GERM-B-210:

Analyse de textes littéraires anglais II

Tutorials – Part 2
Gregory Watson
 The Write
Stuff
an introduction to essay writing
 The Write Stuff

STAGE 2:
Keep calm &
carry out these rules
How to Write a Literary Essay
GERM-B-210 Essay : Quick Recap
• What?
• essay -> literary analysis of an unseen short story (+/- 5 pages)
• discuss main theme + literary strategies that support them
• possibility of separate essay question
• When?
• 2nd term, End of March, on a Saturday (9 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
• Where?
• Online submission via the VU or on campus (to be announced)
• Why?
• part of the the final grade for GERMB210
• importance of academic writing
• How?
• weekly tutorials
• online tests on VU
• collective paragraphs
 1. The Essay:
General Introduction
Germ-B-210: The Write Stuff
1.1. Definition
• What is an essay?
• a specific type of writing
• relatively short
• academic (non-fictional)
• distinct rules & characteristics

• > exigere: “to examine,” “to test”

• examine & test your ideas concerning a particular topic
• develop ideas by the direction of your own thoughts
(>< research paper)
• Essay-writing skills:
• close reading
• analysis
• comparison & contrast

• argumentation
• conciseness
• clarity
• exposition
 1.2. The Literary Essay in Germ-B-210
• The assignment =
• “discuss the main theme of the story + the literary strategies that support it”
• possibility of a specific essay question
• A literary analysis in the form of a literary essay:
• close reading the story
• summarizing the story
• formulating a clear theme statement
• identifying literary strategies & narrative techniques
• commenting on the literary form in relation to the thematic content
• What the literary essay is NOT:
• a mere rendition of narrative events
• a personal review
• “I liked this story because it made me think.”
• “I appreciate this character because she is strong.”

• The literary essay presupposes:

• a literary analysis that goes beyond a mere relation of plot
• an argument, a thesis to be defended
• a discussion of themes & literary strategies
2. Length, Structure & Format
Germ-B-210: The Write Stuff
2.1. Length
• “Five-paragraph” essay
• Introduction (1 ¶)
• Summary (1 ¶)
• Body (3 ¶)
• Conclusion (1 ¶)
• Approximately 1.000 words
• 750 words minimum!
• = +/- 3 double spaced pages
2.2. Structure
• Like most academic writing, essays follow a three-part structure:

1. Introduction
Tell what you’re going to tell them

2. Body
Tell them

3. Conclusion
Tell them what you told them
• Introduction (1 ¶)
INTRODUCTION
• Elementary information Thesis
• Thesis statement statement
• Programmatic function C
L
• Announce summary E
BODY ARGUMENT
A
• Body R
Summary
E
Clear & concise
V
• Concise summary (1 ¶) I
Paragraph 1 Support thesis
• Body paragraphs (3 ¶) T D
R analyse
• Topic sentence Paragraph 2 E Support thesis
A content
N
• Supporting sentence(s) N & form
S Paragraph 3 C Support thesis
• Evidence & examples (quotes) E
I
• Concluding sentence T
I
• Conclusion (1 ¶) O
• Restate thesis N
S CONCLUSION
• Readress main points Restate
• Final comment main points
2.3. Format (online)
• Header:
• name
• course + assignment
• date
• Default margins & tabs
• English spacing & punctuation
• Title (centred, NOT underlined)
• Double spaced
• 12 pt Times New Roman
• Indented paragraphs
• all paragraphs
• justified
 Title = centred, NOT
Header = full underlined & capitalized
name; course + reveals something about
+ assignement your essay
+ date

Times New
Roman 12 pt

Doube spaced,
“justified” paragraphs

Indent all
paragraphs
including the
first!
3. The Introduction
Germ-B-210: The Write Stuff
3.1. Contents of the introduction (1 ¶)
• essential information about the short story and its author:
• genre, title, date of publication
• nationality, race, gender, movement, …
• no full-blown biography!!
• a clear and concise theme statement
• abstract without being vague THESIS
• no direct reference to the plot STATEMENT
• the literary strategies supporting the theme
• a ‘programmatic function’:
• explaining the purpose of the essay
• “discuss the main theme + the literary strategies that support it”
• announcing the summary
3.2. A decent thesis statement
• Your thesis statement should consist of:
• a clear & concise theme statement
• the main literary strategies supporting the theme
• Theme statement:
• NP or Clause combining several of the story’s topics
• WHAT the story reveals about a particular topic
• abstraction: no reference to the plot
• clues may be found in the title, narrative events, characters, setting, …
• Literary strategies:
• characterisation, chronology, setting, narrative POV, tone, symbolism,…
• HOW the themes of the story are conveyed
3.3. Pitfalls
• Author’s name:
• full name when you first mention author; surname in the following lines
• Genre:
• always mention you are discussing a short story
• Title:
• capitalized
• between “…”
• volume italicised (digital) or underlined (handwritten)
• Publication:
• as precise as possible (century, decade, year)

Doris Lessing’s short story “A Sunrise on the Veld” was first published in the
• Avoid thesis statements that are too vague or simplisitc:
• remember your thesis statement is a claim you will need to prove / defend
• the clearer your thesis statement, the easier it will be to argue

• Include a “programmatic function”!!

