First and foremost, remember that this is a critical response paper, not a personal response paper.
You must maintain an academic perspective throughout your paper. You are presenting an argument and supporting it with evidence from the text or other sources.  Therefore, avoid the following types of statements: "It seems to me," "I think," "I believe," and "It is obvious that." In fact, try to avoid using the first person altogether.

It must contain a strong thesis statement in a strong introductory paragraph.
Be sure your first paragraph provides an overview of the contents of your essay. It's almost like an outline for your reader that is written in complete sentences. Sometimes it's helpful to go back and refocus your first paragraph after you've finished your essay.

• Your thesis sentence should present a point that you will prove.  Do not make announcements ("This paper will compare Coleridge and Wordsworth in terms of their portrayal of nature").
• You also need to make sure you introduce both the author and work to be analyzed as early as possible.
• Be sure to use quotation marks for titles of shorter works, such as poems and short stories, and italics for titles of longer works, such as plays, epic poems and novels.
• Avoid using references to the dictionary (Webster's defines love as . . . ").

The body of the essay should be filled with information related to your thesis.
Each paragraph has a topic sentence and a concluding sentence.  You should use evidence within your paragraphs which further explains what your topic sentence introduced.  Don't forget to clearly express your own opinions. Avoid repeating yourself.

• Avoid plot summary.  Use quotes from only those sections of the text immediately relevant to your discussion.

Evidence is needed in your paper.
Be sure to support all your points with examples from the text, with proper citations.

•  Please note: For the critical response paper, you are expected to develop your own argument without incorporation of any secondary source discussion.
• However, if you are absolutely unable to develop an argument on your own and feel the need to bring in other sources, they absolutely must be clearly acknowledged.
• Keep in mind, though, that your grade will be reduced if you bring in other sources.
  

Using proper MLA format, including parenthetical citations with proper punctuation and a Works Cited page.

• Be very careful when making references to the class textbook.  For example, Christopher Marlowe is the author of Faustus.  Stephen Greenblatt is the general editor of the text in which Faustus appears.
• Sample Entry:
• Marlowe, Christopher.  The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus.  The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Major Authors, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 10th ed., vol. 1, W.W. Norton, 2019, pp. 514-49.
• (Note: Obviously, the various bullet points would not be included in the Works Cited page.)
• Do not number the entries in a Works Cited, either.
• Also be careful when quoting verse--Use slashes to show line breaks and cite by line (or act.scene.line for plays).
• Remember, also, to indent long quotes (four or more lines of verse or over four lines of prose).
  
• Introduce and explain all quotes.  This means you should avoid beginning or ending a paragraph with a quote and you should never place quotes back to back without discussion in between them.
• Avoid plagiarism.  See Policy 
• Do not use a cover page.
  

• Do not use "how."
• Seriously, avoid using this word. In most cases "that" is a more appropriate word to use.
• Do not use constructions that might lead to the use of "how."
• For example, instead of saying, "Shakespeare talks about how ..." say "Shakespeare says that ..."
  
• Don't use "in which" when you mean "that."
• Don't use "that" when you mean "who" (i.e. when referring to people).

A strong conclusion leaves your reader fulfilled and your paper complete.
Briefly sum up your thesis. Perhaps your final thesis has a little more content than the thesis in your introductory paragraph
because the reader now knows where you are coming from.
Don't be afraid to make your final paragraph really count in some way. Again, it gives the reader something to remember you by.

• Please avoid making comparisons to present day society! Such comparisons almost never have a basis in actual textual analysis.