How to Write a Critique

Pronouns

What is a critique?

Builds upon a summary

a formalized, critical reading of a passage that

includes a personal response

purpose is to turn a critical reading of a passage into

a systematic evaluation to deepen a readers
understanding of that passage

To Write a Critique

must determine what an author says

how well the points are made
what assumptions underlie the argument
what issues are overlooked, and what implication
can be drawn from such an analysis, statement and
explanation of personal assumptions
(opinions/responses)

To Write a Critique

Begin by posing two broad questions about readings:

To what extent does the author succeed in his/her

purpose?

To what extent do you agree with the author?

To Write a Critique

identify authors thesis

identify the selections content and structure
identify the authors purpose.
authors purpose to inform, persuade, and/or
entertain

What is an authors purpose?

Reason an author writes something

To inform
To persuade
To entertain

If the purpose is to inform, evaluate

by using these questions:

Is the information accurate?

Is the information significant? What can the reader
gain from this information? How is knowledge
advanced by the publication of this material? Is the
information of importance to you or to others in a
particular audience? Why or why not?

If the purpose is to inform, evaluate

by using these questions:

Does the author fairly interpret the factual

information? Could you offer a contrary explanation
for the same facts? Does more information need to
be gathered before firm conclusions can be drawn?
Why?

If the purpose is to persuade,

evaluate by using these questions:

What is the authors assertion or thesis statement?

Is the authors argument valid? Does the author use
clearly defined key terms? Does the author use
information fairly? Has the author argued logically
and not fallaciously?
Watch out for faulty thinking and logical fallacies

If the purpose is to entertain,

evaluate by asking these questions:

Which elements of the work seemed

effective/ineffective? Why? Offer an overall
assessment, elaborating on personal views.

Did I care for the portrayal of a certain character?

Did that character seem overly sentimental or heroic?
Did his adversaries seem too villainous or stupid?

If the purpose is to entertain,

evaluate by asking these questions:

Did his adversaries seem too villainous or stupid?

Were the situations believable?
Was the action interesting or merely formulaic?
Was the theme developed subtly or powerfully, or did
the work come across as preachy or shrill?
Did the action at the end of the work follow plausibly
from what had come before?
Was the language fresh and incisive or stale and
predictable?

To Write a Critique in a
nutshell
To what extent do you agree with the author?
your assessment of the presentation may not coincide
with personal views:

you may agree with the author but feel the presentation is
superficial

respond to authors main assertions (arguments)

identify points of agreement and disagreement
identify assumptions
Elaborate upon your opinion.WHY do you agree or
disagree?

How to Organize a Critique

1. Introduction

identify the article title and author

provide background information that answers one or
more of the following questions:

Why is the subject of current interest?

How or why is the subject of the passage controversial?
What is the authors background?
Under what circumstances was the passage written?

include a specific thesis statement

How to Organize a Critique

2. Summary

summarizes the authors main points and purpose for

writing

is brief, complete, objective, and avoids plagiarism

How to Organize a Critique

3. Assessment of presentation

essay objectively assesses the validity of the authors

presentation by commenting on the authors success in
achieving his/her purpose by reviewing 3 or 4 specific
points

How to Organize a Critique

3. Assessment of presentation

The specific points are based upon the following

criteria:

Is the information accurate?

Is the information significant?
Has the author clearly defined terms?
Has the author used and interpreted information
fairly? Has the author argued logically?

How to Organize a Critique

4. Personal response to the
presentation

Essay responds to the authors views

Essay discusses reasons for agreement and/or
disagreement
Questions to answer include:

With which views do you agree? Why?

With which views do you disagree? Why?

How to Organize a Critique

5. Conclusion

states conclusions about the overall validity of the

article
assesses authors success at achieving aims
mentions personal reactions to authors views
restates the thesis by mentioning the
weaknesses/strengths of passage

Thesis statements
1.The following will summarize the article, evaluate the
article, and have a personal response on the article.
2. In the article, The Death Penalty Debate, Patricia
Smith writes about capital punishment and the
controversial reason some might oppose to it while others
concur that the death penalty is the just thing to do.
3. In Sean Gregorys Should This Kid Be Making $225, 047
A year for Playing College Football? his writing delves
into many different subjects on the current state of
college athletics like the people who are benefiting the
most from unpaid student athletes, Johnny Manziel, and
some reasons on why student athletes are not currently
paid.

Eng 102BC
Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement
Pronoun Reference

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

What is a pronoun?
Substitutes a noun
He, she, it, her, him, they, we, us, them

What is an antecedent?
Noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers to
Dr. Berto finished her rounds.
The hospital interns finished their rounds.