• what is the essay’s purpose?
• what can the reader expect? STRUCTURAL
• how you will proceed to prove your point? FRAMEWORK
• what is the order of the main ideas?

• Make sure your essay addresses all of the points listed in your introduction
3.4. Useful Templates
• In her/his YEAR of PUBLICATION short story entitled “TITLE,” AUTHOR’S
FULL NAME examines the complex issues of THEME.
• In YEAR, AUTHOR’S FULL NAME published his/her short story “TITLE” in
which he/she focusses on / explores / re-evaluates / comments on /
denounces / criticises the THEME.
• The following essay shows how this theme is explored through the
author’s use of specific literary strategies, such as STRATEGY 1,
STRATEGY 2 and STRATEGY 3.
• This essay argues that the use of STRATEGY 1, STRATEGY 2 and STRATEGY
3 help the author to support / reinforce / convey this theme.
3.4. Useful Templates
• In the short story “TITLE,” AUTHOR’S FULL NAME uses STRATEGY to
reveal / denounce / indicate that THEME
• AUTHOR’S FULL NAME emphasizes/establishes that THEME through
STRATEGY.
• The author further demonstrates that THEME by means of STRATEGY.
• This story deals with a number of interesting themes.
• This essay will analyse the themes of the short story and the literary
strategies used to support them.
The short story “He,” set in England around the 1950s, engages different themes through a
dialogue between two women, Annie Blake and Mary Brooke, and between man and wife, Annie
and Rob Blake. It sheds light on an enduring concern in social issues, namely inequality between
genders, a phenomenon particularly common in pre-1960s Western societies. Hereby is included
the female role in society, family and love life. Doris Lessing was brought up in extremely
patriarchal and male chauvinistic countries and societies (Iran and Africa). Perhaps there lies her
motive to broach these – at that time – subversive themes. Being constantly exposed to these
critical social impediments may have catalysed her desire for change and equality. She herself, like
the main character in the story, has had three children and been through the bitterness of divorce.

Doris Lessing’s “He” is a short story dealing primarily with the oppression of women
in the mid-20th century. Women’s predicament during the 1950s is illustrated, in
this story, by the protagonist’s impossibility to obtain both emotional satisfaction as
well as independence from men in a very patriarchal society. This essay deals with
the protagonist’s social predicament as well as with the different factors that lead
her to make the choice of abandoning her newly gained independence and of
resettling for the life of a married woman, despite her strong feeling of injustice
about her submissive role in marriage. Moreover, the essay aims to examine the
literary strategies chosen by the author and how she makes use of them to convey
her ideas more effectively.
In her short story “The Legacy,” written in 1944, Virginia Woolf denounces
the misogyny of upper-class men as well as expresses the lengths a person is
willing to go in order to be free. Indeed, she skillfully shows the prejudices
higher class, traditional men hold towards women and the tragic reality that
death sometimes seems preferable to a metaphorical lifelong imprisonment.
This paper will illustrate how the literary strategies and aesthetic categories
of the text support these themes, but it is necessary to summarize “The
Legacy” before going any further.

The short story, “The Legacy” by Virginia Woolf harshly criticizes the
selfish and superficial behavior of men with regard to women, which
is only guided by materialist personal interest. At the same time,
Woolf advocates for an empowerment of women to escape from this
male-centered life. The essay at hand will discuss the development of
these themes in the story and the literary techniques which underlie
them after a short summary of the plot.
In his 1965 short story “The Rockpile,” J. Baldwin comments on how a severe
patriarchal worldview combined with an obsession with the Christian notion of sin
can severely damage human relationships. On the one hand, the author
denounces the oppressiveness of the patriarchal view of family, whereby the
father is represented as an unquestionable authority who dictates how everyone
else should behave. On the other hand, Baldwin also comments on how the status
of “the illegitimate child” and, in particular, its association to the notion of sin can
cause stigmatisation in a conservative Christian environment. Indeed, in this story,
the repressive nature of the patriarchal figure, assimilated with a figure of
religious authority, seems to play an instrumental role in the psychological
disintegration of a lower class suburban family. This essay will aim to demonstrate
how Baldwin uses specific literary strategies to communicate the themes
mentioned, primarily through the use of mood, symbol and biblical references.
However, before going any further, a brief summary of the plot is necessary.
4. The Summary
Germ-B-210: The Write Stuff
4.1. Contents of the summary (1 ¶)
• the setting (time & place)
• as precise as possible
• the main characters
• name, age, gender, class, race, etc
• psychology & characterisation?
• the succession of events
• action & plot twists?
• the ending

• Don’t omit any crucial information!!

