Review and critical writing

Learning objectives

Distinguish a review, which judges one particular work, performance, product, place or event for readers deciding whether to spend time or money on it, from critical writing, which argues an interpretation or judgement about a work, a form or a cultural trend

Choose criteria that follow from what the thing reviewed is trying to do, and organise the evaluation around them so that every judgement can be traced to a stated standard

Support each judgement with specific, concrete detail and precise evaluative lexis, keeping description and plot summary to the minimum the judgement needs

Construct a credible critical voice, and match register, assumed knowledge and tone to the publication and readership named in the task

Structure a piece of 600–900 words with a deliberate opening, brief context, an ordered sequence of evaluative points, a fair concession and a verdict that answers the reader's question

Write a critical piece that states a thesis early, analyses more than one example closely and answers the strongest alternative reading