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

Do not use plural pronouns to refer to singular

antecedents
3 Ways to correct
When someone travels outside the US for the first
time, they need to apply for a passport.

Replace plural pronoun with he or she (his or her)

When someone travels outside the US for the first time, he
or she needs to apply for a passport.
Make antecedent plural
When people travel outside the US for the first time, they
need to apply for a passport.
Rewrite sentence to correct problem
Anyone who travels outside the US for the first time needs
to apply for a passport.

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

Do not use plural pronouns to refer to singular

antecedents
These indefinite pronouns are all singular
Anybody
anyone
anything each
Everybody
either
everyone everything
Nobody
no one
neither
nothing
Somebody
someone something

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

Treat collective nouns as singular unless the

meaning is clearly plural
Collective nouns are treated as a group and
functions as a unit
Jury
committee
audience couple
Crowd
class
troop
family
team
The committee granted its permission to build.
Sometimes they act as individuals though
The committee put their signatures on the
document.
Simplify by adding a clearly plural antecedent
The members of the committee put their signatures
on the document.

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

Treat most compound antecedents joined with

and as plural
In 1987, Reagan and Gorbachev held a summit
where they signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear
Forces Treaty.
With compound antecedents joined with or or
nor (or with eitheror or neithernor), make the
pronoun agree with the closer antecedent
Either Bruce or Tom should receive first prize for his
poem.
Neither the mouse nor the rats could find their way
through the maze.

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

With compound antecedents joined with or or

nor (or with eitheror or neithernor), make the
pronoun agree with the closer antecedent
*if one antecedent is singular and the other
plural, put plural one last to avoid awkwardness
*If one antecedent is male and the other female,
do not follow the traditional rule
Either Bruce or Elizabeth should receive first prize
for her short story.
The prize for best short story should go to either
Bruce or Elizabeth.

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

1. Meteorology has made many advances in the past
few decades, but they still cannot answer a number of
questions about tornadoes.
Meteorology has made many advances in the past few
decades, but it still cannot answer a number of
questions about tornadoes.
2. Every tornado has their own unique characteristics.
Every tornado has its own unique characteristics.

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

3.The science of tornado watching has its own system,
the Fujita scale, for measuring storms from weakest
(F0) to strongest (F5).
correct
4. An F4 tornado or an F5 tornado can destroy
everything in their path.
An F4 tornado or an F5 tornado can destroy
everything in its path.

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

5. Scientists cannot yet predict how strong any tornado
will be before they happen.
Scientists cannot yet predict how strong any tornado
will be before it happens.
6. One mystery about tornadoes involves the last step
when it forms.
One mystery about tornadoes involves the last step
when they form.

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

7. Specialists do not know if a tornado forms in a cloud
and travels to the ground or if they begin on earth
and spiral upward.
Specialists do not know if a tornado forms in a cloud
and travels to the ground or if it begins on earth and
spirals upward.
8. Improved meteorological technology and the skill to
interpret data have made their contributions to
tornado prediction.
correct

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

9. Either a few extra minutes of warning or more
information about a storms power would prove their
effectiveness in saving lives.
Either a few extra minutes of warning or more
information about a storms power would prove its
effectiveness in saving lives.
10. People who live in a tornado zone should always
know where his or her nearest safe area is.
People who live in a tornado zone should always know
where their nearest safe area is.
People who live in a tornado zone should always know
the location of their nearest safe zone.

Pronoun References

Avoid ambiguous or remote pronoun reference

Occurs when pronoun could refer to 2 possible
antecedents
When Gloria set the pitcher on the glass-topped
table, it broke.
Which object broke the pitcher or the table?
The pitcher broke when Gloria set it on the glasstopped table.
Tom told Sam that he had won the lottery.
Who won the lottery Tom or Sam?
Tom told Sam, You have won the lottery.

Pronoun References

Generally, avoid broad reference of this, that,

which, it
By advertising on TV, pharmaceutical companies
gain exposure for their prescription drugs. Patients
respond to this by requesting drugs they might not
need.
What are patients responding to ads,
companies, prescription drugs?
By advertising on TV, pharmaceutical companies
gain exposure for their prescription drugs. Patients
respond to the ads by requesting drugs they might
not need.

Pronoun References

Do not use a pronoun to refer to an implied

antecedent
A pronoun should refer to a specific antecedent,
not to a word that isnt actually in the sentence
After braiding Anns hair, Sue decorated them with
ribbons.
What is the antecedent for the pronoun them?
After braiding Anns hair, Sue decorated the braids
with ribbons.

