How to Write a Reaction Paper
Are you looking for a way to impress your professor? Well, look no further. Here’s the Ultimate guide to kill your ‘Reaction Paper’ term paper
A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing A Reaction Paper That Will Impress Your Professor.
If you are looking for some expert advice on how to write a reaction paper, then you have come to the right place! A reaction paper is a text that demonstrates that you have fully understood and can summarize the main idea, arguments, or methodology of another source.
When students are assigned a reaction paper, they fight against having to write it. Most of the time, though, the same students ask for help from their peers before the due date because they do not know how to do it themselves and get stuck after some time.
When writing a commentary or a response to another author’s work, people use reaction papers. The reaction is supposed to be critical, showing how the other author could have improved their writing. This writing process can be challenging if you do not know how to write one. However, it is worth doing if this topic interests you. Writing an excellent reaction paper can involve analyzing the content, citing examples from the piece itself, discussing the implications of what was written, and drawing conclusions based on your analysis of the material.
This blog will be about a step-by-step process for writing a reaction paper. There will be information on choosing the proper format, research materials, and writing an introduction. Let us start with a process for writing a reaction paper flawlessly.
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1. To start organizing your reaction paper, take a look at your prompt.
If the reaction paper is inspired by a book, instructors may urge you to explore how the author displays significant themes or ideas in their work. Since reaction papers are your thoughts and opinions about what you are reading or watching, they must be written in first-person voice rather than third-person (like traditional academic essays). This paper can make for an exciting challenge when it comes time for you to write your student essay. Instead of simply summarizing what others have said about a particular topic (or taking one side or another), your reaction paper allows you to have an active stake in the outcome of the discussion.
Use an active reading technique when going through the text for the first time. You should take notes while actively engaging with the material. Ask questions as you read:
- Who are they? (i.e., what are their credentials?)
- What is their point? (i.e., what’s their main argument?)
- Why do they think so? (i.e., what evidence do they provide?)
- How does it work? (i.e., how did they draw these conclusions?)
- Does it make sense to me? (i.e., how do I feel about it/how persuasive am I finding it?)
The best way to organize your notes is to use the summary and analysis method. Read through the text a second time from beginning to end, but this time make notes on the main points of each paragraph. Once you have finished, go back through everything you noted and write a summary of each point in your own words. Now look over your summaries and make sure they are organized in an order that logically flows from one point to another. Your reaction paper should begin with an introduction that gives a brief overview of the text followed by an analysis of its main points, which are then summarized in descending order of importance until the conclusion, which is your final opinion on the text’s strengths and weaknesses.
2. Take a break to think about your impressions before you start outlining your reaction paper.
A good reaction paper is not just a summary of what you think about a particular topic—it also demonstrates your ability to think critically.
Let your thoughts settle for a few days before starting the outline, so that you can come back to it with fresh eyes. This can result in clearer ideas and more coherent writing later on.
Once you have started on the paper, remember that it is okay if things change along the way: You can always add or remove topics from your outline as needed once you start writing.
3. State in your own words the main points of each paragraph.
The next step is to summarize the main points of each paragraph. To do this, you should write in your own words what the key finding or argument is that the author is making in each paragraph. This means that you need to read each body paragraph of the work and then restate in your own words what it says. To summarize effectively, you must be careful not to misrepresent any of the author’s points. Don’t worry too much if anything seems unclear when you are reading—you can still keep note of confusing paragraphs for later on when you are reviewing and revising your paper before handing it in. But remember that a full understanding of the article is not necessary as soon as you begin writing—the important thing is to show your understanding by restating its major points in simplified form.
Here’s an example:
Original: “More than 80% of shoppers at Wal-Mart stores across Canada have reported being dissatisfied with their experience there” (Hessau).
Summary: “Many customers who shop at Wal-Mart find their shopping experience unsatisfactory.”
