Reader Responses Checklist
It is important to read and understand the assigned essays in the textbook. To provide
additional motivation for reading, you will be assigned five reader response papers
worth 5 points each. The response papers will assist in the practice of answering
questions in complete sentences, using direct quotations to support your answers, and
providing signal phrases leading into direct quotes, as well as writing in third person.
The checklist is as follows:
1) You must provide a title for all response papers by including the name of the
author and the title of the essay. For example:
Reader Response #1: Russell Mobley’s “Justice or Murder”
2) Begin your response by introducing the author (first and last name) and the
title of his/her work. For subsequent references to the author, use his/her last
name only.
3) Use third person (do not use first person or second person).
4) Answer the questions(s) directly and in complete sentences.
5) You will provide at least three direct quotations from the text to support your
answers and use signal phrases leading into the direct quotes. You must
include the page number(s) from your direct quotes (be sure to use the
correct edition of the Norton Field Guide to Writing). Do not use long
direct quotations.
6) Do not use contractions.
Response length: 1.5 to 2 pages (assignments that do not adhere to minimum page length
requirement will not be graded).