Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region III
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF ZAMBALES
Zone 6, Iba, Zambales
Tel./Fax No. (047) 602 1391
E-mail Address: zambales@deped.gov.ph
website: www.depedzambales.ph

Name: _____________________________ Grade/Section: _________________

School: ____________________________ Date: ___________________________

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

I. Introduction
In these times of adversity, positive and negative comments are found
everywhere. Everyone seems to have an opinion about almost everything –
whether these things are considered to be comment worthy or not. In the
schools, and even in the comfort of our own homes, we tend to comment on
issues we hear about, whether it’s from social media, in the news, or even just
from the grapevine.

As individuals, we all have our own way of expressing our points of views,
opinions and feelings. We also critique things in various ways, which may
either be optimistic or constructive. In this learning activity sheet, you will
learn all about what critique is and the different approaches in writing
critiques.

II. Learning Competency

Uses appropriate critical writing a critique such as formalism, feminism, etc.

III. Objectives:
At the end of this learning activity sheet, you are expected to:
a. define critique;
b. identify and describe the various approaches in writing a critique;
c. use the most appropriate approach for writing a critique for a particular
piece of work; and
d. construct a critique paper using any of the given approaches in writing
a critique.

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IV. Discussion

What is a CRITIQUE?
A critique is a genre of academic writing that briefly summarizes and
critically evaluates a work or concept. Critiques can be used to carefully analyze
a variety of work such as:

 Creative works such as novels, exhibits, film, images, poetry

 Research and academic texts such as monographs, journal articles,
systematic reviews, theories
 Media such as news reports, feature articles

Like an essay, a critique uses a formal, academic writing style and has a
clear structure, that is, an introduction, body and conclusion. However, the
body of a critique includes a summary of the work and a detailed evaluation. The
purpose of an evaluation is to gauge the usefulness or impact of a work in a
particular field.

Why do we write Critiques?

Writing a critique on a work helps us to develop:
 A knowledge of the work’s subject area or related works.
 An understanding of the work’s purpose, intended audience,
development of argument, structure of evidence or creative style.
 A recognition of the strengths and weaknesses of the work.

How is a Critique written?

Before you start writing, it is important to have a thorough understanding
of the work that will be critiqued.
1. Study the work under discussion.
2. Make notes on key parts of the work.
3. Develop an understanding of the main argument or purpose being
expressed in the work.
4. Consider how the work relates to a broader issue or context.

A. Writing the INTRODUCTION

Typically, the introduction is short (less than 10% of the word length) and
you should:
 name the work being reviewed as well as the date it was created and the
name of the author/creator;

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  describe the main argument or purpose of the work;
 explain the context in which the work was created. This could include the
social or political context, the place of the work in a creative or academic
tradition, or the relationship between the work and the creator’s life
experience; and
 have a concluding sentence that signposts what your evaluation of the
work will be. For instance, it may indicate whether it is a positive, negative,
or mixed evaluation.

B. SUMMARIZING
Briefly summarize the main points and objectively describe how the
creator portrays these by using techniques, styles, media, characters or
symbols. This summary should not be the focus of the critique and is usually
shorter than the critical evaluation.

C. Providing CRITICAL EVALUATION

This section should give a systematic and detailed assessment of the
different elements of the work, evaluating how well the creator was able to
achieve the purpose through these. For example: you would assess the plot
structure, characterization and setting of a novel; an assessment of a painting
would look at composition, brush strokes, color and light; a critique of a
research project would look at subject selection, design of the experiment,
analysis of data and conclusions.

NOTE: A critical evaluation does not simply highlight negative impressions. It

should deconstruct the work and identify both strengths and weaknesses. It
should examine the work and evaluate its success, in light of its purpose.

Examples of key critical questions that could help your assessment include:
 Who is the creator? Is the work presented objectively or subjectively?
 What are the aims of the work? Were the aims achieved?
 What techniques, styles, media were used in the work? Are they effective in
portraying the purpose?
 What assumptions underlie the work? Do they affect its validity?
 What types of evidence or persuasion are used? Has the evidence been
interpreted fairly?
 How is the work structured? Does it favor a particular interpretation or point
of view? Is it effective?
 Does the work enhance understanding of key ideas or theories? Does the work
engage (or fail to engage) with key concepts or other works in its discipline?

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 This evaluation is written in formal academic style and logically presented.
Group and order your ideas into paragraphs. Start with the broad impressions
first and then move into the details of the technical elements. For shorter
critiques, you may discuss the strengths of the works, and then the weaknesses.
In longer critiques, you may wish to discuss the positive and negative of each
key critical question in individual paragraphs. To support the evaluation, provide
evidence from the work itself, such as a quote or example, and you should also
cite evidence from related sources. Explain how this evidence supports your
evaluation of the work.

