Reaction Paper Format: Main Ingredients That Have to Be Included

1. A brief description of the work that you intend to analyze. In particular, you need to name the author, his or her work, and the main topic that was discussed.
2. Your thesis or overall evaluation of this work.
3. Summary, discussion and assessment of the arguments and examples that the author gives.
4. The importance and wider implications of the book or study.
5. New ideas and concepts that you learned from the work you studied.

Structure is only one aspect of reaction paper format. It is important to remember the writing mechanisms, especially argumentation, grammar or citations. You need to take the following precautions when writing this type of paper:

1. First, you should use a direct quotation only when it best fits your sentence and when it cannot be properly rephrased. Remember that the overuse of quotations is not going to raise your grade.
2. Secondly, you should make sure that your reaction paper does not morph into a mere summary. You have to give however the gist of the work you discuss, but your main task is to assess it.
3. In case you disagree with the writer, try to explain why his or her arguments are not convincing.
4. Avoid the so-called appeals to authority. In other words, you shouldn’t say something like, “The author X is wrong because the author Y who is considered to be expert in this field says that X is wrong.” Such arguments significantly downgrade the quality of a reaction paper because they show that the student relies more on authority, than on facts and logic.
5. Pay attention to in-text citations and references. If you are borrowing an idea from someone else, give credit to this person.
6. Carefully proofread the paper. Punctuation and grammar mistakes might not necessarily destroy your paper, but they can definitely spoil the overall impression.

Reaction Paper Format: What Else You Need to Do

CourseWork Stanford: amazing opportunities

It seems that your instructors are trying to deprive you of all excuses for not doing your homework. With these innovative CourseWork help resources, you are only a few clicks away from accessing your

• syllabus,
• announcements,
• schedule,
• discussion forum;
• online assignments.

So, now you cannot say that the library was closed or you failed to notice an announcement on the board. Certainly, you still can claim that you had no internet connection. However, let’s be realistic: who will believe you?

CourseWork Stanford: finding your way

Another excuse you might want to use is that you did not understand how to use Stanford course materials. However, it sounds as unrealistic as if you said that you had done your homework, but your dog ate it. So forget about this excuse, and just look at these main recommendations that will help you find your way on your course’s website:

1. When you enter the website for the first time, you should go to My Workplace (you will find it in the upper left corner of the window).
2. The next step is to find your course’s website. Enter the full name of your course into the search tool’s box. Make certain that you entered correctly every coma and every period. Otherwise, you will not be able to find the course you are looking for.
3. After you see the list of courses in Stanford, you should click the link “Join” under the name of your course.
4. By the way, there are quite a number of joinable courses that you can find this way. You might want to choose and join a few of them even if you are not going to take them. In this way, you will have access to invaluable information.
5. You can see the full list of sites you have already joined by clicking on My Current Sites button.
6. You can always change your mind and cancel your membership on certain websites if you click the button “unjoin”.
7. Unless the instructor deletes the course’s site after the course is completed, you will be able to look through these materials whenever you might need them in the future.

If you are not accustomed to reading from the screen, you can always print the syllabus and course materials and use them in the process of coursework writing. As you see, now there are no excuses for not doing your homework or not writing perfect courseworks. Moreover, with this innovative system, your life can become much easier. Follow these simple steps and use your computer know-how to get the most benefits out of this learning management system.

English writing: top secrets

If your goal is an A+ paper, you should start by polishing your spelling, grammar, style and punctuation. Certainly, the ideas you convey in your papers are important. Still, you should do everything possible, so that your teachers can easily get what you mean. Do not make your teachers play a guessing game and decipher your broken English, like Morse code. Instead, follow these recommendations, which are specific to English practice of all writers, to increase your chances of success:

