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How to craft an effective critique essay – a step-by-step guide to capturing readers’ attention, providing insightful analysis, and offering constructive feedback.
Evaluating someone else’s writing can be a challenging task, but with the right tools and approach, you can become a skillful critic in no time. Whether you’re analyzing a piece of literature, an article, or a research paper, a critique essay allows you to delve into the elements that make up a strong written work.
By honing your critical thinking skills, you’ll be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a piece and provide insightful feedback. Through this process, you’ll not only improve your own writing abilities but also enhance your understanding and appreciation of the written word.
In this comprehensive article, we will equip you with the essential techniques and strategies needed to write an effective critique essay. From analyzing the structure and organization of a piece to evaluating the author’s arguments and evidence, you’ll learn how to assess a work’s strengths and weaknesses with precision and clarity.
What is a Critique Essay and Why is it Important?
A critique essay is a type of academic writing that involves analyzing and evaluating a piece of work, such as a book, film, artwork, or research paper. Unlike a simple summary or review, a critique essay goes beyond providing a surface-level examination of the work and delves into an in-depth analysis of its strengths, weaknesses, and overall value.
But why is writing a critique essay important? Well, there are several reasons. Firstly, it allows you to develop critical thinking skills by carefully examining and assessing the merits of a work. This type of analysis helps you become more discerning and thoughtful in your judgments, which is a valuable skill in many aspects of life.
In addition, writing a critique essay encourages you to become an active participant in the intellectual discourse surrounding a particular topic or field. By engaging with a work and providing your own analysis, you are contributing to the ongoing conversation and expanding the collective understanding of the subject matter.
Furthermore, a critique essay can serve as a useful tool for the creator of the work being critiqued. Constructive criticism can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improvement, helping the creator gain a fresh perspective and refine their skills.
Ultimately, the importance of writing a critique essay lies in its ability to foster critical thinking, contribute to intellectual discourse, and provide constructive feedback. Whether you are a student honing your analytical skills or a professional offering insights in your field, learning how to effectively critique a work is a valuable and essential skill.
Choosing a Topic for Your Critique Essay
When it comes to writing a critique essay, the first and most important step is choosing a topic that is both interesting and suitable for critique. The topic you choose will determine the direction and focus of your essay, as well as the arguments and evidence you will present. It is crucial to select a topic that you are passionate about and have a strong opinion on, as this will make the writing process more enjoyable and engaging.
When considering potential topics for your critique essay, it can be helpful to brainstorm a list of subjects that you have recently encountered in your studies, personal life, or current events. This can include books, movies, artworks, scientific studies, political speeches, or social issues. Reflect on your experiences and think about which topics have sparked your interest or elicited an emotional response.
Once you have a list of potential topics, narrow it down to one that you feel confident in critiquing. Consider the availability of resources and research materials related to the topic, as well as the relevance and significance of the subject matter. It is important to choose a topic that is not too broad or too narrow, but one that allows for a thorough analysis and evaluation.
Furthermore, when selecting a topic for your critique essay, consider the potential audience and the purpose of your writing. Are you writing for a specific academic or professional audience, or for a general readership? Is your goal to persuade, inform, or entertain? Understanding your audience and purpose will help you choose a topic that is relevant, engaging, and appropriate for your intended readers.
In conclusion, the process of choosing a topic for your critique essay requires careful consideration and reflection. By selecting a topic that you are passionate about, narrowing down your options, and considering the audience and purpose of your writing, you can ensure that your critique essay is engaging, informative, and well-structured.
Effective Methods for Analyzing and Evaluating the Work
When it comes to critiquing a piece of work, it is important to employ effective methods for analyzing and evaluating the work. These methods allow you to objectively assess the strengths and weaknesses of the work while providing constructive feedback.
One method for analyzing the work is to carefully examine the overall structure and organization. This involves evaluating the flow of ideas and the logical progression of the work. Pay attention to how well the work introduces and supports its main argument or thesis statement. Look for any inconsistencies or gaps in the logic and assess the effectiveness of the transitions between ideas.
Additionally, it is important to assess the use of evidence and examples in the work. Look for both quantitative and qualitative evidence that supports the main argument. Evaluate the credibility and relevance of the sources cited and determine if they strengthen the overall argument. Consider the quality of the examples provided and how well they illustrate the key points of the work.
Another critical aspect to evaluate in the work is the clarity and effectiveness of the writing style. Assess the use of language, considering factors such as clarity, conciseness, and precision. Look for any instances of wordiness or ambiguity and consider how well the writer communicates their ideas. Pay attention to the use of tone and voice and evaluate if they are appropriate for the intended audience.
Furthermore, it is essential to consider the originality and creativity of the work. Analyze whether the ideas presented are innovative and unique, or if they rely heavily on existing research and ideas. Evaluate the extent to which the writer brings a fresh perspective or contributes new insights to the topic. Consider the level of critical thinking and depth of analysis demonstrated in the work.
Finally, it is crucial to provide constructive feedback when evaluating the work. Identify specific strengths and weaknesses and provide evidence to support your analysis. Offer suggestions for improvement and recommend areas where the writer can further develop their ideas or arguments. Remember to maintain a balance between positive and negative feedback to help the writer grow and improve their work.
- Analyze the overall structure and organization of the work
- Assess the use of evidence and examples
- Evaluate the clarity and effectiveness of the writing style
- Analyze the originality and creativity of the ideas presented
- Provide constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement
By utilizing these effective methods for analyzing and evaluating the work, you will be able to provide a comprehensive critique that offers valuable insights and helps the writer enhance their work.
Tips for Writing a Strong and Persuasive Critique Essay
When crafting a critique essay, it is essential to adopt a strong and persuasive writing style to effectively convey your thoughts and opinions. By employing certain techniques and considerations, you can enhance the impact of your critique and make it more persuasive. This section will provide valuable tips to help you write a compelling critique essay.
Be clear and concise | |
Provide evidence and examples | |
Offer a balanced perspective | |
Use persuasive language and rhetorical devices | |
Structure your critique effectively | |
Consider your target audience | |
Support your arguments with credible sources |
First and foremost, clarity and conciseness are key. Make sure your critique is written in a clear and straightforward manner, avoiding any unnecessary jargon or complex language. This will ensure that your ideas are easily understood by your readers, allowing them to fully grasp your perspective.
Additionally, providing evidence and examples is crucial to strengthen your critique. Back up your opinions with credible sources, such as research studies, statistical data, or expert opinions. This will make your arguments more persuasive and lend credibility to your critique.
It is also important to offer a balanced perspective in your critique. While expressing your own views, be sure to acknowledge and address counterarguments or differing opinions. This will demonstrate your ability to consider multiple perspectives and make your critique more comprehensive and well-rounded.
Using persuasive language and rhetorical devices can significantly enhance the impact of your critique. Employ techniques such as persuasive appeals (ethos, logos, pathos), rhetorical questions, metaphors, and analogies to captivate your readers and engage them on an emotional and intellectual level.
Structuring your critique in a logical and organized manner is another essential aspect. Break down your critique into distinct sections, such as introduction, body paragraphs discussing various aspects of the subject, and a conclusion summarizing your main points and reinforcing your overall perspective. This will make your critique more coherent and reader-friendly.
Consider your target audience when writing your critique. Tailor your language, tone, and style to resonate with your intended readers. Adapt your arguments and examples to align with their interests, values, and beliefs. This will make your critique more relatable and persuasive to your specific audience.
Lastly, support your arguments with credible sources. Incorporating research findings, expert opinions, or firsthand experiences will strengthen the validity of your critique and provide additional weight to your arguments. This will make your critique more persuasive and enhance its overall impact.
By following these tips, you can ensure that your critique essay is not only strong but also persuasive. By employing clear and concise language, providing evidence and examples, offering a balanced perspective, using persuasive language and rhetorical devices, structuring effectively, considering your target audience, and supporting your arguments with credible sources, you can craft a compelling critique essay that effectively conveys your thoughts and opinions.
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If you ever wondered about how to critique something, a book, a film, or maybe even a research hypothesis, then the answer for you is – to write a critical essay about it. This type of writing revolves around the deep evaluation of the material in front of you. So, in such papers, the goal isn’t to say whether you liked something or not, but rather to analyze it based on evidence and logic. Think of it as taking a step back and asking, “What is really going on here?” and “How did the creator make that happen?”
In a critical essay, you start with a central claim or thesis that makes an argument about the material you’re analyzing. From there, you’ll support your points using evidence, like specific quotes from a book or scenes from a movie. And unlike casual conversations, this type of writing avoids personal opinions or judgments like “I liked it” or “It was boring.” Instead, you’re focused on breaking down the details and exploring themes, techniques, or strategies used by the creator.
For example, rather than saying “Charlie was so lucky to find a Golden Ticket” after watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, a critical essay might explore how the film uses the contrast between wealth and morality to make a statement about society.
Writing a Perfect Critical Essay: Here’s What to Do
Writing a critical essay doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you approach it with a solid plan. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how you can structure your writing process to create a thoughtful, well-organized essay that impresses your readers (and earns you those high grades).
Choose and Fully Understand Your Topic
First things first—you need to select something to write about. This can be a movie, book, piece of music, or artwork. Just make sure it’s something you’re interested in and that you understand well. If your topic is assigned, spend time getting familiar with it. Watch the film or read the book a couple of times, and take notes on key themes, techniques, or elements that stand out.
Gather Your Sources
You’ll need evidence to support your analysis, so gather relevant material. Use scholarly sources like journal articles, books, and credible websites to back up your claims. The trick here is not just collecting information but understanding it. As such, if you’re writing about a novel, find analyses that discuss the author’s themes or techniques, and use that to build your argument. And remember to always keep track of your sources for proper citations later!
Develop a Strong Thesis Statement
Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to craft your thesis statement. This is the central argument of your essay, and everything you write should connect back to it. For example, if you’re analyzing the use of imagery in Get Out , your thesis might argue how the recurring image of the teacup symbolizes the control and manipulation of Black bodies in the film, reinforcing themes of power and exploitation. Keep your thesis specific, focused, and arguable ad it will carry your entire essay.
Create an Outline
Before you start writing, create an outline to organize your ideas. A typical critical essay includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the body, each paragraph should focus on a different point that supports your thesis. For instance, one paragraph might discuss symbolism, another might analyze character development, and a third could cover narrative techniques. Outlining helps you see the flow of your writing and make sure that each point has enough evidence to back it up.
Write the Body Paragraphs First
With your outline in place, begin writing the body paragraphs. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence that introduces the main point, followed by evidence (quotes, examples, or facts) to support it. After presenting the evidence, analyze it and explain how it ties into your thesis. If you’re analyzing a movie, for example, you might focus one paragraph on how the director uses camera angles to create tension in a scene. Stay focused and make sure everything ties back to your central argument.
Write the Conclusion
After finishing the body paragraphs, write the conclusion. This is where you sum up the key points of your essay and restate your thesis in light of the evidence you’ve presented. The conclusion should not introduce new information but instead reinforce your argument, leaving the reader with a clear understanding of your analysis.
Write the Introduction Last
Now that you’ve got the bulk of the essay written, it’s time to finally build the introduction. Start with a hook to grab the reader’s attention—a bold statement, an intriguing question, or a surprising fact can work well. Then, provide some background information to set the context for your analysis, and finish with your thesis statement that you have already created. Writing the introduction last allows you to make sure it aligns perfectly with the rest of your essay and clearly presents your argument.
Revise, Edit, and Proofread
You’ve got your first draft—congrats! Now, it’s time to bring it to perfection. Read through your essay a few times to improve clarity and flow. Check if all your points are well-supported and if your argument makes sense from start to finish. Edit for grammar, spelling, and style errors, and make sure all citations are correctly formatted. Taking this step seriously can make a huge difference in the overall quality of your essay (and in your grade as well).
Critical Essay Example: Proper Structure & Outline
Now, if you still feel kind of lost in all this information, don’t worry too much. Below you will find an example of what a well-organized critical essay can look like. Check it out to gain some inspiration and you will definitely be able to jump right into the writing process in no time at all.
How should I start a critical essay?
