Reading Response Guidelines.
There will be 5 reading response essays this quarter each worth 10 points. I will let you know what I
want you to respond to either by explaining it in class or handing out written instructions.
Please organize your responses in this way:
Do not introduce/conclude your point. Please simply get to the point of the question in the very
first line of the essay. There is no need for an elaborate “hook” or “wrap up”. For example, if I’ve
asked you to respond to the humor in a piece of writing your first line would be something like this:
“Dave Barry uses a self-deprecating humor in his piece, Guys Vs Men.”
If you use a lot of space to introduce and conclude I will mark you down as it takes up too much
space on the page.
Your essays should consist of three parts. 1) Your claims about the piece, 2) Evidence (quotes) to
back up your claims and, 3) An analysis (explanation) of the quote you chose.
In other words, each time you make a claim about an author’s writing, draw an example from the
text to back it up then simply state in a few sentences why you chose the particular quote. This ties
your ideas to whatever the point of your essay is. For example, if your essay is about the humor in
Dave Barry’s piece, “Guys Vs. Men” you might write:
Barry has a self-deprecating sense of humor in his writing {CLAIM}. For example, when he talks about his fan mail he says, “Typical
fan letter: ‘Who cuts your hair? Beavers? (375)*” {Evidence}. In this example, Barry is not afraid to laugh at himself. He
acknowledges he gets fan mail but turns it into a joke that pokes fun at his physical appearance. This works as humor because although
Barry’s tone is often confident throughout the piece, when the confidence is cut down we see that he doesn’t take himself so seriously, thus the
humor {ANALYSIS}.
*Note the in text citation is simply the page numbers within parenthesis before the period.
You will repeat this step again and again with each claim you make or example you draw from.
Do not “agree” or “disagree” with what the author is saying in his or her piece. Many times, you
will be assigned a controversial piece of writing to read. Please resist the urge to say, “I didn’t like
that” or “I don’t agree” or “I feel the same way.” The type of writing you will be doing is much
more analytical than simply liking or disliking. If you are unsure how to respond to the writing
beyond, “I am vehemently opposed to Adrienne Rich. She’s a man-hater!” carefully re-read my
instructions and find a more analytical place to pitch your ideas. For example, “Rich’s rhetorical
sensitivity is ineffective because her tone is inappropriate for the optimistic occasion of a graduation
speech. For example…”
Other Guidelines:
12 point TIMES NEW ROMAN font
Single space
Cite each quote with a page number in parenthesis before the period. See above example.
¾-1 page. I wont read beyond one page so make your points soon and be as concise as possible!