How to Write a Strong Response Essay (2024)

How to Write a Strong Response Essay (1)
  • DESCRIPTION

    Woman writing a strong response essay

  • SOURCE

    Ivan-balvan / iStock / Getty Images Plus

A response essay is your opinion of a work, including but not limited to songs, books, poems, films, and art. Response essays include two parts. Not only will you provide an overview of the work, but you'll share your response to it as well. Get an outline of the process for how to write a response essay from the prewriting to the final piece.

How to Write a Response Essay

A response essay seems like it would be easy, right? It’s just your opinion about a work. However, response essay writing has several parts.

Select a Topic

Before you even begin writing your essay, think about the topic you want to cover. Response essays can be about anything. Check out different media, such as art, music, and literature, to see which you’re most passionate about and can provide the best response for. Choosing something enjoyable can make the task of writing a response piece much easier.

Record Thoughts & Reactions

With a topic at hand, give it a critical listen, viewing, or read. For example, for a song, listen to it again. While listening, record your reactions. Keep these different questions in mind:

  • How did you feel?
  • What did you think about the song?
  • What aspects did you like?
  • What could have been done differently?
  • Describe the aspects you didn’t like.
  • Was the composer successful in what they were trying to convey?
  • Did the melody work with the lyrics?
  • Was there a disconnect anywhere?
  • Was anything about the piece unclear?

These questions can be modified based on the piece. For example, for a piece of art, look more at the colors or type of art and how this creates different reactions. For a piece of literature or a film, examine the plot devices and characters and how they worked cohesively.

The point is to start thinking critically about the work and your response. This will help in the creation of the thesis.

Create a Thesis Statement

A good thesis statement packs a lot of punch into a small sentence. It provides an overview of the opinions you plan to convey. For example, if your response to a song was horrible, state that in your thesis along with the points you will make to show it was horrible.

Thesis statements aren’t concrete. As you begin molding your essay, you might find your thesis statement changing and morphing. This is completely okay. As you summarize the work and your response, you may start to see something you missed.

Creating an Outline & Writing Your Paper

An outline isn’t a necessity. However, it’ll make the process of writing the actual paper easier because everything will be ready. The paper has four basic components.

  • Introduction - The first sentence of the intro contains the title of the work and the author/creator. The introduction ends with your thesis.
  • Summary the piece - Provide a summary of what the piece is, publication, important aspects, main points, important quotes, etc.
  • Reaction to the work - Add your reaction, how the material related to you, how it didn’t relate to you, whether you agree with the author, whether you disagree, etc.
  • Conclusion - Summarize the work and your response and restate your thesis.

Your outline doesn’t have to be neat. But using a keyword or sentence outline structure can ensure all the thoughts and ideas are in order.

Advertisem*nt

Tips for Writing a Response Essay

All the prep you’ve put in will now pay off! Keep these points in mind as you write.

  • Create topic sentences based on the main points.
  • Make sure to use statements like 'I felt', 'in my opinion', 'I liked', 'I was moved by', etc.
  • Use transition words to flow between paragraphs.
  • Double-check your thesis statement to ensure the body of your paper supports it.
  • Reread your work after completion to ensure you covered all your main points.
  • Run spell check for grammar and spelling errors.

Writing a Response Essay

Compared to descriptive and expository essays, a response essay is relatively easy because you’re talking about your feelings. However, they still take a lot of work. Follow all the steps to make sure you get that A!

How to Write a Strong Response Essay (2024)

FAQs

How to Write a Strong Response Essay? ›

For Response Paragraph Two, you should use one fact from ALL three of the articles. Three facts is a minimum. 6 facts would be the maximum. Two facts should be a paraphrase and should have proper in-text citations.

How to write a great response essay? ›

How to Write a Response Paper: Pre-Writing Steps
  1. Carefully Read and Analyze the Text. ...
  2. Take Notes and Highlight Key Points. ...
  3. Develop a Thesis Statement. ...
  4. Create an Outline. ...
  5. Engage the Reader In Your Introduction. ...
  6. Provide Context and Background Information. ...
  7. Present Your Thesis Statement. ...
  8. Crafting the Body.
Jun 2, 2023

What are 5 key features needed in a response essay? ›

BusyTeacher.org
  • Summarizing. This writing task is a fundamentally important one, as it will be a useful and necessary technique in many academic writing assignments that ESL students encounter in their studies. ...
  • Paraphrasing and Quoting. ...
  • Organization. ...
  • Transitions. ...
  • Argumentation Can Be Introduced.

