Choose something to read that you believe will get a strong response from you, whether positive or negative. Make notes about your feelings toward the subject as you read, what you agree or disagree with, and whether or not you can identify with the writing.
Open your responsive essay by giving the title of the piece, the author, and the publication the piece appeared in. Follow this with a summary of the topic of the article.
Write a thesis statement that firmly sets your position regarding the topic up front. State whether you agree or disagree with the author's views, whether or not you can identify, and how you intend to evaluate the article.
Structure the body of your responsive essay by giving a detail from the article or essay you're responding to, followed by your response to the detail. Include quoted material from the original article or essay, in either MLA or APA format, depending upon your instructions (see Resources).
Use examples, when possible, to support your oppositional viewpoints. Your opinions in a responsive essay are welcome, but support your opinions to give them validity.