WRITING A REVIEW AND

A CRITIQUE: WORKS OF
ARTS, EVENTS, OR
PROGRAMS
 OBJECTIVES
After going through this module, you are expected
to:
❑•define a reaction paper, a critique and a
review;
❑•develop a well-structured reaction,
critique and review; and
❑•write a balanced review or critique of a
work of art, and event or a program
following the appropriate guidelines
 REACTION PAPER
• A reaction paper is not
just a paper where you
express your opinion. It
requires a close reading
of the text. It also
evaluates and analyzes
the author's purpose and
main points.
•It is mainly written to communicate a fair
assessment of situations, people, events,
literary and artistic works and
performances.
• It may include the main purpose of the
event, the devices and strategies
employed, an evaluation of its success or
failure, and an assessment of its
significance and relevance, or
timelessness.
READING STRATEGIES
Previewing
- focuses on looking
for titles, subtitles,
visuals and other text
features in order to
have an idea about the
topic and the purpose
of the text.
READING STRATEGIES
Skimming
- focuses on looking for the
main points of the reading
material and identifies the
ideas that develop it while
moving eyes rapidly and
tracing your finger along the
lines of the text to speed up
your reading.
READING STRATEGIES
Scanning
- focuses on looking
for specific
information without
having to read every
word, just locate the
details you are
searching for.
 READING STRATEGIES
Context clues
- are the hints or clues
that an author gives to
help define a difficult
or unusual word.
A REACTION PAPER COMPRISES THE
FOLLOWING STRUCTURE.
1. INTRODUCTION contains all the basic
information in one or two paragraphs. The writer
states the main statement.

• Sentence 1 – title, author and publication

• Sentence 2-4 – brief summary of the text.
• Sentence 5 – Thesis statement – You
agree or disagree, identify, and evaluate.
REACTION PAPER
2. BODY
- expresses your ideas. It contains paragraphs that
provide support for your thesis. Each paragraph
should contain a topic sentence.
– details-examples-quotations
– author-you or you-author
3. CONCLUSION
- focuses on your overall reaction. A prediction of
the effects of what you are reacting to but does not
include new information.
CRITIQUE
• A critique is a careful analysis
of an argument to determine what
is said, how well the points are
presented, what assumptions
underlie the argument, what
issues are overlooked, and what
implications are drawn from such
observations. It is a systematic,
yet personal response and
evaluation of what you read.
CRITIQUES CAN BE USED TO CAREFULLY
ANALYZE A VARIETY OF WORKS SUCH AS:
1.Creative works – novels,
exhibits, film, images,
poetry
2.Research – monographs,
journal articles, systematic
reviews, theories
3.Media – news reports,
feature articles
 HOW TO WRITE A CRITIQUE
Before you start writing, it is important to have a
thorough understanding of the work that will be
critiqued.

1. Study the work under discussion.

2. Make notes on key parts of the work.
3. Develop an understanding of the main argument or
purpose being expressed in the work.
4. Consider how the work relates to a broader issue or
context.
 INTRODUCTION
Typically, the introduction is short (less than 10% of the word
length) and you should:
❑ Name the work being reviewed as well as the date it was
created and the name of the author/creator.
❑ Describe the main argument or purpose of the work.
❑ Explain the context in which the work was created. This could
include the social or political context, the place of the work in
a creative or academic tradition, or the relationship between
the work and the creator’s personal experience.
❑ Have a concluding sentence that signposts your evaluation
of the work. For instance, it may indicate whether it is a
positive, negative, or mixed evaluation.
BODY (SUMMARY AND CRITICAL
EVALUATION)

It briefly summarizes the main points and

objectively describes how the creator
portrays these by using techniques, styles,
media, characters or symbols. This summary
is not the focus of the critique and is usually
shorter than the critical evaluation.
CRITICAL EVALUATION

