Writing the Critical Essay
Identifying the Key words
 To pass, your understanding must be show
to be appropriate to the task set
 This means that you must apply your
knowledge and carry out the task exactly as
it is asked in the question
 A strategy to help with this is to identify
clearly the key words.
 The key words are those that provide details
of the task
 They will appear in both the first and second
sentences of the question.
 Highlight or underline them and then repeat
them throughout your essay.
Example
 Choose a play in which a character feels
increasingly isolated from the community in
which he or she lives.
Show how the dramatist makes you aware
of the character’s increasing isolation and
discuss how this affects your attitude
towards the character
 Because you will be repeating these words
throughout your essay, it is a good idea to
jot down some synonyms for the key words
so that you can vary your language
 E.G. Isolated – alienated, separate,
separated, set apart, cut off, etc
 Task 1
Breaking down the task
 It is essential that you focus on your task
from the planning stage if you are to gain a
good mark.
 Having identified your key words, you
should then try to break down the task into
the various elements that it involves
Example
 Choose a poem that deals with a childhood
experience. Discuss to what extent the
poet’s description of the experience leads
you to a clear understanding of the poet’s
theme.
 Once you have highlighted the key words of
the task you now bullet-point the strands
you must include in your discussion
 Identify a childhood experience
 Analyse how the poet describes the
experience
 Relate your understanding of the theme to
the description of the experience
 Once you have done this you would relate
each bullet-point to your own text.
 E.G. Lockhead’s poem ‘Revelation’
 Experience: being shown the farm’s bull
 Description: use of sense – colour, smell,
shape, sound; contrasts with hens
 Relation to theme: awareness of dark side
of life, sexuality, danger leading to loss of
childhood innocence.
 Task 2
Writing the Introduction –Don’ts
 Start by talking about the life of the author.
 Give a detailed account of the plot.
 Go into detailed discussion about the
characters, themes, etc.
 Include quotations or examples.
 Try to be amusing or dramatic.
The 5 step formula.
1. Identify the text and author
2. Use words from the beginning of the question and
explain why the chosen text is suitable for the
question.
3. A sentence or two summarising the text – but no
more.
4. Refer to the words that set the task in the second
sentence of the question.
5. Give an idea of how the rest of the essay is going
to develop.
Sample Introductions – task 3
 In pairs/small groups read over the introductions
and check the 5 steps then complete the table on
strengths and weaknesses within each intro.
 The question is ‘ Choose a play which you feel has
a memorable opening section.
Show how the content or atmosphere of the scene
or section provides an effective starting point for
the development of the characters and the theme
of the play.
Task 4
 Individually – write an introduction for ‘Death
of a Salesman’ using the same question.
 You have 5 minutes.
 Pass your introduction to the person next to
you and they should assess it against the 5
steps.
Plot summary – yes or no?
 Do not do a outline of the plot paragraph.
You just need to remember that new ideas
should be put in context when they are first
introduced.
– When a character is mentioned for the first time
he or she should be introduced briefly.
– The setting of the story should be explained, if
relevant.
– If an event is mentioned it needs to be placed in
context, e.g. where does it fit into the sequence
of events?
Structure Points
 Statement – topic sentence
 Evidence – quotation
 Analysis – explanation of quote and detailed
comment
 Link – use words from the question to link
back to the main idea.
STATEMENT
 The topic sentence will make a general point
and not detailed one.
 It should refer to words from the question.
 Think of it as a signpost – indicates the
direction which the rest of the paragraph is
going to travel.
 Task 5 – Look at the examples of topic
sentences and discuss how effective each
one is.
Evidence
 A statement must be backed up by
evidence. This might be:
– A direct quotation – the actual words from the
text.
– An indirect reference to something that happens
in the text e.g. a summary of the incident in
Howard Wagner’s office with the wire recorder
to show Willy’s inability to cope with the modern
world.
