Best Tips on How to Write a Response Paper

You just cannot avoid this challenge because this type of essays is the most popular academic assignment. You can meet one during your study. Why is it widespread? It is a good chance for students to demonstrate their ability to read thoughtfully, write, and provide complicated research. You'll need to know how to write a response paper. You could read some information about this type of academic piece before; you may know how to write a personal response paper. However, today we want to share several secrets with you that help you analyze a text, develop commentary and get excellent grades.

How to Write a Personal Response Paper: Purpose and Definition

What is a response? It is your opinion. If you agree with a writer, give a detailed explanation and conversely. This essay is not about well-known facts; it is something you need to elaborate for people understanding. The purpose of essays is to show your level of comprehension of the writer's intentions behind the text. What is writer trying to communicate to us? Expose what he wants us to realize about central characters or particular ideas and learn in what manner the author has done this. Still wondering how to write a response paper? The purpose can be summarized as following points:

• Your opinion: whether you agree or disagree with a writer. What do you feel about this issue?
• Something you have to prove but based on your experiences or knowledge and more;
• Ideas supported by example from your life.
• Not biographic information about the writer;
• Not historical information about historical events.

How to Write a Summary Response Paper: 4 Stages

1. Beginning

First, break down the question to get the whole picture of your task. Rewrite the key issues in your personal words because it leads to deeper comprehension. Having done that, you are prepared to make next three steps:

• Write a contention: what is your fundamental idea?
• Identify 3-4 arguments to support your central idea;
• Focus on the thesis that provides the framework for your essay.

2. Start writing

How to write a personal response paper? In your introduction outline your topic; state your contention clearly, and provide an overview of your three main discussion points. Give the reader overall info about the issue.

3. Go into details

Elaborate the body paragraphs; it should explain one of your supporting points or reasons. Open it with an assertive sentence that shows what you will discuss. It is imperative to find the evidence to support your opinion or reason and explain how the evidence does it. Always link your paragraphs to your contention as this shows in what way you prove the idea. While you keep asking how do I write a response paper, before developing the section make sure the body includes these elements.

• Support of the idea expressing in the topic sentence (source);
• Explanation of source: in what way does it relates to your topic sentence and thesis;
• Topic sentence based on the thesis.

4. Finalize your work

The last part of your project is a conclusion. How to write a summary response paper? Summarize your arguments and explain what the reader should think or believe after essay examination. Take your time and pay close attention to the following aspects:

• Be certain you are responding!
• Writing a response paper, answer the question: whether your essay is discussing your ideas?
• Are your examples supporting your ideas?
• Your examples should be from your experience.

How to Write a Response Paper: Useful Tips to Remember

• Use short phrases and words as evidence, not sentences or slabs of text (unless it is totally necessary).
• Read the assignment sheet carefully; do it twice, pen in hand; take some notes.
• Do not include examples from outside or ideas of others. Tell the story from your personal experience.
• You can use phrases or words like “therefore,” “thus,” “It is clear that ,” “ultimately the writer aims to…” and more. It's quite helpful in different situations.
• Use transition because they make your text flow and combine separated parts smoothly.
• Create multi-paragraph essay;
• Search for reliable sources to provide your opinion and personal experience with support.
• Find an article related to the topic or use a quotation from a book, and do not forget about Reference list.

As you see, it is not as difficult as it seems. Answering several crucial questions, you collect data that will serve you in the future. Remember, you must provide a good evidence-based perspective that means supporting your essay with parts of the test we have closely analyzed. This assignment may cause a lot of difficulties. You may ask for professional help and deal with this academic paper in a few days. Have a good luck with your academic assignment!