How to Write a Text Response Essay

How to Write a Text Response Essay

Area of Study 1: reading and responding

You need to demonstrate your understanding of: The ideas, characters and themes

constructed by the author and presented in the text

The way the author uses structures, features and conventions to construct meaning

How to prepare, construct and support a response to a text in an essay form

What’s required?

You need to be able to use: Appropriate textual evidence to support

your response Appropriate metalanguage to discuss the

textual features in your response Expressive, fluent and coherent writing

including the conventions of spelling, punctuation and syntax of Standard Australian English

What’s required?

Approaching Essay Topics

Understanding an essay topic is crucial to developing a relevant response. There are five aspects to consider when

looking at a topic:◦ Common Topic format◦ Common Instruction Terminology◦ Key Words and Phrases◦ Rewriting the topic◦ The Scope of the Topic


COMMON TOPIC FORMATS There are three common topic formats: A statement on the text followed by a task

instruction. For example: ◦ ‘In a totalitarian world, conformity is necessary for

survival’. Discuss A direct quote followed by a task instruction or

question. For example:◦ ‘The past was erased … the lie became the truth.’ Why is

the refusal to record the past accurately so important in the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four?

A direct question on an aspect of the text:◦ Are Julia and Winston really in love? Is love really

possible in Nineteen Eighty Four?


Instruction Terminology: Understanding Instructions Discuss: what does this require?

◦ Debate, question or explain a topic, giving evidence, reasons and explanations for and/or against the topic.

Do you agree? ◦ Present your own interpretation of the topic, giving

evidence, reasons and explanations etc. How?

◦ Explain, outline or describe the ways in which the text illustrated the topic by drawing on textual evidence, structures and features and metalanguage

Why?:◦ Explain reasons to support the idea represented in the topic


Key Words and Phrases: Definitions and Synonyms Identify key words, phrases, terminology and

concepts in the topic Use a dictionary to clarify your

understanding of these key terms Come up with a list of synonyms for the key

words and phrases (this will help you avoid constantly repeating the same words)

Quotes – identify the context of a quote if it is in the topic and consider what the significance is


Rewriting the Topic/Paraphrasing Write a simple paraphrase of the topic by

directly substituting key words and phrases with your own vocabulary or list of synonyms

Write a paraphrase of the topic by reversing the statement and using your own words


Scope of the Topic: Identifying the Focus Ask yourself: “In order to answer this topic

what do I have to think and write about?” Your answer should consider the following:

◦ Character/s – development and/or relationships◦ Themes or issues◦ The author’s views and values◦ The social, historical or political context◦ The use of structures, features and/or conventions


Forming your Contention

A contention is your point of view, stance, position or argument in response to a topic. Generally there are four positions you can take:

Yes: complete agreement Yes, however: partial agreement, presentation

of other considerations in relation to the topic No: complete disagreement, presentation of

alternative view on the topic No, however: part disagreement with the topic;

presentation of other considerations in relation to the topic


‘Fence sitting’ is discouraged as it gives the impression of uncertainty, lack of knowledge and lack of focus

Once you have considered what the question is asking, form your overall opinion of the topic

Your contention should be clearly expressed in one sentence

Use different vocabulary to the words in the essay topic


For the following topics identify:◦ Topic format◦ Instruction Terminology◦ Key Words and Phrases◦ Rewrite the topic◦ Consider the Scope of the topic

I witness the ones who are left behind ... they have punctured hearts.”- Death. The Book Thief shows that death and war are often more difficult for those who survive. Discuss.

“The consequence of this is that I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both”. The Book Thief explores how beauty can exist in the midst of brutality. Discuss.

Practise Time!

Now establish your position on one of the topics below and write your contention in one sentence

I witness the ones who are left behind... they have punctured hearts.”- Death. The Book Thief shows that death and war are often more difficult for those who survive. Discuss.


Practise Time!

Planning Your Essay

After you have understood the topic and formed your contention, you have to plan your knowledge into a well-structured and detailed text response essay

The essay plan is your first draft or “roadmap” to writing an effective, focused text response essay under pressure

Planning Your Essay

What an essay plan should include:◦ Statement of contention◦ Outline main points or reasons for contention◦ Ideas should be organised in sequential, logical

order, indicating paragraphs.◦ Brief description of key evidence for each main

point.

You should aim to have 3 to 5 main points, one per body paragraph.