4. Write an opening sentence for your paper
- Avoid a thesis statement
- Give your reaction to the material you are reacting to
- Keep it short and to the point–no more than one or two sentences
- Make sure that it has some connection to the content of the work
- Try using an anecdote or a quotation
- You could even use a question or a provocative statement
Reaction Paper Outline
In your reaction paper outline, the following can be helpful:
1
Introduction
The introduction should be concise, with a general summary of the subject matter you are writing about. Include your outline in the introduction and use it to guide your structure. The introduction of a reaction paper should provide background information on the text and also engage the reader. The introduction can include one or more of the following:
- Briefly summarize the text
The summary should be brief, covering only what you need to make your point. If you are writing a reaction to an article or essay, it might be appropriate to quote from the text (using quotation marks of course) and analyze that quote.
- Provide background information about the work
Who is the author? What else has he or she written? Have there been recent events that relate to this work? For instance, if you are writing about Emily Bront’s Wuthering Heights, you could explain that it was first published in 1847 under a male pseudonym because women writers were not respected at the time.
- Engage readers in your reaction so that they are interested in reading more
You do not have to use shocking statements like “Stephen King is a hack and should never publish another book again!” You could simply say something like “I loved Stephen King’s novel Carrie until I read his latest book where he uses stock characters and instead of being scary it just made me laugh out loud!”
Your thesis statement should come at the end of your introduction paragraph. It is a concise, one- to two-sentence summary of what your reaction paper will be about and what you are going to say in it.
- It should cover all the points you would like to make.
- It should be specific and have an arguable opinion.
- It should be concise and clear. You do not want to confuse your readers or cause them to lose their interest before getting to your main point.
- Finally, it should be interesting!
2
Body paragraphs
Writing a good reaction paper is not difficult if you understand the purpose of this type of paper. If you are struggling with your paper because you do not know how to write it, remember that essay brother is here for you. It is also better to search for reaction paper examples online and learn how to write each paragraph properly.
The body should expand on your topic sentences and evidence, explaining how each one is relevant to the thesis statement. The body should be longer than either of the other sections. In the body paragraph of your reaction paper, you will give several reasons for your opinion. To do this, you will want to use clear and concise language. For each opinion you state, you should back it up with an example from the book or movie. These examples are vital to proving your point, so make sure they are relevant and specific. If an example is not persuasive enough, then no matter how well-written it is, it is not going to be strong enough for your reaction paper!
Usually, there should be three body paragraphs in your essay. Each of them should include one main idea or argument and provide evidence supporting it. The structure of your body depends on the type of assignment: Reaction essays can be written as a response to a book, movie, article, or even a painting. In such academic papers, the writer has to respond to any piece of art they have read or seen.* Reaction research papers are assigned to scientific articles or books which require critical analysis from students.* Reaction term papers are usually assigned at the end of the semester when professors ask their students to analyze everything they have learned throughout the year and discuss their opinions about some topics.
3
The conclusion
As a major part of your paper, the conclusion gives you one last chance to show readers why you felt the way you did about this piece. Your concluding sentence should summarize the main points of the paper. Your concluding paragraph should make a broader statement about the topic and explain why this topic is important or significant. Your concluding paragraph should not introduce new information. Your concluding paragraph should not restate your thesis word for word or simply restate your main ideas from the paper, although you can refer to the main idea if necessary. For example: “Einstein’s ideas have had a profound impact on my life.”
There are multiple ways to go about ending your paper:
- A call to action—this is when the writer encourages readers to take a course of action based on their reaction.
- A question—this is where you give readers something to think about.
- A summary—in this type of conclusion, you sum up what is being said so far and leave it at that.
- A quote—end by quoting from the original piece or someone else’s analysis of it. This is a good way to end if your reaction was less-than-positive and you don’t want your thoughts to be misinterpreted as harsh criticism. This can also help tie in sources that did not fit into the body paragraphs but still support your thesis statement.
- A warning—if there is an aspect of the work that could negatively affect certain audiences (such as extreme violence or graphic material), using this kind of conclusion can be a great way to add some sensitivity and concern for others without taking away from what makes your reaction unique.
- A recommendation—use this if there is a particular audience that would benefit most from experiencing the original piece (for example, “I think those who have an interest in fashion would like this book”).
- A story—tell a short anecdote concerning what happened in the original piece (such as when part of what made it memorable for you happened). Be careful with these though; if they get too long or too personal, they can distract readers away from what matters: how you react!
