Critical Writing: Brilliant Tips Examples 2021, critical writing essay.

To get a better understanding, you may check our The Importance of Being Earnest critique sample.

Now that you’ve learned the essential tips, you have to consider the parts of any critical writing piece. Whether you’re writing a movie critique or art critique, the same general guidelines apply to all of them. No matter what the requirements are!

While writing a critique paper, you have to strive for excellence. Each work of this sort has to obtain these features:

Nonetheless, the critical writing process carried on to make a name for itself in the 21st century. This time turned aesthetics into commerce and shaped comprehensive critical analyses into what we know them as today.

🧩 Critical Writing Features

Essentially, your paper has to do justice to the author’s or creator’s work. You will thoroughly examine the themes and organization of a book, article, movie, artwork, or whatever you are assigned to critique. In your review, you will summarize, analyze, interpret, and evaluate the work.

There are also different types of critiques. The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, in the article “Writing critiques,” also discusses them and appropriate critique language.

Critical writing appeared during the Renaissance when the arts started to criticize the Church. Two historical figures affected its development in particular:

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You need to use academic language for reporting and connecting ideas. Transitional words and phrases will make your writing more clear and coherent.

– Don’t quote more than you need to make your points. If you decide to include a long quote, make sure to talk about it in detail.

There are several ways in which you can use the paragraphs to enhance your critical writing. First of all, by switching to a new paragraph you can make a clear separation between descriptive writing and your critical analysis. Secondly, a paragraph break can provide a short pause for your reader, giving them a chance not to hold too much information on their mind at once. Moreover, you can use the paragraphs to include referencing within your writing.

– Avoid sentences that are composed entirely of a quote. Always try to include an interpretive point about it into a sentence.

3. Use Paragraphs Strategically

– To present a result: thus, hence, therefore, as a result, accordingly.

– To list ideas in order of time: first of all, first and foremost, more important, above all.

To support the observations you’re making, you should use quotations, summaries and paraphrases throughout your essay. Here are a few tips on how to do that correctly:

– Don’t repeat the obvious. For instance, if you’re writing about a book, there is no need to remind the reader about the plot. Your task is to draw the attention to details.

After writing the introduction, start writing your body paragraphs. For the body paragraphs, these are a few tips that might help:

An introduction to an essay is as important as a person’s name. If you aim to draw the audience’s attention and interest to your essay, it is important that your essay has a strong introduction. For writing a good introductory paragraph, you need to follow these simple steps:

• Read the piece of writing or watch the movie with full concentration.
• List down all the important points roughly on a notebook or any piece of paper.
• Now construct a thesis statement that elaborates the title of the movie/writing and the basic idea.
• Come up with a catchy hook statement.
• Develop an outline for your essay.
• Now start writing the introduction.
• Start with a hook statement followed by a short summary of the writing/movie.
• At the end of the introductory paragraph, write down the thesis statement.

A critical essay must have five paragraphs

Writing Conclusion for a Critical Essay?

• Before starting the conclusion, read the entire essay once
• Brainstorm the relevant and important points.
• The points you are thinking to add in the conclusion must summarize the central claim you have made in the essay.
• For example, if you have written an essay on a satirical movie/novel, make sure you conclude the follies or vice stated in the movie/novel very clearly.
• The conclusion should not include any new point.
• New point refers to a point where you state a point that needs a complete explanation and has not been stated in the essay.
• Your conclusion should be a bit similar to the introduction but it should not be repeated.
• Make sure that the conclusion is persuasive like the other essay paragraphs.

If you are a beginner than you definitely need to view some examples and practice critical essay writing. It takes time but gradually, you will become an expert in critical essays. Many people specifically students refer to examples for topics or samples for critical writing. It helps them in writing an essay on their own. A lot of examples are available on the internet for your guidance. Our website has a set of different examples too which might help you with the critical essay writing.

A critical essay is a bit tricky as you have to analyze and explain a piece of writing or cinematography but if you know the outline and tips to write the essay, it won’t be difficult for you anymore.