• Don’t get lost in the details!!
4.2. Language note
The story focuses on a fifteen-year old boy, who got up at
dawn to go hunting on the South African veld. As the sun
rose, he was confronted to the vastness and beauty of his
natural surroundings, which made him feel as though he
was invincible. This feeling soon disappeared, however,
when he encountered a wounded young buck which was
slowly being eaten alive by a colony of white ants.
Mesmerized by this harrowing scene, the boy refrained
from shooting the buck in an act of mercy since he slowly
started to realize that death was as much a part of nature
as life. He returned to his parents’ farm having learnt a
valuable lesson which he must now consider in the light of
his own mortality.
• plot summaries are ALWAYS written in the SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
• past and future tenses may be used to express tense sequence

The story focuses on a fifteen-year-old boy, who gets up at dawn to go hunting on

the South African veld. As the sun rises, he is confronted to the vastness and
beauty of his natural surroundings, which make him feel as though he is invincible.
This feeling soon disappears, however, when he encounters a wounded young
buck which is slowly being eaten alive by a colony of white ants. Mesmerized by
this harrowing scene, the boy refrains from shooting the buck in an act of mercy
since he slowly starts to realize that death is as much a part of nature as life. He
returns to his parents’ farm having learnt a valuable lesson which he must now
consider in the light of his own mortality.
 5. The Body
Germ-B-210: The Write Stuff
 5.1. Contents of the body (3 ¶)
• The longest part of your essay
• Several paragraphs in which you argue your thesis by:
• developing the theme stated in your introduction
• providing (textual) evidence
• quoting relevant passages from the short story
• identifying and specifying the relevant literary strategies
• showing how the literary strategies support the theme

• Whatever you mention must have some relation to your thesis statement!!
●
ALWAYS develop themes before strategies!
5.2. What is a paragraph?
• A paragraph = a collection of related sentences dealing with a single topic
• Rule of thumb:
• One idea = one paragraph
• One sentence ≠ one paragraph
• Elements of a paragraph:
• Unity
• Development
• Coherence
5.2.1. Unity
• address one single point:
• i.e. the topic of the paragraph
• presented in the topic sentence
• single focus
• no drifting between different ideas
• all information related to the topic of the paragraph
5.2.2. Coherence
• logical, clear argumentation

→ logical bridges
• the same idea of a topic is carried over from sentence to sentence
• successive sentences can be constructed in parallel form
→ verbal bridges
• key words can be repeated in several sentences
• synonymous words can be repeated in several sentences
• pronouns can refer to nouns in previous sentences
• transition words can be used to link ideas from different sentences
5.2.3. Development
• always several sentences
• no one-sentence paragraphs!
• 3 to 5 sentences
• 2 handwritten/ 3 typed paragraphs per page
• can shorter paragraphs be combined as a single paragraph?

• topic supported by analysis & evidence:

• further explanation
• examples (quotes, paraphrases)

• paragraphs should be balanced

Balanced Paragraphs Unbalanced Paragraphs
5.3. Paragraph structure
• (TRANSITION SENTENCE)
• creating a transition from the previous paragraph
• TOPIC SENTENCE
• stating the main topic (idea) of your paragraph in an abstract way
• SENTENCE(S) OF CLARIFICATION:
• clarifying the topic sentence
• moving down the ladder of abstraction
• EVIDENCE and EXAMPLES:
• paraphrases or quotes
• in MLA style
• CONCLUSION SENTENCE:
• moving up the ladder of abstraction again
• creating a transition to the next paragraph
 High level of abstraction
→ Sophisticated & more formal vocabulary
≠ vague terms
Topic sentence = theme statement

