How to write a reading response essay.doc

What is a Reading Response Essay?A reading response essay:l Summarizes what you read.l Gives your reaction to the text.Your reaction will be one or more of the following:Agreement/disagreement with the ideas in the text.Reaction to how the ideas in the text relate to your own experience.Reaction to how ideas in the text relate to other things youve read.Your analysis of the author and audience.Your evaluation of how this text tries to convince the reader and whether it is effective.How to Write a Reading Response, Step by StepIntroduction: Your introduction will be 1-3 paragraphs. For this essay, because you want to give both information about the subject and also briefly summarize the article you are responding to, you probably need at least two paragraphs. In all introductions, you want to:Get the readers attention.Describe your subject.Give your thesis.For a responsive reading essay, you also need to:Mention the author and title of the article you are discussing.Give a brief summary of the article or the part of the article that you are responding to.Introduction Ideas for Reading Response PaperParagraph One. Get the readers attention by describing the subject in one of the following ways:use a startling statistic,an interesting fact,an appropriate quotation,an anecdote,a scenario,a conversation,a story,a question your essay will answer,an example,or general information about the topic.Using a Frame for Your Introduction and ConclusionOne of my favorite techniques is to use a “frame” story or conversation for the opening and the conclusion. The way this works is that you tell half of a story or conversation in the introduction and then tell the rest of the story in the conclusion. Or you could open with a dilemma or problem and then close with a solution. Another approach is to retell the same story in the conclusion with a different (usually better) ending. Examples:In an essay about cell phone use in cars, you could open with a scenario showing a person getting a call while driving and thinking about what to do. In the conclusion, you could tell the end of the scenariomaybe the driver pulls over to take the call, or decides to let voicemail take it.In an essay about dealing with a family member with Alzheimers, you could open with a conversation between family members trying to figure out what to do and conclude with a conversation between the same people after they have decided to place that person in a nursing home.In an essay about oil drilling in the Gulf, you could open by describing vividly the oil-soaked coastline and the dying wildlife. You could conclude with what that coastline looks like now.On any topic which you have personal experience, you can open with part of your story, and then conclude with the ending of your story.The Reader Response EssayReading Response Introduction and Conclusion IdeasIntroductionConclusionframe story: start a story (personal or from reading)finish the storyexpectations fulfilled: tell what you expected or thought before reading the articletell how the reading met your expectationsexpectations unfulfilled: describe your expectationstell how these were overturned or changedquestions: ask one or more questions about topicanswers to questionsstartling statistic or facthow article helps us understand or interpret this fact or statisticsvivid description of subject with sensory imagestell how article helps us understand descriptionscenario: show a typical scene or conversation relating to topic (real or made up)finish scene or conversation or repeat it with a different endingwhat we all know about topic (statements most people believe)what is really truequote or famous sayinghow quote explains your thesisTransition and ThesisParagraph 2: After your introduction, transition by explaining what the author of the article you have written has to say about this topic. Briefly explain the main points of the article that you want to talk about. Then you will give your thesis.Example:According to Mary Johnson in “Cell Phones are Dangerous,” we should not use our phones while driving and should educate others not to use them either. Johnson gives statistics showing that talking on a cell phone is as dangerous as driving drunk. Moreover, she points out the increasing number of accidents caused by cell phone use. Her conclusion is that we need to personally decide not to use a cell phone while driving and that we need to educate our friends and family to give up cell phones while driving, too.Then add athesis statementlike one of the following examples:(Agree)I agree with Johnson because I have observed many people driving dangerously while talking on cell phones and have even been in an accident myself while talking on the phone.(Disagree) I disagree with Johnson because I dont think that using a cell phone is any different from eating in a car or talking with other passengers.Thenreflectandexpand:(Reflect on authors experience) I believe Johnson has come to her conclusions because of her own traumatic experiences while using a cell phone while driving. (Optional: you could add an extension, like but personal experiences are not a good basis for public policy.)