Your response papers should be submitted as a MS Word document between 400 and 500 words long. Format the essay in 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced with one-inch margins, and no extra space between paragraphs. A good title won’t hurt. Errors in grammar, mechanics, and style signal a lack of commitment on the part of the writer and a lack of attention to revision and editing. Start early and revise carefully.  The subject of a response paper will be the text for that week. A good response paper should make one significant claim about the subject, and should develop a single argument in a clear line of reasoning in lucid, concise prose. Do not compose a long introduction. Get quickly to the point. Avoid sweeping generalizations and claims not clearly substantiated by the rest of the essay. Avoid narration, simple description, and synopsis. Assume a reader who is as familiar as you with the work under consideration. Use quotations sparingly if at all, and only when you intend to write about the use of language in the work in question. Use MLA format for citations. Simple in-text citations are sufficient for the common experience material.