An introduction to APCs

What does APC mean? Assertion Proof Commentary

What is it? An APC is similar to a short-answer response (SAR). However, for the purpose of English III an APC is expected to be more thorough.

ASSERTION An assertion is a confident statement of fact or belief. You do not need to say, “I think…” or “I believe…”. Ex: Although she is a little girl, Goldilocks is not only picky and stubborn but a criminal as well. It is important to note that literature is always written about in present tense.

PROOF Your proof is a quotation that proves what you are saying. Ex 1: “Goldilocks [lays] down on the biggest bed and [says], ‘This bed is too hard.’” Ex 2: “One day, Goldilocks [happens] upon an empty house, opens the door and walks inside” (Stelle 92). Make sure you cite all quotations as seen in example 2. For help with MLA citations, please visit the class website (lonistelle.weebly.com) and find the “Additional Resources” page.

COMMENTARY Your commentary explains how your proof actually proves your assertion. This should be the longest portion of your APC. Remember, this is not a restatement of your quotation. It is an explanation! Avoid: “This quote shows….” Ex: Goldilocks’ actions in the home of the Three Bears reveal her to be a picky and stubborn girl. As she wanders throughout the empty house, Goldilocks decides she is too tired to continue on her journey and must rest. In doing so she “lays down on the biggest bed” in the house, and quickly decides that it “is too hard” for her liking (Stelle 91). The act of finding a bed to be substandard does not initially seem to be picky. However, Goldilocks is so put off by the bed’s firmness that she find a second bed only to determine that the “[medium] bed is too soft” (Stelle 92). Being dissatisfied with the second bed, Goldilocks searches for another. Goldilocks’ readiness to abandon one bed for another until she finds one satisfactory suggests that she is particular and unwilling to settle for nothing less than she deems the best.

Reminders Do not say “I think…”, “I feel that…” You can make statements like “Stelle uses alliteration to…” Quotations should have citations. Make sure you only use the parts you need to make your point, but you need to be using more than one or two words from the quote. Commentary should be the longest part of you paragraph. Do not restate the quote. How does your quote really prove your assertion? Sometimes it seems like it should be obvious, but you still need to explain. For instance, you shouldn’t say, “Goldilocks went to another bed, so she is obviously picky.” Why is she going to another bed? What about this makes it a picky decision? In this instance, she doesn’t like the firmness, but she also is dissatisfied with another bed that is softer. Do not say “This quote shows…” Your explanation is the “showing”.