• Use spelling, style and grammar checkers. Some of these programs are built in your text editors. Consider the advice given by your software, but do not follow it blindly. There are cases when you know better. (For example, text editors will never correct common misprints, such as their-there, its – it’s, your – you’re).
• Use short sentences (up to 20 words are great). This is not a case when more is better. Divide a long sentence into two or even three shorter ones whenever it is possible. Traditional English grammar does not go well with the use of too long sentences.
• Avoid run-on sentences. A run-on sentence means that the clauses of your sentence are in conflict with one another. The clauses seem to argue which one of them is more important. To prevent this “conflict of interests”, you should put a coma and a conjunction between the clauses.
  For example, the sentence “We went home, it was raining cats and dogs” is a run-on sentence and therefore it is incorrect. According to the rules of English grammar, the corresponding correct sentence is “We went home, because it was raining cats and dogs.” In this case, the linking element “because” saves the situation.
  Here are some more linking elements which you can use to transform run-on sentences into their correct equivalents: after, before, when, whenever, although, as, in order to, since, unless, whether, and, but, for, nor, so…
  If, for certain reasons, you cannot or do not want to include a coma or a conjunction between the clauses, you may also use a semicolon (;): Today I feel bad; I will take a nap in the evening. This sentence is correct too.
• Avoid using contractions and colloquial forms in your academic papers. (For example, you should write “you are” instead of “you’re”, “am not” or “are not” instead of “ain’t” and so on. Do not write words such as “awesome”, “cool” or “okay” in your essays. Be convinced that your English teachers will always like the simple word “good” much more. If you want to express your emotions, you can use synonyms, such as amazing, brilliant, and magnificent.)
• Make certain you do not use offensive words in your papers. Pay special attention to politically correct terms. You should never ever write the word “Negro” in your papers. Use the word “African American” instead. In addition, you should use “Native American” instead of “Indian”, “physical disabilities” instead of “handicaps”, and “visually impaired” instead of “blind.”

English writing tips

As you can see, these recommendations will help you make informed choices and improve your English writing skills. Here are some more tips for you to polish your academic papers:

1. Use active voice whenever it is possible.
2. Do not hide the doer of the action behind the phrases, such as “there is” and “there are.” (For example, you should write “Three ways exist to tackle the problem” instead of writing “There are three ways to tackle the problem”.)
3. Do not confuse your readers, starting the sentences with “It is…”, such as in “It is hypothesized that…” – a reader cannot understand who hypothesizes. However, it is obvious that a hypothesis must have an author, so start your sentence with the author’s name and give the proper reference at the end of the sentence: “John Doe hypothesized that…(Doe, 2005)”
4. Avoid redundant words. You should delete any redundant words, such as “completely”, “extremely”, “absolutely” in 9 out of 10 cases.

So, feel free to use these exclusive tips to polish your papers and improve your English writing skills in general. You are welcome to visit this quick guide whenever you are working on your papers so that you don’t forget any of these secrets and tips.

Proofread Technique Definition: Learn the Idea of the Procedure.

Well, it’s time to unravel the mystery and learn the answer to the question “What is proofreading?”
Here’s one of the best attempts to define proofread procedures, or, as most students Google it, “proofread definition:”

Proofreading means checking the text for any semantic, lexical, grammatical or stylistic inconsistencies.

All in all, people say you have to proofread, meaning that you have to take a critical look at what you have written.

Proofread English Texts to Perfection: Professionals’ Secrets.

Now check the experts’ tips on how to get your essay proofread perfectly in a matter of several hours:

1. Proofread the paper several times;
2. Have breaks between the proofreading stages;
3. First check the content, then the vocabulary and the grammar niceties.

However, these were only general tips. Now get ready for something more specific…

Proofread Texts Step-by-Step: Consider Important Techniques.

Well, it’s time to learn how to proofread, so pay attention:

1. Proofread several times with short breaks;
2. For spell check: read the paper backwards to notice the wrong spelling of the words;
3. For grammar check: start from the last sentence;
4. For vocabulary check: proofread the paper out loud;
5. For content check: make sure the conclusion restates the thesis in the intro;
6. For a general check: read the paper to someone else and listen to the critique.

In the end, you’ll have a perfectly proofread paper – isn’t that fantastic?

Proofread Perfectly, Edit Brilliantly: Check Professionals’ Tips.

What you must now is that there are several things you can proofread, and each requires a specific approach. So it’s time to learn how to be a proofreader and get…

Proofread essay papers

• Make certain that the conclusion matches the thesis;
• Check that the transition between paragraphs is smooth;
• Consider the punctuation, e.g., commas, quotation marks, etc.

Proofread dissertation

• Make certain that the outline matches the paper sections;
• Read each paragraph separately for vocabulary and grammar;
• Read each section to check if they make enough sense.