To start a critical essay, begin with an engaging introduction that grabs the reader’s attention. You can use a hook, such as an interesting fact, a bold statement, or even a thought-provoking question. After the hook, provide some background information on the topic you’re discussing to set the stage. Finally, end the introduction with a clear thesis statement outlining the main argument or point you’ll analyze. This thesis will guide your essay and tell readers what to expect from your analysis.
What is a critical essay and example?
A critical essay is a type of writing where you analyze and evaluate a piece of work, such as a book, film, painting, or even a theory. This type of writing is dedicated to exploring the deeper meanings, strengths, weaknesses, and overall impact of its subject. For example, if you’re writing a critical essay about The Great Gatsby, you wouldn’t just summarize the plot—you’d dive into how F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism and themes like the American Dream to convey larger messages.
What is the layout of a critical essay?
The layout of a critical essay usually follows a standard structure: an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the introduction, you present the topic and your thesis. The body paragraphs are where you break down the main points of your analysis, using evidence to support your claims. The conclusion ties everything together, summarizing your key points and restating your thesis in light of the evidence you’ve discussed.
What are the parts of a critical essay?
A critical essay has three main parts: the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
- Introduction : This is where you introduce the work you’re analyzing and present your thesis.
- Body Paragraphs : These are the meat of your essay, where you break down your analysis into different points, using evidence and examples to support your arguments.
- Conclusion : Here, you wrap up your analysis, summarizing the main points and reinforcing how they support your thesis.
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How to Write a Critique Paper: Format, Tips, & Critique Essay Examples
A critique paper is an academic writing genre that summarizes and gives a critical evaluation of a concept or work. Or, to put it simply, it is no more than a summary and a critical analysis of a specific issue. This type of writing aims to evaluate the impact of the given work or concept in its field.
Want to learn more? Continue reading this article written by Custom-writing experts! It contains:
- best tips on how to critique an article or a literary work,
- a critique paper example with introduction, body, and conclusion.
💁 What Is a Critique Paper?
- 👣 Critical Writing Steps
👀 Critical Essay Types
📝 critique paper format, 📑 critique paper outline, 🔗 references.
A critique is a particular academic writing genre that requires you to carefully study, summarize, and critically analyze a study or a concept. In other words, it is nothing more than a critical analysis. That is all you are doing when writing a critical essay: trying to understand the work and present an evaluation. Critical essays can be either positive or negative, as the work deserves.
👣 How to Write a Critique Essay: Main Steps
Starting critique essays is the most challenging part. You are supposed to substantiate your opinion with quotes and paraphrases, avoiding retelling the entire text. A critical analysis aims to find out whether an article or another piece of writing is compelling. First, you need to formulate the author’s thesis: what was the literary work supposed to convey? Then, explore the text on how this main idea was elaborated. Finally, draft your critique according to the structure given below.
Step 1: Critical Reading
1.1. Attentively read the literary work. While reading, make notes and underline the essentials.
- Try to come into the author’s world and think why they wrote such a piece.
- Point out which literary devices are successful. Some research in literary theory may be required.
- Find out what you dislike about the text, i.e., controversies, gaps, inconsistency, or incompleteness.
1.2. Find or formulate the author’s thesis.
- What is the principal argument? In an article, it can be found in the first paragraph.
- In a literary work, formulate one of the principal themes, as the thesis is not explicit.
- If you write a critique of painting, find out what feelings, emotions, or ideas, the artist attempted to project.
1.3. Make a summary or synopsis of the analyzed text.
- One paragraph will suffice. You can use it in your critique essay, if necessary.
- The point is to explore the gist.
Step 2: Analyzing the Text
After the reading phase, ask yourself the following questions :
- What was your emotional response to the text? Which techniques, images, or ideas made you feel so?
- Find out the author’s background. Which experiences made them raise such a thesis? What other significant works have they written that demonstrate the general direction of thought of this person?
- Are the concepts used correctly in the text? Are the references reliable, and do they sufficiently substantiate the author’s opinion?
Step 3: Drafting the Essay
Finally, it is time to draft your essay. First of all, you’ll need to write a brief overview of the text you’re analyzing. Then, formulate a thesis statement – one sentence that will contain your opinion of the work under scrutiny. After that, make a one-paragraph summary of the text.
You can use this simple template for the draft version of your analysis. Another thing that can help you at this step is a summary creator to make the creative process more efficient.
Critique Paper Template
- Start with an introductory phrase about the domain of the work in question.
- Tell which work you are going to analyze, its author, and year of publication.
- Specify the principal argument of the work under study.
- In the third sentence, clearly state your thesis.
- Here you can insert the summary you wrote before.
- This is the only place where you can use it. No summary can be written in the main body!
- Use one paragraph for every separate analyzed aspect of the text (style, organization, fairness/bias, etc.).
- Each paragraph should confirm your thesis (e.g., whether the text is effective or ineffective).
- Each paragraph shall start with a topic sentence, followed by evidence, and concluded with a statement referring to the thesis.
- Provide a final judgment on the effectiveness of the piece of writing.
- Summarize your main points and restate the thesis, indicating that everything you said above confirms it.
You can evaluate the chosen work or concept in several ways. Pick the one you feel more comfortable with from the following:
- Descriptive critical essays examine texts or other works. Their primary focus is usually on certain features of a work, and it is common to compare and contrast the subject of your analysis to a classic example of the genre to which it belongs.
- Evaluative critical essays provide an estimate of the value of the work. Was it as good as you expected based on the recommendations, or do you feel your time would have been better spent on something else?
- Interpretive essays provide your readers with answers that relate to the meaning of the work in question. To do this, you must select a method of determining the meaning, read/watch/observe your analysis subject using this method, and put forth an argument.
There are also different types of critiques. The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, in the article “ Writing critiques ,” discusses them as well as the appropriate critique language.
Critique Paper Topics
- Critique of the article Is Google Making Us Stupid? by Nicholas Carr .
- Interpret the symbolism of Edgar Alan Poe’s The Black Cat .
- Examine the topicality of the article Impact of Racial/Ethnic Differences on Child Mental Health Care .
- Critical essay on Alice Walker’s short story Everyday Use .
- Discuss the value of the essay The Hanging by George Orwell.
- A critique on the article Stocks Versus Bonds: Explaining the Equity Risk Premium .
- Explore the themes Tennessee Williams reveals in The Glass Menagerie.
- Analyze the relevance of the article Leadership Characteristics and Digital Transformation .
- Critical evaluation of Jonathan Harvey’s play Beautiful Thing .
- Analyze and critique Derek Raymond’s story He Died with His Eyes Open .
- Discuss the techniques author uses to present the problem of choice in The Plague .
- Examine and evaluate the research article Using Evidence-Based Practice to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia .
- Explore the scientific value of the article Our Future: A Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing .
- Describe the ideas E. Hemingway put into his A Clean, Well-Lighted Place .
- Analyze the literary qualities of Always Running La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L. A .
- Critical writing on The Incarnation of Power by Wright Mills.
- Explain the strengths and shortcomings of Tim Kreider’s article The Busy Trap .
- Critical response to Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway .
- Examine the main idea of Richard Godbeer’s book Escaping Salem .
- The strong and weak points of the article The Confusion of Tongues by William G. Bellshaw .
- Critical review of Gulliver’s Travels .
- Analyze the stylistic devices Anthony Lewis uses in Gideon’s Trumpet.
- Examine the techniques Elie Wiesel uses to show relationship transformation in the book Night .
- Critique of the play Fences by August Wilson.
- The role of exposition in Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart.
- The main themes John Maxwell discusses in his book Disgrace .
- Critical evaluation of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 .
- The ideas and concept of the book The Vegetarian Imperative .
- Different points of view on one historical figure in the book Two Lives of Charlemagne .
Since the APA critique paper format is one of the most common, let’s discuss it in more detail. Check out the information below to learn more:
The APA Manual recommends using the following fonts:
- 11-point Calibri,
- 11-point Arial,
- 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode,
- 12-point Times New Roman,
- 11-point Georgia,
- 10-point Computer Modern.
Add 1-inch margins on all sides.
📌 Page numbers
Page numbers should appear at the top right-hand corner, starting with the title page.
📌 Line spacing
The entire document, including the title page and reference list, should be double-spaced.
📌 Title page
The title page should include the following information:
- page number 1 in the top right-hand corner of the page header,
- paper title,
- the student’s name,
- the name of the department and the college or university,
- course number and name,
- the instructor’s name,
- due date (the date format used in your country).
📌 Critique paper title
The title of your critique paper should be no more than 12 words. In addition, it should be centered and typed in bold using title case.
📌 In-text citations
For the in-text citation, provide the author’s last name and publication year in brackets. If you are using direct citation, add the page number after the year.
📌 References
The last page of your paper should include a list of all sources cited in your essay. Here’s a general format of book and journal article citations you should use:
Book: Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year). Book title: Subtitle . Publisher.
Journal article: Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year). Title of the article. Journal Title, volume (issue number), start page–end page.
The main parts of good critical response essays are:
- Introduction. The introduction is the most essential part of the critical response. It should be concise and include the author and title of the work being analyzed, its main idea, and a strong thesis statement.
- Summary. This should be brief and to the point. Only the author’s/creator’s main ideas and arguments should be included.
- Analysis/interpretation. Discuss what the author’s/creator’s primary goal was and determine whether this goal was reached successfully. Use the evidence you have gathered to argue whether or not the author/creator achieved was adequately convincing (remember there should be no personal bias in this discussion).
- Evaluation/response. At this point, your readers are ready to learn your objective response to the work. It should be professional yet entertaining to read. Do not hesitate to use strong language. You can say that the work you analyzed was weak and poorly-structured if that is the case, but keep in mind that you have to have evidence to back up your claim.
- Conclusion. The last paragraph of your work should restate the thesis statement, summarize the key points, and create a sense of closure for the readers.
Critique Paper Introduction
The introduction is setting the stage for your analysis. Here are some tips to follow when working on it:
- Provide the reader with a brief synopsis of the main points of the work you are critiquing .
- State your general opinion of the work , using it as your thesis statement. The ideal situation is that you identify and use a controversial thesis.
- Remember that you will uncover a lot of necessary information about the work you are critiquing. You mustn’t make use of all of it, providing the reader with information that is unnecessary in your critique. If you are writing about Shakespeare, you don’t have to waste your or your reader’s time going through all of his works.
Critique Paper Body
The body of the critique contains the supporting paragraphs. This is where you will provide the facts that prove your main idea and support your thesis. Follow the tips below when writing the body of your critique.
- Every paragraph must focus on a precise concept from the paper under your scrutiny , and your job is to include arguments to support or disprove that concept. Concrete evidence is required.
- A critical essay is written in the third-person and ensures the reader is presented with an objective analysis.
- Discuss whether the author was able to achieve their goals and adequately get their point across.
- It is important not to confuse facts and opinions . An opinion is a personal thought and requires confirmation, whereas a fact is supported by reliable data and requires no further proof. Do not back up one idea with another one.
- Remember that your purpose is to provide the reader with an understanding of a particular piece of literature or other work from your perspective. Be as specific as possible.
Critique Paper Conclusion
Finally, you will need to write a conclusion for your critique. The conclusion reasserts your overall general opinion of the ideas presented in the text and ensures there is no doubt in the reader’s mind about what you believe and why. Follow these tips when writing your conclusion:
- Summarize the analysis you provided in the body of the critique.
- Summarize the primary reasons why you made your analysis .
- Where appropriate, provide recommendations on how the work you critiqued can be improved.
For more details on how to write a critique, check out the great critique analysis template provided by Thompson Rivers University.
If you want more information on essay writing in general, look at the Secrets of Essay Writing .
Example of Critique Paper with Introduction, Body, and Conclusion
Check out this critical response example to “The Last Inch” by James Aldridge to show how everything works in practice:
Introduction
In his story “The Last Inch,” James Aldridge addresses the issue of the relationship between parents and children. The author captured the young boy’s coming into maturity coinciding with a challenging trial. He also demonstrated how the twelve-year-old boy obtained his father’s character traits. Aldridge’s prose is both brutal and poetic, expressing his characters’ genuine emotions and the sad truths of their situations.
