Basic Instructions On How To Start A Text Response Essay
Have you been asked to write a text response essay? Maybe you’re wondering what a text response essay even is! Well, basically it is a response towards a specific text. For instance, perhaps you have just finished reading Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and you need to write a text response essay on it. Whatever the text in question is, the same rules apply for when it comes to writing this type of paper.
Don’t know where to begin? Here’s how to start a text response essay:
- Spend time thinking and making notes.
- Research critics’ opinions.
- Narrow down your topic.
- Create an outline.
- Write the introduction last thing.
Like any paper, you need to be organized and plan each part of it as you go. So first off, you should make lots of notes about the text you’re responding to. Look at different areas of the text and decide what the themes, motives and purposes were. Question characters’ words and actions. The more that you have a good understanding of the text, and the more notes you write, the easier it will be to write a good paper.
Research what other people have had to say about the text. Look through an array of critics’ opinions in books and online, and see which opinions tie up with your own.
The next step is to decide on your specific topic. If you are writing about Romeo and Juliet, you may wish to discuss what role certain characters play, for instance. Work out what you are going to focus on in your paper and look into your chosen area in depth.
Once you have a clear idea of what your paper is exactly about and you have found plenty of research to back up your own opinions, you should create an outline for your paper. Figure out what information belongs together and what you want to include. Decide on how many chapters you will require and what the purpose of each one is. The more you construct a plan of what’s going where, the easier it will be to start the actual writing part.
You may be tempted to start your paper with the introduction. Well, the introduction certainly belongs at the beginning, but it is actually best written last. This way, you will have already written your paper, so you will know exactly what the key points are that you need to include in your introduction.