Proofread speech scripts

• Use proofread symbols;
• Read the speech aloud;
• Get someone to listen to it.

It’s just as simple as that – try, and you’ll see it!

Proofread Till Impeccable Text Appears: Final Pieces of Advice.

Although you must often hear people use words “edit and proofread” as synonyms, you must know there’s a considerable difference between the two:

Revision definition from Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway confessed that he had revised the last part of Farewell to Arms for 39 times before he was finally satisfied with the results. Surely, there were no style or grammar mistakes in that part. Hemingway was trying to get the words right. Therefore, Hemingway’s definition of revision is that revision is the method of getting the words right.

Revision definition for students

If you do not cherish ambitions of becoming an outstanding writer such as Hemingway, revision definitions can be a bit different for you. For students, revision is the process of editing and proofreading papers before submitting them, and this process included the correction of mistakes marked by instructors. The earlier you start your revision process, the better.

Revision definition and steps

An effective revision results in an improvement of style, grammar and format. Here is a step-by-step guide for action:

1. Use style, spell and grammar checkers (follow their recommendations wisely).
2. Print out your paper.
3. Read your paper aloud.
4. Make all the necessary improvements – to style, grammar and format.
5. Read the paper one more time to detect if any mistakes were left.
6. Read the paper backwards.

Revision checklist

Here are some detailed recommendations for you to save your time and avoid common traps:

• Check your paper for common misspellings, such as you’re – your, there – their – they’re, then – than, to – too.
• Consider easily confusable words: die – dye, accept – except, break – brake, waste – waist.
• Look at the logical structure of your paper: 1) Are there three main parts (introduction, main body and conclusion)? 2) Is your thesis statement clear and concise? 3) Are there topic and concluding sentences in each of your body paragraphs?
• Check your quotations and reference list.
• Pay attention to margins, spacing and indention in your paper.

As you can see from these definitions, revision can be an effective solution to all kinds of problems with papers. Surely, even the best revision won’t save a miserable draft. However, a timely and high-quality revision can help you significantly improve your grade.

Writing Life Experience Essay: Main Steps

Many people struggle with the writing of life experience essays because they don’t know what events to choose. Certainly, almost any person had a life changing experience at least once, but it might be difficult to share this experience with someone else. To find the right event for your essay, here are the important preliminary steps that you need to take:

1. First, you should think of any past event that made you reevaluate your views about other people, or your values or moral principles. For example, you can describe an encounter with an interesting person that influenced you. Alternatively, you can discuss a situation when you had to make a moral choice.
2. Secondly, it is necessary to remember how this event took place and how you acted in those circumstances.
3. You should also compare and contrast your views and values before and after this event. This is probably the most important part of the essay.
4. Finally, you need to determine whether this experience can help you in the future.

Life Experience Essay: Recipe for Writing a Great Paper

There are several strategies that will help you when writing an essay about an important event in your life:

1. Start your paper with an attention-getter or a sentence that can make your reader interested. For this purpose, you can use a quote or a paradoxical statement that shows how two conflicting ideas can co-exist.
2. Secondly, your introduction should explain why you would like to choose that specific event or experience.
3. It is also important for you to find and maintain the balance between narrative and self-reflection. On one hand, your paper has to accurately describe an event. As it has been said before, you need to explain what happened and how it happened. On the other hand, your task is also to explain the impact the experience of that event had on you.
4. Finally, the conclusion of your essay has to explain how the experience can be generalized. In other words, you need to show what you learned from the event and how the knowledge you gained can affect your decisions in the future.

This is how you can approach an essay on life experience that profoundly influenced you. Overall, such a paper allows you to demonstrate your creativity and writing skills. So, try to be natural and this mindset will help you write a great life experience essay.

Here’s the fist secret: no matter whether you need an example of a research paper in APA format or an example of a research paper in MLA format, the guidelines are pretty much the same. Here, you’ll find both general tips and specific guidelines for each style! Are you ready to start out on this journey?

An Example of a Research Paper: Develop Unbelievable Abstracts!

Writing good abstracts is very much like essays writing… and the essay topic is your own research.

Example of an abstract for a research paper in linguistics

Multilingualism is one of the most mysterious abilities of a human being, meaning the ability of a single person to speak two or more languages with equal, excellent skill. During the last decade, the cases of multilingualism have increased significantly, which gives reasons for an all-embracing study of the phenomenon.

