Question

You are creating a checklist to help you write a successful literary analysis essay. Which three of the following tasks should you include in the checklist? Read the literary work closely to glean specific details. Make a list of details or elements that stand out. Cite your friends' opinions on the topic. Make a list of possible topics for the essay. Search for information on websites maintained by students.

Answer 1

The tasks that should be included in the checklist are read the literary work closely to glean specific details, make a list of details or elements that stand out and make a list of possible topics for the essay.

Reading the literary work closely in order to find specific details as well as elaborating a list of those details must be part of the checklist because including specific details in the body paragraphs of the essay will allow the writer to support his/her thesis statement, which will be presented in the introductory paragraph. Moreover, before centering on the specific details that will be included in the essay, the author should make a list of possible topics that the text can discuss. It is not appropriate to include "cite your friends' opinions on the topic" and "search for information on websites maintained by students" in the checklist because the writer must include his/her own ideas in the text and search for information on reliable websites.