Critical Analysis When Writing Worksheet With Answers (Page 3 of 9) in pdf

Critical Analysis When Writing Worksheet With Answers Page 3

Academic Skills Advice

3. Constructing critically analytic text: taking a position

When you write a piece of critically analytic text you will be writing in response to

someone else’s perspective and argument. So, you will have to make a decision about

what angle or point of view you want to take. You can do any of the following…

 Agree with a particular point of view & presenting reliable evidence to support the

position taken.

 Reject a particular point of view, but again using reliable evidence to do this.

 Concede that an existing point of view has merits, but needs to be qualified in

certain respects, and stating what these are.

 Propose a new point of view, or reformulating an existing one that the new

version makes a better explanation for the situation under discussion.

 Reconcile two positions which may seem at variance by bringing a new

perspective to bear on the topic.

 Connect or synthesize different ideas, so new approaches and points of view can

be brought to bear on the subject.

4. Constructing critically analytic text: forming a line of reasoning

You need to develop something to say – even in a non-argument paper there should be a

‘line of reasoning’ that your thinking is coherently following. This is messy in the pre-

writing stage and the stages 3, 4 and 5 of the pre-writing stages are meant to shape this

messiness into a linear, logical order.

Your line of reasoning will be made up of individual points/themes with each one written

by you to both stand alone as an individual ‘brick’ in the argument you are constructing,

and to flow from one and to the next.

Theme

Intro

Concs

Each ‘brick’ is as important as the last, so you are building an igloo!

(philipmartin.info)

Here’s an example of grouping similarly theme ‘bricks’ together which can then be made

to flow in a coherent line of reasoning.

Critical Analysis When Writing Worksheet With Answers Page 3