Critical Writing & Developing Critical Arguments

It is important to recognise the difference between description and analysis.

Descriptive writing provides an account of a situation but does not draw any conclusions or implications.

While some descriptive detail is important to set the scene or provide background information, critical or analytical writing is where the marks lie.

Analytical writing calls for an interpretation of facts, events and data. You need to compare, contrasts and evaluate information.

Adapted from: Cottrell, S. 2019. The Study Skills Handbook. 5th edn. London: Macmillan, p.354.

While the structure of an essay might be familiar to you, at University we are required to go beyond replicating information, and add complexity to our writing.

There should be a critical thread running throughout your essay, from the way you interpret the question, right through to writing your conclusion. Below is a list of some techniques you can use to embed criticality in your writing.

Showing your criticality

You can use a simple, three point strategy that will help you break down your writing and effectively embed analysis and evaluation.

It Says/ I  Say/ And So are strategic questions to consider when writing.

They respectively express the descriptive, analytic and evaluation components of written work.

When writing always ensure that you don't have too much descriptive element (It Says).

Three point strategy for embedding analysis and evaluation

It says/ Description - These are the facts , the data, evidence and information to support your opinions.

I say/Analysis - This is your analysis that shows your understanding and guides the reader through your thinking process.

And so/Evaluation - This outlines the implications of your analysis and how it connects to the rest of your writing.

Worked example for embedding three point analytic strategy

In the worked response below you can see how descriptive, analytical and evaluation elements can be embedded in your writing:

Ulster University Student Success Centre was launched in 2023, to enhance students’ development in academic and study skills. With student numbers increasing and widening participation strategies, a more diverse student body needed additional support in academic skills development. The Centre’s focus would allow a sustainable and scaffolded approach to literacy instruction and student attainment (Delaney 2024).

It says/ Description - Ulster University Student Success Centre was established in 2023, to complement teaching and boost students’ skills development for Higher Education. (Delaney 2024)

I say/Analysis - With a rapid growth in numbers and widening access, the homogeneity of the student demographic has changed and additional support is required for students. (Delaney 2024)

And so/Evaluation - The Centre’s initiatives, services and resources will potentially impact students at their point of need and aid retention, progression and attainment.

We previously examined what a critical analysis and synthesis is. When producing a paragraph of writing , a clear, critical argument should be illustrated.

Note how the structure of the paragraph is important in conveying your opinion. While much of the content is from sources, your own opinion still comes across clearly.