How do you write a strong response essay summary? ›

Summary
  1. Find something interesting to read.
  2. Read it carefully.
  3. Highlight the main points.
  4. Create an outline.
  5. Verify the author's credibility.
  6. Determine who the intended reading audience is.
  7. Write about each point in your own words.

How do I start off a response essay? ›

Writing a Response or Reaction Paper
  1. Identify the author and title of the work and include in parentheses the publisher and publication date. ...
  2. Write an informative summary of the material.
  3. Condense the content of the work by highlighting its main points and key supporting points.

How do you write a killer text response essay? ›

Text Response Essay Writing Tips
  1. Always write in the present tense.
  2. Express complex ideas in several short sentences instead of long, this is more likely to control the reader's interest.
  3. Express simple ideas in longer, complex sentences.
  4. Tie everything back to the question. ...
  5. Do not be afraid to make bold statements!
Feb 1, 2023

What should go in paragraph 2 of a response? ›

For Response Paragraph Two, you should use one fact from ALL three of the articles. Three facts is a minimum. 6 facts would be the maximum. Two facts should be a paraphrase and should have proper in-text citations.

How do you write a 3 paragraph response? ›

In many ways, the three-paragraph essay is similar to the five-paragraph essay. They both make a solid point using an introduction, body, and conclusion. This simpler essay only requires that you condense your points into one body paragraph, perhaps only one supporting point, before reaching a conclusion.

How do you write a good short answer response? ›

Short answer questions in exams
  1. Deconstruct the question. ...
  2. Rephrase the question in your own words.
  3. Plan the structure of your answer before starting to write. ...
  4. Use examples to give evidence and help give your writing credibility.
  5. Use plain language and keep your writing straight to the point.

What is the first step of writing a good essay response? ›

STEP 1: Read the question or prompt to ensure that you know what you are writing about. Yes, it sounds simple, yet some students skip over the topic and begin writing straightaway. You need to ensure you truly understand the subject, the audience, and the tone with which you should write.

How long should a response paper be? ›

Any approach you wish to take is fine, as long as it demonstrates your comprehension of the material and your ability to think critically about it, and takes up 1 to 2 pages of double-spaced, 12pt text.

How do you start a summary and response? ›

Three steps in a summary-response assignment:
  1. Begin with a summary of the article. This will familiarize the audience with the context of your response.
  2. Include an introduction to the response. Identify an idea by quoting the idea and then paraphrasing the idea.
  3. Explain your response to the idea.

How do you end a summary response essay? ›

An effective conclusion is created by following these steps:
  1. Restate the thesis. An effective conclusion brings the reader back to the main point, reminding the reader of the purpose of the essay. ...
  2. Reiterate supporting points. ...
  3. Make a connection between opening and closing statements. ...
  4. Provide some insight.
Jul 31, 2023

What is an example of a summary in an essay? ›

Start a summary with a sentence about the work's title, author name, and main idea. For example, “In his essay, Inside Out, John Smith covers the problem of multiple personality disorder.” After that, write about the core points the author represents; conclude by rephrasing the main idea of the essay you summarize.

How do you write a conclusion for a summary and response essay? ›

A good conclusion should do a few things:
  1. Restate your thesis.
  2. Synthesize or summarize your major points.
  3. Make the context of your argument clear.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Ms. Lucile Johns

Last Updated:

Views: 6377

Rating: 4 / 5 (61 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Ms. Lucile Johns

Birthday: 1999-11-16

Address: Suite 237 56046 Walsh Coves, West Enid, VT 46557

Phone: +59115435987187

Job: Education Supervisor

Hobby: Genealogy, Stone skipping, Skydiving, Nordic skating, Couponing, Coloring, Gardening

Introduction: My name is Ms. Lucile Johns, I am a successful, friendly, friendly, homely, adventurous, handsome, delightful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.