Explain your theme statement in less formal

Clarification yet not too descriptive terms

Exemplification: Very descriptive and concrete language

Quotes from text and paraphrases

Use a higher level of abstraction to sum up

Conclusion + tranistion the main ideas + introduce a related aspect

Topic sentence = lit. strategy 1 Further develop this aspect into a strategy
→ high level of abstraction
 The setting in Lessing’s story, however, is not limited to the rural,
domesticated environment of the farm. The vastness and wildness of
the South African veld play a crucial role in the protagonist’s
development. Indeed, nature seems to stimulate the boy’s excessive
self-confidence, but also acts as a warning against it. At first, he is so
overwhelmed by the beauty and vitality of his surroundings, to the
point that he starts running and shouting, “mad with the joy of living
and superfluity of youth” (29). This feeling becomes so strong that he
actually believes that “there is nothing [he] can’t do” because
“[everything] depends on him” (30). Yet when he comes across the
dying buck, his joyful madness suddenly disappears (31). He soon starts
to realize that, as opposed to what he assumed before, “[t]here is
nothing he can do” to stop the natural cycle of life and death (31). Transition
Therefore, the wildness of the boy’s surroundings can be said to Topic sentence
stimulate his youthful hubris, while ultimately revealing a more painful Sentence of clarification
but deeper understanding of the world. Examples
Conclusion
Appendix: the rule of thumb
The basic rule of thumb with paragraphing is to keep one idea to one
paragraph. If you begin to transition into a new idea, it belongs in a
new paragraph. There are some simple ways to tell if you are on the
same topic or a new one. You can have one idea and several bits of
supporting evidence within a single paragraph. You can also have
several points in a single paragraph as long as they relate to the overall
topic of the paragraph. If the single points start to get long, then
perhaps elaborating on each of them and placing them in their own
paragraphs is the route to go.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/paragraphs_and_paragraphing/paragraphing.html
Appendix: tips for a well-developed
paragraph
• Analyze the topic
• Define terms in the paragraph
• Compare and contrast
• Evaluate causes and reasons
• Examine effects and consequences
• Use examples and illustrations
• Cite data ( introduce quotes from the text)
Appendix : the level of abstraction
Your paper should be organized in a
manner that moves from general to
specific information. Every time you begin
a new subject, think of an inverted
pyramid - The broadest range of
information sits at the top, and as the
paragraph or paper progresses, the
author becomes more and more focused
on the argument ending with specific,
detailed evidence supporting a claim.
Lastly, the author explains how and why
the information provided connects to and
supports the thesis (a brief wrap-up or
warrant).
5.4. Citations
• Citations are an essential part of the evidence you need to supply to
support your argument.
• As such, citations will be found in the exemplification section of your
body paragraphs.
• Citations should be formatted according to the MLA style.
• Citing sources correctly is important to avoid PLAGIARISM.
5.4.1. Types of citation
→ paraphrase:
• condensing source material by reformulating it in your own words
• source / page reference

e.g. The story reaches a turning point when, as a result of his confrontation with the
dying buck, the young boy realises that things need to die for life to go on (31).

→ quotation:
• presenting source material word for word
• quotation marks
• source / page reference

e.g. The story reaches a turning point when, as a result of his confrontation with the
buck, the young boy realises that “life goes on, by living things dying in anguish” (31).
5.4.2. Formatting citations
• In-text source reference for paraphrases and quotes:

• limited to the bracketed title of the biographical note

• e.g. Doris Lessing lived in Iran and Southern Rhodesia before settling in England in 1949
(“Biographical Note”).
• e.g. Doris Lessing is a writer whose “fire and visionary power” reveals a “divided
civilisation” (“Biographical Note”).

• limited to the bracketed page number of the short story

• e.g. The story reaches a turning point when, as a result of his confrontation with the
dying buck, the young boy realises that things need to die for life to go on (31).
• e.g. The story reaches a turning point when, as a result of his confrontation with the
buck, the young boy realises that “life goes on, by living things dying in anguish” (31).
 Biographical Note (adapted from Wikipedia)
Doris May Lessing (née Tayler; 22 October 1919 – 17
November 2013) was a British-Zimbabwean (Rhodesian)
novelist. She was born to British parents in Iran, where she Doris Lessing lived in Iran and Southern
lived until 1925. Her family then moved to Southern Rhodesia before settling in England in 1949
Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where she remained until (“Biographical Note”).
moving in 1949 to London, England. Her novels include The
Grass Is Singing (1950), the sequence of five novels
collectively called Children of Violence (1952–1969), The
Golden Notebook (1962), The Good Terrorist (1985), and
five novels collectively known as Canopus in Argos:
Archives (1979–1983).
Lessing was awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature. In
awarding the prize, the Swedish Academy described her as
"that epicist of the female experience, who with
scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a Doris Lessing is a writer whose “fire and
divided civilisation to scrutiny". Lessing was the oldest visionary power” reveals a “divided
person ever to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. civilisation” (“Biographical Note”).
In 2001, Lessing was awarded the David Cohen Prize for a
lifetime's achievement in British literature. In 2008, The
Times ranked her fifth on a list of "The 50 greatest British
writers since 1945".
 31
It came into his mind that he should shoot it and The story reaches a turning point when,
end its pain; and he raised his gun. Then he as a result of his confrontation with the
lowered it again. The buck could no longer feel; dying buck, the young boy comes to the
its fighting was a mechanical protest of the terrible realisation that things need to
nerves. But it was not that which made him put die for life to go on (31).
down the gun. It was a swelling feeling of rage
and misery and protest that expressed itself in
the thought: if I had not come it would have
died like this: so why should I interfere? All over
the bush things like this happen; they happen all
The story reaches a turning point when,
the time; this is how life goes on, by living things
as a result of his confrontation with the
dying in anguish. He gripped the gun between
buck, the young boy comes to the
his knees and felt in his own limbs the myriad
terrible realisation that “life goes on, by
swarming pain of the twitching animal that
living things dying in anguish” (31).
could no longer feel, and set his teeth, and said
over and over again under his breath: I can’t
stop it. I can’t stop it. There is nothing I can do.
Note: page abbreviations

(p.31)
(31) (pg.31)
(31-32) (pp.31-32)
5.4.3. Integrating quotations
• Long quotations (3+ lines):
• introduced by a main clause + colon

• isolated from the body of the text

• indented

• double-spaced

• NO quotation marks

• bracketed page reference at the end of the quotation

• to be used sparingly in your essays!

