To succeed when writing a critical analysis essay, you need to learn what it is. This assignment is a kind of “subjective” academic writing which purpose is to illustrate the student’s in-depth understanding of a certain piece of work. This type of essay demands to express a personal point of view. But you still should not name it “yours.” That is when critical thinking writing service can be of great use.
Anyway, you can choose to address to the professional services OR cope yourself with the assignment related to literary criticism. It’s not that complicated! Are you ready to devote some time to learn how to write a critical analysis essay at ease and look through several examples from the Internet? Let’s get started!
How to Start Writing a Critical Analysis Essay?
Before you start writing your text, whether it's a term paper, dissertation, rhetorical analysis essay, literary analysis essay or other types of essays, you need to read the piece of work appropriately. Critical reading is an obligatory step – “acquaintance” with the work is not sufficient because in your essay you should sound like an expert in the discussed question.
- Determine the thesis. The author’s thesis is the starting point of your preparation – you need to know what is the “basement” of the work. While academic article offers no problems with this concern, there can be some obstacles when it comes to fiction or film. Then just identify the theme of the work. Think of the context of the argument, possible reasons for the writer’s decision to argue it, and whether he offers any worthy way out.
- Put down the main ideas. This step is needed for structure analysis of the work you discuss in your critical analysis essay (for academic work – look at the topic sentences of every paragraph or chapter, for fiction – think of the evidence which is used by the author to provide an explanation for the thesis statement.)
- Research new terms. If you come across some unfamiliar concept or term when reading the article or book which you should analyze in your paper, you do need to consult the dictionary or encyclopedia. If the work is based on such element, in-depth research is a must.
- Render the story in your words. You have two options to choose from in this concern: create an outline or write a summary which choice depends on the critical analysis paper topics (for profound understanding, the combination of both is only a plus). When writing a summary, make it brief (about one or two paragraphs).
- Determine the type of appeal. There exist three main variants: appeal to emotions (is often used in works of entertaining nature), to logic (serves to persuade the reader), and to credibility (is based on academic, professional or personal merit).
- Assess the effectiveness of the appeal. Evaluate the author’s attempt to convey the meaning. Did you feel the emotional response? Did you change your mind due to logic appeal? Did you believe in author’s credibility and why?
Now that you have learned how to gain an in-depth understanding of the piece of work, you are ready to learn how to write a critical analysis essay.
Three Steps to the Perfect Structure of Critical Thinking Essays
To make your writing a decent example of a critical analysis essay, you need to stick to the well-known structure: introduction, body, and conclusion.
Step 1
Your introduction must “grab” your reader. Start it with an engaging sentence. Let the audience get acquainted with the main ideas, the author’s thesis, your point of view (expressed in your thesis statement), and offer some questions to think over.
Step 2
In a body, you are to develop a discussion. Include your evidence, quotes, and examples, illustrate your position. Every your idea should be expressed in a separate paragraph with a determined structure (the number of paragraphs depends on the choice of critical analysis paper topics). It starts with a topic sentence that is followed by the supporting sentences and ends with a conclusion.
Step 3
Start your conclusion with a restatement of your opinion. Make sure your terminating part fits the introduction (but doesn’t repeat it!) and offer your reader some strong argument to conclude appropriately.
Read also: Analytical Essay Writing: Full Guide with Examples
Format, or Not to Format: That is a Question
Many types of essays tend to have general formatting rules. The process of formatting usually involves very simple yet essential things that can also be applied to a critical paper as well:
- Font: your font should be readable and not too fancy. It should also be the right size, and you should avoid using too many words in bold or italics.
- Double spacing: usually recommended, except your lecturer says otherwise.
- Paragraphs: this is where there might be some differences among various types of essays. For critical analysis essay in question, maintaining a constant connection between the paragraphs is a key. Your paragraphs would have to be formed such that each one houses an aspect of your critical analysis without sounding disconnected from the rest of the write-up
Tips to Follow Throughout Your Critical Analysis Essay
Keep in mind these tips from the very beginning to cope with your college paper quickly:
Select the aspect/area for analysis. Look through your notes to pick out what you would like to discuss in details. Devote each thought a separate paragraph or two. It depends on the total volume of your essay and critical analysis paper topics. You can evaluate the effectiveness of author’s appeals (choosing the stronger one or several thoughts appealing to some idea) or the ability to represent his opinion (evaluate his research, cohesiveness of the piece of work, etc.)
Keep in balance positive and negative. Ascertain your essay is not totally black or write:
- If positive ideas prevail over negative in your assignment, include the negative ones at the beginning.
- If the analysis contains more negative elements, start with some positive ideas.
- If you are willing to introduce both positive and negative aspects related to the same idea, start with a positive one and then disclose the limitation.
Mention opposing opinions. To add points to your grade for a critical analysis essay, include information reflecting the opposing point of view and expand on whether the writer managed to argue it or not. If you are not able to do that, you can always find a helpful critical essay writing service.
Explain the topic’s relevance. Persuade your reader that the issue is important in the modern world and he or she needs to think it over.
Make it sound academic. Though a critical analysis essay demands your critical opinion, don’t dwell from the first person and don’t use phrases like “to my point of view” or “as I see it” not to weaken the presentation your ideas.
How to Charm Readers with Your Conclusion?
Concluding this paper requires you to stay within the context of your topic. However, this applies to all essays, not only this specific one. Going beyond your topic or digressing to another aspect of your work is not what should be seen in a conclusion. Rather, the idea of a good conclusion is to wrap up everything that had been said by solidifying the main idea of your criticism and adding a few minor remarks.
Do you Really Need Critical Analysis Essays?
Looking at it from a general perspective, an average student is assigned various essays during studies. The importance critical thinking writing lies in its ability to provoke critical thinking of its writer. The student gets to brainstorm and explore different perspectives from which one issue can be viewed, thus ‘stretching’ his/her thinking capacity and improving analysis of situations. We hope our piece of advice on how to write a critical analysis essay will come in handy once you are assigned such a task. An essay related to literary criticism can be a pleasant adventure if you know how to write it. Good luck!
