Unit III- WRITING THE REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE

WEEK 5
CONTENT STANDARD
The students demonstrate an understanding of the principles, and uses of the reaction
PERFORMANCE STANDARD
The learners shall be able to form opinions based on facts
LEARNING COMPETENCIES
The learners…
1. Form opinions based on facts.
2. Cite specific sources to support claims.
3. Presents ideas convincingly.
4. Uses appropriate language for a specific discipline.
LESSON 1 PRESENTING IDEAS FOR REACTION
STARTER
Get a review of a recent book from online or print sources and fill out the table below.
Strengths (Cite events or observations.) Weaknesses (Cite events or observations.)

Would you recommend this book to another reader? Why or why not?

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Critiques are an important rhetorical pattern in academic writing as they present a

balanced view of things. Critiques, however, are based not only on personal perspective
but should be grounded on actual observations. Here are some tips in developing your
critique:
The Structure and  Remember that the critique should be accessible to the audience.
Language of Critique Therefore, providing background information for the readers will be helpful.
Including the central ideas of the book, the concept, the event, or the movie to be
critiqued is necessary.
 Relating your critique to greater realities will also help you ground your
critique on the wider scheme of things. For instance, what subject/theme does the
movie, concept, book, or event address? Are there questions that people constantly ask that this particular
subject/theme you are reviewing can answer?

In general, the critique should be organized in the following manner:

1. The first part should provide readers a sense of the ideas you want to tackle. (What are some problems people face
in their daily lives? What are some heatly debated topics discussed among groups concerning the community? )
2. The next part should provide summary of the concept.
3. Strengths and weaknesses should be part of the critique. Remember that this is challenging and requires tact.

WRITING THE REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE

Some expressions such as the ones below will help:

Illustrating Strengths Illustrating Weaknesses

However, X may not be a wise choice if you intended to… (Cite

Given its features, X may be the best among the
competition…
It does not only provide (enumerate common
features found in other counterparts) but also
(enumerate unique features)…
specific activities or features needed by a specific user or
audience.)
In certain cases, X lacks some interesting points such as …
(Cite specific features or qualities.)
It may not appeal to certain users or audiences as it… (Cite
specific features or qualities.)
In certain cases, X may not be a good investment of your time
as it… (Cite specific features or qualities.)
Though there are positive points for X, certain improvements
can be made.

4. The final section of the critique should include the final recommendations of the author. For instance, is the movie,
book, gadget, event, or concept a good investment of time, effort, and money? What background knowledge does
one need to see or use them? Will other activities help to appreciate these?

ENRICHMENT
With the approval of your teacher, choose between the two prompts and prepare your thesis statement
outline.
a. A magazine/journal has requested you to write a review of an event in your community. Your critique
should be at least 800 words and should not exceed 1,000 words. The critique should not only focus on
the details of the event but also on the contribution of the event to your community. In addition, the
review should help raise awareness of the importance of the activity.
b. A magazine/journal has requested you to write a review of an upcoming gadget to be released in the
market. Your critique should not be at least 800 words and should not exceed 1,000 words. The critique
should focus not only on the features of the gadget but also potential uses of it. In addition, it should
identify strengths and weaknesses as well as prior knowledge for potential users as well as the gadget’s
best applications.

(Write your critique topic here)

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

WRITING THE REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE

RECOMMENDATION:

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Learner’s Name: ________________________________________ Year & Section: _______________________

Parent/ Guardian: ______________________________________ Date: _____________________________

WRITING THE REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE
 (Signature over Printed Name) Teacher: ___________________Contact No.: ________________

LESSON 2 WRITING THE REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE

LEARNING COMPETENCIES
1. Raises legitimate, contrary views in an appropriate manner.
2. Uses appropriate critical approaches in writing a critique.
3. Applies the principles of writing effective reviews and critiques.
4. Writes an objective/balanced review or critique of a work of art, an event, or a program.
STARTER

In the last lesson, you were provided instructions on how to do reviews. In this section, you’ll be guided to write
them. Individually, do a product review video presentation. The product may be a gadget, piece of clothing or garment,
or an item popularly used among the young generation. Your presentation should have the following parts:

1. Inroduction- What is the product about? What are its features?

2. Review- How does the product compare with its counterparts or other brands?
3. Recommendation- Will you recommend consumers to purchase the item? Why or why not?

 The critique should provide background information for the reader to grasp the issue
raised in your piece. For instance, to introduce the topic, include current problems or
information that will be helpful for making your critique accessible to your readers. Read
Focus 1 the sample and answer the questions that follow.
Example:
News discourse is a rich area in language studies that has attracted attention among scholars
both old and new. Departing from merely examining printed texts, the present era of globalized
technologies poses serious challenges for the analysis of news discourse, given that producers of news
employ different modalities to deliver their message. In addition, the growing mobilities of individuals
(geographical, virtual, social) raise interesting questions on the suitable frameworks available for
researchers to fully understanding different aspects of news discourse. Given the present scenario, this
elucidates the challenges of studying news discourse.
Presented in nine chapters, the book conveniently deals with specific aspects of the topic,
giving readers a manageable resource for study. Chapter 1 overviews the book, starting with definitions
of news discourse, then outlining the different approaches (
sociolinguistic, corpus linguistic, critical discourse analytic, to name a few) and methods of collecting
data. Included in this section is the importance of studying discourse, which may spark interest among
beginning scholars and readers unfamiliar with the area (Valdez, 2014).
Why was the review conducted in the first place? What are some features of the book?

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TASK 1
Based on the prompts and outputs from the last lesson, fill out the table below and draft the introduction of your
review.
FEATURES NOTES
Recent developments in the world and in
the region.
General features of the material.

