If you want to succeed in a critical writing task, it all starts with asking yourself, “What is critical analysis and how can I apply it?” To answer this, here is a critical analysis definition – a type of writing that expresses an individual's opinion or an examination of a passage, poem, book or other kinds of writing. It also involves the skills of critical reading and writing. Ultimately, you must be able to determine the purpose of the author's work and whether they were successful at achieving their objectives.
Now that we have provided a critical analysis definition, it provides you with a stronger foundation. So at this point let us look at how to write a critical analysis essay:
1. Choose your key argument – Successful college essays use this as their focus throughout the paper as it creates structure and consistency. Use logic, sound reasoning and strong evidence to back up any claims.
2. Find reliable evidence – As you are looking for sources to back up your claims, make sure that you are only using reputable scholarly journals and articles from high profile publications. While it may be tempting to choose random blogs that agree with your position, it will certainly lack credibility (unless it happens to be written by a well-respected author, of course).
3. Remember to include all view points – A critical thinking essay isn't just about validating your point of view. Your arguments need to be made in an objective manner. This means you should include both the strong points and weak points of the position you hold. Indeed, if there are some solid counterpoints but you neglect to include them in your paper, the reader is not going to be particularly convinced. Remember that finding a balance and adding opposing views actually enhances your paper since your ability to deflect their arguments improves your position. Remember that the definition of a critical analysis is truly about thinking deeply about an issue and not leaving any stones unturned.
4. Finish with an impactful conclusion – Given that the conclusion is the very last thing that the audience reads, you want to leave a lasting impression. To achieve this, your conclusion should be clear and concise. If you ramble on or include information not previously introduced, it will only create confusion. Keep in mind that the rest of the paper from the introduction through everything else leads up to the final comments of your paper. Those who know how to start an essay recognize the importance of the conclusion, which is why they generally try to write it early on in the research. Naturally, there are certain situations in which the conclusions may need to be modified as you uncover the results, but nonetheless knowing the conclusion in advance will make your paper appear more coherent.
5. Proofread/Edit your paper – A lot of students are tempted to forget about their paper ever again the moment they finish their first draft. But this would be a mistake. Let the paper settle overnight and then take a look at it again. It is not just about checking it for grammar mistakes or typos either. You should ask yourself several questions:
- Does my main argument make sense and is it understandable?
- How good is my evidence? Was I specific about the facts? Did I include concrete names and numbers to support my claims and cite sources properly?
- Is the argument that I made in the introduction restated in the conclusion?
- What are the strong points of my paper? What are its weaknesses and how can I improve upon them?
- Is the conclusion clear and concise?
If you follow the suggestions laid out in this article, you will be all set to write a winning critical analysis essay that impresses the intended audience!
