNC writing center: Literature reviews

➡️ How to write a literature review in 3 steps

➡️ How to write a literature review in 30 minutes or less

The goal of a literature review is to asses the state of the field on a given topic in preparation for making an intervention.

A literature review should have its own independent section. You should indicate clearly in the table of contents where it can be found, and address this section as “Literature Review.”

There is no set amount of words for a literature review; the length depends on the research. If you are working with a large amount of sources, then it will be long. If your paper does not depend entirely on references, then it will be short.

Most research papers include a literature review. By assessing the available sources in your field of research, you will be able to make a more confident argument about the topic.

Literature reviews are most commonly found in theses and dissertations. However, you find them in research papers as well.

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Applying Genre-Based Approach to Enhance Vocational Students’ Achievement in Writing Procedure Text

• Sri Hardiningsih Politeknik Negeri Semarang
• Rika Wahyuni Tambunan Akademi Komunitas Negeri Putra Sang Fajar
• Muhammad Yusuf Universitas Sumatera Utara
• Nur Rini Politeknik Negeri Semarang
• Pandiya Politeknik Negeri Semarang

This research aimed to investigate the enhancement of students’ achievement in writing procedure text by implementing a genre-based approach. The research design of this research was action research. The location of the research is at Akademi Komunitas Negeri Putra Sang Fajar Blitar (AKNPSFB). The research instruments were writing sheet, interviews, observation checklists, and tests.  This research analyzed 150 essays by applying descriptive analysis of statistics and essay content. One hundred and fifty students from English Course classes at AKNPSFB submitted their assignment which required them to write a procedure text for 60 minutes in 3 weeks for an English course with credit for 14 weeks. From the analysis, the students' average score continued to increase gradually from 65.60 in the pre-test to 72.15 in Cycle I and to 76.25 in Cycle II. This increase in scores proves that the application of the genre-based approach (GBA) is able to increase students' writing skills in procedure text.

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Yusuf, M, Syahputra, F. P., Lubis, A. A., Aswani, A., & Tambunan, R. W. (2024). Developing Genre-based English Worksheet for Vocational Students by Using 4-D Development Model to Improve Writing Skill. World Journal of English Language, 14(1), 65–72.

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