D. Writing the CONCLUSION

This is usually a very brief paragraph, which includes:
 a statement indicating the overall evaluation of the work;
 a summary of the key reasons identified during the critical
evaluation, why this evaluation was formed; and
 in some circumstances, recommendations for improvement on the
work may be appropriate.

E. Creating the REFERENCE LIST

Include all resources cited in your critique. Check with your lecturer/tutor
for which referencing style to use.

TRADITIONAL CRITICAL APPROACHES

1. Historical-Biographical. This approach sees a literary work as a reflection
of the author’s life and times or the life and times of the characters in the
work. Critics using this school of thought investigate how plot details,
settings, and characters of the work reflect or are representative of events,
settings, and people in the author’s life or a direct outgrowth of — or
reaction to– the culture in which the author lived.

2. Moral-Philosophical. This approach takes the position that the larger

function of literature is to teach morality and probe philosophical issues,
such as ethics, religion, or the nature of humanity. Literature is interpreted
within the context of the philosophical thought of a period or group, such
as Christianity, Existentialism, Buddhism, etc. Often critics will see in the
work allusions to other works, people, or events from this perspective, or
see the work as allegorical.

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 3. Formalistic Criticism. Using this type of criticism, a reader would see the
work as an independent and self-sufficient artistic object. This approach is
also sometimes referred to as the “New Criticism,” since it came back in
vogue in the 1960s-70s, but it was originally an outgrowth of the “Art for
Art’s Sake” movement of the late 1800s. Formalistic critics assume that
everything necessary for analyzing the work is present in the work itself and
disregard any connection to possible outside influences such as the
author’s own life or historical times. This criticism considers what a work
says and how it says it as inseparable issues. It focuses on close reading,
with sensitivity to the words and their various meanings. It searches for
structures, patterns, imagery and motifs, and figurative language along
with the juxtaposition of scenes, tone, and other literary techniques in order
to come to conclusions about the meaning of the work.

NEWER APPROACHES TO LITERARY CRITICISM

1. Psychological Criticism. This approach deals with a work of literature
primarily as it is an expression – in fictional form – of the author’s
personality, mindset, feelings and desires. It also requires that we
investigate the psychology of the characters and their motives in order to
figure out the work’s meanings. This school of criticism got its start with
the work of Sigmund Freud, which incorporated the importance of the
unconscious or sub-conscious in human behavior. Some typical
“archetypal” Freudian interpretations include: rebellion against a father, id
versus superego, death-wish forces, or sexual repression. Dreams,
visualizations, and fantasies of characters in modern works usually stem
from Freudian concepts.

2. Feminist / Gender Criticism. This approach asks us to use a wide variety

of issues related to gender, concerning the author, the work itself, the
reader, and the societies of the author and reader, to determine the stance
of the work on the feminist continuum. These critics would argue that in
order to achieve validity, a literary criticism that claims universality must
include the feminine consciousness, since till very recently and in many
instances yet today, works of literature and criticism have been male-
dominated and therefore necessarily skewed in their perspective. Feminist
critics look for the development of male and female characters and their
motives to see how the author and his or her times affected the gender roles
in the work.

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 3. Sociological / Marxist Criticism. This viewpoint considers particular
aspects of the political content of the text; the author; the historical and
socio-cultural context of the work; and the cultural, political, and personal
situation of the reader in relationship to the text. These critics tend to focus
on the overall themes of the work as they relate to economic class, race,
sex, and instances of oppression and/or liberation. Author, critic and
reader bias is explored.

Below is a sample critique of the painting Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh.

Art Criticism: Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night

May 14, 2010
By Anonymous

Starry Night is a beautiful painting, representational in the type of art. The size
of the painting is 29 in. by 36 ¼ in., and oil on canvas were the materials used. Van
Gogh is using an expressive quality and an emotionalism viewpoint. On the left side
of the painting, there is a group of black lines that curve in waves upward, coming to
a point. To the lower right, there is a small town that leads up to hills and then
mountains. The painting is set at night, and the sky is a wondrous swirl of bursting
blues, greens, and a gentle yellow for the crescent moon that is in the upper right
corner. Lighter values of blue shape the outlines of large stars in the sky, though some
stars are smaller than others. Sometimes, there is a yellow dot, the color of the moon
in the innermost circle of the star. The town is shown through light blues, and yellow
squares of light show that electricity or candlelight is glowing, though no people are
shown. On the left side, it is not apparent of exactly what the lines are. At first, it
comes across as a sort of castle, but then you get the impression that it is a plant of
some sort that is growing toward sky. As you look closer you realize that the
mysterious shape is not made of black lines, but dark green, with hints of blues and
blacks in its midst. Balance is shown, because the crescent moon over the town gives
a taller feel to the right side, giving the left side an equal.

