Lecture Essay writing & presentation skills - Lecture 9 (Supp): Critical Essay

Lecture 9

Critical Essay


Recap
•

How to Write a Definition Essay?

•

Steps for Writing an Definition Essay

•

Topic Selection for Definition Essay

•

Key Points to Consider

•

Dos and Don’ts

•

Common Mistakes

•

Example


Critical Essay
A critical essay analyzes the strengths,
weaknesses and methods of someone
else's work.
A critical essay can be written about
another:
–

essay

–

Story

–

Book

–

Poem

–

movie, or

3


How to Write a Critical Essay?
•

•

A critical essay is a piece of academic
writing
Its usually written in the form of a classic
composition, with:
–

an introduction,

–

full body, and

–
•

•

a summarizing conclusion

It provides interpretation and analysis of
a set text.

How to Write a Critical Essay?
•

Although frequently confused with a
review, a critical essay is more similar to a
formal essay.

•

It

should

observations,
referenced.

incorporate
with

all

facts

scholarly
correctly


Steps for Writing a Critical
Essay

Step # 1: A text in the form of a book, film,
piece of music, or play must be
selected by the instructor or student.
The text must be read a number of
times. If the study concerns a film,
play,
or piece of music, it must be
watched
or listened to more than
once.


Steps for Writing a Critical
Essay
Step # 2: Relevant material from which
references can be drawn must be
required.
»

Journals

»

Books

»

articles and

»

online material are suitable
•

as long as the references are scholarly, not


Steps for Writing a Critical
Essay
Step # 3: Notes must be written about the
text

in question form, and an argument

must be constructed.
A stand must be taken by the writer
in favor of a particular view.


Steps for Writing a Critical
Essay
Step # 4: The body, in the form of three or
more paragraphs, must be written
first. Each paragraph must discuss
one
point that supports the
argument.
Step # 5: A conclusion is written next:
»

summing up the points

»

summarizing the argument, and

»

giving a one-sentence closing


Steps for Writing a Critical
Essay
Step # 6: The introduction is written last, to
make sure it presents the argument
clearly. It must contain a strong thesis
statement that also sums up the
argument.


Steps for Writing a Critical
Essay
Step # 7: The finished essay must be read
a
and

number of times, corrected, edited
finally

proofed

for

errors.

Grammar, punctuation and syntax
important because they convey
meaning.

are

accurate


Topic Selection
•

There are plenty of terms that we use
every day. Many of them are clear to
almost everybody, but still there is a vast
body of abstract or scientific terms, that
can become a topic of discussion.


Topic Selection
Some terms that could be chosen as a
topic for your definition essay are listed
below:
•

God

•

Love

•

Hatred

•

Beauty

•

Morale

•

Good and evil

•

Happiness


Key Points to Consider
•

Audience: Thought must be given to
the kinds of readers or
audiences to whom the writing
might be addressed by the
creator
of the set text.


Key Points to Consider
•

•

•

A critical essay must examine the text,
question it, and evaluate it.
The writer must state what kind of text it
is, and whether it achieves the aims of its
creator.
That is, does it entertain, does it educate,
does it instruct, does it inform?


Key Points to Consider
•

A suitable combination of main and
secondary points must be used in the
three or more body paragraphs, which

contain the central thrust of the essay.

•

Ideas, notions and concepts taken from
the initial set of notes must be reworked to


Key Points to Consider
•

Persuasive techniques:
–

must be used in an effective manner to argue
because:
•

These common techniques appeal to emotion

•

to evidence, and facts supported by citation,

•

Also stick to some sort of discipline such as logic.


Key Points to Consider

•

A critical essay does not merely accept the
decisions and opinions of others.

•

It must question everything, analyze, and
propose

apposite

options and attitudes.

alternative

views,


Common Critical Styles
Style # 1: Claim and Evidence style:
The writer must make a number
of claims about the set text, and
findings made on reading it.
These claims are then supported by
evidence found in other texts, which


Common Critical Styles
Style # 2: Effective style:

It is the new information method.
Here, the writer provides fresh
research which has not yet been
used by others to discuss the given
text.


Common Critical Styles
Style # 3: Examination and Exploration:
This style looks into the fine detail of
a text and explores all the possible
motivations, inspirations and reasons
writer or creator might have had
the creative process.

the
during


Dos
•

Do seek more than one fact or piece of
information, supported by a reference, for
each argument made in a critical essay.
–

Use quotes when the exact words of the
author are used.

Dos
•

Do describe the set text accurately, to
demonstrate you have read it in depth.

•

Do make it a point to understand that a
critical essay is not one long stream of
negative criticism.


Dos
•

Do

use

opposing

arguments

and

approach a view from both poles.
•

Do

paraphrase

accurately

and

effectively when interpreting references
from books and journals.


Dos
•

Do invite opposition to your argument,
and state your knowledge of differing
opinions on the given text.