CRITICAL READING WRITING AND THINKING

THE NATURE OF CRITICAL WRITING

Transitioning from Critical Reading to Critical Writing ° Remember that critical writing is no longer about
observation and imagination. Rather, it strongly calls for
Reading and writing are the two of the macro observation and logic to raise solid arguments, supported by
skills essential for learning. Critical reading is not evidences that you will carefully elaborate in your text.
a process of passive consumption, but one of
interaction and engagement between the reader
and the text. Therefore, when reading critically
and actively, it is important not only to take in
the words on the page, but also to interpret
and to reflect upon what is read through writing
and discussing it with others.

Reacting to a text is often done on an emotional and

largely subjective, rather than on an intellectual
and objective level. It is quick but shallow.

Responding to a text, on the other hand, requires

a careful study of the ideas presented and
arguments advanced in it. It is analytical and
evaluative. Critical readers who possess this skill
are not willing to simply reject or accept the
arguments presented in the text after the first
reading right away. They are open-minded and
willing to learn in spite of differences in beliefs and
principles.

Hence, responding to a text is much more

productive and progressive.

CRITICAL WRITING VS DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

It is important that you understand the

difference between descriptive writing and adopting a
critical stance, and are able to show clear evidence of your
understanding in your writing.
 CRITICAL READING WRITING AND THINKING

ACADEMIC WRITING

Academic writing differs from other types of writing such as CLEAR POINT OF VIEW
journalistic or creative writing. In most forms of academic
writing a detached and objective approach is required. o Academic writing, even that with an informative
In an academic writing assignment, you will start by asking a purpose, is not just a list of facts or summaries of
good question, then find and analyze answers to it, and sources.
choose your own best answer(s) to discuss in your paper.
o Although you will present other people’s ideas and
Your paper will share your thoughts and findings and justify research, the goal of your paper is to show what you
your answer with logic and evidence. think about these things.

So, the goal of academic writing is not to show off everything o Your paper will have and support your own original
that you know about your topic, but rather to show that you idea about the topic. This is called the thesis
and can think critically about your topic. statement, and it is your answer to the question.

SINGLE FOCUS
PRINCIPLES OF ACADEMIC WRITING
o Every paragraph (even every sentence) in your paper
CLEAR PURPOSE will support your thesis statement.

o The goal of your paper is to answer the question you o There will be no unnecessary, irrelevant,
posed as your topic. Your question gives you a unimportant, or contradictory information (Your
purpose. paper will likely include contradictory or alternative
points of view, but you will respond to and critique
o The most common purposes in academic writing are them to further strengthen your own point of view).
to persuade, analyze/synthesize, and inform.
LOGICAL ORGANIZATION
Persuasive Purpose
In persuasive academic writing, the purpose is to get o Academic writing follows a standard organizational
your readers to adopt your answer to the question. pattern. For academic essays and papers, there is an
introduction, body, and conclusion.
So, you will choose one answer to your question,
support your answer using reason and evidence, and o The introduction catches the readers’ attention,
try to change the readers’ point of view about the provides background information, and lets the
topic. Persuasive writing assignments include reader know what to expect. It also has the thesis
argumentative and position papers. statement.

Analytical Purpose o The body paragraphs support the thesis statement.

In analytical academic writing, the purpose is to
explain and evaluate possible answers to your o Each body paragraph has one main point to support
question, choosing the best answer(s) based on the thesis, which is named in a topic sentence.
your own criteria.
o Each point is then supported in the paragraph with
Analytical assignments often investigate causes, logical reasoning and evidence. Each sentence
examine effects, evaluate effectiveness, assess ways connects to the one before and after it.
to solve problems, find the relationships between
various ideas, or analyze other people’s arguments. o The conclusion summarizes the paper’s thesis and
main points and shows the reader the significance of
Informative Purpose the paper’s findings.
In informative academic writing, the purpose is to
explain possible answers to your question, giving the STRONG SUPPORT
readers new information about your topic.
o Each body paragraph will have sufficient and
This differs from an analytical topic in that you do relevant support for the topic sentence and thesis
not push your viewpoint on the readers, but rather statement. This support will consist of facts,
try to enlarge the readers’ view. examples, description, personal experience, and
expert opinions and quotations.
AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
CLEAR & COMPLETE EXPLANATIONS
o As with all writing, academic writing is directed to a
specific audience in mind. Unless your instructor o This is very important! As the writer, you need to do
says otherwise, consider your audience to be fellow all the work for the reader. The reader should not
students with the same level of knowledge as have to think hard to understand your ideas, logic,
yourself. or organization.

o You will have to engage them with your ideas and EFFECTIVE USE OF RESEARCH
catch their interest with your writing style. Imagine
that they are also skeptical, so that you must use the o Your paper should refer to a variety of current, high-
appropriate reasoning and evidence to convince quality, professional and academic sources. You will
them of your ideas. use your research to support your own ideas.
 CRITICAL READING WRITING AND THINKING

ACADEMIC WRITING

CORRECT APA STYLE

o All academic papers should follow the guidelines

of the American Psychological Association.