- Restate your thesis statement.
In conclusion, you should restate your thesis statement. The conclusion is the last paragraph of your paper, but not an afterthought. It is the final opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the reader.
The restatement, however, must not be a duplicate of the thesis itself. The conclusion of a reaction paper should wrap up all the discussion points you have been tackling throughout your essay and show how these points support your thesis and give further insight into your chosen subject as a whole. Your conclusion can also include implications for further research and study about your topic. Be sure to avoid repetition and keep it short—two or three sentences should do it!
Tips on how Becoming a Pro Reaction Paper Writer
- Once you have the body of your essay written out, make sure you add a title page and then write the outline of your essay. You can easily make writing a reaction paper easy by following the outline you made earlier and placing everything in a logical order. The outline will be your guide as to where you should place all of the information that is relevant to your topic.
- You may even want to include any questions that were asked during class before or after reading one of these articles so that you can refer back to them later on when you are writing out your reaction paper. If any questions were not answered during class, it is always a good idea to go back through those questions later on so that you know what kinds of things went into making up for other students’ answers! If any topics need more explanation than what is provided in this article about how to write a reaction paper, feel free to go back and review those sections again so that they are clear in your mind before moving forward with creating this new type of document!
- No matter how good a student you are, writing a reaction paper should not be that difficult. You just have to follow a few steps and prepare thoroughly and you will be able to complete it brilliantly. The basic painting rules of the reaction paper are to support your point with references and inductive format. This means that when you are writing your reaction paper, you have to make sure that everything you write is supported by facts in the text of your essay. The whole purpose of your reaction paper is to prove why you liked or disliked a particular piece. Your reaction papers should be engaging because this is what makes them interesting for the essay reader. Engaging topics also make writing a lot easier for the student.
When you decide to write a reaction paper, think about what the professor is looking for and make an outline of your paper before writing it. Your professor wants you to react, so don’t just talk about what the book says, show how it affects your thinking or opinion on the topic at hand. Take notes while you read and focus on different sides of the argument that pertain to the professor’s discussion topics. If necessary, you can organize them under the headings “for” and “against”.
In conclusion of reaction paper guide
In conclusion, reaction papers are typically short essays that respond to a text that was read, viewed, or heard. In essence, they are expected to provide commentary on the work that is being studied in class and to offer some insight into why it is relevant. Hopefully, this article has shed some light on what goes into writing a reaction paper, but if you have not already taken a class in a particular subject area and written this essay before, then we highly recommend doing some additional research on how to correctly write one.
Remember, a reaction paper is meant to show your understanding of the subject matter. You do not have to agree with it, you do not even have to like it. This paper is meant to show how you think about the world beyond the subject you are writing about (in this case, literature). Your instructor wants to know what kind of person you are, not just what books and ideas got stuck in your head while reading a novel or studying an author’s work and period.
Writing a reaction paper can be challenging even for the most experienced students. There are many resources online designed to help you craft your paper, and if you follow the process outlined above, you should be successful. How much time it will take can vary widely, depending on factors such as how quickly you learn the material and how adept you are at writing papers like this. However, it should take long – generally no more than a few hours or a few days, depending on your work style and availability of sources. If your instructor is unhelpful or has limited availability during office hours, that may make it take longer.
In any case, if you have trouble with this type of paper or are not sure what to do next after reading through these steps, please contact EssayBrother to buy college paper and reaction paper. We will be happy to help!
Article was written by Arthur I
Hi! My name is Arthur. I have been working as a writer, English language instructor and an interpreter for more than 8 years. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics majoring in Translation and a master’s degree in English & American Studies majoring in Theoretical Linguistics and TESOL. I have been writing and editing project reports, theses, term papers and academic reviews for students of various academic levels: from college to master’s students. If you need the best grade and an in-depth quality academic paper, feel free to contact me and discuss your order, we will definitely achieve all of your academic goals! I also invite you to familiarize yourself with some of my writing samples. I am available by the indicated contact data, so feel free to message me for more details or general enquiries.
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