 31
It came into his mind that he should shoot it and
end its pain; and he raised his gun. Then he
lowered it again. The buck could no longer feel;
its fighting was a mechanical protest of the
nerves. But it was not that which made him put
down the gun. It was a swelling feeling of rage
and misery and protest that expressed itself in
the thought: if I had not come it would have
died like this: so why should I interfere? All over
the bush things like this happen; they happen all
the time; this is how life goes on, by living things
dying in anguish. He gripped the gun between
his knees and felt in his own limbs the myriad
swarming pain of the twitching animal that
could no longer feel, and set his teeth, and said
over and over again under his breath: I can’t
stop it. I can’t stop it. There is nothing I can do.
The boy’s sudden realisation of the
harsh reality of nature is further
revealed through the use of internal
monologue, which reinforces the
inner turmoil he is experiencing:
It was a swelling feeling of rage
and misery and protest that
expressed itself in the thought: if I
had not come it would have died
like this: so why should I
interfere? All over the bush things
like this happen; they happen all
the time; this is how life goes on,
by living things dying in anguish.
(31)
This passage also announces his
subsequent adoption of a stoic
attitude, which helps him cope with
his new understanding of the world.
• Short quotations:
• grammatical agreement with the body of your text
“ ”
→ adapt your quotes [ ]

« »
• single sentence structure

→ avoid several capitals or full stops in one sentence

• between double quotation marks “…”

• bracketed page reference at the end of the sentence

• select what is most important for your argument!

 31
It came into his mind that he should shoot it and
1
end its pain; and he raised his gun. Then he
lowered it again. The buck could no longer feel;
its fighting was a mechanical protest of the
nerves. But it was not that which made him put
2 2
down the gun. It was a swelling feeling of rage
and misery and protest that expressed itself in
the thought: if I had not come it would have
died like this: so why should I interfere? All over
the bush things like this happen; they happen all
the time; this is how life goes on, by living things
1 dying in anguish. He gripped the gun between
his knees and felt in his own limbs the myriad
3 swarming pain of the twitching animal that
could no longer feel, and set his teeth, and said
over and over again under his breath: I can’t 2
stop it. I can’t stop it. There is nothing I can do.
1 Seeing the buck, he first wants to “end
its pain,” but then “lower[s] [his gun]”
since he comes to understand that “life
goes on […] by living things dying in
anguish” (31).
The boy’s stoic resignation to fate is
preceded, however, by “a feeling of rage
and misery” when he realises that death
is an integral part of nature and that
“[t]here is nothing [he] can do” to stop
it (31).
3
The symbolic link between the buck and
the boy also becomes apparent when
the latter “[feels] in his own limbs the
[…] pain of the […] animal” (31).
 31
It came into his mind that he should shoot it and
1
end its pain; and he raised his gun. Then he
lowered it again. The buck could no longer feel;
its fighting was a mechanical protest of the
nerves. But it was not that which made him put
2 down the gun. It was a swelling feeling of rage
and misery and protest that expressed itself in
the thought: if I had not come it would have
died like this: so why should I interfere? All over
the bush things like this happen; they happen all
the time; this is how life goes on, by living things
1 dying in anguish. He gripped the gun between
his knees and felt in his own limbs the myriad
3 swarming pain of the twitching animal that
could no longer feel, and set his teeth, and said
over and over again under his breath: I can’t 2
stop it. I can’t stop it. There is nothing I can do.
Seeing the buck, he first wants to “end its
pain” but then “lower[s] [his gun]” since
he comes to understand that “life goes
on […] by living things dying in anguish”
(31). This stoic resignation to fate is
preceded, however, by a “feeling of rage
and misery” / “a […] feeling of rage and
misery” when he realises, contrary to his
earlier conviction of being in control, that
“[t]here is nothing [he] can do” to stop it
(31). In this pivotal scene, the symbolic
link between the buck and the boy also
becomes apparent since the latter
“[feels] in his own limbs the […] pain of
the […] animal,” underlining the physical
discomfort which the boy experiences as
a result of his new understanding of the
world as a necessarily cruel place (31).
• Minor adaptations in quotations are signalled by square brackets [ ]
• agreement with body text

• adding interpolations

• capitals ↔ lower case

• nouns ↔ pronouns

• ellipsis […]

