What to do in a Response Paragraph

Students often don't know how to begin in a response paragraph. The temptation is to simply summarize a point in the reading and ask if you have it right. You can do more than this. Here is a guide to the kinds of ways you can add meat to your response paragraph without simply repeating yourself.

Allan Bloom has posited a "taxonomy of educational objectives" that helps us discriminate different ways of analyzing a topic. Underneath each of these ways, I give an explanation of it and an example. Each single example sentence would never stand by itself, but needs to be followed up by an "unpacking" that describes what you mean. Analysis towards the bottom of this list is more impressive than stuff towards the top.

• Knowledge: Recognition of a concept and ability to define it. "Repression is a pushing into the unconscious of a disturbing feeling." This definition suggests knowledge that the concept "repression" can be described in a particular way. Giving more than one definition does not add to knowledge, unless comparisons are made between them. Giving a simple example can be a form of definition too. Simple examples suggest knowledge, and some comprehension, complex ones suggest application.
• Comprehension: Clear evidence that the nuance of knowledge is recognized. The ability to use a concept in a sentence toward some end is also evidence of comprehension. "In order to get repression, some mental energy has to be used to push against other mental energy." Comprehension is more than awareness of a simple definition, it also involves the ability to understand the meaning of a concept and use it appropriately.
• Application: The use of a concept to understand a complex real-world problem. A simple example is not an application. Application requires the use of the concept in a careful and thoughtful manner, in a manner that takes into account the complexity of both the concept and the situation. "Repression may be most at home in explaining conversion disorders, but only slight variations are needed to explain other disorders also."
• Analysis: This involves the ability to understand the internal structure of a concept and to manipulate that structure to show how the concept is put together. "The psychodynamic model speaks of repression, resistance, catharsis, and other mental forces, but they are all different manifestations of a single energy, eros." Just showing the connections or structure is the beginning, but manipulating the structure to show its flexibility or fragility is deeper analysis.
• Synthesis: Taking two or more concepts and showing their similarities, differences, contrasts, contradictions, or combinations. "Thought Skinner and Freud might each turn over in their graves, with only a little work we can see the similarities between the ideas of repression and punishment." Again, showing the contrast is just the beginning; you can also show why it matters, or how it can be resolved, or why it is interesting (see Analysis)
• Evaluation: Is this concept up to the task its designers' set for it? Where does it fall short? What does it leave out? What implications does it have for other concepts or issues? If it is useful for one purpose, might it be useful for other, similar purposes? "Freud wants to explain all human behavior with reference to only internal psychodynamics. But even Freud needs to rely on the social situations in the family to drive these internal dynamics."

Disclaimer