Critical Essay: Step by Step Guide

During the long and turbulent period of study you can be ascended with different writing assignments. Some of them intend to teach you to generalize, some of them destined to develop more specific, detailed approach to the existing problem.  Some of them are assigned to train you to compare different things and objects; and there are several types of academic projects that teach you to evaluate critically the existing problems, trends and views of various personalities.

Sometimes, you might have identical point of view with the writer of an article, sometimes you may disagree with him on several important points. There are occasions when you agree with the writer on one point and entirely disagree on another. Whatever contention you have, you should always be critical to the subject, point of view you are dealing with. Try to be as much impartial as possible.  This is an indispensable element of critical response essays. The plan of the critical essay can be devised as following: 1) Brief outline of the main contention arguments and ideas. 2) Your arguments, views and contention on the problem or subject in question. 3) Conclusion of the paper (http://www.nap.edu/). Critical essay should reveal your understanding of the problem; however one should remember that all arguments of your essay should be backed up by reliable and trustworthy evidence, yet arguments are extremely important for this type of the essay. Whether you agree with assertions of the writer or disagree with them you should provide the best possible arguments either to support or refute the contention of the writer. This is juts a short advice on how critical essays can be completed. Undoubtedly argumentation is a vital acquirement. In many types of writing projects one should demonstrate logical, coherent and argumentative approach to existing problem.  These skills are extremely valuable in the writing of argumentative essay. In my experience many students hold the belief that a mere assertion or some point of view on existing problem might constitute argumentation.  However, this is not necessarily so. Argumentation is presenting of your point of view in coherent logical way; all your arguments in argumentative essay should be backed up by reliable and trustworthy evidence.

If you are allowed to choose from several topics for your essay, try choosing the one you know. Remember you should have some knowledge of the topic you are writing about. Try to avoid the modern issues, on which there is no clear answer, as much as possible; whatever you say on them (unless you have some revolutionary thoughts) will not change the points of view of your opponents as on each of your arguments there are two or three counterarguments of your opponents.  Some of the issues (such as abortion or war in Iraq) can not be resolved in the scope of one essay.