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Recommendations On How To Organize A Critical Analysis Essay


Academic writing is different in many ways from any other form of writing that you will be expected to do. Before you start thinking about the structure of a critical analysis essay, it is perhaps important to just point a few stumbling blocks to avoid. The most important thing to remember is that you are NOT writing as you would speak. The aim of a critical analysis is to consider a subject or issue in depth, weigh up the pros and cons and then explain your decision, So, you are figuring out exactly why you are for or against something. Here is how I would organize a critical analysis essay.

Take time to chew over the subject matter

As you become more seasoned and adept at academic writing you will be able to undertake a critical analysis on just about any subject that you can possibly imagine. However, when you are first starting out it is incredibly important that you choose a subject that you can really sink your teeth into. Crucially, it needs to be one that you enjoy.

Question everything

In order to excel in this field you have to get into the habit of questioning everything. So, as you are doing your preparation and reading before you start writing, you should consider asking the following questions:

  • Why does the author lean in a certain direction – what is the reason behind their bias?

  • What message is the author trying to convey?

  • Are the counter-arguments valid?

  • Do you agree with the central thrust?

Now it is time to start writing your essay…

Okay, so now that you have got the preliminary stuff out of the way it is time to get down to the nitty gritty. All papers, like all good stories should have a clear beginning, middle and end. This means that you are going to need:

  • An introduction

  • Main body in which you actually analyze the text

  • A conclusion that ties everything up neatly.

This might sound as though I am trivializing what needs to be done. However, on the contrary rather than looking at something and feeling terrified, it is far better that you break it all down, and consider it for what it actually is. No paper should ever be daunting. All you need is the confidence to soar.

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