Body: Summary
The story is about Ben Ensley, an unemployed professional pilot, who decides to capture underwater shots for money. He travels to Shark Bay with his son, Davy. Ben is severely injured after being attacked by a shark while photographing. His last hope of survival is to fly back to the little African hamlet from where they took off.
Body: Analysis
The story effectively uses the themes of survival and fatherhood and has an intriguing and captivating plot. In addition, Ben’s metamorphosis from a failing pilot to a determined survivor is effectively presented. His bond with his son, Davy, adds depth and emotional importance to the story. At the same time, the background information about Ben’s past and his life before the shark attack could be more effectively integrated into the main story rather than being presented as separate blocks of text.
Body: Evaluation
I find “The Last Inch” by James Aldridge a very engaging and emotional story since it highlights the idea of a father’s unconditional love and determination in the face of adversity. I was also impressed by the vivid descriptions and strong character development of the father and son.
Conclusion
“The Last Inch” by James Aldridge is an engaging and emotional narrative that will appeal to readers of all ages. It is a story of strength, dedication, and the unbreakable link between father and son. Though some backstory could be integrated more smoothly, “The Last Inch” impresses with its emotional punch. It leaves the readers touched by the raw power of fatherly love and human will.
📚 Critique Essay Examples
With all of the information and tips provided above, your way will become clearer when you have a solid example of a critique essay.
Below is a critical response to The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
When speaking of feminist literature that is prominent and manages to touch on incredibly controversial issues, The Yellow Wallpaper is the first book that comes to mind. Written from a first-person perspective, magnifying the effect of the narrative, the short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman introduces the reader to the problem of the physical and mental health of the women of the 19th century. However, the message that is intended to concern feminist ideas is rather subtle. Written in the form of several diary entries, the novel offers a mysterious plot, and at the same time, shockingly realistic details.
What really stands out about the novel is the fact that the reader is never really sure how much of the story takes place in reality and how much of it happens in the psychotic mind of the protagonist. In addition, the novel contains a plethora of description that contributes to the strain and enhances the correlation between the atmosphere and the protagonist’s fears: “The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight” (Gilman).
Despite Gilman’s obvious intent to make the novel a feminist story with a dash of thriller thrown in, the result is instead a thriller with a dash of feminism, as Allen (2009) explains. However, there is no doubt that the novel is a renowned classic. Offering a perfect portrayal of the 19th-century stereotypes, it is a treasure that is certainly worth the read.
If you need another critique essay example, take a look at our sample on “ The Importance of Being Earnest ” by Oscar Wilde.
And here are some more critique paper examples for you check out:
- A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Critique Paper
- Critique on “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
- “When the Five Rights Go Wrong” Article Critique
- Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey — Comparison & Critique
- Benefits and Disadvantages of Prone Positioning in Severe Acute Respiratory Distress: Article Critique
- Reducing Stress in Student Nurses: Article Critique
- Management of Change and Professional Safety – Article Critique
- “Views of Young People Towards Physical Activity”: Article Critique
Seeing an example of a critique is so helpful. You can find many other examples of a critique paper at the University of Minnesota and John Hopkins University. Plus, you can check out this video for a great explanation of how to write a critique.
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- The Critique Essay
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May I know who’s the author? For my citation activity.
Hello, Kriszha! You can reference it as a web source/web page.
Wow…great work… kindly can you assist me in writing a critique about indiscipline in a school
That’s an interesting demonstration I watched. However, my weakness is that I’m very poor in language and analysing issues.
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Writing Critiques
Writing a critique involves more than pointing out mistakes. It involves conducting a systematic analysis of a scholarly article or book and then writing a fair and reasonable description of its strengths and weaknesses. Several scholarly journals have published guides for critiquing other people’s work in their academic area. Search for a “manuscript reviewer guide” in your own discipline to guide your analysis of the content. Use this handout as an orientation to the audience and purpose of different types of critiques and to the linguistic strategies appropriate to all of them.
Types of critique
Article or book review assignment in an academic class.
Text: Article or book that has already been published Audience: Professors Purpose:
- to demonstrate your skills for close reading and analysis
- to show that you understand key concepts in your field
- to learn how to review a manuscript for your future professional work
Published book review
Text: Book that has already been published Audience: Disciplinary colleagues Purpose:
- to describe the book’s contents
- to summarize the book’s strengths and weaknesses
- to provide a reliable recommendation to read (or not read) the book
Manuscript review
Text: Manuscript that has been submitted but has not been published yet Audience: Journal editor and manuscript authors Purpose:
- to provide the editor with an evaluation of the manuscript
- to recommend to the editor that the article be published, revised, or rejected
- to provide the authors with constructive feedback and reasonable suggestions for revision
Language strategies for critiquing
For each type of critique, it’s important to state your praise, criticism, and suggestions politely, but with the appropriate level of strength. The following language structures should help you achieve this challenging task.
Offering Praise and Criticism
A strategy called “hedging” will help you express praise or criticism with varying levels of strength. It will also help you express varying levels of certainty in your own assertions. Grammatical structures used for hedging include:
Modal verbs Using modal verbs (could, can, may, might, etc.) allows you to soften an absolute statement. Compare:
This text is inappropriate for graduate students who are new to the field. This text may be inappropriate for graduate students who are new to the field.
Qualifying adjectives and adverbs Using qualifying adjectives and adverbs (possible, likely, possibly, somewhat, etc.) allows you to introduce a level of probability into your comments. Compare:
Readers will find the theoretical model difficult to understand. Some readers will find the theoretical model difficult to understand. Some readers will probably find the theoretical model somewhat difficult to understand completely.
Note: You can see from the last example that too many qualifiers makes the idea sound undesirably weak.
Tentative verbs Using tentative verbs (seems, indicates, suggests, etc.) also allows you to soften an absolute statement. Compare:
This omission shows that the authors are not aware of the current literature. This omission indicates that the authors are not aware of the current literature. This omission seems to suggest that the authors are not aware of the current literature.
Offering suggestions
Whether you are critiquing a published or unpublished text, you are expected to point out problems and suggest solutions. If you are critiquing an unpublished manuscript, the author can use your suggestions to revise. Your suggestions have the potential to become real actions. If you are critiquing a published text, the author cannot revise, so your suggestions are purely hypothetical. These two situations require slightly different grammar.
Unpublished manuscripts: “would be X if they did Y” Reviewers commonly point out weakness by pointing toward improvement. For instance, if the problem is “unclear methodology,” reviewers may write that “the methodology would be more clear if …” plus a suggestion. If the author can use the suggestions to revise, the grammar is “X would be better if the authors did Y” (would be + simple past suggestion).
The tables would be clearer if the authors highlighted the key results. The discussion would be more persuasive if the authors accounted for the discrepancies in the data.
Published manuscripts: “would have been X if they had done Y” If the authors cannot revise based on your suggestions, use the past unreal conditional form “X would have been better if the authors had done Y” (would have been + past perfect suggestion).
The tables would have been clearer if the authors had highlighted key results. The discussion would have been more persuasive if the authors had accounted for discrepancies in the data.
Note: For more information on conditional structures, see our Conditionals handout .
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How to Write an Article Critique Step-by-Step
Table of contents
- 1 What is an Article Critique Writing?
- 2 How to Critique an Article: The Main Steps
- 3 Article Critique Outline
- 4 Article Critique Formatting
- 5 How to Write a Journal Article Critique
- 6 How to Write a Research Article Critique
- 7 Research Methods in Article Critique Writing
- 8 Tips for writing an Article Critique
Do you know how to critique an article? If not, don’t worry – this guide will walk you through the writing process step-by-step. First, we’ll discuss what a research article critique is and its importance. Then, we’ll outline the key points to consider when critiquing a scientific article. Finally, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide on how to write an article critique including introduction, body and summary. Read more to get the main idea of crafting a critique paper.
What is an Article Critique Writing?
An article critique is a formal analysis and evaluation of a piece of writing. It is often written in response to a particular text but can also be a response to a book, a movie, or any other form of writing. There are many different types of review articles . Before writing an article critique, you should have an idea about each of them.
To start writing a good critique, you must first read the article thoroughly and examine and make sure you understand the article’s purpose. Then, you should outline the article’s key points and discuss how well they are presented. Next, you should offer your comments and opinions on the article, discussing whether you agree or disagree with the author’s points and subject. Finally, concluding your critique with a brief summary of your thoughts on the article would be best. Ensure that the general audience understands your perspective on the piece.
How to Critique an Article: The Main Steps
If you are wondering “what is included in an article critique,” the answer is:
An article critique typically includes the following:
- A brief summary of the article .
- A critical evaluation of the article’s strengths and weaknesses.
- A conclusion.
When critiquing an article, it is essential to critically read the piece and consider the author’s purpose and research strategies that the author chose. Next, provide a brief summary of the text, highlighting the author’s main points and ideas. Critique an article using formal language and relevant literature in the body paragraphs. Finally, describe the thesis statement, main idea, and author’s interpretations in your language using specific examples from the article. It is also vital to discuss the statistical methods used and whether they are appropriate for the research question. Make notes of the points you think need to be discussed, and also do a literature review from where the author ground their research. Offer your perspective on the article and whether it is well-written. Finally, provide background information on the topic if necessary.
When you are reading an article, it is vital to take notes and critique the text to understand it fully and to be able to use the information in it. Here are the main steps for critiquing an article:
- Read the piece thoroughly, taking notes as you go. Ensure you understand the main points and the author’s argument.
- Take a look at the author’s perspective. Is it powerful? Does it back up the author’s point of view?
- Carefully examine the article’s tone. Is it biased? Are you being persuaded by the author in any way?
- Look at the structure. Is it well organized? Does it make sense?
- Consider the writing style. Is it clear? Is it well-written?
- Evaluate the sources the author uses. Are they credible?
- Think about your own opinion. With what do you concur or disagree? Why?
Article Critique Outline
When assigned an article critique, your instructor asks you to read and analyze it and provide feedback. A specific format is typically followed when writing an article critique.
An article critique usually has three sections: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
- The introduction of your article critique should have a summary and key points.
- The critique’s main body should thoroughly evaluate the piece, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses, and state your ideas and opinions with supporting evidence.
- The conclusion should restate your research and describe your opinion.
You should provide your analysis rather than simply agreeing or disagreeing with the author. When writing an article review , it is essential to be objective and critical. Describe your perspective on the subject and create an article review summary. Be sure to use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation, write it in the third person, and cite your sources.
Article Critique Formatting
When writing an article critique, you should follow a few formatting guidelines. The importance of using a proper format is to make your review clear and easy to read.
Make sure to use double spacing throughout your critique. It will make it easy to understand and read for your instructor.
Indent each new paragraph. It will help to separate your critique into different sections visually.
Use headings to organize your critique. Your introduction, body, and conclusion should stand out. It will make it easy for your instructor to follow your thoughts.
Use standard fonts, such as Times New Roman or Arial. It will make your critique easy to read.
Use 12-point font size. It will ensure that your critique is easy to read.
How to Write a Journal Article Critique
When critiquing a journal article, there are a few key points to keep in mind:
- Good critiques should be objective, meaning that the author’s ideas and arguments should be evaluated without personal bias.
- Critiques should be critical, meaning that all aspects of the article should be examined, including the author’s introduction, main ideas, and discussion.
- Critiques should be informative, providing the reader with a clear understanding of the article’s strengths and weaknesses.
When critiquing a research article, evaluating the author’s argument and the evidence they present is important. The author should state their thesis or the main point in the introductory paragraph. You should explain the article’s main ideas and evaluate the evidence critically. In the discussion section, the author should explain the implications of their findings and suggest future research.
It is also essential to keep a critical eye when reading scientific articles. In order to be credible, the scientific article must be based on evidence and previous literature. The author’s argument should be well-supported by data and logical reasoning.
How to Write a Research Article Critique
When you are assigned a research article, the first thing you need to do is read the piece carefully. Make sure you understand the subject matter and the author’s chosen approach. Next, you need to assess the importance of the author’s work. What are the key findings, and how do they contribute to the field of research?