• punctuation
 31 The pain of the buck becomes a
It came into his mind that he should shoot it and sensation which the boy “[feels] in his
end its pain; and he raised his gun. Then he own limbs”(31). [agreement]
lowered it again. The buck could no longer feel; He understands that death and suffering
its fighting was a mechanical protest of the “happen all the time [and that] this is
nerves. But it was not that which made him put how life goes on” (31). [interpolation]
down the gun. It was a swelling feeling of rage
and misery and protest that expressed itself in Indeed, death and suffering occur “[a]ll
the thought: if I had not come it would have over the bush” (31). [capitals/lower case]
died like this: so why should I interfere? All over
the bush things like this happen; they happen all The boy first wants to “shoot [the buck]
the time; this is how life goes on, by living things and end its pain” (31). [nouns/pronouns]
dying in anguish. He gripped the gun between
his knees and felt in his own limbs the myriad He experiences “a […] feeling of rage and
swarming pain of the twitching animal that misery and protest” at his own
could no longer feel, and set his teeth, and said helplessness (31). [ellipsis]
over and over again under his breath: I can’t Direct discourse occurs, for instance, in
stop it. I can’t stop it. There is nothing I can do. the boy’s tense repititon of “I can’t stop it
[,] I can’t stop it.” [punctuation]
 5.5. Transitions
• Transition = one or several sentences that link one idea/paragraph to the next
• Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body and conclusion
are essential for building a cohesive argument and supporting the essay’s
structure.
• Without logical progression of thought, the reader is unable to follow the
essay’s argument, and the structure will collapse.
• Transitions can be used at the end of a paragraph to help your argument flow
from one paragraph into the next. You can do this by wrapping up the idea
from the previous paragraph and introducing the idea that is to follow in the
next paragraph.
5.5.1. Transitional devices
• To Add:
• and, again, also, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, in
addition, in the first place, last, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition,
first (second, etc.)
• To Show Sequence:
• first, second, third, and so forth. A, B, C, and so forth. next, then, following this, at this time,
now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently, previously, before
this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence, next, and then, soon
• To Compare:
• in the same way, likewise, similarly, in like manner, in a similar fashion
• To Contrast:
• although, though, at the same time, however, whereas, but, yet, on the other hand,
nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced
against, vis a vis, despite, conversely, notwithstanding, regardless, still, even though, even
so, in contrast, although this may be true
• To Prove:
• because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover,
besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is
• To Give an Example:
• for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this
situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration, to illustrate
• To Show Cause and Effect
• accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this purpose, hence, otherwise,
since, then , therefore, thus, to this end, in this respect, in this light
• To Show Exception:
• yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while,
sometimes
• To Show Time:
• immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later, previously,
formerly, first (second, etc.), next, and then
• To Show Place:
• above, adjacent to, below, elsewhere, further on, here, near, nearby, on the other
side, opposite to, there, to the east, to the left
• To Repeat:
• in brief, as mentioned, as mentioned above, as has been noted, again
• To Emphasize:
• definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case, after all, specifically,
namely, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, interestingly, always, never,
emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without
reservation
• To Summarize or Conclude:
• in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I
have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently
Example: Overall, Doris Lessing denounces the lack of freedom for women.
Another important thing to note is that women have to conform to patriarchal
values imposed by men.

Revision: Overall, Doris Lessing denounces the lack of freedom for women, who
have to / because they have to confrom to patriarchal values.

Example: Fearing that the farm will be utterly destroyed, Margaret begins to
doubt her place. But then something else significant happened. The locusts fan
their wings in the rising sun, which reveals that nature can be good.

Revision: Fearing that the farm will be utterly destroyed, Margaret begins to
doubt her place as a human in the natural world. Shortly after, however, the
locusts fan their wings in the rising sun, which reveals that nature is not entirely
hostile.
Example: Amy Tan became a famous author after her novel, The Joy Luck Club,
skyrocketed up the bestseller list.
There are other things to note about Tan as well. Amy Tan also participates in the
satirical garage band the Rock Bottom Remainders with Stephen King and Dave Barry.

Revision: : Amy Tan became a famous author after her novel, The Joy Luck Club,
skyrocketed up the bestseller list. Though her fiction is well known, her work
with the satirical garage band the Rock Bottom Remainders receives far less
publicity.
5.6. Pitfalls
• Misreading/misinterpreting the plot
• Discussing strategies before developing themes
• Listing strategies without discussing them in relation to themes
• Presenting irrelevant information
• biographical inference
• lengthy quotes
• Circular or nonsensical argumentation
• “It’s an omniscient narrator because he knows everything.”
• “The internal monologue reflects the character’s inner thoughts.”
• Wrong use of literary terminology; conflating narrative typologies
• Poor formatting
• Unintegrated quotes
6. The Conclusion
Germ-B-210: The Write Stuff
6.1. Contents of the conclusion (1 ¶)
• After moving from general to specific information in the introduction
and body paragraphs, your conclusion should move back into more
general information:
• restate the main ideas of your argument
• themes vs literary strategies
• readdress what your introduction states in the light of your development
• include a final, thought-provoking comment
• based on an aspect of the theme you discussed
• a reflection on the current state of affairs in relation to the theme
• do not present any new information or ideas
6.2. Pitfalls
• Not matching the conclusion with the introduction
• Merely restating the points of your introduction without referring to
the body of your argument
• Writing a hasty, skeletal, one-sentence conclusion
• Adding new material out of the blue
• Formulating a final comment based on clichés, naive generalisations
or a personal appreciation of the short story
7. Academic Writing Conventions
Germ-B-210: The Write Stuff
7.1. Formatting
• General formatting conventions for your essay:
• 3-4 cm margin
• title
• centred
• not underlined
• double-spaced
• titles of short stories are between inverted commas:
• “A Sunrise on the Veld”
• titles of books are underlined (in hand-writing):
• African Short Stories
• Formatting paragraphs:
• indent all paragraphs except the first one