It is suggested that there is no direct limit on the number of languages that a single person can speak with excellent skill. This is because the process of learning a language is a continuous and lifelong one. According to the results of this research, it can be suggested that the number of languages a person can master depends only on the given person’s lifespan.

An Example of a Research Paper: Learn Different Outline Formats!

When creating your research paper, keep in mind that there’s a small difference between MLA and APA formats – so make sure that you follow the right outline!

An Example of a Research Paper: Create Fascinating Introductions

Example of a research paper introduction: football

Issue

Football has gained quite much importance in the world over the past few years.

Thesis Statement

Despite the seeming nobility of football, there is a lot of controversy about it as well.

Goal

Busting the myths of a “noble” sport, one can prove that football, with its competitiveness, is nothing more than an entertainment for the audience.

Methods

In the given paper, qualitative and quantitative analysis methods are going to be used.

Hypothesis

It is suggested that the popularity of football is being boosted so that youth are encouraged to take up a healthy lifestyle.

An Example of a Research Paper: Producing Brilliant Conclusions!

Example of a conclusion for a research paper in agriculture:

• List again the results of the research;

According to the results above, it is extremely profitable to use corn to create ethanol and, thus, solve the fuel problem.

• Restate the thesis statement;

With the help of corn ethanol, more fuel will be easily available, which will reduce the prices for petrol.

• Mention the prospects for further research

Therefore, enhancing the production of corn ethanol, one can possibly solve the greatest problem of the century. However, it is rather questionable whether corn crop production can be extended as much as needed, which means that further research should investigate this issue.

An Example of a Research Paper: An Ultimate Proposal Development

If what you need is a good example of a college research paper proposal, check this one – you’ll see all the elements that are required for superb writing:

Example of a proposal for a research paper on polymers

The subject of the given paper is polymers and their use in modern industry. With the help of efficient use of polymers, a considerable amount of natural resources can be preserved (thesis statement). The methods used for this research are both qualitative and quantitative. The intended audience consists of companies providing the goods, as well as the source materials that can be substituted with polymers. The sources used for the paper are annual reports and statistics on natural resources, as well as statistics on the polymer goods production. (The hypothesis) With the help of this research, a considerable amount of natural resources can be saved from wasting.

College essay prompts: different perspectives

Even though you cannot read the thoughts of others, when writing a college essay, you might at least try to do it. Here are some prompts to make you think of this:

• Today’s youth from the point of view of an elderly person.
• A baby who sees the seashore for the first time.
• A young teacher, entering the classroom for the first time.
• Newton: the first hours after explaining the law of gravity for the first time.
• A conflict situation in a supermarket from the point of view of a customer, a shop assistant and people in the queue.

College essay prompts: memorable experiences

Prompts to help you tell about your memorable experiences, so that teachers can get to know you as a person (be sincere, but try to convey the best image possible):

• Your earliest childhood memory.
• Would a five-year-old you be proud of your current achievements?
• A situation in which you took risks and its influence on your life.
• The easiest (most difficult) exam in your life.
• A negative experience and its impact on you.

College essay prompts: philosophical dilemmas

• Is “done quickly” better than “done perfect”?
• What is the main value in life?
• How can science tell people anything if scientists’ opinions are biased?
• Do people have souls? If yes, where is it located in the body?
• Are appearances always deceptive?

College essay prompts: common application

If you are not at college yet and want to write a common application essay (one essay to be sent to commissions of different colleges), you may choose between these six options:

• Evaluate an important experience, challenge or dilemma which influenced your personal development.
• Discuss a big problem on a personal, national or global level and its significance to you.
• Tell about a person, who strongly influenced your personal development.
• Write about a historical figure, a fictional character, a book or an artwork that influenced you; discuss that influence.
• Discuss a situation that illustrates the importance of diversity to you.
• Your choice.

College essay prompts: quotations

If you choose the sixth topic (your choice) for a common application essay or you are already at college and want to choose a good topic for a different essay, a famous quotation can become the perfect college essay prompt for you:

• Isaac Newton said: “Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.” Is it possible to balance sincerity and politeness?
• Marylin Monroe: “A career is wonderful, but you can’t curl up with it on a cold night.” Discuss the importance of balancing different spheres of life.
• Scarlett O’Hara, the main female character from the book Gone with the Wind: “I can’t think about that right now. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about that tomorrow.” The main advantages and dangers of procrastination.
• Winston Churchill: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Are personal attitudes that important?
• Rudyard Kipling: “Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade.” Can lazy people be successful?

