Once you learn to analyze texts, you can apply your skills to all themes, from literature to science. The analysis of a text, whether a novel, a scientific article or an essay, requires active reading, taking notes and answering basic questions about the content.

When reading for leisure or education, we tend to accept and internalize the text without questioning its credibility or importance. With critical reading, on the other hand, it is necessary to question everything, to arrive at your own conclusions about the importance and implications of the contents.

Read the essay once to get an idea of the content, a purpose of the author and the conclusions suggested by the text. Lower the guard with regard to criticism, in order to feel the essay according to the intention of the author. Understanding the text from the perspective of the author will be used to expose your argument later.

Take notes on the essay at the second reading, highlighting contradictions, questionable statements, and interesting topics. The analysis or critique of an essay after first reading is difficult to achieve because the process of an unknown text requires you to make links that may not be obvious the first time.

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Keep a sufficient distance from the text in subsequent readings to distinguish the author’s ideas from your own opinion on these ideas.

Answer specific questions about the essay, including identification of the main idea and purpose of the author. To analyze the essay, determine the questions or theories of the author’s direction, as well as the details or points that support his argument.

Consider the author’s conclusion on the issue being studied and articulate with your own words what the author meant. Once you have analyzed the essay, you will be better prepared for criticism of the text.

Break down the analysis of the test. Look for absences in the presentation, as if the author had successfully presented and refused opposing views. Decide if you feel that the author has provided enough evidence to support his views.

Identify strengths and weaknesses in the content and organization of the trial. Perhaps the author presents ideas based on the hereditary hypothesis that fails to recognize or validate.

Articulate your critical reaction to the writing by indicating the points of agreement and disagreement. Your work as a critical reader is to present a summary of the information from the analyzed essays, followed by your interpretation of the meaning of the author. Realize and present this aspect of your work so that you can intelligently and efficiently evaluate the text based on your analysis.

Present your review in the requested format. When you are given an essay for analysis and criticism, the final product of your work usually comes in the form of text. Although your criticism of an essay is not to summarize the text under consideration. It is necessary to provide your audience with a brief explanation of the content of the trial.

Organize your work so as to convey to your audience the author’s ideas before presenting an informed interpretation of ideas and your critical response to the interpretation. Include passages from the text to demonstrate the author’s intention and present textual evidence that supports your argument or point of view.

Advice

When presenting a critique of an essay, use action verbs, present a clear argument and avoid phrases like “in my opinion” or “I think” that weaken your argument.