Analysis of a text is our opportunity to communicate an aspect of the essay, such as the author’s fairness or accuracy, his or her method of presentation, the quality of the supporting evidence or the intended audience.
Responding Guide
3. Analyze the text
Methods of analysis
Devise critical questions and then answer them
Use annotation. As you read, record your reactions.
Keep a response journal to record questions and reactions to the reading. This can be done by way of outlines, diagrams, drawings, lists, columns,
Section 1: The introductory paragraph is a summary of the article with a response-based thesis (main idea statement) at the end.
Section 2: The body paragraphs will:
Begin with topic sentences that defends your thesis by linking an idea from the text to an idea of your own.
Include personal experience connections
Include textual evidence to support your opinions
Section 3: The conclusion will review your main ideas and thesis.
Sample Response Ideas
Sample Thesis: I think Merline is right to argue that SUVs are a good idea for some people and that they are being overly criticized.
Topic Sentence: I agree with Merline that SUVs’ safety features are a much bigger advantage than the disadvantages of roll-over issues.
Come up with a personal experience that supports this topic sentence
Find a piece of textual evidence
Using Textual Evidence
Textual Evidence: The most compelling evidence Merline offers is that the “fatality rate on the highways has dropped 27.4 percent” since SUVs started becoming popular (546).
Incorporate the mini-quote into your own sentence.
Use quotation marks and a page number.
Why does this make you feel that way: If people are buying more SUVs and dying less often, to my mind that has to be a good thing. I know that when I’m buying a car, my own safety is one of the biggest things I’m concerned about.
Sample 1st paragraph (Summary)
In Why Consumers Have Been Choosing SUVs” by John Merline, the author argues that SUVs are not the polluting and dangerous vehicles the critics claim they are. Even though SUVs are criticized for their weight and structure which cause accidents, they protect people better than cars. SUVs consume a lot of gas, but there are plenty that use fuel more effectively and economically. SUVs are charged with causing global warming; however they are not a major contributing factor. Despite some disadvantages of SUVs, Merline argues that consumers know which are best for them and their needs. I think Merline is right to argue that SUVs are a good idea for some people and that they are being overly criticized.
Summary
Thesis
Sample response paragraph
I agree with Merline that SUVs’ safety features are a much bigger advantage than the disadvantages of roll-over issues. The most compelling evidence Merline offers is that the “fatality rate on the highways has dropped 27.4 percent” since SUVs started becoming popular (546). If people are buying more SUVs and dying less often, to my mind that has to be a good thing. I know that when I’m buying a car, my own safety is one of the biggest things I’m concerned about. Currently, I drive a tiny little Toyota and have been considering trading it in for an SUV so that I’m safer on the road. It’s not just that my car is poor in the winter, but that semis and other large vehicles have a hard time seeing me. If I drove an SUV I’d be easier to see and it’d be easier to see what was going on around me.