This section gives a systematic

and detailed assessment of the
different elements of the work
and evaluates how well the
creator was able to achieve the
purpose through these.
EXAMPLE
You would assess the plot structure,
characterization and setting of a novel;
would look at composition, brush
strokes, color and light of a painting;
would analyze the subject selection,
design of the experiment, the data and
conclusions of a research.
 CONCLUSION
This is usually a very brief paragraph, which
includes:
1. a statement indicating the overall evaluation of the
work;
2. a summary of the key reasons identified
during the critical evaluation, or why this
evaluation was formed;
3. In some circumstances, recommendations for
improvement on the work may be appropriate.
REVIEW PAPER
• A review paper is not a "term paper"
or book report. It is not merely a report
on some references you found.
Instead, a review paper synthesizes
the results from several primary
literature papers to produce a
coherent argument about a topic or a
focused description of a field.
 PURPOSE OF REVIEW PAPER
• The purpose of a review paper is to
briefly but clearly review recent progress
in a particular topic. Overall, the paper
summarizes the current state of
knowledge of the topic. It creates an
understanding of the topic for the reader
by discussing the findings presented in
recent research papers
• A key aspect of a review paper is that it provides
the evidence for a particular point of view in a field.
Thus, a large focus of your paper should be a
description of the data that supports or refutes that
point of view. In addition, you should inform the
reader of the experimental techniques that were
used to generate the data.
• The emphasis of a review paper is
interpreting the primary literature on the
subject.
• You need to read several original
research articles on the same topic and
make your own conclusions about the
meanings of those papers.
FOUR GENERAL SECTIONS

1.Introduction
2.The body of the paper
3.Conclusion and future directions
4.Literature cited
 GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE
REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE
Value Communicated
a. Gives a sound critical judgment.

b. Presents a fair and balanced assessment of situations,

events, people and things.

Basic Content
a. It ranges from an off-hand gut reaction, favorable or
unfavorable, merely expressive of emotion to a more rational
impersonal critical analysis that seriously communicates
some value, ethical or moral, some hidden or forgotten truth,
and some aesthetic delight.
b. It may take the form of a reflection, an appeal, a protest, a

tribute or denunciation, and a speculation.

c. In general, the content would include the following topics:

•
2.1 FOR HUMAN SITUATIONS:
• a.) A brief description of the
event
• b.) People involved, their
roles and contributions
• c.) Other driving forces, in
the open or hidden and
unsuspected
• d.) Implications and
consequences
• e.) Assessment and
prognostication
• f.) Some offered solutions
2.2 FOR CULTURAL AFFAIRS, PEOPLE,
WORKS AND PERFORMANCES:

• a.) The central purposes of the event or product;

• b.) The means, devices, strategies employed to
achieve the purpose
• c.) An evaluation of the achievement: success or
failure
•d.) The significance (if any) beyond mere
entertainment of the event or product in ethical and/or
aesthetic terms, its timeliness and/or timelessness
2.3 MODES OF ORDERING (ANY OF THE
FOLLOWING):

❑ a. From the event/performance/artifact/work presented and

described/ narrated in themselves to the writer’s critical
evaluation of the entire event, show or work in a sequence of
its elements. Discussion that intersperses critical comments
between mention or description of the details of the event,
show or work

❑ b. From a cover statement giving an over-all judgment of the

event, show or art piece to a discussion of each angle,
aspect or element of the event, show or work illustrating or
providing evidence for the evaluative cover statement
BASIC QUALITIES OF A GOOD REACTION
PAPER
❑ Gives a fair and balanced social commentary.
❑ Provides relevant and accurate factual information on the
situation.
❑ Exhibits by means of thorough and in-depth analysis an
appreciation of context (including time, place, people,
involvement, their motivation, and actuations).
❑ Makes a clear distinction, through language, between what
is actual and what is probable or possible.
❑ Exhibits a deep sense of humanity and an understanding
of the human situation even while expressing disapproval
or disagreement most intensely.
 BASIC QUALITIES OF AN ADEQUATE CRITICAL
JUDGMENT
❑ Provides accurate and relevant information on the
event, show, or work.
❑ Exhibits full appreciation of the purpose behind the
event, show, or work.
❑ Shows a clear understanding of the means
(strategies, techniques, devices, etc.) and their
appropriateness and power in achieving the
purpose.
❑Exhibits fairness and balance in the judgment made
❑Projects incisive and profound insights
KEY POINTS
• Reaction Papers, Reviews and Critiques
• Usually range in length from 250 to 750 words.
• Critical assessments, analyses or evaluation of different
works.
• Reviewers use both proofs and logical reasoning.
• Present an analytical response to a book or article.
• They are not merely summaries.
• Do not rely on mere opinions.