• paragraphs run continuously

• new sentence ≠ new line

• new paragraph = new line

• indented quotation = new line

• NOTE: avoid syllabification at the end of a line

• paragraphs consist of sentences, not fragments

• clear and logical transitions

• Formatting citations:
• paraphrase:
• bracketed source/page reference
• long quotations:
• bracketed source/page reference
• preceded by full clause + colon
• no inverted commas
• short quotations:
• bracketed source/page reference
• grammatical consistency
• between inverted commas “ ”
• minor adaptations [ ]
7.2. Punctuation
• The full stop (.)
• at the end of every sentence
• questions and exclamations should generally be avoided in favour of statements.
• The comma (,)
• to mark a pause or a coordination of phrases
• supplementary vs integrated relative clauses
• avoid comma-splicing
• The semi-colon (;)
• to mark a coordination of clauses or VPs
• a coordinator or a full-stop is often a better option
• The colon (:)
• to introduce an enumaration or long quotation
• avoid colons as transitions in favour of transitional words or phrases
7.3. Capitals & capitalisation
• The first word of a sentence:
• In this short story, Lessing reveals both the splendour and cruelty of nature.
• Titles of works:
• The Catcher in the Rye
• “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”
• The pronoun “I”:
• In this essay, I focus on the setting and the narrative point of view.
• Proper nouns
• J.D. Salinger, London Bridge, The Labour Party, Derby County
• Deities, religious figures, religions, sects, holy books
• God the Father, Thor, Moses, Buddah, Hinduism, Arianism, the Koran
• BUT: The protagonist seems to believe he is the god of his own universe.
• Members of national, political, religious, racial, social and athletic groups
• Scousers, Tories, Sufis, African-Americans, Mods and Rockers, Spurs
• Countries, nationalities, and languages (N + Adj):
• Costa Rica, French, Japanese, Flemish
• Cardinal points in place names & cultures:
• the North, the Midwest, South London, the East Coast, Western civilisation
• BUT: thirty miles north of Nairobi, the western coast of California
• Days, months, holidays:
• Friday, March, Hannukah
• BUT: spring, summer, autumn, winter
• Periods and events:
• the Victorian Era, the Middle Ages, The French Revolution, The Pax Romana
• BUT: the sixteenth century, the 20th century, the 1960s
7.4. Spelling: BrE or AmE?
• Use whichever spelling you like…
… but be consistent!!
American English British English
All his neighbors are in favour of his decision. humor humour
analyze analyse
All his neighbours are in favour of his decision. traveled travelled
defense defence
They analysed their defense programme.
center centre
They analyzed their defense program. program programme
thru through
8. Academic Language Conventions
Germ-B-210: The Write Stuff
8.1. Style
• Academic writing presupposes a formal register:

• So, the guy sees this big knife, and he’s like “Oh my God, I’m gonna die!” But
then he says to himself, just stay calm, you can get him or something. And then
bam! He does it, like a pro. (Epic!)

FORMALITY ++ ABSTRACTION

• The protagonist understands the life-threatening nature of his situation.

Although he initially panics, his fear subsides when he realizes he can overpower
his enemy, which he expertly manages to do.
• Avoid excessive use of “I,” “me” / “we,” “us” in favour of more impersonal
expressions:

• I also examine the protagonist’s relationship with her mother.

→ This paper also examines the protagonist’s relationship with her mother.
• I believe this excerpt is a striking example of the use of free indirect discourse.
→ This excerpt presents a striking example of the use of free indirect
discourse.
• It is now time for me to examine the narrative point of view.
→ Concerning the narrative point of view, it should be mentioned that …

• We could argue that the narrator is unreliable.

→ One could argue that the narrator is unreliable.
• This leads us to the conclusion that the the story contains surrealist elements. →
In conclusion, it can be said that the story contains surrealist elements.
• Avoid contracted verb forms:
• isn’t, can’t, doesn’t, … → is not, cannot, does not, …
• BUT: not in quotations!

• Avoid “will” / “shall” in reference to your argument:

• This essay will deal with the theme of a young man coming of age.
→ This essay deals with the theme of a young man coming of age.
• The use of free indirect discourse shall be discussed in the next paragraph.
→ The use of free indirect dischourse is discussed in the next paragraph.
• Use simple present for plot summaries:
• Hamlet then killed Polonius in a fit of rage, after which Ophelia drowned herself.
→ Hamlet then kills Polonius in a fit of rage, after which Ophelia drowns
herself.