Finally, you need to provide a critical point-by-point analysis of the article. This should include discussing the research questions, the main findings, and the overall impression of the scientific piece. In conclusion, you should state whether the text is good or bad. Read more to get an idea about curating a research article critique. But if you are not confident, you can ask “ write my papers ” and hire a professional to craft a critique paper for you. Explore your options online and get high-quality work quickly.
However, test yourself and use the following tips to write a research article critique that is clear, concise, and properly formatted.
- Take notes while you read the text in its entirety. Right down each point you agree and disagree with.
- Write a thesis statement that concisely and clearly outlines the main points.
- Write a paragraph that introduces the article and provides context for the critique.
- Write a paragraph for each of the following points, summarizing the main points and providing your own analysis:
- The purpose of the study
- The research question or questions
- The methods used
- The outcomes
- The conclusions were drawn by the author(s)
- Mention the strengths and weaknesses of the piece in a separate paragraph.
- Write a conclusion that summarizes your thoughts about the article.
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Research Methods in Article Critique Writing
When writing an article critique, it is important to use research methods to support your arguments. There are a variety of research methods that you can use, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. In this text, we will discuss four of the most common research methods used in article critique writing: quantitative research, qualitative research, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis.
Quantitative research is a research method that uses numbers and statistics to analyze data. This type of research is used to test hypotheses or measure a treatment’s effects. Quantitative research is normally considered more reliable than qualitative research because it considers a large amount of information. But, it might be difficult to find enough data to complete it properly.
Qualitative research is a research method that uses words and interviews to analyze data. This type of research is used to understand people’s thoughts and feelings. Qualitative research is usually more reliable than quantitative research because it is less likely to be biased. Though it is more expensive and tedious.
Systematic reviews are a type of research that uses a set of rules to search for and analyze studies on a particular topic. Some think that systematic reviews are more reliable than other research methods because they use a rigorous process to find and analyze studies. However, they can be pricy and long to carry out.
Meta-analysis is a type of research that combines several studies’ results to understand a treatment’s overall effect better. Meta-analysis is generally considered one of the most reliable type of research because it uses data from several approved studies. Conversely, it involves a long and costly process.
Are you still struggling to understand the critique of an article concept? You can contact an online review writing service to get help from skilled writers. You can get custom, and unique article reviews easily.
Tips for writing an Article Critique
It’s crucial to keep in mind that you’re not just sharing your opinion of the content when you write an article critique. Instead, you are providing a critical analysis, looking at its strengths and weaknesses. In order to write a compelling critique, you should follow these tips: Take note carefully of the essential elements as you read it.
- Make sure that you understand the thesis statement.
- Write down your thoughts, including strengths and weaknesses.
- Use evidence from to support your points.
- Create a clear and concise critique, making sure to avoid giving your opinion.
It is important to be clear and concise when creating an article critique. You should avoid giving your opinion and instead focus on providing a critical analysis. You should also use evidence from the article to support your points.
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When you hear that your writing assignment is a “critique,” here’s what you do: instantly substitute the word “evaluation.” You see, essentially, that’s what a critique is—an e-value-ation. You rate the value of something. The value can be positive, negative or, most likely, a mix of the two.
Evaluating or critiquing is something that you do every day, whether you are aware of it or not. You do it personally—is this the right outfit for today’s video? I can’t believe my spouse did our townhouse totally in beige.
But you also do it professionally: Will my team’s plans for the new product launch work? Should I hire or promote this person? What’s the best notebook computer for the sales team? All of those contain an evaluation. As a matter of fact, your ability to think critically (in an evaluative fashion) and to offer compelling reasons and evidence for your evaluations is one of the most valued skills in the workplace and will play a crucial role in your career advancement.
Let’s take a look at the typical parts of a critique or evaluation essay and get to know what should be done in each one:
Introduction
Unlike the introduction to most of the essays you write in school, where the main purpose is simply to introduce the thesis, the introduction of a critique or evaluation essay is more complex.
First, you must introduce the author and the title of the work being critiqued. This information is often in the first sentence of a critique’s introduction, but so long as the info is at or near the top you are fine.
Second, state the author’s main point (whether in the entire work or the section of the work you are critiquing). The main point is sometimes called the “take away”—what the author wants the reader to remember or do after reading.
Third, state in 1-2 sentences your overall evaluation of the work you are critiquing. If “overall evaluation” sounds like your conclusion, bingo, you are correct. So, it may be wise to leave this portion of your intro unwritten until you have finished your first draft.
Fourth, be sure to add any background information the reader needs to place the author’s work in context. What overall topic is the work related to? Is there a controversy involved? Be sure to set the stage since your reader has not read the work.
After the introduction comes part two: the summary of the work or that part of the work under consideration. When writing this summary, you are an objective reporter providing an unbiased statement of two things:
- the author’s overall point or take-away
- the main supports offered for that point
And like a good reporter, your language should be untainted by your own views and certainly be written in the third person—no I’s or you’s. Your goal: After someone reads a good summary (also called an abstract), that reader should know the author’s thesis and main points without detecting any of your opinion.
Part three is the evaluation. This is where you transition from being a reporter to being a judge. Just like a judge at a gymnastics meet, you weigh the strong points and the weak points of the performance, then provide an overall rating. Also, just like at a gymnastics meet, you have a scorecard of criteria that you use to make this judgment, this rating. However, instead of mount and dismount, flexibility and strength, your criteria are more likely to be items like this:
- Accuracy of information
- Presence or lack of definition of key terms
- Hidden assumptions
- Clarity of language
- Fairness—the author weighed both sides without undue bias
- Logic and Organization—do the main points link together in a meaningful way and add up to a valid argument? Are there gaps in the argument?
- Fallacies—these refer to such argument no-no’s as name calling, hasty generalization, oversimplification, substituting emotional language for fact or logic, or the black/white or either/or fallacy, the bandwagon appeal (everybody is doing it, so it must be OK), and so on.
Part four is the response. Now it’s your turn. You are no longer a reporter or a judge. You are you, providing your personal take on this work. How do you do that? Simple: Ask yourself questions like these:
- What do I agree and disagree with?
- What does the author get right, what does she/he get wrong, in my opinion?
- What ultimate merit does this work have—some, a little, none?
- Would I recommend this work as a source on this topic or should it be avoided—why or why not?
The response section is also where you would use outside sources to back up your opinion of this work and its merits or demerits. In that sense, your response section is like a miniature essay, where your thesis is your opinion of the work and your main points support your opinion.
Part five is the wrap up. It doesn’t have to be long. Your main tasks are to:
- Remind your audience of the overall importance of the topic—bring the reader back to ground zero, the topic at hand.
- Bring together your assessment or rating of the work, together with your personal response to it. In doing so, focus on overall strengths and weaknesses. Then use both to state what you believe is the ultimate success of the work .
So there you are—the mysteries of the “critique” demystified. You simply
- Introduce the work
- Summarize the work
- Rate the work based on a set of clear criteria
- Respond to the work in a personal way
- Wrap it up by talking about overall success failure of the work and the importance of the topic it tries to address.
Do those things—in that order—and you will end up with a critique that is sound and meaningful.
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How to Structure and Write an Effective Critique Paper
Critique papers are an essential part of academic writing, especially in the fields of humanities and social sciences. They involve analyzing a piece of work and objectively evaluating its strengths and weaknesses. Writing a critique paper can be challenging, requiring careful reading, research, and analysis. Yet, it is possible to produce a high-quality essay with careful planning and attention to detail.
This article will teach you how to write an article critique by explaining the types of critique essays, their structure, and the steps involved in how to write a critique essay. The article also provides essay tips for producing a well-written and effective critique.
What is a Critique Paper?
A critique paper is an academic paper as a response to a body of work, such as a play, concept, scholarly article, poetry, book, or research paper. Its purpose is to objectively assess the work in question, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. But also to provide a detailed analysis of its content, structure, and methodology.
This kind of essay can be one of the trickiest assignments, and not everyone can produce a well-scrutinized, original piece of writing. That’s why many students reach for assistance from analytical essay writing services that guarantee to handle the job with the help of professional writers and experts. These services proved to be of high quality and effective support to many schoolers who chose to try them in a variety of different disciplines.
Knowing how to write an article critique requires careful reading, analysis, and an evaluative approach. A well-written critique paper example demonstrates the writer’s ability to analyze and evaluate works. It should also be organized logically, guiding the reader through the analysis. Additionally, writers should be aware of their biases and assumptions and strive to critique objectively. On a final note, it’s essential to review the guidelines and follow the required structure. This is to ensure that the article critique meets the assignment’s expectations.
Types of Critical Essays
There are several types of essays of this kind, each with its approach and focus. To follow we have a list of the most common ones.
Descriptive
A descriptive critical essay combines elements of descriptive writing with a thorough analysis. In this type of essay, the writer describes a particular work in detail and then evaluates it based on certain criteria. They can provide a deep and insightful understanding of the work using sensory details and descriptive language.
An evaluative essay consists of a personal judgment to evaluate the value or effectiveness of a particular work or idea. In this type of essay, the writer analyzes the work and expresses their opinion on its merits or shortcomings. At the same time, they must avoid personal bias and focus on facts rather than one’s opinions or feelings. However, it’s also essential to provide a personal perspective and interpretation of the work as long as it’s supported by evidence.
Interpretive
This type of essay involves analyzing and interpreting the meaning and significance of the work being evaluated. It delves deeper into the themes, symbolism, and underlying conveyed messages. When writing an interpretive essay, it’s important to be clear and concise. Avoid confusing the reader by using jargon or unnecessarily complex language.
Structure of Critique Paper
The structure of a typical critique essay example includes an introduction, a summary, an analysis, and a conclusion. The paper format is a crucial element. Just like when you write your research papers , a critique benefits from a clear one to guide the reader. Therefore, work on defining the critique essay outline before starting the writing process. One of the most common formatting styles to adopt is the APA format (APA: American Psychological Association), which has specific rules and guidelines. And keep in mind that some specific elements should be included in each section:
Introduction: The introduction’s function is to provide background relevant information. It should also include the thesis statement, which is the writer’s main argument or position on the topic. The thesis statement should be clear and specific and presented in a way that engages the reader.
Summary: The summary provides an overview of the text. It must be objective, unbiased, and accurately summarize the piece’s main points. The summary has to be brief and to the point and should only include the most important details of the work.
Analysis: The analysis is where the writer provides their evaluation of the text being critiqued. This section is the most detailed and extensive part of the paper, containing the facts that prove your main argument and support your thesis. The analysis should focus on the thesis statement and provide a clear and logical argument.
Conclusion: In the conclusion, the paper’s main points are summarized, and the thesis statement is restated to emphasize the writer’s main position. It should provide a final evaluation of the work and include recommendations for improvement.
Essential Steps to Write a Critique Essay
Critique writing requires a thoughtful and detailed approach. You can find below the essential steps to follow:
Read and observe the work:
Before beginning the essay, you should read and observe the work, taking notes on its relevant elements. It is crucial to pay attention to details and to identify both strengths and weaknesses.
Conduct research:
In addition to analyzing the work, you need to research the author, director, or artist and the work’s historical and cultural context. This step can be time and effort-consuming. That’s why as a student who’s probably stuck with many assignments, you can consider to pay for research paper , which will solve the problem most efficiently. The research can provide valuable insights into the work and help you develop a more informed critique.
Develop a thesis statement:
Based on the analysis of the work and any research conducted, you should develop a clear and specific thesis statement that accurately presents your main argument or evaluation of the piece.
Write your critique:
Once you have your thesis statement, you can begin writing your critique essay. Begin by providing some background information on the work in an introduction. In the body of your essay, provide evidence and analysis to support your evaluation. Use specific examples and quotes from the text to support your arguments. Consider including external sources to provide additional context or compare the work to similar works. Finally, end your essay with a conclusion summarizing your main points and restating your thesis statement.
Revise and edit:
After completing the first draft of your essay, you should revise and edit it carefully. Pay attention to your argument’s structure, clarity, and coherence. Also, ensure that your essay logically progresses from one concept to the next. It’s important to note that when you format an essay , considerations may vary depending on the assignment’s specific requirements. Some may require additional sections, such as a discussion of the author’s background or a comparison to other works.
How to start a critique paper?