WRITING STYLE

o Your writing should be clear, concise, and easy to

read. It is also very important that there are no
grammar, spelling, punctuation, or vocabulary
mistakes in academic writing. Errors convey to the
reader that you do not care.

THE WRITING PROCESS WRITE, REVISE, EDIT, PROOFREAD.

CHOOSE A TOPIC

o Think about things related to your interest.

o Narrow your ideas from subjects to topics.
o Write your topic as a question.

BRAINSTORM

o Write down all the possible answers to your

question, and write down all the information,
opinions, and questions you have about your topic.

RESEARCH

o What you must remember is that “doing good

research takes time.” Do not expect to do research
once and find everything that you need for your
paper.

DISCOVER YOUR THESIS STATEMENT

A good thesis statement usually includes:
o Main idea of the paper. ONE idea. The entire paper
is based on this statement.
o Your opinion or point of view. The thesis statement
is not a fact nor a question, but your view of the
topic and what you want to say about it.
o Purpose of the paper. From the thesis, it should be
clear what the paper will do.
o Answer to the research question. Ask yourself the
question and then answer it with your thesis. Is it
truly an answer? (if not, change the question or the
answer!)
o An element of surprise. This means that the thesis is
interesting, engaging, and perhaps not so expected.
o Clarity. It should be understandable after one
reading and have no mistakes.

OUTLINING

o A basic outline is your first attempt to organize the

ideas of your paper. It will help you focus your
research and consider the order of your ideas.
 CRITICAL READING WRITING AND THINKING

WRITING IN THE WORKPLACE

IMPORTANCE OF WRITING
SKILLS IN BUSINESS THE WRITING PROCESS

Writing skills make the difference between "good" and Plan

"bad" employees
o Always start by thinking about the purpose of the
Crafting your own resume and cover letter may pose a real
communication. The information and points that you
challenge, especially when you have to tailor fit them to the
want to present in your writing should target the
position and industry that you are trying to apply for.
specific audience that you try to inform or convince.
Furthermore, a document filled with grammatical errors will
not impress anyone in the business organization, which you
Design an Outline
need to secure the job.
o You need to outline your goals and the points that
Writing skills ensure effective business communication
you want to write about to achieve those goals. List
down everything that you deem relevant and along
Business correspondence helps a company connect with
the way, you might have to add or delete some
partners and stakeholders. If a text is poorly written and
points.
structured, the message may be misinterpreted and may
lead to loss of business transaction or even to permanent
Research and Fact-Check to Ensure Depth of
loss of partnership.
Information
You demonstrate your intelligence with quality writing
o The depth and amount of detail you include are also
important. Sometimes, lots of detail is necessary,
A few grammatical or punctuation errors may seem minor,
while in other cases the focus should be on getting
but people do notice them even when they do not show any
to the point quickly; this decision depends on your
reaction and give you feedback. They tend to think that
reader.
those who do not write well are less intelligent than those
who do.
Pique the Readers’ Interest
Do not let anyone dismiss you because of your poor
writing skills. A few minutes of proofreading can improve
o One way to do this is to show readers how the
the way you are perceived, prompting everyone to take
information will impact them: “Let them know up
you more seriously.
front why the topic you are addressing is of interest
to them.”
Good writers are credible
Reach Your Audience
People with advanced writing skills are perceived as more
reliable and trustworthy. Producing flawless documents will
o To effectively reach your audience, consider the
also make you look more credible than those who produce
terminology you use and the information you
subpar quality.
include. Using known terms and clearly explaining
information allows the reader to better understand
Writing skills help to keep good records
the document.
Information that is communicated orally is not kept for
Always Proofread
long. That is the reason why students take notes of
lectures. As scholars use their notes to write essays, you
o Finishing the last sentence is not the end of the
can apply your records in your work.
writing process because professional writing is
Keeping a record of your writing, especially when you reader-, not writer-, centered. Be certain that your
belong to industries related to creativity and concepts, can audience understands the topic.
also help you build a reliable portfolio that may be used for
career advancement.