So, these prompts for college essays will miraculously cure you of writer’s block. Feel free to use any of these college essay topics to get started or if you have not already been assigned a specific question.

Reflective essay: main goals

A reflective essay is a paper that requires a critical response to a course, artwork, event or experience. The word ‘reflection’ means the image that you see in a mirror. . In college, a reflection essay is the result of your thinking process after you look deeply into books, or at artworks. When writing a reflective essay, try to mirror the main details and discuss what you think about that image. Yes, mirrors can be false. Still, you should try to be as objective as possible. Your main goals are:

• to briefly summarize the main points of a book (course, movie);
• to critically and objectively evaluate the quality of the work;
• to discuss the impact of the work on you.

Reflective essay: main components

Reflective essays will help you look back at what you have learnt and recognize your personal progress. This will not only raise your self-esteem, but also improve your understanding of study materials. Here are the main components you should include in a reflection essay:

1. A well-focused main idea. Develop it throughout your essay and echo it in a thesis statement, as well as in opening and concluding sentences of the body’s paragraphs and in the final conclusion. For example, if you write a reflection essay on the movie Black Swan, evaluate the author’s depiction of the girl’s psychological problems.
2. Logically arranged arguments and well-structured paragraphs.
3. The discussion of counter-arguments to your main points.
4. Relevant quotations and paraphrases.
5. A thought-provoking conclusion, discussing the practical implications of the main points presented.

Reflective essay writing tips

When writing a reflective essay, you can improve your results by using these tips:

• Define the specifics of the book (course or artwork). No general information, please. Writing that the movie was unforgettable and the director has done a great job is not enough. Use specific details to support your position. E.g.: The acting and dancing talents of Natalie Portman intensified the impression produced by the psychological thriller Black Swan on the audience.
• Say if your opinion has changed during the course of your reflection. What factors influenced it?
• Can you use the author’s messages (or skills you learnt, if any) in practice?
• Offer some suggestions for improvement of the work, if this is possible.

These strategies will help you make your essays reflective in the true meaning of the term, and you will receive excellent grades for them.

How to write a persuasive speech? Know your goals

What is a persuasive speech? A persuasive speech is a public performance aimed at convincing the audience to share your views. Politicians deliver persuasive speeches to gain votes. Sales managers deliver persuasive speeches, desperately trying to convince people to buy their products. Students also deliver speeches, to train their skills. The main goals of your persuasive speech can be:

• To persuade the audience that X is (not) right (e.g., second hand smoking is dangerous.)
• To persuade the audience that X should be done (e.g., smoking at work should be banned.)
• A call for action (e.g., say “no” to all forms of smoking.)

How to write a persuasive speech? Choose a topic

The choice of good persuasive speech topics is the cornerstone of all successful performances. These are the main criteria that you should use to make your choice:

1. Choose a controversial topic. If everyone starts nodding at your words from the very beginning, there is no point in persuading them – they already agree.
2. Make your life easier and take a position in which you strongly believe.
3. Speak about issues of certain practical value.

How to write a persuasive speech? Conduct research

When writing a persuasive speech, you should become an expert in the chosen field. These are the most important steps to take:

• Conduct a literature review to know what scholars think.
• Select the weightiest arguments.
• Consider conflicting positions, mention and counteract arguments against your position./li>
• Know your audience and choose suitable words and information for them.

How to write a persuasive speech? Solve 5 problems

After these preliminary preparations, you may start writing a persuasive speech and face several challenges. Here is how to address them, from the beginning to the end of your speech:

1. Include an attention hook at the beginning of your persuasive speech – anecdotes, statistics, dialogues, relevant quotations – whatever works to make them truly listen to you.
2. Explain why this topic is extremely important to your listeners.
3. Make realistic promises at the beginning of your speech.
4. Keep the promises you made.
5. Briefly summarize what you said and offer a mnemonic for the main points.

So, these simple truths are enough to answer your question ‘how to write a winning persuasive speech’. Follow these principles and your excellent grades are in the bag.