Critical Essay Writing with Examples | Talent and Skills HuB
Summary
TLDRThis guide delves into critical writing, a vital skill for academic success. It distinguishes between descriptive and critical writing, emphasizing the importance of analysis and evaluation in the latter. The video illustrates how to apply theory to practice, evaluate ideas, and create new perspectives. It advises on structuring critical writing with clear paragraphs and suggests using the three-sentence structure for balance. The guide also directs viewers to the Talent and Skills Hub for further support in developing critical writing skills.
Takeaways
- ๐ Critical writing is essential for academic success and involves applying analysis and evaluation to descriptive writing.
- ๐ Descriptive writing provides background information and context, focusing on what, who, where, and when aspects of a topic.
- ๐ง Critical writing goes beyond description by applying ideas or theories to different situations and evaluating their effectiveness.
- ๐ It's important to use evidence to support ideas and to justify why a process or policy exists within critical writing.
- ๐ Critical writing allows for the suggestion of alternative approaches and the discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of ideas or theories.
- ๐ Demonstrating how an idea links to other ideas in the field or comparing and contrasting theories is a key aspect of critical writing.
- ๐ Critical writing should evaluate ideas, theories, or policies by providing an evidence-informed judgment.
- ๐๏ธ Creating new perspectives or arguments based on knowledge is a goal of critical writing, which can lead to innovative solutions.
- โ๏ธ Structuring critical writing with clear paragraphing that includes descriptive statements followed by critical statements and judgments is crucial.
- ๐ก Use phrases that highlight critical thinking, such as 'similarly', 'on the other hand', 'an alternative argument', or 'one major drawback' to guide the reader through your analysis.
Q & A
What are the two writing styles that academic essays consist of?
-Academic essays consist of descriptive writing and critical writing.
What is the primary purpose of descriptive writing?
-Descriptive writing provides details on what something is, who is involved, where it takes place, when it occurs, and offers background information to the reader.
How does descriptive writing demonstrate a writer's knowledge to the marker?
-Descriptive writing demonstrates a writer's knowledge by showing their understanding of a subject and what others have said about that subject.
What is required in critical writing beyond description?
-Critical writing requires applying analysis and evaluation to the descriptions provided, using evidence to support ideas, and applying ideas or theories to different situations.
How does critical writing allow a writer to engage with an idea or theory?
-Critical writing allows a writer to apply an idea or theory to a different situation, justify why a process or policy exists, suggest alternative approaches, discuss strengths and weaknesses, and demonstrate how the idea links to others in the field.
Why is it important to maintain structure in critical writing?
-Maintaining structure in critical writing is important to ensure that ideas are clearly presented and that the reader can easily follow the descriptive and critical analysis.
What is the recommended paragraph structure for critical writing?
-The recommended paragraph structure for critical writing is a three-sentence structure consisting of a descriptive statement, a critical statement, and a judgment statement.
How can a writer ensure they have a balance between description and critical writing?
-A writer can ensure a balance between description and critical writing by following the three-sentence structure and checking that each paragraph includes both descriptive and critical content.
What is the role of phrases in demonstrating critical thinking in writing?
-Phrases play a crucial role in demonstrating critical thinking by helping to highlight the writer's point, compare or contrast theories, offer alternative viewpoints, and highlight weaknesses in theories.
How can students get support for writing critically at the Talent and Skills Hub?
-Students can get support for writing critically at the Talent and Skills Hub by booking appointments for one-to-one or group tutoring through their website, tshub.com.
Outlines
๐ Introduction to Critical Writing
This paragraph introduces the concept of critical writing as a vital skill for academic success. It differentiates between descriptive and critical writing, emphasizing the importance of critical writing in academic essays. Descriptive writing provides background and context, while critical writing involves analysis, evaluation, and the application of ideas or theories to different situations. The paragraph also discusses the use of evidence to support ideas and the importance of clear structure in critical writing, suggesting that a well-structured paragraph should include descriptive statements followed by critical analysis.
๐ Critical Writing: Structure and Examples
This paragraph delves into the structure of critical writing, advocating for a three-sentence structure that includes a descriptive statement, a critical statement, and a judgment statement. It uses an example from the Food Standards Agency's research to illustrate how late nights may be linked to childhood obesity but cautions that the research is limited in scope. The paragraph stresses the importance of considering multiple factors and the need for sufficient evidence before policymakers can seriously consider such findings. It also suggests that further research may alter current perspectives. The paragraph concludes with advice on using specific language to highlight critical thinking and offers resources for academic support.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กCritical Writing
๐กDescriptive Writing
๐กAnalysis
๐กEvaluation
๐กEvidence
๐กTheory
๐กPolicy
๐กSynthesis
๐กCurrency
๐กStructure
๐กTalent and Skills Hub
Highlights
Critical writing is essential for academic success, involving analysis and evaluation beyond mere description.
Academic essays are a blend of descriptive and critical writing styles.
Descriptive writing provides details and background information, setting the stage for critical analysis.
Critical writing involves applying analysis and evaluation to descriptions, using evidence to support ideas.
Critical writers apply ideas or theories to different situations to test their practicality.
Justifying the existence of a process or policy is a key aspect of critical writing.
Critical writing allows for suggesting alternative approaches and perspectives.
Discussing the strengths and weaknesses of ideas is central to critical analysis.