The objective of this painting is clearly to depict a small town, at night time, also
showing a tall, unidentifiable structure that is made up of curved lines. The title,
“Starry Night,” helps to discern that the night sky is clearly one of the main points.
The type of art is representational, because the painting is realistic. The aesthetic
viewpoint is emotionalism, as Van Gogh’s work is realistic, but you can still detect
emotion within the painting. The dominant elements of art used are value, space, and
texture. Value is used as far as different shades of blues and greens. Value is shown
throughout the whole painting. Space is created with the depth of the night sky. The
town is small, but is large enough to create a space that goes into the painting, and

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onto the mountains. Texture is used in the small brushstrokes used in the painting.
Variety is shown in the form of a small, quaint, and normal town under a mystical sea
of stars and moon, and the town is next to a seemingly magical but unidentifiable
structure. The focal point is easily the sky, because it has the brightest colors and
greatest application of texture. But as your eyes search the painting, the tall castle-
like structure catches your eyes and draws your vision to the town, the mountains,
and then back to the sky. The illusion of space is deep, as if you are peering past the
little town, into the mountains, and through the night sky. The movement is easily
active, as bursts of light and shades dominate the night sky, but at the same time, the
town is calm and simple. The visual balance is symmetrical. Though the black lines
draw the eye, the crescent moon above the town balances the painting. Parts of the
painting, though surreal, fit together because they are all in the same setting: night
time. As said in the focal point, the parts of the painting flow into one another.

The artist is saying that he loves the glow of the moon on a mountaintop, the
mystery of a castle, the quaintness of a small town. The artist is drawing from within
to create emotion and spirit. The meaning of the painting is along the lines of
peacefulness and serenity. I would not expect this town to be full of crime or noise.
Even if it was, this is not what the artist depicted. What he did depict was a town,
some houses with twinkling lights, others dark with the peace of sleep. But energy in
the painting lives, with the stars glistening like small suns. I see that the painting
expresses a dark mood, but happy at the same time. I mean this in the way that night
has darkness, but light intrudes, creating a feeling of calm beauty.

This work is successful. It certainly met its objective, which was to portray a
small town at night, with a brilliant sky and a tall and beautiful but unidentifiable
structure. This painting is fairly realistic, so as far as the type of art, the objective was
met. However, emotionalism is also an objective, because the artist imitates reality,
but also draws inward for emotion. Good balance is shown in the painting, I would
say it is symmetrical. Rhythm is also well shown, as you gaze at the painting, your
eyes moving around as each part flows into another. Emphasis is shown on the night
sky and the great black figure. Proportion is difficult to describe, as it is difficult to
discern just how big the black figure really is. Variety in the mystical castle and the
quaint town is well shown. Harmony is shown in the way that parts of the painting
come together. Space, value, texture, and shape are the dominant elements of art, as
stated in the analysis. I love this work of art because I love the night so much,
particularly in this painting, with its bursts of light and color. I also love mysteries,
and the structure on the left side of the painting is definitely a mystery to me. I find
that this painting is a new favorite of mine, because of its beauty. It is an exceptional
work of art.

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V. Activities
A. True or False
Directions: Write the word TRUE if you agree with the statement, and if you
disagree, write the word FALSE. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
1. The words critique and criticize are synonymous to each other.
2. Gender has to do with the literary work of a writer.
3. In doing a critique, it is okay to include just the negative side of
the matter being critiqued.
4. Historical or biographical approach reflects the author and other
contexts about his/her life.
5. Psychological approach deals with a work of literature primarily
as it is an expression.
6. Being subjective and objective must be observed in writing a
critique.
7. The person who writes critique paper must focus only on the
locality of the given text or literature.
8. A critique paper has only an introduction and conclusion part.
9. An effective critique paper discusses all the aspects of the
literature.
10. Moral or philosophical approach in critiquing tackles about
humanity, religion and teaches morality.

B. Tell Me What You Feel

Directions: Below are images of Manila Bay in two different situations. Give at
least 5 thoughts for each picture. Your answers may be a word, a phrase or even
a sentence.

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1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
4. ______________________________
5. ______________________________
1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
4. ______________________________
5. ______________________________

C. Critiques-in-One
Directions: Summarize what has been discussed from the lecture part of this
Learning Activity Sheet by completing the table below.
Approaches in Literary What Is It? How is it done?
Criticism (Definition) (Technique in writing)
Historical-Biographical
Moral-Philosophical
Formalistic Criticism
Psychological Criticism
Feminist/Gender Criticism
Sociological/Marxist Criticism

VI. Assessment
Directions: Choose one from the given list of topics and write a critique
depending on how familiar you are with each of them. Your critique must be at
least 250 words and you must use one of the approaches discussed in this
learning activity sheet. Use a separate sheet of paper.