1. Read the piece of writing or watch the movie first.
2. Keep a pen and notebook with you while reading.
3. Enlist all the important points.
4. Come up with a thesis statement and a hook too.
5. Start writing the introduction.
6. After the strong introduction, write down the body paragraphs. At least three body paragraphs must be there in the essay.
7. End your essay with short yet clear conclusion.
8. Proofread the essay and polish it.
9. Be relevant and do not vague about the points.

Procter & Gamble’s “Thank You, Mom” advertisements during the 2012 and 2014 Olympics featured mothers watching their children dream of becoming Olympic athletes. The ads show moms supporting their kids by making competition outfits, offering emotional reassurance, and providing protection against bullying. In the end of each ad, the now-grown children are competing in the Olympics as the mothers watch and cheer. This is an incredibly effective ad campaign because it speaks to the target audience for Procter & Gamble products and produces an emotional response.

To read the entire essay in PDF form, click on the thumbnail image.

This short example essay offers a critical analysis of a famous advertising campaign by Procter & Gamble: “Thank You, Mom.” The ads, which ran during multiple Olympic seasons, targeted moms who buy the brands Procter & Gamble owns. This essay is effective because it uses specific evidence about the effectiveness of the ad campaign and has sources to back up the evidence. It’s also well organized with a clear thesis statement and good supporting details.

Before you begin writing, get inspired with critical analysis essay examples that go beyond simply fulfilling the assignment. These samples will show you how to write an essay that shows off your critical thinking skills, wows your teacher, and makes you proud.

Critical Analysis Essay Example on an Advertising Campaign

Percey Byssche Shelley’s famous sonnet, Ozymandias, was published in 1818, but the themes are still relevant today. In the poem, a speaker tells of a ruined statue of a great, forgotten ruler who had the hubris to believe his deeds would make him immortal in the eyes of history. Without overtly saying it, the poem asks whether today’s civilization and the deeds of ordinary people will also be forgotten as surely as this ancient emperor. Even more than 200 years later, the question is still a haunting and relevant one.

This sample critical analysis essay offers an example of how to write this type of piece about a poem. You can use the same approach for a book, short story, play, or any other type of literature. This essay focuses on the the famous poem Ozymandias by Percy Byssche Shelley, and the thesis is that the poem is just as relevant today as it was when it was written. To prove the thesis, the essay uses details and quotes from the poem, as well as examples of similar behavior from famous people of today.

To download a full PDF of this critical analysis essay example, click on the thumbnail of the essay. If you need help, take a look at this helpful guide to using Adobe printables.

Remember that your thesis is only as strong as the evidence to back it. Although most teachers allow external sources when writing critical analysis essays, most would prefer you use only the text itself as your only source. Not only does this encourage you to support your thesis with only the work itself, but it will also increase your critical reading of the work as you will analyze every bit of the writing to find a thesis you can prove.

If you don’t plan to use the author’s name in something known as a signal phrase, it’s important to list it in the parenthesis with the year of publication and page number. Here are two examples of paraphrasing a work with APA format:

Depending on your teacher, you will need to follow MLA or APA format when citing your quotations and paraphrases of the author’s work. Most community colleges use only MLA style, and most universities or four-year colleges use APA format. Here’s a short summary on both MLA and APA.

When writing creatively, there are a few things you should consider. Try to identify the purpose of the work, analyze the structure, and be sure to do your research for anything unfamiliar to you. Outline the work, write a summary, and evaluate how the author accomplished the purpose of the work.

Writing Your Critical Analysis Essay

Again, citing a single work in a paper will make things much easier, but APA makes things a bit more complicated. MLA format only requires mention of the author and the page number. APA requires the author, year of publication, and the page preceded by a “p.” for reference. Using the same work from above, here’s an example of the first method of citing within text using APA format:

Picking the road less traveled by gives us a powerful image of the strength behind the choices we make (Frost, 1916, p. 17).

Your conclusion should summarize everything you already discussed in your paper. Restate your thesis, summarize your analysis, and include any possible recommendations on improving the piece. Remember that your conclusion shouldn’t be much more than a paragraph or two. Also, don’t forget to cite any quotes or paraphrases.