ENG111/112
Instruction for Response Paper
You will probably be asked by me to read poems, articles, etc. (or watch a TV show or a film) and to write a paper recording your response or reaction to the material. I will expect you to do two things: summarize the material and detail your reaction to it. The following pages explain both parts of a report.
PART 1: A SUMMARY OF THE WORK
To develop the first part of a report, do the following:
Write an informative summary of the material. so that the reader gets a general sense of all key aspects of the original work.
Condense the content of the work by highlighting its main points and key supporting points.
Use direct quotations from the work to illustrate important ideas.
Summarize the material
Do not discuss in great detail any single aspect of the work, and do not neglect to mention other equally important points.
Also, keep the summary objective and factual. Do not include in the first part of the paper your personal reaction to the work; your subjective impression will form the basis of the second part of your paper.
PART 2: YOUR REACTION TO THE WORK
To develop the second part of a response paper, do the following. Start with your personal reaction to texts you read or watch.
How is the work related to problems in our present-day world?
How is the material related to your life, experiences, feelings and ideas? For instance, what emotions did the work arouse in you?
Then, focus on any or all of the following questions. Make sure that questions you select can channel your thinking to topics and/or issues that you deal with.
How is the assigned work related to ideas and concerns discussed in the course for which you are preparing the paper? For example, what points made in the course textbook, class discussions, or lectures are treated more fully in the work?
Did the work increase your understanding of a particular issue? Did it change your perspective in any way?
Evaluate the merit of the work: the importance of its points, its accuracy, completeness, organization, and so on.
You should also indicate here whether or not you would recommend the work to others, and why.
POINTS OF CONSIDERATION WHEN WRITING THE RESPONSE PAPER
Here are some important elements to consider as you prepare a response paper
Apply the four basic standards of effective writing (unity, support, coherence, and clear, error-free sentences).
Make sure each major paragraph presents and then develops a single main point.
Support any general points you make or attitudes you express with specific reasons and details. Statements such as “I agree with many ideas in this article” or “I found the book very interesting” are meaningless without specific evidence that shows why you feel as you do.
Organize your material. Follow the basic plan of organization explained above: a summary of one or more paragraphs, a reaction of two or more paragraphs, and a conclusion. Also, use transitions to make the relationships among ideas in the paper clear.
Edit the paper carefully for errors in grammar, mechanics, punctuation, word use, and spelling.
Cite paraphrased or quoted material from the book or article you are writing about, or from any other works, by using MLA style.
You may use quotations in the summary and reaction parts of the paper, but do not rely on them too much. Use them only to emphasize key ideas.