Starting a critique paper requires careful consideration and preparation. It is important to read and understand the subject thoroughly, including its purpose, structure, and context. Once you have a clear understanding of the subject, you should identify specific criteria to use in your evaluation, such as style, structure, effectiveness, relevance, and accuracy. Taking notes on the subject’s strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement will help you organize your thoughts, and creating an outline that includes the introduction, analysis, and conclusion will ensure a well-structured paper. Finally, a strong thesis statement that clearly states your evaluation of the subject and the criteria you will use to evaluate it is crucial to the success of your critique paper.
How can I write a critique paper on a research article?
To write a critique paper on a research article, it is essential to consider key areas such as the research question and hypothesis, methodology, results, and overall evaluation. Firstly, determine whether the research question is clear, relevant, and testable. Secondly, evaluate the methodology used in the study to determine whether it’s appropriate for the research question. Thirdly, analyze the results presented in the research article to determine whether they are consistent with the research question and hypothesis. Lastly, evaluate the overall quality and contribution of the research article to the field. By considering these areas, you can provide a comprehensive critique of the research article.
What is the difference between summarizing and critiquing an article?
Many students struggle to distinguish between the two. They often summarize the work, neglecting to adopt a personal approach and use analytical skills. In such cases, custom essay writing service Edusson is the best option to handle the job for you. It also helps you improve your critical thinking and practical skills.
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How to Write a Critique Paper: Guide + Steps & Tips
Critical thinking is an essential life skill taught in academia. Critique essays help us develop this skill. However, it’s challenging to figure out how to write one independently. Our team has created this comprehensive guide to teach you how to express opinions in an academically correct manner. Here, you’ll discover step-by-step guidelines to help you write an essay. We’ve also addressed the proper essay critique format structure and provided several practical examples of how it should look. So, if you are interested and wish to learn more, start reading ASAP!
📃 What Is a Critique Paper?
A critique paper is a piece of writing that provides an in-depth analysis of another work. These include books, poems, articles, songs, movies, works of art, or podcast episodes. Aside from these, a critique may also cover arguments, concepts, and artistic performances. For example, a student may evaluate a book they’ve read or the merit of the First Amendment.
In a critique essay , one addresses the subject of the analysis, its source, intent, and purpose, in addition to its structure and content. You may present your own opinion on the analyzed work or include alternative points of view. Your paper can consist of an interpretation of what a piece of work means and an assessment of its worth.
🔍 Discover All Critique Essay Types
Now, we will detail everything you need to know about the main types of critique papers. Use the table below to determine which one will suit your essay best.
This critique essay type examines texts and other written papers. It usually focuses on specific characteristics of a piece. Sometimes, a work can be compared to other examples in its genre. Descriptive essays often provide detailed insight into the examined works. | |
These essays estimate the value of a work. In them, a writer tells the readers if something was as good as they had hoped for or failed to meet their expectations. Such essays should avoid baseless personal bias. Its authors are required to provide evidence-backed personal opinions. | |
An interpretive paper explains the work’s meaning to the readers. It involves selecting the right approach to discovering this meaning. Writing an interpretive essay requires one to understand its subject fully. |
🥇 19 Best Critique Essay Topics
This segment has some of the best topics for critical essays that you can use in your assignments. Make sure to look through them and find some inspiration! Some of them are sure to catch your attention.
- Analyze the effectiveness of the justice system in curbing drug use.
- Why are people reluctant to change their views on the Second Amendment?
- Critical review of the moral lessons in contemporary young adult novels.
- Is critical thinking still relevant in the modern world?
- Analyze the health effects of fast food on the human body.
- Describe the effects of racism on underrepresented groups.
- Build a case for the causes of the homeless crisis in the US.
- Unraveling motivational factors: a critique of psychological theories in the workplace.
- Analyze the shifting of gender roles in modern society.
- What is the impact of corruption on the economy?
- The impact of setting and atmosphere on the reader’s experience of a book.
- Investigate the role of mass media in decreasing racial tension in the US.
- Analyze the use of symbolism and imagery in Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories.
- Ethical dilemmas in medical study: critical analysis of journal articles on human trials.
- Which themes are the most common in current TV shows?
- Explain how fashion choices impact one’s identity.
- Build a case for a free higher education.
- What are the effects of social media on human communication?
- From page to screen: A comparative critique of the book and movie versions of The Lord of the Rings.
🗝 How to Write a Critique Paper: 5 Key Steps
We recognize that tackling a critique paper without proper guidance can be time-consuming and daunting. That’s why we have outlined the steps you should take to make a detailed plan for your future essay. These five steps will guide you in analyzing work successfully and creating quality papers.
- Explore the work. Before writing your essay, carefully examine the text you will be critiquing. Take notes relevant to your paper’s topic along the way. Pay attention to details and try noting the strengths and weaknesses of a piece of work.
- Conduct research. Aside from inspecting the work itself, you should also thoroughly study the surrounding context. Learn everything relevant about its author, background, and cultural and historical factors. So, you will receive essential information about the research subject, allowing you to understand it better.
- Create a thesis statement. This part usually includes a concise summary of the analysis of the work and conducted research. Students must carefully write their thesis statements to present their main argument or the work’s brief evaluation.
- Write the critical paper. After you have composed a solid thesis statement, it’s time to write your essay. Begin by providing background data in the introductory paragraph. Follow with analysis and evidence that supports the paper’s intent. Finish with a conclusion that gives a summary of the key points and reinforcing the thesis statement.
- Edit and revise to perfection. When you have the first draft, carefully review and edit its segments. See if the paper is structurally sound, easy to follow, and has a coherent format. Good writing provides its arguments logically, with clear connections between evidence and analysis. Pay close attention to segments that make you stumble and reread all sentences twice.
📝 Critique Paper Format & Structure
Before attempting to write your critique essay, you should familiarize yourself with its structure and form. We’ll examine each part in-depth and describe which elements they should have. It will give you an idea of how to structure your essay correctly.
The beginning of your critique should state the author’s name, the work’s title, and its publication date. It includes one or two sentences that summarize the examined work and a central argument that will be the basis of your critique. | |
The second part of the paper provides evidence and analysis based on your thesis statement. For example, you may use it to explain why director did an excellent job with the movie. It may cover such aspects as actors, cinematography, writing, and the film’s satirical tone. | |
The essay’s final part gives critical takeaways from a piece of work. They usually involve summarizing the paper’s arguments and thesis statement. In the case of a film critique, it should tell people why it’s good or bad based on the conducted analysis. |
Examining each component is essential after you get acquainted with the basic structure of a critique paper. We have detailed for you below.
Critique Essay: Introduction
You probably already know how essential the introduction is in a critique paper. This is why it’s vital to understand its proper structure. One should consider all elements that must be present in this part of the paper.
- Provide the name of the critiqued work, when it was first published, and by whom.
- Describe the thesis statement or the main idea of the paper.
- Give the context of the work, political or social, and its importance in a discipline or an academic field.
- Finish with a sentence that briefly evaluates the examined work and transitions into the main body.
Critique Essay: Main Body
We’ve finally arrived at the analysis, the most crucial part of creating a critique. Here, we’ll look at the structure of the main body paragraphs . This part of the article will explain what to include in your critical paper.
The body starts with a summary that explains:
- The main points of the work.
- How the points were achieved through characters, symbols, and various techniques.
- The aim of the research, how it was conducted, and based on what.
The rest of the body is a detailed critical evaluation of the work that includes:
- A systematic and thorough approach to assessing different elements.
- An assessment of the author’s ability or lack thereof to achieve their goals with these components.
- Supporting evidence for your arguments and evaluation.
Critique Essay: Conclusion
Lastly, let’s consider the conclusion of your critique paper. It is the time to summarize and reiterate what you have discussed in your work. An essay conclusion should contain the following elements:
- A concise statement that summarizes the entire work.
- A rundown of key points identified and covered in the evaluation.
- If necessary, the conclusion may provide recommendations for others interested in getting acquainted with the work.
🏆 Great Critique Paper Examples
Critique of an Adidas Promotional Strategy. Adidas of one of the world’s most fabulous clothes, shoes, and equipment producers.The corporation registers hundreds of patterns on new tech for its products every year. But this doesn’t mean that Adidas does everything right. This paper demonstrates yhe unethical practices the company uses in its advertising campaigns.
We are confident that our tips and instructions will make it easier for you to achieve great results. Besides, you can try our helpful essay topic maker to come up with writing ideas! Consider forwarding this article to your friends who may be looking for a quality guide on critical papers.
🔗 References
- What Makes a Critique a Critique? – Tara Horkoff, Writing for Success, OpenTextBC
- How to write a critique – CiteWrite, Queensland University of Technology
- Writing a Critique – Tiffin University, Pfeiffer Library
- Writing a Critique Paper: Seven Easy Steps – Patrick A. Regoniel, Simple Educate
- How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay – Dan Brown, MasterClass
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Critique Essay: Your Comprehensive Guide to Writing A+ Critique Essays
Table of Contents
Just like a concept essay , a critique essay is an essential assignment that examines another author’s work to analyze and interpret it. This task is common in college, and it’s also called an analytical essay .
But how do you handle this task and score excellent grades? This guide delves into all the details of composing an A+ critical paper. Read to learn more.
What Is a Critique Essay?
Let’s set the ball rolling by defining a critique essay . It is an academic assignment that summarizes a text and critically evaluates its validity. It aims to evaluate a given text’s impact in a specific discipline and shows whether the evaluated text achieved its intended goal or didn’t.
This assignment needs careful study of the texts before summarizing and critically analyzing them. Your main task is to understand the piece and present your critical assessment. Your final verdict can be negative or positive, depending on the work’s quality and analysis. We can summarize this paper in the following four terms.
- A description that gives readers a sense of the writer’s overall goal with their publications.
- An analysis that examines how the text’s structure and language convey its meaning.
- An interpretation that states each of the work’s parts’ significance.
- An assessment that judges the piece’s overall worth or value.
Types of Critique Essays
Critique essays come in three main forms, as discussed below.
- Descriptive
This essay examines a text or other works. It primarily focuses on a work’s specific features. Comparing and contrasting your analysis subject to a classic example of its genre is also possible.
- Evaluative
This analytical essay estimates a work’s value. It shows if it’s as good as you expected based on the recommendations or if you feel it wasted your time.
- Interpretive
Interpretive essays give your readers answers relating to a work’s meaning. To achieve this goal, you must choose a technique for establishing that meaning. For instance, you may read, watch, or observe your analysis subject before floating arguments.
Critique Essay Outline
Writing an excellent critique essay is difficult without an outline. An outline is the only way to save writing time and organize your ideas where they should fit. This step requires you to determine the evidence and arguments you will evaluate. These arguments support and validate your thesis statement.
Additionally, your paper’s outline shows you how your essay will look. After creating the wireframe, you may adjust it or add more details to make your writing more effective. Your skeleton takes the traditional five-paragraph essay format.
Introduction
Your work needs an introduction paragraph. This section opens with an introductory phrase about the work you are analyzing. It tells the reader what you will critique, who the author is, and provide its publication date. The intro specifies the work’s core argument. Its third sentence contains your thesis statement.
Your work requires a summary paragraph to show the reader what you discussed in the body paragraphs. This section follows your introduction and leads to a detailed discussion.
Your main body comprises three to five paragraphs or more if necessary. Each section addresses a given text dimension, like bias, tone, style, or organization. Moreover, every paragraph confirms your thesis statement regarding the piece’s effectiveness. Each body paragraph opens with a topic sentence summarizing the subsection. Next, you introduce your evidence and close the chapter by referring to the thesis.
Your conclusion gives your final verdict on a given piece’s effectiveness. This strong conclusion paragraph summarizes your main ideas and paraphrases your thesis statement to confirm that everything you discussed confirmed it.
How to Start a Critique Essay
Starting your critique essay is easy if you follow the correct process. This discussion explores how to commence this assignment.
Critical Reading
- Read the Literary Piece Carefully
Your journey starts by reading the piece you have to critique to understand it. Your careful reading should immerse you into the author’s world and imagine why they drafted their work. Also, take note and underscore essential facts. Your assignment must also highlight which literary tools succeeded in achieving the material’s goal. Lastly, determine what you dislike about the piece, such as incompleteness, gaps, or inconsistencies.
