The purpose for writing a critique is to evaluate somebody’s work (a book, an essay, a movie, a painting…) in order to increase the reader’s understanding of it. A critical analysis is subjective writing because it expresses the writer’s opinion or evaluation of a text. Analysis means to break down and study the parts. Writing a critical paper requires two steps: critical reading and critical writing. Critical reading: 1. Identify the author’s thesis and purpose 2. Analyze the structure of the passage by identifying all main ideas 3. Consult a dictionary or encyclopedia to understand material that is unfamiliar to you 4. Make an outline of the work or write a description of it 5. Write a summary of the work 6. Determine the purpose which could be o To inform with factual material o To persuade with appeal to reason or emotions o To entertain (to affect people’s emotions) 7. Evaluate the means by which the author has accomplished his purpose  If the purpose is to inform, has the material been presented clearly, accurately, with order and coherence?  If the purpose is to persuade, look for evidence, logical reasoning, contrary evidence  If the purpose was to entertain, determine how emotions are affected: does it make you laugh, cry, angry? Why did it affect you? Consider the following questions: How is the material organized? Who is the intended audience? What are the writer’s assumptions about the audience? What kind of language and imagery does the author use?