Step 3: Respond to the Strengths and Weaknesses of Source

1. OVERVIEW: Summary, Analysis, and Response Assignment
2. PURPOSE: Summary, Analysis, and Response Assignment
• Step 1: Summarize the Source [Purpose, Audience, and Context]
• Step 2: Analyze the Source
• Step 3: Respond to the Source

How to Write a Summary / Analysis / Response
ENGL101 DB1

Step 3: Respond to the Strengths and Weaknesses of Source

A source can be an advertisement, article, video, speech, cartoon, etc.  Follow the guidelines below to help you summarize your source.

Response

Response answers:

What do you think?

          [Has it changed your mind on the topic?]

Does this article persuade you?

          [If it does…what made it persuasive?

If it does not…what could have been done to make it persuasive?]

How to Write

Generally, your response will be the end of your essay.  [In higher-level writing, some instructors will encourage you to] include your response throughout the paper as you select what to summarize and analyze. [However, for our ENGL101 class, it will be the last section (paragraph) of your post where you give your overall reflection on how well crafted the argument was in the video:

• did it use logical appeals to persuade the audience;
• did it use clear evidence to lead the audience to the speaker’s claim;
• did it convince you that the speaker’s claim was the most logical?]

Your response will also be evident to the reader by the tone that you use and the words you select to talk about the article and writer. However, [a] response in the conclusion [is] more direct and specific. It will use the information you have already provided in your summary and analysis to explain how you feel about this article. Most of the time, your response will fall into one of the following categories:

• You will agree with the author and back your agreement up with logic or personal experience.
• You will disagree with the author because of your experience or knowledge (although you may have sympathy with the author's position).
• You will agree with part of the author's points and disagree with others.
• You will agree or disagree with the author but feel that there is a more important or different point which needs to be discussed in addition to what is in the article.

How will this article fit into your own paper or your own analysis of the source? How will you be able to use it?

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[To see Virginia Kearney’s full article about writing a response paper—without my notes and guidance for our specific assignment—you can follow THIS LINK.  ]

Content in blue boxes are the words of J. Dick.

Elaboration/corrective content by J. Dick, within Kearney’s writing, can be found in [brackets]. 

These brackets are not Kearney’s ideas. 

The bracketed content is infused by J. Dick for the edification of ENGL101 students.

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