- Formulate the Author’s Thesis
Use the text you read to formulate the author’s thesis or primary arguments. You can find this argument in the paper’s introduction. If you are handling literary work, create one of the key themes because the thesis isn’t clear.
- Summarize the Analyzed Text
You need one paragraph to summarize your paper’s content and give the reader a gist of what you covered. It should come between the introduction and the three body paragraphs.
Analyze the Text
Analyze your text before composing your assignment. Your analysis should lead you to the following critical questions:
- How did your emotions respond to the text, and which methods, images, or ideas made you feel so?
- Based on the author’s background, which experiences made them formulate such a thesis?
- What other significant works has the author produced to demonstrate their general thought direction?
- Have you used the concepts correctly in the text?
- Are your references reliable, and do they adequately prove the author’s judgment?
Write Your Critical Essay
Lastly, draft your critique essay by writing a brief overview of the text you are examining. Next, formulate your thesis statement reflecting your stand on the work you are critiquing. Afterward, write a summary paragraph that captures the paper’s essence. Below are essential questions to ask and answer to ensure you did the correct thing:
- Who created the piece you are critiquing?
- Did you present your work objectively or subjectively?
- What is your work’s aim, and were they attained?
- What methods, styles, and media did the author use, and did they achieve their goal?
- What assumptions underlie the work, and how do they influence its validity?
- What forms of evidence or persuasion did you use, and is your evidence interpreted fairly?
- How is the material structured?
- Does the work favor a specific interpretation or viewpoint, and how effective is it?
- Does the work promote an understanding of vital ideas or theories?
- How does the piece resonate or fail to resonate with primary concepts or other works in its discipline?
Example of Critique Essay On Articles
An article-related critique essay is a paper that evaluates an article to determine its effectiveness in attaining a goal. An article could comprise opinions, personal experiences, and external research. This essay entertains, informs, persuades, or educates readers. An article critique differs from a summary because a summary doesn’t offer a critical analysis. A critique, in its turn, resembles a review because it evaluates the author’s ability to fulfill its stated purpose. Your article critique must back its claims regarding an issue through evidence in the text and other external sources.
A Sample Article Critique Paper
Nothing teaches better than an excellent model of what you are learning. Here’s a sample article critique paper.
The Education Sector Cannot Solve Problems It Doesn’t Acknowledge (David and Nelson, 2021). New York, a state in the United States of America, fully understands this problem and has formulated initiatives and policies to improve equity in public schools at all levels. Education policymakers have implemented an All-Inclusive Response Strategy(ARS) to achieve this noble goal. The practical goal of this strategy is to ensure that all New York children enjoy inclusive education. This approach seeks to eliminate biases, barriers, or power dynamics that discourage students’ learning potential. Acknowledging educational challenges and committing to developing solutions is the most critical step school administrators can take to support the education system. However, these principal players should formulate proper thought, research, and policy guidelines to ensure their policies and strategies include all the potential issues and leave enough room for improvement.
The procedures also proposed religious tolerance and accommodation, anti-discrimination, and all forms of harassment. This inclusive policy must have sound techniques for how other stakeholders will implement, review, and monitor it henceforth. Fortunately, New York has succeeded on this front. This article evaluates how well this equity program was executed in the state as it endeavors to promote equity and inclusivity in its public schools…
Do you still have questions regarding a critique essay ? This section answers some of the most frequently asked questions in this essay.
What are the five parts of a critique essay ?
A perfect critique paper comprises five sections, namely: the introduction, the summary paragraph, the first paragraph, the second paragraph, the third paragraph, and the conclusion.
What is an example of a critique?
A critique essay example should meet all assignment requirements. It also comprises all the essential components, as mentioned in question one.
What are the four rules of critique?
The four rules governing a good critique essay are as follows:
- An effective introduction that provides a quick background review, defines the necessary terminology, and ends with a thesis.
- A summary that gives a broad overview of what the source discusses.
- A critique that shows your personal opinion, supported by evidence.
A conclusion that summarizes your main ideas, reminds your readers of your thesis, and concludes the paper.
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How to Write a Critical Essay
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Olivia Valdes was the Associate Editorial Director for ThoughtCo. She worked with Dotdash Meredith from 2017 to 2021.
- B.A., American Studies, Yale University
A critical essay is a form of academic writing that analyzes, interprets, and/or evaluates a text. In a critical essay, an author makes a claim about how particular ideas or themes are conveyed in a text, then supports that claim with evidence from primary and/or secondary sources.
In casual conversation, we often associate the word "critical" with a negative perspective. However, in the context of a critical essay, the word "critical" simply means discerning and analytical. Critical essays analyze and evaluate the meaning and significance of a text, rather than making a judgment about its content or quality.
What Makes an Essay "Critical"?
Imagine you've just watched the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." If you were chatting with friends in the movie theater lobby, you might say something like, "Charlie was so lucky to find a Golden Ticket. That ticket changed his life." A friend might reply, "Yeah, but Willy Wonka shouldn't have let those raucous kids into his chocolate factory in the first place. They caused a big mess."
These comments make for an enjoyable conversation, but they do not belong in a critical essay. Why? Because they respond to (and pass judgment on) the raw content of the movie, rather than analyzing its themes or how the director conveyed those themes.
On the other hand, a critical essay about "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" might take the following topic as its thesis: "In 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,' director Mel Stuart intertwines money and morality through his depiction of children: the angelic appearance of Charlie Bucket, a good-hearted boy of modest means, is sharply contrasted against the physically grotesque portrayal of the wealthy, and thus immoral, children."
This thesis includes a claim about the themes of the film, what the director seems to be saying about those themes, and what techniques the director employs in order to communicate his message. In addition, this thesis is both supportable and disputable using evidence from the film itself, which means it's a strong central argument for a critical essay .
Characteristics of a Critical Essay
Critical essays are written across many academic disciplines and can have wide-ranging textual subjects: films, novels, poetry, video games, visual art, and more. However, despite their diverse subject matter, all critical essays share the following characteristics.
- Central claim . All critical essays contain a central claim about the text. This argument is typically expressed at the beginning of the essay in a thesis statement , then supported with evidence in each body paragraph. Some critical essays bolster their argument even further by including potential counterarguments, then using evidence to dispute them.
- Evidence . The central claim of a critical essay must be supported by evidence. In many critical essays, most of the evidence comes in the form of textual support: particular details from the text (dialogue, descriptions, word choice, structure, imagery, et cetera) that bolster the argument. Critical essays may also include evidence from secondary sources, often scholarly works that support or strengthen the main argument.
- Conclusion . After making a claim and supporting it with evidence, critical essays offer a succinct conclusion. The conclusion summarizes the trajectory of the essay's argument and emphasizes the essays' most important insights.
Tips for Writing a Critical Essay
Writing a critical essay requires rigorous analysis and a meticulous argument-building process. If you're struggling with a critical essay assignment, these tips will help you get started.
- Practice active reading strategies . These strategies for staying focused and retaining information will help you identify specific details in the text that will serve as evidence for your main argument. Active reading is an essential skill, especially if you're writing a critical essay for a literature class.
- Read example essays . If you're unfamiliar with critical essays as a form, writing one is going to be extremely challenging. Before you dive into the writing process, read a variety of published critical essays, paying careful attention to their structure and writing style. (As always, remember that paraphrasing an author's ideas without proper attribution is a form of plagiarism .)
- Resist the urge to summarize . Critical essays should consist of your own analysis and interpretation of a text, not a summary of the text in general. If you find yourself writing lengthy plot or character descriptions, pause and consider whether these summaries are in the service of your main argument or whether they are simply taking up space.
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45 Critique Examples
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Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]
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A critique is an in-depth analysis and evaluation of a work, idea, or event. Critical evaluation is considered a higher-order thinking skill necessary for logical reasoning and development of new ideas.
Critique not only includes critical evaluation of content, but also an assessment of the structure, style, and effectiveness of a work or idea in achieving its purpose.
The importance of critique lies in its capacity to challenge assumptions, illuminate underlying ideologies, and promote critical thinking.
We need critical thinking skills in order to make sound judgments, develop well-formed opinions, and enhance our understanding of our world.
As such, critique is a valuable tool for academic, artistic, and professional contexts, driving innovation, improvement, and progress.
Critique Examples
1. assessing relevance.
Relevance is all about whether the point being made is valuable for the broader discussion or debate.
For example, bringing up stars in an astrology discussion is relevant; discussing the price of fish at the supermarket, on the other hand, is completely irrelevant to an astrology discussion!
In a critique, it is essential to evaluate whether the presented arguments and statements are pertinent to the core theme or purpose.If the content is irrelevant, it detracts from the main message, undermining the overall credibility and effectiveness of the work.
Assessing Relevance Example : The lecture on marine biology seemed out of place at a conference primarily focused on space exploration and astrophysics.
2. Evaluating Accuracy
Evaluating accuracy involves scrutinizing the factual correctness and reliability of the information or arguments presented in a work or idea.
Meticulous fact-checking is central to this evaluation process, ensuring that the claims made are based on accurate information.
Inaccurate or misrepresented facts can compromise the integrity of the work, and undermine its value to its audience or stakeholders. So, evaluating accuracy is a fundamental task in critique, contributing to the credibility and trustworthiness of the work.
Evaluating Accuracy Example : During the review of a book on World War II history, discrepancies were found between the dates mentioned in the book and the accepted historical timeline, bringing into question the book’s accuracy.
3. Analyzing Structure
Analyzing structure refers to the process of examining the arrangement or plan of a work or idea. This is common, for example, in the critical analysis of art and fashion.
This process could involve looking at how the various elements are organized and interlinked to form a coherent whole.
There are different conventions about what a well-structured work or idea looks like, depending on the discipline. For example, in fashion, it may have to do with how the clothing accentuates body features, whereas in non-fiction, it might be able how well a text presents logically ordered elements that enable easier understanding and following of the topic.
Analyzing Structure Example: In a film critique, the reviewer noted how the narrative structure, with flashbacks interspersed at strategic points, amplified the emotional impact and depth of the story.
4. Considering Originality
Originality refers to the creativity, novelty, or freshness brought to a work or an idea.
For a critique, weighing originality involves exploring whether the work or idea offers new perspectives, unique themes, or innovative methods. Or, in contrast, does the work simply repeat tired old tropes ?
The level of originality can greatly enhance the value of a work or idea by stimulating thought, provoking discussion, or advancing knowledge.
In many fields, such as art, literature, and academia, originality is a highly sought characteristic since it identifies works or ideas that break from convention and inspire progress.
Originality Example: In a critique of a music album, it was noted that the artiste successfully incorporated a blend of traditional folk and modern electronic music in their compositions, enhancing the album’s originality.
5. Questioning Sources
Questioning sources involves scrutinizing the origin and credibility of the evidence supporting a work or an idea.
Sources provide the foundation for arguments and assertions in a work, and their reliability and relevance are crucial for validity.
In a critique, evaluating sources helps ascertain the accuracy and integrity of the work, ensuring the information is well-founded and correctly attributed.
This is particularly important in academic and journalistic works wherein the veracity and reliability of sources significantly affect the overall validity and strength of the work.
Questioning Sources Example: During the peer-review of a scientific paper, one reviewer questioned the credibility of a non-peer reviewed website that the author had used extensively to support their arguments.
6. Examining Clarity
Examining clarity refers to checking the transparency, simplicity, and comprehensibility of a work or an idea.
Clarity ensures that the message or argument is effectively communicated to and understood by the audience. It helps avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
In a critique, clarity examination entails assessing the work’s language, terminology, and style, evaluating whether these elements facilitate understanding.
A work displaying a high degree of clarity allows its audience to comprehend and engage with its content with relative ease.
Examining Clarity Example: The reviewer of a mystery novel observed that the author’s clear and concise writing style made the complex plot twists and clues easy to follow throughout the story.
7. Appraising Depth
Appraising depth is the examination of how profound a work or an idea is. In other words, has this person said something of meaning, or only scraped the surface of the concept?
A deep and thorough treatment of the subject matter suggests nuanced understanding, and often adds value to the work or idea.