You boost your professional confidence

When written communication leads a business to another

successfully completed project, you become more
confident and inspired, not to mention more eligible for
promotion. Who does not like to advance in the career
ladder?

You promote yourself and your career

The better your writing skills are, the more responsibility

you will be given. That is great for you and your future
career success.

Business writing builds a solid web presence

Business is all about presentation. Owners aim to set up

an effective online presence, especially nowadays that
the marketing game has turned digital. It helps potential
customers discover the company and its products.
 CRITICAL READING WRITING AND THINKING

SRATEGIES IN CRITICAL WRITING

ANALYSIS

o Analysis, the basis of many other strategies, is the

process of breaking something into its parts and
putting the parts back together so that you can
better understand the whole.

SYNTHESIS

o In synthesizing information, you must bring together

all your opinions and researched evidences in
support of your thesis.
o You integrate the relevant facts, statistics, expert
opinions, and whatever can directly be observed
with your own opinion and conclusions to persuade
your audience that your thesis is correct.
o Indeed, you use synthesis in supporting a thesis and
assembling a paper.

How to write a synthesis?

• Identify the appropriate texts to use. You may find it

helpful to use the notes and references in one
appropriate source to find other relevant sources.
• Read the sources carefully in relation to your
purpose. Take notes or annotate your own copies to
be able to retrieve relevant information easily.
• Think about the connections among the various
sources. Do any of the sources agree or disagree on
any points? Does one source provide background for
another? Does one source take up where another
leaves of? Does one source provide an example of
an idea discussed in another source? Do any
common ideas or viewpoints run through all the
sources?
• Based on the pattern of connections you have seen
among the various sources, develop an overall point
or conclusion to serve as the organizing thesis of
your synthesis.
• Develop a plan for presenting the various parts of
the information in a unified way.
EVALUATION
o In applying this strategy, you first establish the
criteria you will use to evaluate your subject, apply
them to the specific parts of the subject you are
judging, and draw conclusions about whether your
subject meets those criteria.
o In the process of evaluating a subject, you will
usually be called upon to render some analysis and
synthesis and even use persuasive or argumentative
techniques.
PERSUASION
o Persuasion is aimed at changing the beliefs or
opinions of the readers or at encouraging them to
accept the credibility or possibility of your opinion or
belief.
o You can make your writing persuasive by responding
to the needs and demands of your readers. When
you keep them in mind, you can identify with their
points of view and attitudes. Use your style and tone
to show respect for your reader. Offer your reader
arguments and evidences to support your opinion or
belief.
 CRITICAL READING WRITING AND THINKING

WRITING AN ARGUMENT

What is an ACADEMIC ARGUMENT?

given your research and what you have learnt. This
The term ‘argument’ is used in everyday language to
will be your claim. Make it very clear what position
describe a dispute or disagreement between two or
or point of view you are taking.
more people. However, within written academic work,
the presence of an argument does not always indicate a o How will the evidence from your research support
disagreement. your case?
An argument can be used to: - Integrate supporting evidence by quoting and/or
o Support something we think has merit – a position, a paraphrasing.
point of view, a program, an object. -Acknowledge counter arguments/counterevidence.
o Persuade someone that something would be - Use linking words and discourse markers to draw
beneficial to do (or not to do) – a course of action. connections between your argument and the
o Convince someone that something is true, likely to evidence and/or counter evidence.
be true or probable – a fact, an outcome.
o Argue for this position in an academic context.
o Show someone the problems or difficulties with Consider your claim and supporting premises and
something – a theory, an approach, a course of draw out the implications:
action.
- Why am I saying this here?
o Reason with someone to get them to change their
mind or their practice. - What point am I trying to make?
- What does this evidence show?

o Make sure your essay has a clear, logical structure

with relevant points which lead to the conclusion. It
should be easy for your readers to follow where you
are heading and why.

What makes a GOOD ARGUMENT?

A good argument should be convincing. You should find

yourself believing the claim, or at least finding the conclusion
reasonable. This entails several things:

o acceptable or reasonable premises (likely to be true)

o evidence or reasons that are relevant to the claim

o reasons which provide sufficient grounds to lead us

to accept the claim. These are called the
acceptability, relevance and grounds of an
argument. If an argument satisfies these three
conditions, it is likely to be a good argument.

How do I write an argument?

o Ensure you understand the question. What do you

have to do? What issues do you need to cover?

o Do your research. What do we know about this

issue? What do the researchers say? What are the
debates, the problems?

o Go back to the question and consider your answer,