WRITING THE REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE

 ENRICHMENT 1
With the input from the focus section, draft the introduction for your critique. Make sure to seek feedback from
your peers and teacher for subsequent revisions.

 A major part of critique is a brief summary of the event, book, concept, or object being
critiqued. In this part, specific descriptions are needed for the reader to have an overview of
Focus 2 the central features of the topic.
 Aside from providing an overview, it is important to provide informed insights on these
features. For instance, weakness or strengths should be based on what is observable and
comparable to other items of the same class. Consider the following sample statements:
Sample 1
The smartphone has an eight megapixel camera supported by both Bluetooth technology and wireless
applications. These features are standard among modern phones, so that the higher price is not justified.
Sample 2
The movie is worth seeing because it features not only talented actors but also tells an excellent story
filled with unexpected twists.

Focusing on the underlined opinions, tell how the writer justified the statements. Read the next example and
strengthen these sections by providing informed data in each chapter.

TASK 2
(1) Chapter 1 explains the use of digital media and how they enhance oral and written language. The readers
become aware of the new delivery of language. This clarifies the idea that both oral and written language can be
interactive. (2) Chapter 2 gives the definition of language and elaborates on the strengths and weaknesses of oral and
written discourse. Here the author emphasizes that though oral language is important; other modes of communication
were developed to enhance the message.

Opinion about chapter 1:

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Opinion about chapter 2: ____________________________________________________________________________

TASK 3
Prepare the body of the review with the guide questions in the table below. Then, write your draft.
GUIDE QUESTIONS RESPONSES
What are the essential features?

WRITING THE REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE

What are the strengths of these features?

What are the weaknesses of these

features?

 The evaluation of the final section should summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the
subject to be critiqued. This includes points for readers to consider before reading the book,
Focus 3 watching the film, attending the event, or purchasing the item.
 Among the different sections of the critique, two important points should stand out. First,
recommendations must be backed up from sources to strengthen your claims. Second, a
negative appraisal must be expressed with tact. Consider the following concluding paragraphs of critiques.
Sample 1
Taken as a whole, the book can be a helpful resource for teachers planning to integrate technology in
their classrooms. In addition, the sample lessons provided in the appendices consider different
material conditions of schools which may be a reality in some settings. Since Estacio (2009) views
that technology use in education may depend on the conditions of educational institutions, the lessons
in the book are a welcome addition to the growing number of resources in different contexts for
teachers.
In this sample, the underlined citation helps strengthen the positive appraisal of the book. This also serves as means for
the reviewer to relate the book to other sources that deal with the same topic.
Sample 2
Considering the pros and cons of the computer system, users may want to check other options that
bear same features, as other companies provide top of the line features for their premium offerings but
with lower price points.
In this sample, the underlined statement opens opportunities for users to check options and allow them to make decisions
to buy the computer system or not.

TASK 4
Given the following ideas, write a sentence that uses a citation to strengthen specific claims.

Claim: The movie is good for younger audiences.

Cited information: Torres (1990) emphasized positive values as an indicator of favorable viewership for younger
audiences.

Revised Sentence:
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Claim: The car can sustain higher speeds for several hours.
Cited information: As seen in several lab tests, the car is not only efficient in fuel consumption but is quite fast
compared to its competitors (Santos, 2009).

Revised Sentence:
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TASK 5
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow.
The book is a valuable resource as it provides interesting theoretical and methodological means for analyzing
news discourse. For instance, analyzing the combination of images and texts allows greater understanding of
values encoded in the news. In addition, the book adequately discusses means for addressing methodological
problems in analyzing data in different forms of media. Moreover, since the book draws on different perspectives,
readers will find a range of options to work with when confronting their own data. To illustrate, news may not
only be seen on the national/international scene but also in specific locales. Therefore, this can help in making
sense of one’s data through adequate examples.

WRITING THE REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE

 The book is intended as a suitable introduction for graduate students and researchers interested in exploring the
complexities of news discourse, as it provides input, a list of readings and additional activities for research. It also
integrates several theoretical and methodological perspectives, giving readers a free hand on deciding which
approach to employ in analyzing their own data. Overall, this book, which is part of the Continuum series of
books covering areas of discourse, is a valuable contribution for the enrichment of scholarship concerning news
discourse (Valdez, 2014).

Guide Questions:

1. Is the recommendation of the book positive or negative? Cite specific information.

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2. What considerations did the author mention for readers to consider in reading the book?
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TASK 6
Prepare a draft for the conclusion of your review. Fill out the table below to help in writing your draft.
POINTS FOR RECOMMENDATION RESPONSES
1. What are the positive and negative features of the
item?

2. What background knowledge is needed for users to

fully maximize the use of the item or enjoy the
event/movie?

3. Would you recommend this to other people?

WRITING THE REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE

 ENRICHMENT 2
In finalizing your review, ask a peer to provide feedback on your work. Have them answer the statements. They
may also comment on your manuscript.
1. I think the review is ________________________________ because __________________________________.
However, it may be good to improve the following points:
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2. I think the introduction ________________________________________________________________________
but may need some revisions such as
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3. I think the body is ____________________________________________________________________________.
However, ___________________________________________________________________________________
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4. The final section is
____________________________________________________________________________ but
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5. Language use is
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Grammar and mechanics are
____________________________________________________________________. However,
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WRITING THE REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE

Learner’s Name: ________________________________________ Year & Section: _______________________

Parent/ Guardian: ______________________________________ Date: _____________________________

(Signature over Printed Name) Teacher: ___________________Contact No.: ___________

WRITING THE REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE