The oxidation of methane was carried out in six different configurations of plasma reactors in order to study the radical reactions inside and outside of the plasma zone and to explore the method to control them. Various radicals and reactive molecules, such as CH, $CH_{2}$, $CH_{3}$, H, and O(from $O_{2}$) were generated in the plasma. A variety of products were produced through many competing reaction pathways. Among them. partial oxidation products were usually not favored, because the intermediates leading to the partial oxidation products could be oxidized further to carbon dioxides easily. It is important to control the free radical reactions in the plasma reactor by controlling the experimental conditions so that the reactions leading to the desired products are the major pathways