. Format your paper in MLA style with a properly formatted Works Cited page . Be 3.5-5 pages long . Introduce the text properly and summarize the text's argument clearly and concisely . Focus on a thesis that identifies some elements of the text's rhetorical strategy (how the argument is put together) . Use quotations as evidence of your thesis and where appropriate in the summary . Explain how the rhetorical strategies work (how they are meant to impact the reader) Explain how the rhetorical strategies support the text's overall argument . Incorporate quotations properly and use in-text citations for them as needed . Use signal phrases to attribute ideas to the original author; no plopping quotes . Be written effectively and coherently, with evidence of proofreading