WRITING A CRITIQUE

English 10, 3rd Quarter

Jayvee Bryan Abrio & Niña Elaine Encinas
Presented by
 What is a critique?

A critique is a response to a body of work, be it a performance,

concept, argument, scholarly article, poem or book. If you write a
critique, you can present your opinion of the work or provide an
alternative opinion. Critiques typically include the following:
 Critiques typically include the following:

• Description of the work, including its purpose, the creator and the
intention
• Analysis of the work's structure, function or content
• Interpretation of the work's significance or meaning
• Assessment of the work's worth
Types of critiques
Regardless of which type of critique you write, you may structure it similarly. However, it's
important to consider your audience before you begin. Here are three types of critiques you
might write:

1. Academic critique
Typically, students are the authors of academic critiques. If you're a student, a professor may ask
you to critique something that pertains to your course. For example, if you're writing a critique in
a composition course or in response to a work of art, it's often called a response paper. If you are
reviewing another student's work, it may be called a peer response. It's most common to write
these critiques in academic settings, especially in English-related classes or courses.
Types of critiques
Regardless of which type of critique you write, you may structure it similarly. However, it's
important to consider your audience before you begin. Here are three types of critiques you
might write:

2. Reviews on published works

Reviewing an existing, publicly available body of work is another type of critique. Book reviews
can be written for a publisher, newspaper or your own pleasure, or they might be assigned in a
college course, particularly English or literature classes. Some people write film reviews or write
critical responses to journalistic article.
Types of critiques
Regardless of which type of critique you write, you may structure it similarly. However, it's
important to consider your audience before you begin. Here are three types of critiques you
might write:

3. Feedback on manuscripts or works-in-progress

You may write these types of critiques either for the author or producer of a piece of work. When
an expert in the field writes this type of critique, it is often referred to as a peer review. This type
of critique typically determines whether a scholarly journal accepts the article for publication.
How to write a critique
When you're ready to begin writing your critique, follow these steps:

1. Determine the criteria

Before you write your critique, it's helpful to first determine the criteria for the critique. If it's an
assignment, your professor may include a rubric for you to follow. Examine the assignment and
ask questions to verify your understanding of the guidelines.
Most critiques require you to thoroughly evaluate the work you are critiquing rather than simply
summarizing it. Knowing the criteria ensures you cover all aspects needed to successfully
critique a piece or composition.
How to write a critique
When you're ready to begin writing your critique, follow these steps:

2. Observe the body of work

Before you begin your critique, it’s necessary to observe the body of work. This may include
watching a film, reading an article or visiting an art museum. During this observation process, it's
helpful to consider certain questions to develop a nuanced and detailed perspective or opinion.
Some questions you might ask when you observe the body of work may include:

• What is the nature of the body of work being • Is the piece logically organized?
analyzed? • Who is the intended audience?
• Who wrote or composed the body of work? •
Why is the piece significant?
• Why was the piece written or composed?
How to write a critique
When you're ready to begin writing your critique, follow these steps:

3. Do your research
Experiencing material for a critique often requires deeper research into the piece. Consider
reading what others have said about it or compare it to similar things. This can give you a better
understanding of the larger context or issue discussed in the body of work. It also allows you to
more aptly analyze the subject of the critique.
For example, if you're analyzing a study on a new medication for asthma, you might research
existing asthma treatments and their effectiveness. If you're critiquing a film, you could get some
perspective by comparing it to other films by that director or similar films in the same genre.
Completing additional research can add depth to your critique.
How to write a critique
When you're ready to begin writing your critique, follow these steps:

4. Format your critique

As with most written documents, a critique benefits from clear formatting that guides the reader.
It's best to include an introduction, body and conclusion. Consider outlining your critique before
you begin the writing process.
How to write a critique
When you're ready to begin writing your critique, follow these steps:

5. Write an introductory paragraph

The first part of the critique is the introductory paragraph or introduction. For this section, try to
clearly introduce the subject of the critique and its author. Provide an overview that introduces
the main points and describes the way the creator or author completed the work.
For example, if you're critiquing a novel, you could discuss how the author uses symbolism to
express ideas about larger topics. You can include a thesis statement in this introduction as well.
This statement describes in concise words what you observed and exactly how you plan to
discuss the body of work. This can help readers understand the direction of your critique.
How to write a critique
When you're ready to begin writing your critique, follow these steps:

6. Write body paragraphs

In a critique, the body is at the core of your discussion. There are many things you might include
in your body paragraphs. Here are a few ideas of what to address:

• Form critical evaluations. As this is the bulk of your critique, your critical evaluations describe
why you came to a certain conclusion.
• Organize your ideas. Consider consistently organizing your critical evaluations, like strengths
and weaknesses, by themes or by the different elements used throughout the body of work.
• Cover more than just the basics. You may have had an immediate reaction to the themes of a
book, but it's also helpful to consider stylistic choices or writing techniques.
How to write a critique
When you're ready to begin writing your critique, follow these steps:

7. Write a conclusion
The main function of the conclusion is to restate your overall assessment of the work. In this
section, you might explain how valuable you think this body of work is or discuss what
contributions it makes to society.
Ensure that your conclusion makes your critique clear by describing your perspective or opinion.
You can also give further support for your specific opinion to end the critique by citing others
who had a similar response.
If you use any sources, you can add these in after the conclusion. It's important to cite any
sources you used throughout the critique, including the initial body of work. This helps others
identify where you found your information and helps verify your argument.
 Writing a critique involves conducting a systematic
analysis of a scholarly article or book, summarizing the
main points and objectively describing how the creator
portrays them by using techniques, styles, media, characters
or symbols.

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’s worth or value

Writing a Critique
 FORMATTING A CRITIQUE
Here are two structures for critiques, one for nonfiction and one for
fiction/literature.

1. The Critique Format for Nonfiction

Introduction
• name of author and work
• general overview of subject and summary of author's argument
• focusing (or thesis) sentence indicating how you will divide the whole work
for discussion or the elements you will discuss.

Writing a Critique
 FORMATTING A CRITIQUE
Here are two structures for critiques, one for nonfiction and one for
fiction/literature.

1. The Critique Format for Nonfiction

Body
• objective description of a major point in the work
• detailed analysis of how the work conveys an idea or concept
• interpretation of the concept
• repetition of description, analysis, interpretation if more than one major concept is
covered
Writing a Critique
 FORMATTING A CRITIQUE
Here are two structures for critiques, one for nonfiction and one for
fiction/literature.

1. The Critique Format for Nonfiction

Conclusion
• overall interpretation
• relationship of interpretations to subject as a whole
• critical assessment of the value, worth, or meaning of the work, both negative
and positive

Writing a Critique
 FORMATTING A CRITIQUE
Here are two structures for critiques, one for nonfiction and one for
fiction/literature.

2. The Critique Format for Fiction/Literature

Introduction
• name of author and work
• brief summary/description of work as a whole
• focusing sentence indicating what element you plan to examine
• general indication of overall significance of work
Writing a Critique
 FORMATTING A CRITIQUE
Here are two structures for critiques, one for nonfiction and one for
fiction/literature.

2. The Critique Format for Fiction/Literature

Body
• literal description of the first major element or portion of the work
• detailed analysis
• interpretation
• literal description of second major element
• detailed analysis
• interpretation (including, if necessary, the relationship to the first major point)
• and so on
Writing a Critique
 FORMATTING A CRITIQUE
Here are two structures for critiques, one for nonfiction and one for
fiction/literature.

3. The Critique Format for Fiction/Literature

Conclusion
• overall interpretation of the elements studied
• consideration of those elements within the context of the work as a whole
• critical assessment of the value, worth, meaning, or significance of the work,
both positive and negative

Writing a Critique
 You may not be asked in every critique to assess a work,
only to analyze and interpret it. If you are asked for a
personal response, remember that your assessment should
not be the expression of an unsupported opinion. Your
interpretations and your conclusions must be based on
evidence from the text and follow from the ideas you have
dealt with in the paper.

Writing a Critique
 Remember also that a critique may express a positive as well
as a negative assessment. Don't confuse critique with
criticize in the popular sense of the word, meaning “to point
out faults.”

Writing a Critique
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!