(Expand on an assertion made in the essay) I agree with Johnsons assertion that cell phones are dangerous, but Id go even further than she does because I think we cannot control this problem by merely educating the public. We need to have laws prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving.Be sure to read the essay very carefully before you summarize.Six Responding Essay IdeasHere are six different ways to respond to an essay:You can agree with the article and explain three or more reasons why you agree.You can disagree with the article and explain three or more reasons why.You can agree with some parts of the article and disagree with other parts and explain why.You can analyze the rhetorical situation (occasion, purpose, audience, and context) of this article and explain why the authors personal experience causes them to write this piece.You can take one part of the essay, agreeing or disagreeing with it, and expand on that idea, giving reasons for your reader to agree with you.You can explain your reaction to the article and then analyze how the writers style, tone, word choice, and examples made you feel that way.Remember that all essays have three main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. There are many ways to write a good essay, but I will give you a general guide to follow which will help you to organize your ideas.Body of PaperHere you will argue your thesis and give support for your ideas from your personal experience and your own thinking and reading. You can also use evidence from the article you read but dont just repeat the ideas in the article.The body of your paper should have three or more paragraphs.Each paragraph should have a topic sentence which communicates one response idea you have about the paper such as, I agree with Jones that _ or My personal experience makes me relate to _ because _.The rest of the paragraph should give details to back up that point. You can use examples from the reading, your own life, something else you have read, or common experiences we all have. You can also use reasoning to prove your points. Explain why you think this way.Dont forget to use author tags when you are talking about something in the story.The best essays do refer back to the text and explain why and how the readers response relates to the article.The Reader Response Essay IdeasUsing Author Tags in EssaysThe first time you talk about the article, you should give the full name of the author and the title of the article in parenthesis: John Jones in his article, “Taking Back Our Lives,” states _.”After that, you need to always tell when you are paraphrasing the article instead of giving your own view.Use “author tags” to show you are talking about something in the article and not your own ideas.Author tags use the last name of the author and a verb. Try these variations:Jones arguesJones explainsJones warnsJones suggestsJones advisesJones contendsJones investigatesJones asksDifferentiating Your Voice from the Authors: Instead of Jones says, you can use:saidconcludesdefinesexplainselucidatesrepeatstells usreportsarguesdeducesanalyzessuggestswarnsadvisesinvestigatesaskspoints outcommentsagreesinimatedimplieshintsproposesinformsquipsquestionsdeniesreassures usdemandsdeclaresremarksrelatesmentionscautionsrevealsobjectsinsistschidespleadsYour ConclusionContrary to what you may have learned in previous writing classes, you should not repeat or summarize your arguments in the conclusion. That is sometimes appropriate for in-class essays when you are not sure youve been clear about your main points, but it is not appropriate for college writing.Instead, you need to actually conclude your arguments. You can often use the same type of technique that you use in an introduction. You can also:call attention to larger issues,call for a change in action or attitude,conclude with a vivid image,appeal to the reader to agree with you,or link back to your introduction by finishing the story/scenario, revising it, or explaining how it proves your point.Sample EssayLets Stop Scaring OurselvesIn his essay, Lets Stop Scaring Ourselves, Michael Crichton addresses the problem that during his lifetime, Americans have become burdened and consumed by highly publicized fears which turned out to be false alarms. Crichton details of the many of the global scares he has witnessed, which include many predictions which are mutually exclusive such as the scare for global cooling followed by the scare about global warming. He notes that at one time we were worried about overpopulation and mass starvation, and, at another, by the decline in the workforce and aging population. Worries about robots creating too much leisure time have evolved into worries about smart phones creating overworked and stressed Americans. In addition, Crichton details many non-events such as swine flu, Y2K and brain cancer from cell phone use. In conclusion, Crichton suggests that readers follow his example to take the next doomsday prediction with a grain of salt. (summary)As a popular author modern scare stories like Jurassic Park and Andromeda Strain, Crichtons perspective that we have let our fears get out of control is ironic and effective. Initially introducing himself as a 62 year old man, Crichton gives the sense that he is trying to give advice to the younger generation. Crichton also effectively uses his life story by opening the essay from his perspective as a younger man constantly plagued by worry over the latest, highly publicized fears. (analysis)Although at times he sounds like a ranting, senile old man, Crichtons smooth and sensible writing appeals to reason and simplicity and makes the reader want to agree. His abundant and various examples assist in emphasizing his point that Americans do have a tendency to over-react. The examples also distract the reader from focusing on his thesis, which can make his article seem more like a rant. (analysis)The author brings the reader along with him as he moves through the laundry list of 20th century fears, poking fun at the exaggerated extremes of these claims through sarcasm as he describes the ever-switching pendulum of panic and public opinion. While assuming an audience who is roughly his age and has experienced these same scares, he gives enough details to convince even a younger audience to take his advice to keep things in perspective. (analysis)Do I agree with Michael Crichton? In many ways, I think he has