diff --git a/question/type/essay/questiontype.php b/question/type/essay/questiontype.php
index 102b26f1bc2..0bfc86ae5a5 100644
--- a/question/type/essay/questiontype.php
+++ b/question/type/essay/questiontype.php
@@ -127,6 +127,16 @@ class question_essay_qtype extends default_questiontype {
         return true;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param string response is a response.
+     * @return formatted response
+     */
+    function format_response($response, $format) {
+        $safeformatoptions = new stdClass();
+        $safeformatoptions->para = false;
+        return s(html_to_text(format_text($response, FORMAT_MOODLE, $safeformatoptions), 0, false));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Runs all the code required to set up and save an essay question for testing purposes.
      * Alternate DB table prefix may be used to facilitate data deletion.
diff --git a/question/type/questiontype.php b/question/type/questiontype.php
index 11843cdbf4d..e5dacab5ab7 100644
--- a/question/type/questiontype.php
+++ b/question/type/questiontype.php
@@ -1348,13 +1348,15 @@ class default_questiontype {
         }
         return $toreturn;
     }
+
     /**
      * @param string response is a response.
      * @return formatted response
      */
-    function format_response($response, $format){
-        return s($response);
+    function format_response($response, $format) {
+        return s(html_to_text($this->format_text($response, $format), 0, false));
     }
+
     /**
     * Renders the question for printing and returns the LaTeX source produced
     *
diff --git a/question/type/shortanswer/questiontype.php b/question/type/shortanswer/questiontype.php
index 191d090fa3e..bd84dc1454b 100644
--- a/question/type/shortanswer/questiontype.php
+++ b/question/type/shortanswer/questiontype.php
@@ -223,6 +223,14 @@ class question_shortanswer_qtype extends default_questiontype {
         return preg_match($regexp, trim($string));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param string response is a response.
+     * @return formatted response
+     */
+    function format_response($response, $format){
+        return s($response);
+    }
+
     /*
      * Override the parent class method, to remove escaping from asterisks.
      */