CONVENTIONS

OF WRITING
ABOUT
LITERATURE
 Use present tense verbs when discussing works of
literature.

eg: The character of Mrs. Ballard’s husband is not

developed…….
Rules in
Use past tense verbs only
writing
about
i. when discussing historical events.
• eg: Owen’s poems conveys the destructiveness of World War I,

literature
which at the time the poem was written was considered to be……
• ii. When presenting historical or biographical data.
• eg: Her first novel, which was published in 1811 when Austen was
thirty – six,…..
• iii. When identifying events that occurred prior to the time of the
story’s main action.
• eg: “Miss Emily is a recluse; since her father’s death she has lived
alone except for a servant”.

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3. Support all points with specific, concrete examples from the work you are
discussing, briefly summarizing key events, quoting dialogue or description,
describing characters or setting, or paraphrasing ideas.
4. Avoid unnecessary plot summary. Your goal is to draw a conclusion about one
or more works and to support that conclusion with pertinent details. If a plot
detail supports a point you wish to make, a brief summary is acceptable.
5. Use literary terms accurately.
eg: narrator, speaker, author, poet.
6. Underline title of novels and plays. Place title of short stories and poems
within quotation marks.
7. Refers to authors of literary works by their full names (Edgar Allen Poe) in
your reference to them and by their last names (Poe) in subsequent
references. Never refer to authors by their first names, and never use titles
that indicate marital status (Flannery O’ Connor or O’ Connor, never Flannery
or Miss O’ Connor).

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THANK YOU

u n i t a r. m y