Adapted from Susan Ely
Responding to a text

Section 1: The introductory paragraph is a summary of
the article with a response-based thesis at the end.

Section 2: The body paragraphs will:
 Begin with topic sentences that defends your
thesis by linking an idea from the text to an idea
of your own.
 Include personal experience connections
 Include textual evidence to support your opinions

Section 3: The conclusion will review your main ideas
and thesis.
age
experiences
gender
location
political beliefs
influence of parents and
peers
education
past experience
culture/subculture
expectations
social class
Our reading & writing is shaped by
who we are.
In “Goin’ Gangsta, Choosin’ Cholita: Claiming Identity,” Nell
Berstein explains how some people have claimed racial identities
other than their own.

Some people are influenced by music and television, and they
begin to mimic the things they hear and see.

People claim to be races they are not because of association or
they only claim to behalf of their ethnicity.

The suburbs are becoming more diverse and people in the
suburbs are claiming parts of ‘city life.’

Some believe it’s too hard being white so they latch on to any
race that they have in them and claim it.
Concluding thought: Bernstein believes that these teens are the
embodiment of the 21st century through their actions to be
whomever they choose.
In Why Consumers Have Been Choosing SUVs” by John
Merline, the author argues that SUVs are not the polluting
and dangerous vehicles the critics claim they are.



Even though SUVs are criticized for thei weight and
structure which cause accidents, they protect people
better than cars.
SUVs consume a lot of gas, but there are plenty that use
fuel more effectively and economically.
SUVs are charged with causing global warming; however
they are not a major contributing factor.
Concluding Thought: Despite some disadvantages of SUVs,
Merline argues that consumers know which ar best for
them and their needs
Sample Response Ideas:
Relating the article to personal experience
 Sample Thesis: I think Merline is right to argue
that SUVs are a good idea for some people and
that they are being overly criticized.
Topic Sentence: I agree with Merline that SUVs’
safety features are a much bigger advantage
than the disadvantages of roll-over issues.
 Exercise:
 Come
up with a personal experience that
supports this topic sentence
 Find a piece of textual evidence
1.
2.


Incorporate the mini-quote into your own
sentence.
Use quotation marks and a page number.
Textual Evidence: The most compelling evidence
Merline offers is that the “fatality rate on the
highways has dropped 27.4 percent” since SUVs
started becoming popular (546).
Why does this make you feel that way: If people
are buying more SUVs and dying less often, to my
mind that has to be a good thing. I know that
when I’m buying a car, my own safety is one of the
biggest things I’m concerned about.
Summary
In “Why Consumers Have Been Choosing SUVs” by
John Merline, the author argues that SUVs are not the
polluting and dangerous vehicles the critics claim they are.
Even though SUVs are criticized for their weight and
structure which cause accidents, they protect people
better than cars. SUVs consume a lot of gas, but there are
plenty that use fuel more effectively and economically.
SUVs are charged with causing global warming; however
they are not a major contributing factor. Despite some
disadvantages of SUVs, Merline argues that consumers
know which ar best for them and their needs. I think
Merline is right to argue that SUVs are a good idea for
some people and that they are being overly criticized.
Thesis
I agree with Merline that SUVs’ safety features are a
Topic Sentence
much bigger advantage than the disadvantages of roll-over
issues. The most compelling evidence Merline offers is that the
“fatality rate on the highways has dropped 27.4 percent”
Textual
since SUVs started becoming popular (546). If people are
Evidence
buying more SUVs and dying less often, to my mind that has to
be a good thing. I know that when I’m buying a car, my own
safety is one of the biggest things I’m concerned about.
Currently, I drive a tiny little Toyota and have been considering
Personal
trading it in for an SUV so that I’m safer on the road. It’s not
just that my car is poor in the winter, but that semis and other Experience
large vehicles have a hard time seeing me. If I drove an SUV
I’d be easier to see and it’d be easier to see what was going on
around me.

Introduction

Body

-Present the topic being discussed to readers, a
summary of the article being discussed.
-Thesis: presents ONE opinion
-Supporting ideas
Reasons/Evidence
-Supporting ideas
Reasons/Evidence
-Supporting ideas
Reasons/Evidence
Conclusion
-Refer back to your thesis
-Final appeal to why your response is
convincing and important