ENGLISH LANGUAGE 7: WRITING A RESPONSE TO AN ARTICLE
RESPONSE ESSAYS
Structure
Introduction: -The 1st sentence should include the title of the article and the author’s name
- Short description of the text
- It has to end with a thesis statement
Body: - Summary (two paragraphs, each one regarding to a particular aspect).
- Write your opinion and analysis about these aspects. Present agreement or
disagreement and explain it)
Conclusion: basic overview of the points (avoid building up new ideas)
Useful phrases
Introduction:
- In (Title) journalist (name of the author) explains…
Body:
- What stood me out the most is… (llamar la atención) / What I like best about…the author’s
point)
- The issue in this debate, I believe, is not…but…
- (The author) effectively uses her own experiences to let the reader notice about…
- When (the author) shifts to discussing the issue of…
- My own experience with…is…
- To express disagreement:
· (The author) does recommend …, but the conclusion to her essay weakens/strengthens
her argument.
· It is my contention that the article would be more effective, if the author…
Conclusion:
- On balance, I tend to believe that…
- All in all it seems to me that…
Grammar checklist
Participle phrases and gerunds up front:
- "Reducing … would create significant difficulties for ..."
- "Having been …, I know how psychologically damaging this can be."
- "Having been …, many people subsequently ..."
Conditionals with inversions instead of "If…"