Demonstrating how ideas link to others in the field is part of critical writing.
Critical writing involves comparing, contrasting, and classifying theories.
Evaluating the currency and relevance of ideas, theories, or policies is crucial in critical writing.
Providing an evidence-informed judgment is a hallmark of critical writing.
Creating new perspectives or arguments based on knowledge is a goal of critical writing.
Critical writing takes both positive and negative approaches to ideas, interrogating them for deeper understanding.
Structuring critical writing with clear paragraphs is essential for conveying complex ideas.
A good paragraph structure in critical writing includes descriptive statement, critical statement, and judgment.
Using phrases that demonstrate critical thinking is important for effective evaluation and argumentation.
Talent and Skills Hub offers support for writing critically through one-on-one or group tutoring.
Transcripts
[Music]
critical writing
introduction this guide on critical
writing
will help you understand how to
communicate your critical thinking in
your assignments
which is very important to succeeding in
your academic career
what is critical writing academic essays
consist of two writing styles
descriptive writing and critical writing
to understand critical writing fully
let's examine what descriptive writing
is
descriptive writing it describes
or gives an account of or gives details
on what something is it could be a topic
problem situation or context of the
subject under discussion
it may describe where this takes place
and who is involved when it occurs
also it provides background information
to your discussion of the essay question
background description usually comes
before critical analysis
so that the reader can understand the
topic you are critically engaging with
a good way to remember descriptive
writing is it provides
information on what who where and when
descriptive writing demonstrates to your
marker the knowledge you have of a
subject
or of what something is and your
knowledge of what other people say about
that subject
critical writing critical writing
requires you to apply analysis and
evaluation to the descriptions you have
provided writers who can produce
persuasive critical writing
use evidence to support their ideas
critical writing allows you to
apply an idea or theory to a different
situation
does the idea work or not work in
practice
is there a factor that makes this work
or not
relating theory to practice for example
smith's theory on teamwork is effective
in the workplace
because it allows a diverse group of
people with different skills to work
effectively
justify why a process or policy exists
[Music]
suggest an alternative approach to view
and act on situations
discuss the strengths and weaknesses of
an idea
theory or policy why does this idea work
or why does this idea not work
for example although smith's theory on
teamwork is useful for large teams
there are challenges in applying this
theory to teams who work remotely
demonstrate how the idea links to other
ideas in the field
synthesis for example the user
experience of parks
can be greatly enhanced by examining
donnelly's customer service model
used in retail demonstrate how the idea
compare
and contrast with other ideas or
theories
comparison or classification of the type
of theory
demonstrate the up-to-datedness and
relevance of an idea
theory or policy currency
for example although this approach was
successful in supporting the local
community
smith's model does not accommodate the
needs of a modern global economy
evaluate an idea theory or policy
by providing an evidence-informed
judgment
for example therefore may's delivery
model should be discontinued
as it has created significant issues for
both customers and
staff create new perspectives
or arguments based on knowledge
for example to create strong and
efficient buildings
we will look to the designs provided by
nature
the designs of the sydney opera house
are based on the segments of an orange
to conclude critical writing takes
positive and negative approaches
to ideas and interrogates them once you
have interrogated
an idea or theory you can then provide
an evidenced judgment
how can i write critically it is
important to remember
that having lots of critical analysis
will not matter if your ideas are not
clearly structured
to maintain structure in your critical
writing it is important to use
paragraphs correctly
using a good paragraph structure will
enable the reader to clearly see
descriptive writing
followed by critical writing for example
have a look at the following paragraph
according to research by the food
standards agency
there may be a link between late nights
and childhood obesity in
children however this research focuses
only on the area of
sleep and does not consider many of the
other factors associated with late
nights
such as what children eat or when they
stay up late
compared to other known factors
influencing childhood obesity
there is insufficient evidence about the
effect of late nights
for this to be taken very seriously by
policymakers
though this may change with further
research
this paragraph consists of three
sentences
descriptive statement critical statement
and
judgment descriptive statement
who when and what according to research
by the food standards agency
published in 2015 there may be a link
between late nights and childhood
obesity in children
critical statement however this research
focuses only on the area of
sleep and does not consider many of the
other factors associated with late
nights
such as what children eat or when they
stay up late
judgment statement compared to other
known factors influencing childhood
obesity
there is insufficient evidence about the
effect of late nights
for this to be taken very seriously by
policymakers
though this may change with further
research
paragraph structure of critical writing
it is good academic practice to follow a
three sentence structure
where you can provide description
analysis
and evaluation that is descriptive
statement
plus critical statement plus judgment
statement
example according to however
overall abc argues that
alternatively therefore
this structure helps you to include both
description
and critical analysis and shows visually
where the sections begins and
end also it allows you to check the
balance between description
and critical writing and makes sure that
you have enough critical content
phrases to demonstrate your critical
thinking
when writing your critical and
evaluation statement
think carefully about the point you are
trying to make
and use the corresponding language to
highlight this to the reader
when comparing or contrasting two
theories
similarly or on the other hand
when offering an alternative point of
view
an alternative argument
when highlighting a weakness in a theory
one major drawback of this approach
at talent and skills hub you can be
supported by
our instructors academic skills advisors
and mentors to write critically you can
book appointment for one-to-one or group
tutoring through our website tshub.com
you
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