Planning Your Essay

Example Written Plan: Write your contention

◦Brief outline of first reason/point Evidence 1 to support first reason Evidence 2 to support first reason

◦Brief outline of second reason/point Evidence 1 to support second reason Evidence 2 to support second reason

◦Etc.

Planning Your Essay

Evidence

Main Points

IntroductionContention

Reason 1:

Evidence 1

Evidence 2

Reason 2:

Evidence 1

Evidence 2

Reason 3:

Evidence 1

Evidence 2

Example Visual Plan:

Planning Your Essay

Let’s plan the essays we’ve begun.

“I witness the ones who are left behind... they have punctured hearts.”- Death. The Book Thief shows that death and war are often more difficult for those who survive. Discuss.


Practise Time!

Writing Introductions

The introduction must be relevant, focused and convincing

The basic introduction should immediately establish the contention and the main points that will be presented (in order)

There are a number of features that you can include in your introduction, though not all will be appropriate for every essay


Features of an introduction:1. A sentence introducing the author and text in

relation to the topic:◦ In the novel, The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

explores... [outline key theme/idea]2. A clear sentence stating your contention in

relation to the topic:◦ At the centre of the text is the idea that [contention].

3. An outline of the main points:◦ This is revealed through [first point]. Additionally

[second point]. Finally [third point] also supports [contention]


Information contextualising the text in relation to the topic.◦ Zusak’s novel acts to alert his readers to the dangers of

war...etc Contextualising a quote that is part of the topic.

◦ Through the narrator, Death, Zusak expresses his own view that [quote from topic]

In the introduction you could make use of: key words, phrases, synonyms, metalanguage sophisticated explanation of key terms and concepts (NOT dictionary definitions)


How easily can you write an introduction for the topic you’ve begun?

Remember to lead by ideas and not examples


Writing the Body

The body is the meat in your sandwich. It is where you show the extent of your knowledge of the text in relation to the topic

The body should develop the central contention from beginning to end

Overall, you should aim for 500 words for this section – 3 body paragraphs (possibly 4)

USE TEEEEL: especially the T◦ Topic Sentence: state an idea that relates to the essay topic, do

not describe a character or scene from the text◦ Evidence: quotes, paraphrases, brief descriptions◦ Explanation: elaborate on how the evidence relates to the topic

and the main point of the paragraph◦ Link: Concluding sentence to the paragraph, making sure that

everything you’ve written relations to the TS and the overall contention

Also relate each new paragraph to the previous idea (see list of sentence starters)

Writing the Body

Writing the Conclusion

The conclusion is essentially a restatement of your contention and summary of the main points. Here are some handy hints:

◦ Make sure you use different wording to your essay◦ Make sure you link to the topic and contention◦ Do not introduce new ideas◦ Don’t ask rhetorical questions◦ Finish with a quote or a make a statement about

the relevance of the text to the wider world (views and values statement)

Writing the Conclusion

Style Pointers

Using Quotes Quotes must be relevant to the point, and clearly

punctuated with quotation marks Incorporate short quotes within sentences

◦ E.g. Zusak describes Death as comforting because “even death has a heart”.

If a quote doesn’t flow fluently in a sentence, it should be introduced by a colon◦ Michael Holztapfel cannot bear to live in the knowledge that

he has survived and his brother has not: “He killed himself for wanting to live”.

Use ellipses (3 dots) if you are omitting a word or phrase from a lengthy quote◦ Death assures his readers that he is “not violent... not

malicious”.

Style Pointers

Style Title of the Text: Use capitals for each word

and underline. Do this consistently throughout: The Book Thief

Use the author/director’s full name in your first reference to them, then their surname. NEVER their first name

Use a formal style and tone. Avoid colloquial language (basically this means; pretty much; sort of like), slang (heaps good, epic failure) and clichés (up a creek without a paddle)

Style Pointers

Write in the present tense when referring to the text

Do not self-reference (‘I’ or ‘me’). Use ‘one’ or ‘the reader’

Do not refer to the reader as ‘you’ (e.g. This makes you feel like...) use ‘the reader’

Write fluent sentences by using linking words, commas, semicolons or colons accurately

Avoid overusing key terms, descriptive or linking words

Style Pointers

The more essays you plan, the more ideas you have explored and the more quickly you’ll be able to respond to exam and essay topics. Try these:

◦ The characters in the end of The Book Thief have changed from who they were at the beginning of the novel. Discuss.

◦ How does having Death as narrator change the readers’ response to the novel?

Planning Practice

Practise, Practise, Practise!

Documents

How to Write a Text Response Essay