A.C.E.: Using the A.C.E. Format to Answer Questions Language Arts 7

WHAT IS A.C.E.? You are often asked to write short answer responses when answering questions. Your teachers want you to write in complete sentences and fully address the question, but sometimes you’re not really sure what to write. When in doubt, think A.C.E.!

WHAT IS A.C.E.? A.C.E. is an acronym that stands for A- Answer C- Cite E- Explain You can use the A.C.E. format to answer almost any question in any content area. Just be sure you are meeting your individual teacher’s requirements.

A is for ANSWER First, consider the question that is being asked. Ex. How does being beaten by the Socs affect Johnny? Cite specific evidence from the text to support your ideas.

A is for ANSWER Second, ANSWER the question in a complete sentence. Ex. Being beaten by the Socs has a very negative effect on Johnny.

A is for ANSWER Your ANSWER should be about 1-2 sentences. You may want to clarify your first sentence with a second. Ex. Being beaten by the Socs has a negative effect on Johnny. After that happens, he has trouble trusting anyone outside of the gang.

C is for CITE To CITE a quotation, locate a piece of the text that supports what you said in your ANSWER. (This can be dialogue OR narration). Ex. “…Johnny, the most law-abiding of us, now carried in his back pocket a six-inch switchblade. He’d use it too, if he ever got jumped again” (20).

CITE Some notes about citing quotes: All quotes must be integrated. In other words, before you cite a quote, set up the context—who says it and when. Ex. For example, when the Socs beat up Ponyboy as he walks home alone, Ponyboy thinks, “…” ( ).

CITE Some notes about citing quotes: Use ellipses (…) when you leave something out. But don’t just omit something because it doesn’t support the point you’re trying to make. That’s cheating!

CITE Some notes about citing quotes: Always cite using quotation marks (“ ”). If your citation includes dialogue, be sure you show that by adding a single quotation mark ( ‘ ) at the beginning and end of the dialogue within the other quotation marks.

CITE Some notes about citing quotes: If your citation includes dialogue, be sure you show that by adding a single quotation mark (‘) at the beginning and end of the dialogue within the other quotation marks. Ex. “I pleaded with Darry. ‘I didn’t mean to…’” (49).

CITE Some notes about citing quotes: Use MLA Format. This means the quote you cite should be followed by the page number in parentheses, and the period comes AFTER the parentheses. Question marks and exclamation marks are inside the quotes if they are part of the quote, but there should still be a period after the parentheses. Ex. “I sat up, shivering. The stars had moved” (49).

CITE Here’s what we have so far: Ex. How does being beaten by the Socs affect Johnny? Cite specific evidence from the text to support your ideas. Being beaten by the Socs has a very negative effect on Johnny. Ponyboy shows this when he tells the reader that “…Johnny, the most law- abiding…, now carried in his back pocket a six- inch switchblade. He’d use it too, if he ever got jumped again” (20).

E is for EXPLAIN The last part of the A.C.E. method is to EXPLAIN how the quote you used supports the ANSWER you gave. This is typically the hardest part because while the connection may be clear to you, it may not be entirely clear to the reader. Ask yourself, “How does my quote support my answer?”

EXPLAIN QUESTION: How does being beaten by the Socs affect Johnny? Cite specific evidence from the text to support your ideas. Being beaten by the Socs has a very negative effect on Johnny. Ponyboy shows this when he tells the reader that “…Johnny, the most law- abiding…, now carried in his back pocket a six-inch switchblade. He’d use it too, if he ever got jumped again” (20). This quote shows that Johnny, who normally follows the law, was so negatively affected by the beating that he felt it was necessary to start breaking the law.

Final Notes When you’re writing about literature, use the present tense. Proofread your work before you submit it. Consider having a friend read your A.C.E. before you submit it.

Ready to try…? How does the setting in The Outsiders affect the story?