Literature Response Tips for Success:
• Use my outline carefully to make sure your essay has everything it needs to be a
success!
• Don’t use first person personal pronouns like I, we, you, or me or second person
pronouns like you, yours, and your. The focus should be on the literature, not on
yourself or the reader.
• Avoid filler phrases like “I think that….” or “I believe…”; just get straight to the point of
what you are saying. We know you think what you write because you are the author!
• Use present tense verbs because fiction happens as we read it, not in the past.
• Use active verbs, not “to be” verbs like is and are.
Poor example: He is running away.
Corrected example: He runs away.
• Use formal language (no clichés or slang like “let the cat out of the bag”)