Pronoun References

Avoid the indefinite use of they, it, you

A pronoun should refer to a specific antecedent,
not to a word that isnt actually in the sentence
In June, they announced that parents would have to
pay a fee.
In June, the board announced that parents would
have to pay a fee.
In the encyclopedia it states that male moths can
smell female moths from several miles away.
The encyclopedia states that male moths can smell
female moths from several miles away.

Pronoun References

Avoid the indefinite use of they, it, you

A pronoun should refer to a specific antecedent,
not to a word that isnt actually in the sentence
Ms. Pickersgills book stipulates that you should not
arrive at a party too early or leave too late.
Ms. Pickersgills book stipulates that a guest should
not arrive at a party too early or leave too late.

Pronoun References

To refer to persons, use who, whom, whose NOT

which, that
Use which, that to refer to animals or things
All thirty-two women in the study, half of which were
unemployed for more than six months, reported
higher self-esteem after job training.
All thirty-two women in the study, half of who were
unemployed for more than six months, reported
higher self-esteem after job training.
During the two-day festival El Dia de los Muertos,
Mexican families celebrate loved ones that have died.
During the two-day festival El Dia de los Muertos,
Mexican families celebrate loved ones who have died.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

1. In much political analysis, they say that public distrust
of the US government began with Watergate.
Many political analysts say that public distrust of the US
government began with Watergate.
2.That scandals continuing legacy may make it one of
the most influential American events of the twentieth
century.
That scandals continuing legacy may make Watergate
one of the most influential American events of the
twentieth century.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

3. Since the early 1970s, political scandals have rarely
interested Americans; they often seem to have very
little effect.
Since the early 1970s, political scandals have rarely
interested Americans; the scandals often seem to have
very little effect.
4. Journalists provided the American people with a lot of
information about the Iran-Contra hearings, but they
could not have cared less.
Journalists provided the American people with a lot of
information about the Iran-Contra hearings, but the
public could not have cared less.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

5. Most people were indifferent; could it have been the
result of post-Watergate trauma?
Could the indifference of most people have been the
result of post-Watergate trauma?
6. If Americans expect politicians to be corrupt, it will not
surprise or even interest them.
If Americans expect politicians to be corrupt,
government scandals will not surprise or even interest
them.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

7. Ironically, the medias coverage of scandals seems to
have made the public suspicious of them as well.
Ironically, the medias coverage of scandals seems to have
made the public suspicious of journalists as well.
8. Cynicism about political and journalistic motives, leads
to apathy and it can spread contagiously.
Cynicism about political and journalistic motives, which
can spread contagiously, leads to apathy.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

9. Many people are so apathetic that it makes them
refuse to vote.
Many people are so apathetic that they refuse to vote.
10. If people do not believe that they can make a
difference in the political process, it makes the country
less democratic.
If people do not believe that they can make a difference
in the political process, the country becomes less
democratic.

Grammar Tasks

Create a mad lib in which players have to apply

each pronoun reference rule and each pronoun &
antecedent agreement rule.

Link to define madlib

http://www.itsamadlibsworld.com/

How to create a Madlib

Choose a topic (I chose hippos)
Write one sentence illustrating each rule.
(No one wants to be eaten by a hippo while wearing his
or her dirty underwear. A family of hippos was drinking
from its watering hole.The male and female hippo knew
that they must stay hydrated.
*continue for all rules written in blue; there are 10*)
Underline each pronoun and its antecedent

Submit the paragraph with the pronouns and antecedents

underlined

Erase each underlined word or phrase

Create a list indicating which type of pronoun or
antecedent is needed to complete the blank

Submit these steps as well

How to create a Madlib

___1___wants to be eaten by a hippo while wearing
___2___ dirty underwear. A ___3___ was drinking
from ___4___ watering hole.The ___5___ hippo
knew that ___6___ must stay hydrated.
*continue for all rules*
1. Singular antecedent
2. Singular pronoun
3. Collective noun antecedent
4. Singular pronoun
5. Compound antecedent
6. Plural pronoun

For Thursday
Read these articles
Arlen and Koehlers A Cloudful of Stormy
Weather (pg 243)
Blairs Comparing and Contrasting Three Covers of
Stormy Weather (Pg 251)
Cohens A Hearful of Hallelujah (pg 257)
Bring an article about a cover song.
Bring answers about your cover song article to the
questions found on the next slide.

Answer the following questions for the article you found about a cover song:

why is the subject of current interest?

What are the articles main points?
What is the authors purpose?
Is the author successful in achieving this purpose?
Do you agree or disagree with the author?
Is the article valid?