Writing a Critical Essay

1
Writing a Critical Essay

• Standard Grade

2
Points to Note

• Your essay is a response to a specific task you
  MUST focus on this task!
• Avoid simply retelling the story this is NOT
  what is required.
• Everything you say should be relevant to the
  essay task.

3
Introduction

• Your introduction should include
• Title
• Author
• Brief summary of the text
• The focus of your essay

4
Main Part

• You will need to demonstrate
• That you understand the key ideas in the text
• That you can analyse and explain the effect of
  techniques used in the text
• That you can evaluate the effectiveness of
  techniques used
• That you can provide a personal response related
  to your understanding/analysis/ evaluation

5
Structure of Main Part

• Each section of your essay should begin with a
  topic sentence related to the essay task.
• Go on to make a STATEMENT about the text which is
  relevant to the task.
• Then provide EVIDENCE from the text to support
  your statement.(This can be either a direct
  quotation of a paraphrase.)
• Then ANALYSE your evidence what techniques are
  used, what effect does it have?
• At the end of each section (or whenever
  appropriate) include your PERSONAL RESPONSE to
  the text.

6
Conclusion

• Your conclusion should return to the task set and
  summarise your response to it.
• You can include your evaluation of the text as a
  whole.

7
REMEMBER!

• STATEMENT
• EVIDENCE
• ANALYSIS
• S-E-A
• PERSONAL RESPONSE

8
AVOID

• Retelling the story without attempting to analyse
  and evaluate
• Using the word quote or quotation
• Including huge chunks of text as quotations
• Including information which is not relevant to
  the task

9
Useful Phrases

• As the plot develops,
• The writers word choice here is effective
  because
• The sentence structure here is effective because
• This metaphor is effective because
• The writers use of simile is effective because
• In my opinion
• I think this showsbecause
• I felt . when I read this because
• The characters actions here reveal
• The authors characterisation is convincing
  because