List of Topics
 The song Paubaya performed by Moira
 A K-Drama of your choice
 A poem of your choice
 A K-pop group of your choice
 Any popular Filipino YouTuber
 A friend’s drawing/art project
 A memorable film/movie you have watched
 The anime Naruto/Naruto Shippuden (by Masashi Kishimoto)
 The online game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang created by Moonton
 A popular milktea place/restaurant/carinderia/eatery in your locality

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You will be scored based on the given rubric below.
NEEDS
EXCELLENT MEETS EXPECTATIONS
CRITERIA IMPROVEMENT
5 points 3 points
1 point
o Introduction grabs
attention and
Introduction sparks
provides meaningful Introduction provides
some interest and
context to a context
effectively introduces
persuasive argument for the argument but is
reasonable argument
Introduction/ o Conclusion obvious and/or basic
o Conclusion restates
Conclusion effectively restates o Conclusion restates
arguments, but uses new
the argument, but arguments,
language and shows
fresh language and but recycles previous
understanding of the big
meaningful insight statements verbatim
picture
leaves reader
wanting more
o Creative/original o Analysis is believable
ideas and insights; and convincing, a few
o Analysis supports
extensive assertions may lack
your
Commentary commentary, specific examples, but
argument, but ideas are
refreshing; goes assertions are still clearly
obvious and basic
beyond obvious and connected to the
basic commentary argument
o You have chosen,
for the most part,
the best evidence to
o Your evidence is
support your point o Evidence is present,
believable and
Evidence o Evidence is highly but
convincing and supports
persuasive and superficial
your argument
effective in
supporting your
argument
o Effectively blends direct o Blend quoted material
quotation with smoothly; but sentence
o Sophisticated
Style, explanatory words and structure lack variety-
vocabulary; sentence
Vocabulary, phrases to introduce the basic and
variety; quotations
Sentence quotation and facilitate obvious; attempts to
are smoothly
Structure narrative flow; still incorporate more
blended
attempting advanced advanced
vocabulary vocabulary

VII. Reflection
Directions: Fill in each blank with the right word to complete the passage. Use
appropriate words from the box below the passage.

1. A ________________ is a careful analysis of an argument to determine what is

said. It is a genre of 2. ______________ that briefly 3. _____________ and 4.
______________ a work or concept. Like an 5. ______________, a critique uses a
formal, academic writing style and has a clear 6. ______________, that is, 7.

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______________, 8. ________________, and 9. ____________. However, the body of a
critique includes a summary of the work and detailed evaluation. The purpose
of an evaluation is to gauge the usefulness or 10. ______________ of a work in
particular field.

impact essay
conclusion evaluates
summarizes structure
introduction body
academic writing critique

VIII. References

Edutopia.Org. Accessed 29 October 2020.

https://www.edutopia.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/stw/edutopia-stw-
yesprep-rubric-literary-analysis.pdf.
Images.App.Goo.Gl. Accessed 29 October 2020.
https://images.app.goo.gl/BzXg1kWnX2o5Z5oF6.
"Art Criticism: Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night | Teenink". Teenink.Com, 2010.
http://www.teenink.com/reviews/all/article/212391/Art-Criticism-
Vincent-van-Gogh-Starry-Night/.
Dapat, Jose Rizal O. Applied English For Academic And Professional Services.
1st ed. Reprint, Pasay City, Philippines: JFS Publishing Services, 2016.
Nordquist, Richard. "What Is A Critique?". Thoughtco, 2019.
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-critique-composition-1689944.
"QUT Cite|Write - Writing A Critique". Citewrite.Qut.Edu.Au. Accessed 29
October 2020. https://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/write/critique.jsp.
"What Is Literary Criticism? | Writing 102". Courses.Lumenlearning.Com.
Accessed 29 October 2020.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp2kscopex92x2/chapter
/what-is-literary-criticism/.

Prepared by:

RHOMEL M. CORPUZ
Teacher II
San Guillermo National High School

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Key Answer Key Answer
(Reflection) (Activity A – True or
1. Critique False)
2. Academic 1. False
writing 2. True
3. Summarizes 3. False
4. Evaluates 4. True
5. Essay 5. True
6. Structure 6. True
7. Introduction 7. False
8. Body 8. False
9. Conclusion 9. True
10. Impact 10. True
Answers will vary. The learners will be scored using the rubrics on page 10.
Assessment
Answers will vary.
Activity C
Answers will vary.
Activity B
Key to Corrections