Writing a Response Paper

English III

What is a response paper?

Your reaction to a text that you have read.

Includes:Brief review/overview of the

material (do not summarize the entire article)

Your reaction to the material and reasoning for those reactions (in support or against)

How to write it…Highlight significant

ideas/pointsSummarize in your own words

the main points and what you think about them

Do you agree or disagree with these points

Is this an important topic? Why or why not?Is it relevant to issues

today?Would others support your

opinion?

Review your notes and pick out one central/important idea for you

Does the topic need to be challenged? Clarified?

Is it contradictory, or unclear?Is it impractical or irrelevant?Does it over simplify an issue for

you?Do you feel it misses or clarifies

a point?

3 Parts to the Paper

1. Include an introduction in the first paragraph

(title, author, explanation, and thesis)

Part 1

2.Give a brief summary of what you read and why the particular article you chose is worthy of discussion

Part 2

3. Address your areas of agreement or disagreement giving reasons, facts, or citing textual evidence in each body paragraph.

Part 3

End your response paper with a solid conclusion

Restate your thesisPush your argument on the readerExplain why what you have written

is significant beyond the text

Thesis Statements

A thesis statement can be: The answer to a question that you have posedThe solution for a problem you have identifiedA statement that takes a position on a debatable topic

An persuasive paper makes a claim based on opinion, evaluation, or interpretation about a topic and proves this claim with specific evidence.

Persuasive thesis example: High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.

Kinds of Thesis Statements: Persuasive*

Analytical*An analytical paper breaks the topic down into

parts, examines each part, and determines how each part relates to the whole topic.

Analytical thesis example: An analysis of the college admission process reveals one challenge facing counselors: accepting students with high test scores or students with strong extracurricular backgrounds.

Expository*

An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.

Expository thesis example: The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with peers.

What should it do?

it should point toward the development or course of argument the reader can expect your argument to take

Tips on Thesis Writing A statement that contains the essay’s topic and

point(s) Gives the reader a sense of what the essay will be

about Usually comes at the end of the introduction Most thesis statements are only one sentence Must be a complete sentence Everything in the essay must support the thesis. Introduction paragraph should follow this format: Attention getter (commonly known as a “hook”) Introduce the topic State the thesis

Thesis Equation

thesis statements are basically made up of your topic and a specific assertion about that topic, therefore,

THESIS = TOPIC + SPECIFIC ASSERTION

A Thesis Statement Should:

Take a standExpress on main ideaBe restricted

Example

Insufficient: Stephen King writes readable books.

Sufficient: Stephen King’s books are so good because they are about normal people who get into supernatural situations.

Strong, Broad, or Narrow?Participating in volunteer work is essential

to the development of strong character. Violent crime is up.School uniforms provide many benefits to

students, parents and educatorsTechnology has changed our lives.I like my apartment.

Thesis Don’ts

Announce your thesisConfuse your readerCannot be a factDon’t be vagueCannot be a question

PromptBeing a successful

Rickover