critique paper

1. ← MLA heading
MLA title

2. Your paper’s title
If you use your author’s article title, then you
are plagiarising.

3. A good title
● predicts content
● catches the reader's interest
● reflects YOUR purpose
TRY TO COME UP WITH A STRONG TITLE:
Write a title that is a question beginning with one of the following words:
What, Who, When, How, Why, Is, Does. . .
Does Medved Create a Successful Argument?
Write out a title that starts with the author’s last name : Commentary
Michael Medved : ___________
Phyllis Schlafly : ____________

4. Author introductions
In “The Culture of Shut Up”, Jon Lovett argues
that….
Jon Lovett is the author of the article titled “The
Culture of Shut Up”.

5. AVOID: “In the article”
In his article, Coates states
In the essay, it states (who is “it”?)

6. AVOID: “the author”
The author points out that
Coates points out that
He points out that

7. VARIED Signal phrases
Author last name + verb (present tense)
Medved
Acknowledges
Adds
Admits
Addresses
Argues
Asserts
Believes
Claims
Comments
Compares
Confirms
Contends
Declares
Denies
Disputes
Emphasizes
Endorses
Grants
Illustrates
Implies
Insists
Notes
Observes
Points out
Reasons
Refutes
Rejects
Reports
Responds
Suggests
Thinks
Writes

8. Look for the “You”s: REPLACE
○ who, specifically?
○ “you” is generally too
informal

9. Look for the “I”s and “My”s:
REMOVE
● In my paper
● I will argue
● I believe
● In my opinion,
● My argument is that

10. SPELL OUT Contractions
won’t : will not
can’t: cannot
shouldn’t : should not
it’s: it is

11. Cliched Phrases/Generalizations
REMOVE
● In today’s day and age
● In our modern time
● Throughout the world
● In today’s society
● Our society
● Nowadays

12. A citation: Jones said “blah” (127).
● YES! Citation if you quote
● YES! Citation if you paraphrase
● YES! Citation if you summarize a
couple of sentences from a specific
page
(Jones 127) or (127).

13. Transition Phrases :
At the beginning of a paragraph
SOne of the reasons why….
AAnother major flaw in ...p
The most significant problem….eople believe

14. Body paragraphs
Point : What criteria will you discuss? Define the
criteria. Explain how the criteria helps to make an
argument strong (or hurts an argument)ic sentence (1
criteria from thesis)
Examples: quotes/paraphrases that show your author
meeting/not meeting the criteria( 3
Explanation: How do your examples demonstrate the
criteria that you say they do?of how the evidence

15. Are you DEFINING the criteria that you are
using (BEFORE you describe evidence)?
● generalization (about who/what?)
● bias (towards who/ what?)
● bias (against who/what?)
● counterargument
● lack of evidence

16. Intro Words that need commas
For example, In fact, However,
In addition, Moreover, In contrast,
Additionally, Furthermore
While

17. Intro Clauses begin with one of these words
Although After Before Because Despite
During Even though If Since Though
Throughout Until When
COMMA GOES AFTER THE CLAUSE
Throughout the entire article, Thurston uses a
sarcastic tone

18. Conclusion Tactics to Avoid
“in conclusion,”
“in summary”
”to sum up”
“in closing”
copy and pasting the thesis
restating all of your main points

19. Conclusion Tactics
Why is this evaluation important?
Why is it important for a weak argument to be exposed,
examined, and judged?
Why is it important to recognize the strength of good
arguments?
____