I often tell my students that to achieve depth in essays, they need to consider the level of detail, context, compare-and-contrast, and insight they have provided. Furthermore, they might want to consider various perspectives related to the topic, not just one.
Appraising Depth Example: Upon analyzing an analysis of economic policy, it was recognized that the author’s in-depth exploration of varying socioeconomic impacts showed their deep understanding and research into the subject matter.
8. Reviewing Consistency
Reviewing consistency entails checking for the uniformity and reliability of the arguments, facts, and tone within a work or an idea.
Consistency is important because it lends credibility and cohesiveness to a work or idea. It shows that the author has a clear understanding and thoughtful execution of their topic or theme.
In a critique, consistency is assessed by observing the steadiness of the work’s arguments, use of evidence, and tone. Any inconsistencies detract from the overall quality and reliability of the work.
Reviewing Consistency Example : In a politician’s speech critique, it was noted that their stance concerning environmental policies remained consistent, maintaining the same core arguments throughout each policy discussion, lending strength to their overall position.
9. Assessing Feasibility
When we assess feasibility, we’re assessing whether something is really practical or viable. Quite simply, we’re asking: “will this actually work?”
Assessing feasibility can include exploring aspects such as financial considerations, available resources, and time factors.
This method is particularly useful for the critique of a proposal, business plan, or research project. A feasible work or idea has a much higher chance of achieving its intended outcome, making it more reliable and, in the case of business, attractive to stakeholders such as investors.
Exploring Feasibility Example: The critique of an ambitious development plan included an assessment of its feasibility. Given the budget constraints and tight timeframe, the plan was determined to be unrealistic in its current form.
10. Scrutinizing Aesthetic Appeal
Scrutinizing aesthetic appeal involves assessing the visual or sensory attractiveness of a work or idea.
This is significant especially in fields such as art, design, and literature where aesthetic attractiveness can greatly enhance the appeal and appreciation of the work.
In a critique, this might involve reviewing elements such as color, composition, style, form, and intricacy to determine how well they harmonize to create an appealing visual or sensory output.
Scrutinizing Aesthetic Appeal Example: In a review of a new architectural structure, the critic lauded the creative blending of traditional and modern design elements, which added to the aesthetic appeal of the building.
11. Measuring Efficiency
Measuring efficiency relates to the examination of how optimally resources were utilized.
In a critique, efficiency measurement can relate to various elements including workflow, process design, time allocation, use of labor, or use of technology, among other things. A highly efficient operation minimizes waste, reduces costs, and maximizes results.
Measuring Efficiency Example : In a critique of a production process, it was observed that by adopting automation, the company significantly improved its efficiency, allowing it to produce more units in less time.
12. Gauging Effectiveness
Gauging effectiveness is about determining the success of a work or an idea in achieving its intended purpose or objective.
This requires an examination of the outcomes, results, or impact of the work or idea relative to its stated goals.
In a critique, this will often require a summative assessment of performance measures. An advertising campaign, for example, may require a poll or consumer survey to get the results of how effective it was in increasing brand awareness.
Gauging Effectiveness Example: A critique of an educational program looked at student test scores, classroom engagement, and teacher feedback to gauge how effectively the program was in improving student learning outcomes.
13. Investigating Methodology
Investigating methodology refers to the critical examination of the strategies, techniques, or procedures employed in the formulation of a work or an idea. This is particularly common in academic critique.
For example, this means examining the soundness and relevancy of the chosen methods in achieving the objective or producing the required results. Why did the person choose qualitative over quantitative methods? Was that a good idea, or did they miss an opportunity in this choice? Did they defend their choice sufficiently?
A well-chosen and properly executed methodology supports the conclusions and enhances the integrity and trustworthiness of a work or idea.
Investigating Methodology Example: In a critique of a psychological study, the peer-review process involved questioning the appropriateness of the chosen experimental design and statistical analysis techniques, thus investigating the research methodology.
14. Probing Author Bias
Probing author bias deals with uncovering and examining the unstated beliefs, values, or principles of the author which influence their claims.
Take, for example, a media critique, where you realize that the person writing a newspaper article has an underlying self-interest in what they’re saying. For example, someone who writes an article denying climate change may also have a lot of shares in a coal company, so they’ve got self-interest and bias inherent in their writing.
Probing Bias Example: In a critique of an economic policy proposal, the critic highlighted the underlying assumption that economic growth always leads to improved social welfare, provoking a deeper debate on the correlation between growth and welfare.
15. Judging Coherence
Judging coherence involves assessing how well the different parts of a work or an idea logically fit together to form a meaningful whole.
Coherence is vital in ensuring that a work or idea makes sense to the audience and that the overall message or argument is clear and consistent.
In a critique, examining coherence may include looking at how arguments are structured, how information is sequenced, and how concepts relate to each other.
A highly coherent work or idea effectively communicates its message or purpose, making it easy for its audience to understand and follow.
Judging Coherence Example : While critiquing an academic essay, the evaluator noted high coherence since the arguments were logically ordered, well connected, and systematically built up to support the overall thesis.
Other Techniques for Critique
Media Critique
- Evaluating cultural sensitivity.
- Analyzing representation and inclusivity.
- Examining bias and objectivity.
- Considering emotional resonance.
- Assessing narrative flow.
- Investigating technical proficiency (e.g., in films: cinematography, editing).
- Evaluating character development and depth.
- Probing thematic depth and complexity.
- Gauging audience reception and feedback.
- Analyzing historical context and accuracy.
Academic Critique
- Evaluating research methodology .
- Assessing the adequacy of literature review.
- Analyzing the validity of conclusions.
- Inspecting the rigor of data analysis.
- Questioning the reliability of the instruments used.
- Investigating potential conflicts of interest.
- Examining the relevance and recency of cited sources.
- Gauging the scope and limitations of the study.
- Evaluating the theoretical framework and its application.
- Assessing the generalizability of the findings to broader populations.
Business Critique
- Analyzing financial viability and profitability.
- Evaluating the effectiveness of marketing strategies.
- Assessing organizational structure and hierarchy.
- Investigating ethical business practices.
- Gauging scalability and growth potential.
- Reviewing talent acquisition and retention strategies.
- Examining stakeholder and shareholder relations.
- Scrutinizing supply chain and operational efficiencies.
- Evaluating product or service innovation and differentiation.
- Analyzing competitive positioning and market share.
The Difference Between Critique and Criticism
Critique is a good-faith evaluation of a range of factors, positive and negative, to provide constructive feedback on a topic. Criticism is a fully negative evaluation that’s often interpreted as an attack in bad faith.
- Critique is generally viewed as a detailed, analytical assessment aimed at understanding and improving a work or idea. This process usually involves constructive feedback, evaluating the strengths and the weaknesses while offering enlightening perspectives for enhancement. Sometimes, we call it ‘ constructive criticism ‘.
- Criticism often bears a negative connotation, focusing mainly on pointing out faults and shortcomings, often without providing considerable insight for improvement or recognizing the positive aspects of the work or idea.
Aspect | Critique | Criticism |
---|---|---|
A detailed analysis and assessment of something, often emphasizing its positive and negative aspects. | Expressing disapproval or pointing out the faults or weaknesses in something or someone. | |
Usually constructive and often involves a thorough examination. | Can be either constructive or negative. However, in everyday usage, it’s often perceived as negative. | |
To provide feedback, enhance understanding, and promote improvement. | To highlight problems, mistakes, or flaws. Might be used to guide correction, but can also just be an expression of disapproval. | |
More neutral, balanced, and analytical. | Can be neutral, but often tends toward being negative or disapproving. | |
Common in academic, artistic, and professional settings. | Used in both formal and informal settings. | |
Typically invites discussion and improvement based on the feedback. | Might lead to defensiveness or denial, especially if it’s perceived as an attack or overly negative. |
The act of critique is a powerful tool that adds depth to our understanding and interpretation of works or ideas. The multilayered aspects of critique, ranging from analyzing the structure to questioning underlying assumptions, work together to provide a holistic evaluation. It allows us to identify strengths, expose weaknesses, and ultimately discover ways to improve. Therefore, honing critique skills is critical for intellectual growth, creativity, and progression in numerous fields of study and professional arenas.
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Chapter 8: Being Critical
8.1 What Makes a Critique a Critique?
Learning Objectives
- Define what it means to critique
- Explain the differences between a critique and other essay forms
This section will introduce you to another essay form instructors often ask their students to produce: the critique.
A critique is a written work critically analyzing or evaluating another piece of writing; also known as a review or critical response.
What Is a Critique?
When you see the word critique , the first thing you may think of is to criticize . In actuality, critiques do not need to look only at the negative aspects of a source; they can also focus on the positive components or even have a mix of the positive and negative elements. They are critical response papers analyzing and evaluating an original source , such as the academic journal article you are being asked to use for this assignment.
Self-Practice Exercise 8.1
H5P: Reading Critical Response
Read the following short critique, and then come up with a list of elements you believe make this a critique as opposed to an expository paper.
Vetter and Perlstein’s work on terrorism and its future is an excellent basis for evaluating views and attitudes to terrorism before the tragic events of 9/11. Written in 1991, the book provides an objective (but more theoretical) view on what terrorism is, how it can be categorized, and to what ideology it can be linked. Perspectives on Terrorism is a multifaceted review of numerous factors that impact and influence the global development of terrorism; those studying sociology or criminal justice might find ample information regarding the ideological roots and typology of terrorism as a phenomenon and as a specific type of violent ideology that has gradually turned into a dominant force of political change.
Vetter and Perlstein (1991) begin their work with the words “it has almost become pro forma for writers on terrorism to begin by pointing out how hard it is to define the term terrorism.” However, the authors do not waste their time trying to define what terrorism is; rather, they are trying to look at terrorism through the prism of its separate elements, and objectively evaluate the concept of public acceptability of terrorism as a notion. Trying to answer the two critical questions “why surrogate the war?” and “who sponsors terrorism?” Vetter and Perlstein (1991) evaluate terrorism as a unjustifiable method of violence for the sake of unachievable goals, tying the notion of terrorism to the notion of morality.
To define terrorism in its present form it is not enough to determine the roots and the consequences of particular terrorist act; nor is it enough to evaluate the roots and the social implications of particular behavioural characteristics beyond morality. On the contrary, it is essential to tie terrorism to particular political conditions, in which these terrorist acts take place. In other words, whether the specific political act is terrorist or non-terrorist depends on the thorough examination of the social factors beyond morality and law. In this context, even without an opportunity to find the most relevant definition of terrorism, the authors thoroughly analyze the most important factors and sociological perspectives of terrorism, including the notion of threat, violence, publicity, and fear.
Typology of terrorism is the integral component of our current understanding of what terrorism is, what form it may take, and how we can prepare ourselves to facing the challenges of terrorist threats. Vetter and Perlstein (1991) state that “finding similarities and differences among objects and events is the first step toward determining their composition, functions, and causes.” Trying to evaluate the usefulness of various theoretical perspectives in terrorism, the authors offer a detailed review of psychological, sociological, and political elements that form several different typologies of terrorism. For example, Vetter and Perlstein (1991) refer to the psychiatrist Frederick Hacker, who classifies terrorists into crazies, criminals, and crusaders. Later throughout the book, Vetter and Perlstein provide a detailed analysis of both the criminal and the crazy types of terrorists, paying special attention to who crusaders are and what role they play in the development and expansion of contemporary terrorist ideology. Vetter and Perlstein recognize that it is almost impossible to encounter an ideal type of terrorist, but the basic knowledge of terrorist typology may shed the light onto the motivation and psychological mechanisms that push criminals (and particularly crusaders) to committing the acts of political violence.
Perspectives on Terrorism pays special attention to the politics of terrorism, and the role, which ideology plays in the development of terrorist attitudes in society. “Violence or terrorism can be used both by those who seek to change or destroy the existing government or social order and those who seek to maintain the status quo” (Vetter & Perlstein, 1991). In other words, the authors suggest that political ideology is integrally linked to the notion of terrorism. With ideology being the central element of political change, it necessarily impacts the quality of the political authority within the state; as a result, the image of terrorism is gradually transformed into a critical triangle with political authority, power, and violence at its ends. In their book, Vetter and Perlstein (1991) use this triangle as the basis for analyzing the political assumptions, which are usually made in terms of terrorism, as well as the extent to which political authority may make violence (and as a result, terrorism) legally permissible. The long sociological theme of terrorism that is stretched from the very beginning to the very end of the book makes it particularly useful to those who seek the roots of terrorism in the distorted political ideology and blame the state as the source and the reason of terrorist violence.
