Additional Info
What MLA style should you be writing in Part 2?
MLA 9 since it classifies as a research paper.
What is the single biggest time-waster that causes students to run out of time and leave Part 3 blank?
Writing plot summary instead of analysis.
These are the "Big Building Blocks" of a story—things like Characterization, Setting, Plot, and Conflict.
What are Literary Elements?
The specific part of the Part 2 essay where you state your main position and what you are arguing for.
What is the Claim (or Thesis Statement)?
People often confuse these two: one is the author's attitude toward the subject, while the other is the feeling created for the reader.
What are Tone and Mood?
In Part 2, a high-scoring student doesn't just state a counterclaim; they must do this to the counterclaim to prove it wrong.
What is a Rebuttal (or Refutation)?
According to the official NYS ELA Regents rubric, what is the minimum number of texts you must reference to have a chance at a passing score in Evidence?
One text (But to get a 4+, you must use both provided texts).
These are the "Small Tools" or "Tricks" authors use to create an effect—things like Imagery, Symbolism, Metaphor, and Diction.
What are Literary Techniques (or Devices)?
In Part 3, this is the first thing you must identify and state clearly in your opening sentence.
What is the Central Idea?
When a question asks you to do this, it means you must find a conclusion that is suggested by the text but not explicitly stated.
What is making an Inference?
In Part 3, when you identify a literary device, you must explain "the ___" (the way the device actually changes the reader's understanding).
What is the Effect (or Function)?
In a 6-point essay, your claim must be "complex." What simple phrase can you add to your basic claim to instantly make it more complex and earn higher points?
"While [text A] suggests X, [text B] complicates this by showing Y, ultimately arguing that Z." (Acknowledges both texts before stating your position).
These are tools used specifically to persuade or convince a reader, often found in speeches (e.g., Ethos, Pathos, Logos, or Repetition).
What are Rhetorical Devices?
The act of explaining how a quote or piece of evidence actually proves your point (instead of just leaving the quote there).
What is Analysis?
This is the difference between the dictionary definition of a word and the emotional feeling associated with it (e.g., "house" vs. "home").
between the dictionary definition of a word and the emotional feeling associated with it (e.g., "house" vs. "home").What is Denotation vs. Connotation?
To avoid "Plot Summary" in Part 3, you should spend less time on what happened and more time on this specific question.
What is "How does the author develop this?"
When integrating a quote, what is the "quote sandwich" structure that guarantees analysis and prevents summary?
1) Top Bun: Introduce with Author + Verb + Claim. 2) Meat: The Quote. 3) Bottom Bun: Explain how and why it proves your point. (Never just put a quote alone)
In Part 3, naming the strategy is only 20% of the work; to get a 6, you must explain how that strategy connects to THIS.
What is the Central Idea?
In the Argumentative Essay, this is the section where you acknowledge the opposite side's point of view.
What is a Counterclaim?
What is the "Goldilocks rule" for body paragraph length in Part 2, and what happens if you violate it? (Too short vs. too long)
2-3 developed paragraphs (intro, claim, counterclaim, conclusion). Too short = missing analysis (3). Too long with summary = plot regurgitation (4). A 6 requires concise, dense analysis—roughly 2-3 sentences per quote of analysis, not 3-4 paragraphs of summary.
When introducing a source for the very first time in a Part 2 essay, a high-scoring writer must include these three specific elements before the quote.
What are the Title of the Text, the Author’s Name, and the Quote?
THE #1 COUNTERCLAIM TRAP: Students often write a counterclaim paragraph but still get low scores. What two things must you do in that paragraph to turn it from a waste of time into a 6-point move?
1) Refute or Qualify: Don't just list the opposing view—use evidence to challenge it or show why it's incomplete. 2) Tie it back to your thesis: "While some argue X, this perspective fails to consider Y, which strengthens my claim that Z."
To avoid basic phrases like "The text shows" or "The author says," a high-scoring essay utilizes these types of sophisticated "signal words" to introduce evidence.
What are Analysis Verbs like
Illustrates
Exemplifies
Substantiates
Demonstrates
The process of combining a Literary Device (like imagery) with the Central Idea to explain the author's purpose.
What is Literary Analysis?
In Part 3, can you earn a 6 by analyzing Theme as your literary element?
No. Theme is the message, not a technique. You must analyze how the author builds theme through imagery, diction, syntax, etc. Analyzing theme alone earns a maximum of 4.
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