Helpful Advice on How to Write a Response Essay

Being assigned to write a paper about the read article, book, or any other publication, you are supposed to keep your writing tone formal and impersonal. However, the situation is totally different when it goes about response papers.

Such papers are assigned to students to teach them to express their thoughts and describe their feelings about the matter under consideration. In order to get professor’s praise, you need to understand how to write a response essay. When working on such a paper, you are required to evaluate the publication which you have read thoroughly and present your opinion about it.

It is necessary to admit that response (reaction) essays differ from reviews, as they are produced in the first person. Moreover, when crafting these papers, it is allowed to use such phrases as “I consider,” “I think,” etc.

Your work should include a thesis statement that has to be supported with valid arguments taken from the publication you are analyzing.


Clear Hints on How to Write a Response Essay

  • Read the assigned work carefully and analyze it thoroughly
  • Highlight the chief points
  • Jot down your thoughts when scrutinizing the given book, play, article, etc.
  • Produce a thesis statement
  • Create a detailed outline
  • Write a profound essay containing all the required structural components, i.e. an introduction presenting the title and author of the examined piece, and the body section performing its in-depth analysis.

Points to Keep in Mind when Creating a Reader Response Essay

  1. Back up your thoughts with solid evidence and vivid details taken from the examined work. Avoid using general phrases like “I admire this book/article.”
  2. Each paragraph of a body section should illustrate one opinion/reaction supported with examples. Do not discuss several ideas in one paragraph, as it may confuse readers.
  3. A concluding section of your response essay assignment should include recommendations for those considering the explored story engaging. Your conclusion should not duplicate the first passage.
  4. Carefully edit your essay. Do not hand in your paper right after writing it.

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Valuable Summary Response Essay Writing Directions

response essay writing tipsIntroductory Section and a Thesis Statement

Though an introduction is not a central unit of your paper, it plays a fundamental role in its construction, as it introduces the matter in question to readers. That is why it has to be written properly to give readers a basic understanding of the examined publication. Remember not to overload this chapter with information, but make sure it will engage readers. A worthy introduction should:

  • Provide key data about the explored publication, i.e. title, author, date and place of publication;
  • Highlight author’s main ideas;
  • Present a thesis statement.

A thesis statement is particularly important, as it illustrates the points that make your piece of writing exclusive. Additionally, it presents your opinion about the read text. Bear in mind that your thesis has to be comprehensible. When writing a response essay, you should not be afraid of coming up with extraordinary concepts. Just remember to support them with powerful arguments (here, we are talking about the body section).

response essay writing tipsPreparing a Body

As it is known, the key role of a response paper is to summarize the book/article or any other publication which you have read and express your personal opinion about it. In order to produce the body part in the right manner, you should follow several useful prompts. First, you do not have to illustrate every last detail about the assessed text. It is worth highlighting the chief ideas discussed in the examined work and support them with author’s quotes. Note that you may rephrase some author’s thoughts and statements. However, mind not to rewrite author’s claims in your own way. Remember that initial content has to be preserved. When working on this part of your paper, try to exclude any useless data, as it may bewilder readers and make your essay puzzling. Strive to be objective and precise.

Once the steps described in a previous paragraph are taken, you should start producing your reaction to the read publication. It means that you have to make acritical evaluation of the text. State whether you accept or deny the ideas presented by the author. Regardless of your position, you should back it up with sound arguments that can be taken from other works or based on your personal experience. If you fail to support your opinion, your essay will not be considered credible. Once the body section is arranged, you may move on to your concluding paragraph.

response essay writing tipsProducing a Concluding Section

What is a response essay? It is a piece of writing encapsulating the major points of the evaluated book, article, or any other work and presenting writer’s reaction to the described issues. The conclusion of such a paper may highlight a general overview of your statements, viewpoint, and ideas. At the same time, it should provide the arguments your ideas are based on. When creating a concluding part of your essay, you may provide some fresh ideas about the scrutinized text. However, mind not to start discussing a new aspect of the examined source in this section. If you stick to the given guidelines, it is hardly possible that you will encounter any difficulties in producing this kind of paper.

Creating an Exceptional Response Essay: What to Pay Attention to?

It is no secret that a worthy response essay requires the one to be aware of not only a precise response essay definition but also effective writing techniques. Such an academic work has to be crafted in an informal tone. In order to represent the essence of a book, you should scrutinize it carefully and pay attention to even the tiniest details. Down below, there are a few pieces of advice by following which you will manage to craft a fascinating response paper deserving a superior grade. Thus:

  • Scrutinize the text to get a basic idea of the discussed matter
  • Use stickers to mark important data and appealing sections
  • Look through the passages you have marked and try to formulate some ideas and statements
  • Write down your ideas and thoughts
  • Look through the made notes and think what assertion can be made
  • Establish the connection between your written notes and your assertion (i.e. a thesis statement)
  • That is it! You may start creating your piece of writing.

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