Vetter, H.J. & Perlstein, G.R. (1991). Perspectives on terrorism (Contemporary issues in crime and justice). Pacific Grove, CA, USA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
Taken from: http://www.custom-essays.org/examples/Perspectives_on_Terrorism_Essay_Vetter__Perlstein.html
List three to five elements you think make this a critique.
How a Critique Is Different
A critique is different from an expository essay which is, as you have learned, a discussion revolving around a topic with multiple sources to support the discussion points. As you can see in Self – Practice Exercise 8.1 , depending on the type of critique you are writing, your reference page could include one source only. However, as you may discuss topical ideas within the original source, you may also want to include secondary sources to which you can compare and contrast the original source’s ideas, but you need to always connect your discussion points back to the original source. Figure 8.1: Critiquing v ersus Other Essay Forms shows visual representations of what a critique structure could look in comparison to another essay, such as one that is expository or persuasive in purpose.
If you look at the mind map for the critique, you can see how all of the discussion points stem from and relate back to the original article and how all of the discussion points can be interconnected. Also, the bubble labelled Secondary Sources/Support shows you can integrate secondary sources to compare and contrast when discussing either rhetorical or idea points. In the second diagram, you can see that the supporting ideas relate to the central topic, but they are extensions of the topic each with their own supporting forms of evidence. There is less emphasis placed on synthesis of ideas, although this is something you can still do when composing this type of essay.
The Purpose of Critiquing
In a post-secondary environment, your instructors will expect you to demonstrate critical thinking skills that go beyond simply taking another person’s ideas and spitting out facts. They will want you to show your ability to assess and analyze any type of information you use; they will also want to see that you have used sources to develop ideas of your own. Critiquing, or critical analysis, demonstrates you are able to connect ideas, arrive at your own conclusions, and develop new directions for discussion. You are also showing you have strong background knowledge on the topic in order to provide feedback on another person’s discussion on the issue.
Critical analysis appears in many forms in the academic world. It is present when you select appropriate sources for your support; you practise it when you choose what information from those sources to include as your evidence; you demonstrate it when you start breaking down your topic to develop discussion points. Very importantly, you also use critical analysis or thinking when you synthesize, or blend, your ideas with those of experts. This means you go beyond a statement of facts and take a stance on a topic. In this case of a critique, you not only state your view on an idea or issue but also on one core source of information on that topic: you insert your ideas into the text’s conversation.
Elements of a Critique
Often people go online for to read reviews of services or products. They sometimes make personal choices based on those reviews, such as what movie to go to or which restaurant to eat at. When you ask for a recommendation, the person you are asking will usually give you a brief summary of the experience then break his or her opinion down into smaller aspects—good and bad. For example, imagine you want to visit a new restaurant, and you ask your friend to recommend a place. Here is a sample response:
There is an amazing Japanese restaurant called Mega Sushi at the corner of Main and 12th. The food, atmosphere, and service are great. The food is always excellent, and they have a lot of original creations or spins on traditional Japanese food, but it still tastes authentic. The ingredients are always incredibly fresh, and you never have to worry about ordering the sashimi. The decor is also very authentic and classic, and the entire place is incredibly clean.
The service is generally very good—they even bring you a free sample roll while you wait for your food—but it can be a little slow during the dinner rush because it is such a popular place. Also, the prices are a little high because an average roll costs $15, but for the amazing food you get, it is totally worth it! I love this place!
When you break this example into sections, you can see the first and second sentences give the reviewer’s general opinion of the restaurant; they also summarize the main components the reviewer will cover. The review is then broken into smaller categories or points. Notice that not all the points covered are positive: while the food and atmosphere are good, the service has both positive and negative aspects but is overall good. Also, the prices are high, but the writer states that people who eat there get good value for their money. Providing a generalized description first, the reviewer introduced the topic to the audience; she then analyzed individual aspects or components of the experience with examples to help convince the audience of her perspective. Not everyone may have the same positive experience, of course. What if it was someone’s first time at this particular restaurant, and she arrived during the dinner rush feeling very hungry and had to wait a long time for a table? Not knowing how good the food is and that it is worth the wait, she may just leave, so her general impression of the restaurant would probably not be favourable. Whether the experience would be positive or negative would depend on an individual’s personal experience and situation. The same is true for any critique. No two people will have exactly the same response to a source because of who they are, the time, and their prior experiences. When critiquing, you are responding to anything that sparks a response in you when you are reading a source. When reading your article, pay close attention to any time you have to reread a sentence or paragraph. Make note of this; at the time you may not know why you have an issue with that section. Just realize that there was a point where you had to stop and make a notation of some sort on the paper. Once you have finished reading, you can go back and think about what the issue actually was. Maybe the vocabulary was difficult; maybe the author’s grammar was awkward and confusing; maybe the ideas did not make sense how they were organized; maybe you completely disagreed with the idea the author presented. Also, maybe something you read really sparked your interest, and you have the same opinion as the author, or perhaps the vocabulary was academic but not overly challenging where you would need to use a dictionary (the guiding questions for each critique form provided below will help you with this). All of these responses are valid and are things you can write about in your critique. Any critique, no matter if it is of a book, an article, or a movie, needs to contain the following elements:
- Example: In Smith’s (2009) article, he effectively argues his case for the reinstatement of capital punishment in Canada.
- This would be the same as if you were writing a summary of any source you read.
- You will decide on these points based on your reactions and personal preferences using the guiding questions for each of the forms below as suggestions.
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Starting Your Critique Essay
When starting your critique essay, take care not to start with your introduction —this part should give the reader a general view of what is to come. This is difficult to do if you don’t have the body of your essay yet. The best thing to do while you’re starting your critique essay is to come up with a good thesis statement: what is your main conclusion or analysis about the work? What specific thing do you want to focus on?
If you aren’t sure about this, yet you can begin by brainstorming or listing down different possible thesis statements and ideas. From here, it’s important to note what your audience will be interested in and also what you’re capable of writing the essay . Once you determine this, getting started on your critique essay should be easy! You can also start writing your critique essay by ordering a well-written custom essay from us—this gives you an immediate springboard of ideas to start with. Keep reading for more interesting information on critique essay writing, how to get organized and where to get help for your writing .
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Organizing your critique essay, how to develop critical thinking, where to look for help with your critique, how to write a critique on a movie, how to write a critique on a book, download a free sample of a critique essay.
Another great tip when organizing your critique essay is to use sub-headers. By labeling each of the sections of your paper, it’s easier for the reader to understand your point and there are fewer chances of you losing your train of thought. You might also opt for ordering a custom essay: this gives you strong, solid and orderly framework off of which you can base the rest of your work.
In order to write a good critical essay, you should firsts learn how to develop critical thinking. And learning how to develop critical thinking begins with learning to value objective reality. Before you can form an opinion about something, you have to first see it through a more or less unbiased eye. Set aside your initial judgment and look at the thing you’re critiquing: how does it look? What does it do? What effect does it have on the outside world? How do other people view it? What does it contribute to the world in general? Analyzing these aspects of whatever you’re critiquing will help you form a sharp mind. You should also take care to utilize as much wasted time as possible. This means analyzing certain things that occur around you during your day to day life—whether you’re at the supermarket, the bookstore or in transit look at the way things work, try to evaluate what makes certain systems effective and what doesn’t. One of the best ways to figure out how to develop critical thinking is to keep an open mind. Don’t be afraid to change your opinion on something—make sure that you make judgments based on facts and not on biases or prejudice.
If you are not sure whether you’re able to complete a critique essay successfully or not, ask the specialists at ProfEssays.com to help you. ProfEssays.com is always ready to write the best custom essay, following all of the requirements and customer’s demands. You may also learn more about cause and effect essay writing and get narrative essay assistance offered by ProfEssays.com.
A writer who has to develop a critique essay should remember that they do not need to be professional writers (nor can they be such). Writing critique essays can take a lot of time—watching or reviewing the material itself may take days of extensive research, not to mention the actual process of writing itself. On days when the deadlines are too tight and you just don’t have the energy or the hours to work in, you can always get quality help through us. Our experts are always ready to offer essay writing help. Enhance your critical mind— place your order now!
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Learn how to choose a topic, analyze and evaluate a work, and provide constructive feedback in a critique essay. This comprehensive article offers tips, methods, and examples to help you craft an effective and persuasive critique essay.
Write the Body Paragraphs First. With your outline in place, begin writing the body paragraphs. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence that introduces the main point, followed by evidence (quotes, examples, or facts) to support it. After presenting the evidence, analyze it and explain how it ties into your thesis.
Learn how to summarize and evaluate a concept or work in a critique paper. Follow the steps, format, and outline, and see examples of different types of critical essays.
Learn how to critically read and evaluate a research article for your academic writing. Find out the steps, criteria, and structure of an article critique with a sample and tips.
Learn how to write different types of critiques for academic texts, such as article or book reviews, manuscript reviews, and published book reviews. Find out the audience, purpose, and language strategies for each type of critique.
Writing a Critique. To critique a piece of writing is to do the following: describe: give the reader a sense of the writer's overall purpose and intent. analyze: examine how the structure and language of the text convey its meaning. interpret: state the significance or importance of each part of the text. assess: make a judgment of the work ...
Critiques are formal evaluations based on thorough and systematic investigation. They're often performed on: Creative works - fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, film, works of art, or art exhibits. Research - book length academic or public scholarship, journal articles, presentations, or studies. Concepts, theories, or philosophies ...
When writing an article critique, you should follow a few formatting guidelines. The importance of using a proper format is to make your review clear and easy to read. Make sure to use double spacing throughout your critique. It will make it easy to understand and read for your instructor. Indent each new paragraph.
First, you must introduce the author and the title of the work being critiqued. This information is often in the first sentence of a critique's introduction, but so long as the info is at or near the top you are fine. Second, state the author's main point (whether in the entire work or the section of the work you are critiquing).
Learn how to write a critique essay for ENG 112 by focusing on the author, not the content, of the article. Find tips on summary, criteria, analysis, and conclusion.
The structure of a typical critique essay example includes an introduction, a summary, an analysis, and a conclusion. The paper format is a crucial element. Just like when you write your research papers, a critique benefits from a clear one to guide the reader. Therefore, work on defining the critique essay outline before starting the writing ...
A critique paper is a piece of writing that provides an in-depth analysis of another work. These include books, poems, articles, songs, movies, works of art, or podcast episodes. Aside from these, a critique may also cover arguments, concepts, and artistic performances. For example, a student may evaluate a book they've read or the merit of ...
Example of Critique Essay On Articles. An article-related critique essay is a paper that evaluates an article to determine its effectiveness in attaining a goal. An article could comprise opinions, personal experiences, and external research. This essay entertains, informs, persuades, or educates readers. An article critique differs from a ...
A critical essay is a form of academic writing that analyzes, interprets, and/or evaluates a text. In a critical essay, an author makes a claim about how particular ideas or themes are conveyed in a text, then supports that claim with evidence from primary and/or secondary sources. In casual conversation, we often associate the word "critical ...
Below are nine organizational and writing tips to help you craft the best possible critical analysis essay. 1. Read Thoroughly and Carefully. You will need to accurately represent an author's point of view and techniques. Be sure you truly understand them before you begin the writing process.
Analyzing Structure Example: In a film critique, the reviewer noted how the narrative structure, with flashbacks interspersed at strategic points, amplified the emotional impact and depth of the story. 4. Considering Originality. Originality refers to the creativity, novelty, or freshness brought to a work or an idea.
Learn the definition, purpose, and structure of a critique essay, a written work that analyzes and evaluates another source. Compare and contrast a critique with other essay forms, such as expository and persuasive, and see examples and exercises.
Learn how to write a critique essay on a movie, a book or any other object or idea. Find out how to organize, develop critical thinking and get help from ProfEssays.com experts.