 A quotation needs to be put in contextintroduce it properly by making it clear who
spoke the words, where it came in the text,
etc.
 NEVER introduce a quotation by saying
‘The quote shows…’
For example
 ‘We’ve got to decide if this is an island’
Ralph takes command and tells the others
what to do. – INCORRECT – Don’t begin a
paragraph with a quotation, always have the
statement first.
 In ‘Lord of the Flies’, Ralph is a character
who exhibits strong leadership qualities,
‘We’ve got to decide if this is an island.’
INCORRECT – Quotation is not in context.
For Example – Correct way
 In ‘Lord of the Flies’, Ralph is a character
who exhibits strong qualities of leadership.
For example, at the first meeting of the
surviving boys it is he who stresses, ‘We’ve
got to decide if this is an island’. –Statement
is followed by a quotation that is placed in
context.
Explanation and Link
 Follow the quotation with a comment e.g.
What does is show about the
character/theme/setting...
 Always link points back to the main idea of
the essay – the simplest way to do this is to
use key words from question.
Example paragraph point –
task 6
 Willy's sons illustrate other significant areas of this central
theme of failure: Biff opts out of the competitive world
which his father wants for him. And it is Biff who finally
analyses the root cause of their domestic friction when he
says: 'We never told the truth for ten minutes.' It is Biff who
finally blames his father for his own failure because: 'We've
been walking in a dream for fifteen years', 'I never got
anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air.' The
playwright presents us with a dramatic turning point when
Biff comes to understand that he has been blinded by false
values, unable to honestly address who he is or where he
belongs in life.
The ‘so what?’ test
 Don’t include quotations or comments for
their own sake. For each quotation used or
point made ask yourself ‘so what?’
 If the quotation doesn’t tell you anything
about theme/character/etc or the point
doesn’t add anything to your essay then it
should be removed.
Paragraph plan
 PARA 1 – INTRODUCTION
Use the 5 step guide to write an introduction
relevant to the question. The direction of
the whole essay should be clear from this
point onwards.
 Paragraph 2
 Start with a topic sentence that picks up one
of the points mentioned in the introduction
and develop it using the SEAL pattern.
There may be several SEALs in each
paragraph but they must all link logically to
the original topic sentence.
 Paragraph 3/4/5 onwards
 Develop these paragraphs in a similar
pattern. Each should start with a linking
word/phrase to give your essay coherence
and should develop a new point.
Conclusion
 The final paragraph should sum up each of
the main points that have been covered in
the essay and relate your answer to the
question.
The linking word/phrase
 Paragraphs should begin with a linking and
topic sentence so that your essay has
coherence.
 Examine the following Topic sentence and
discuss why it is a good linking sentence.
 In addition to his depressing physical
surroundings, Tom Curdie’s family
background contributes to his difficulties.
Linking phrase,
indicating that a
second point is to
follow
This has been
examined in the
previous paragraph.
In addition to his depressing
physical surroundings, Tom
Curdie’s family background
contributes to his difficulties.
How his family
background contributes
will be the topic of this
paragraph.
 The pattern of these sentences is:
– Linking expression at the start of the sentence
– Reference back to the topic of the previous
paragraph
– Reference forward to the topic of the next
paragraph.
– Hand out – Linking words sheet.
Now it’s your turn!
 Choose a play in which the opening
provides us with a clear idea of what is to
come. Discuss the various ways in which
the opening 'sets the scene' and introduces
us to the main themes and concerns of the
play.
1. Identify the key words.
 Choose a play in which the opening
provides us with a clear idea of what is to
come. Discuss the various ways in which
the opening 'sets the scene' and introduces
us to the main themes and concerns of the
play.
 Now break this up into the different
elements
 1. Identify the elements of the opening that
provide a clear idea of what is to come.
 2. Discuss the ways Miller has set the scene
(techniques)
 3. Relate the opening of the play to the main
themes/concerns.
 It is up to you to now plan and write the
essay.