• Use simple present in reference to your textual analysis:

• Lessing uses several symbols in order to support her message.
• In “The Rain Horse,” Hughes presents an interesting paradox.
• Royle focuses on a damaged relationship between husband and wife.
• The short story deals with the theme of coming of age.

• BUT: not in reference to author’s biography or the text publication history:

• Lessing was awarded the Nobel Prize.
• The story was first published in 1922.
• Use of “that” (or “which”) as subordinator or relative pronoun:
• However, the protagonist’s mother claims she has always loved him.
→ However, the protagonist’s mother claims that she has always loved him.
• The short stories she wrote had a great impact in the 1950s.
→ The short stories that/ which she wrote had a great impact in the 1950s.
• Avoid “stranded prepositions” in relative clauses:
• The cabin which they take shelter in symbolises a refuge from urban society.
→ The cabin in which they take shelter symbolises a refuge from urban
society.
• Ironically, the knife that he kills his father with is a family heirloom.
→ Ironically, the knife with which he kills his father is a family heirloom.
• Avoid cleft constructions:
• Indeed, it is Andrew who struggles with modernity.
→ Indeed, Andrew struggles with modernity.
• It is what Lessing suggests here that needs to be examined further.
→ What Lessing suggests here needs to examined further
• The fact that she feels lonely is highly revealing.
→ Her loneliness is highly revealing.
• Avoid run-on sentences (coma-splicing)
• He dedicates his life to her, she never realises this, he finally leaves her.
→ He dedicates his life to her but she never realises this, so he finally leaves her.
• The trauma of the past, with its images which come back to the surface and which still
affect the protagonist, who is thus unable to heal completely, plays a major role in the
story.
→ The trauma of the past plays a major role in the story. Images from the past
come back to the surface and affect the protagonist, who is thus unable to heal
completely.
8.2. Grammar
• No final –s dropping in 3rd person singular verbs:
• The character don’t want to face his troubled past.
→ The character does not want to face his troubled past.
• Lessing use a heterodiegetic narrator.
→ Lessing uses a heterodiegetic narrator.
• It can makes an important difference.
→ It can make an important difference.
• No final s-dropping in regular plurals:
• The symbol are presented at the beginning of the story.
→ The symbols are presented at the beginning of the story.
• Both character have to overcome several obstacle.
→ Both characters have to overcome several obstacles.
• Saxon genitive:
• The idea of the author is obvious.
→ The author’s idea is obvious.
• It is the fault of the parents
→ It is the parents’ fault.
• BUT: He deals with the consequences of a hard childhood.
• Count vs non-count nouns:
• One of the main topics in this story is the time.
→ One of the main topics in this story is time.
• Lessing presents the tension between the nature and the culture.
→ Lessing presents the tension between nature and culture.
• Irregular verbs:
• This short story was wroted in 1949.
→ This short story was written in 1949.
• He readed many history books by way of inspiration.
→ He read many history books by way of inspiration.
• There is / are:
• There is an instance of irony in the story.
• There are several instances of irony in the stroy
• Correct use of tenses:
• The protagonist is trying to please his family.
→ The protagonist tries to please his family.
• The story has first been published in 1983.
→ The story was first published in 1983
• Make / Do:
• She make everything she can.
→ She does everything she can.
• He do the same mistake at the end.
→ He makes the same mistake at the end.
• Importance of verbs & modals:
• He has a strange behaviour.
→ He behaves in a strange way.
• It is necessary for the protagonist to leave his home.
→ The protagonist must leave his home.
• In fact, it would be better for them to stay.
→ In fact, they should stay.
• Infinitival clauses:
• She wants that her son obeys her every word.
→ She wants her son to obey her every word.
• They ask that she respects their wishes.
→ They ask her to respect their wishes.
• Integration of interrogative relative clauses:
• He wants to know will she be there when he arrives?
→ He wants to know if/whether she will be there when he arrives.
• She asks him where is he going?
→ She asks him where he is going.
• Position of adverbs:
• The characters argue often about trivialities.
→ The characters often argue about trivialities.
• They realise they have been easily deceived.
→ They realise they have easily been deceived.
• Demonstrative pronouns:
• This problem is very well illustrated in Royle’s short story.
• These problems are very well illustrated in Royle’s short story.
• 3rd person singular pronouns:
• He ↔ his: He equally loves his father and his mother.
• She ↔ her: She equally loves her father and her mother.
• It ↔ its: It equally loves its father and its mother.
• Pronouns & antecedents:
• Stradlater asks Holden for his coat.
→ Stradlater asks Holden for Holden’s/ the latter’s coat.
→ Stradlater asks Holden to borrow Holden’s coat.

→ Stradlater asks Holden if he can have his coat back.

→ Stradlater asks Holden to return his coat.
Appendix: List of Reference Works
●
Thomson, A. J. and A. V. Martinet. Practical English Grammar.
●
Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage.
●
Quirk, Randolph and Sidney Greenbaum. A University Grammar of English.
●
Fowler, Ramsey H. and Jane E. Aaron. The Little, Brown Handbook.