What is a Personal Response?

Definition
A personal response is a paragraph or essay in which you describe and analyze your own
thoughts and feelings about a reading. It can be done for any type of text. It teaches you to
think about what you are reading and then ask yourself why you feel that way. It is where you
can express your own personal insight to what you have read.

Steps
Read and Annotate
1. Read through the assigned material. Think about how it makes you feel as you read it,
and take up to ten minutes after you finish reading to think about what you just read.
(The time will vary depending on the length of the material.)
2. Read through the material again. This time, make comments in the margins. Write down
questions, impressions and feelings that you have. Make note of ideas you agree or
disagree with, as well as statements that seem to contradict each other or that do not
make sense. Underline words, phrases and paragraphs that interest you and comment
on why you find them interesting. Note ideas and words that come up repeatedly.
3. Go back through the material a third time and make more comments. Try to expand on
your previous comments and answer your previous questions. By this point, you should
have a strong understanding of the material and your ideas about it. If not, continue
reading and annotating until you do.
Writing
1. List the bibliographical data (name of the text, the author and any other information such
as dates that you feel are necessary).
2. Organize your notes. First, what grabs your attention. It is suggested that you do not
consider more than two or three parts of the text that grab your attention. These can
include general concepts such as theme or plot or specific information such as ideas,
sentences, lines or choice of vocabulary. (Cause)
3. Next, note what these points made you think about, consider or feel. Remember that this
is not an analysis. You are not talking about what you feel the writer is trying to make the
reader consider. Rather, this is a personal impact. (Effect)
4. Begin writing
5. The topic sentence should include the bibliographical data as well as a reason for
writing.
6. The main body will include your thoughts and feelings of the text while making reference
to the triggers (causes).
7. The closure is a summation to the thoughts. Note that this is not a summary or a
conclusion.
Created by Vicki Schoch

Created by Vicki Schoch