SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL- English for Academic and Professional Purposes

STUDENT’S NAME GRADE / SECTION

________________________________ ________________________________
TEACHER DATE SUBMITTED
________________________________ ________________________________

I. LEARNING SKILLS
A. Most Essential Learning Competency: Use appropriate critical approaches in
writing a critique such as formalism, feminism etc.

B. Objectives:
a. Identify the types of critical approaches in writing a critique
b. Use critical questions as a guide in identifying the approach used
c. Determine an appropriate approach used in writing a critique using extract and or
excerpt samples

II. INTRODUCTORY CONCEPT

As you evaluate a certain piece, it demands you to understand and use an
appropriate critical approach. Your choice of the kind of approach to be used depends on
your purpose to which angle of argument you wish to explore. Your choice is important
because it leads you to focus on critical questions to unfold and reveal credible thoughts
regarding the author, society, subject, content, and the structure etc.

WHAT IS A CRITIQUE?
Critique is derived from ancient Greek (“kritike”). It is defined as a careful judgment
in which you shape your opinion about the strengths and weaknesses of a piece of writing or
work of art. Its length may vary from 100 to 750 words or more. It is not a summary, rather,
it is the critical evaluation to understand validity, worth, effect, material etc. that interests you.

Critical Approaches in Writing a Critique

“Which is which”

You may use one or a mixture of approaches depending on the length and depth of
your critique, to wit:

1. FORMALISM OR NEW CRITICISM

In this approach, all your questions or arguments could be answered by analyzing and
evaluating the text itself. It is independent. It has a fixed meaning. It is timeless and
universal. No other external factor is needed.

2. FEMINISM
In this approach, all your arguments shall be focused on the importance of women and
all other concepts of femininity relative to economic, societal, and archetypal equality in a
male dominated society.

3. READER RESPONSE

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 This approach evaluates your connectionism to the piece at hand. You can put meaning
and interpret every part of the text. The text is nothing unless you read it out.
Your reaction and interaction made out of the piece recreates and develops a further
depth of meaning.

4. MARXIST CRITICISM
This approach tries to unfold how socioeconomic status affects hierarchy or conflicts
involving social classes in the masterpiece.

OTHER APPROACHES

1. Biographical Approach: Focuses on connection of work to author’s personal

experiences. Understanding authors’ life can help in comprehending the work. This
aspect amplifies the meaning and relevance of the text.

2. Historical Approach: This approach focuses on connection of work to the historical

period in which it was written; literary historians attempt to connect the historical
background of the work to specific aspects of the work.

3. Psychological Approach: This approach focuses on the behavior or psychology of

characters.

4. Sociological Approach: This approach focuses on man’s relationship to others in

society, politics, religion, and business.

5. Archetypal Approach: This approach focuses on connections to other literature,

mythological/biblical allusions, archetypal images, symbols, characters, and themes.

6. Philosophical Approach: This approach focuses on themes, view of the world, moral
statements, author’s philosophy, etc.

WRITING STRUCTURE

There has been no strict rules in terms of structure for it varies depending on your
teacher’s task requirements, however, for uniformity purposes, let us generally use the
following parts below ranging from at least 100 to 750 words.
Remember that the heart of your critique shall focus on its strengths and weaknesses
and to relay how effective the material at hand.

A. Introduction (Short paragraph/paragraph/s - one to three sentences or more)

This must include the title of the material, the author, and your assessment of
the material.
For a short story, this part may also include the background of the piece, your
opinion and the thesis. The thesis includes the subject, your opinion and your
main point. For example:
SUBJECT: The Blind Assassin
OPINION: show’s Atwood’s skills as a writer
MAIN POINT/S: because of the visual imagery, the strong characters and the
memorable message.
B. Plot Summary/Description (Short paragraph/s – one to three sentences or
more)
This involves the gist or the description of the material. For a short story, this is
the understanding of plot or summary of the piece examined.

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 C. Analysis and Interpretation/ Evaluation (One to three or more paragraph/s)
In this phase you will retrieve the guiding questions of your choice to include
in your outlined discussion. The arguments or points you wanted to stress is
important..
For the formalist view for example, any among the character, dialogue,
setting, conflict, suspense, ending and plot would speak by itself. Analysis of the
poem for formalists may involve imagery, sound, figurative language, language
and other elements.

D. Conclusion/Closing paragraph (One to three paragraphs)

At this point, you shall link your thoughts reinforced with your assessment in
the introduction. If in any case it is possible for you to compare the masterpiece
to a similar work, the better. Your recommendation depends on how you have
perceived the material observing all fair judgment and appreciation.

OTHER POINTS TO CONSIDER IN WRITING

1. Organization. Depending on the approach, you can arrange paragraphs by points,

strengths vs. weaknesses, or topics. Your goal isn’t just to negatively criticize but also point
out what the author did well.

2. Writing techniques and style. In evaluating a book, don’t forget to mention these points.
Discuss how effectively (or not) the author used stylistic devices to prove his ideas.

3. Evidence. Describe what types of arguments the author used. Were they logical and
appropriate? Don’t forget to explain why the evidence supports your point.

4. Usefulness. Discuss what the book adds to understanding its topic. Is it useful? Does it
present ideas in original and engaging ways? How does it address the core aspects of
society?

5. Examples. Support every argument of your critique with examples. You can’t just write that
the book was boring; provide a quote as evidence and explain why it does not appeal to
you.

III. ACTIVITIES

PRACTICE TASK 1: “MY CRITICAL WRITING QUESTIONS, MY APPROACH”

Direction/s: Read and analyze the sample critique below. Write the possible guiding
critical approach questions and determine the approach used.

Love

Warm, temperate, cold and freezing,

Lucky few, many fooled anew,
Why couldn’t I just see,
But felt the fool in me.

PTJ

Springboard: Poem
Title: Love
Author: PTJ

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Introduction
Deliberately evident. The interplay of words and the contradicting thought
add color of judgment which may be at times true to a person who fell in love.

Description
The piece is composed of four lines known as a quatrain poem. Each word in
a line offers every experience uniquely interwoven with brilliant words.

Evaluation
The first two lines composing eight syllables each or quintain in nature offers a
profound meaning suggesting varying momentum and relevance of experience. Be it, from
the most exciting moment up to the time of giving up a relationship. The second line
suggests judgment that love to some could be worthy, but many at times, we are fooled to
love all over again.
The third and fourth melodious six syllable-lines suggest unpredictable love only
to find it hurts, and the pain is present.
The rhyming scheme of ABCC and the internal rhyme in the first two lines along
with the ragged rhythm offered in the last two lines provokes emotive evidence.

Conclusion
The poem showcased by the text itself offers a recognizable experience. This is
something worthy to read and reflect towards it.

As you analyzed the example above, some of the critical questions used in outlining
the critique are the following: (The first sample is done for you.)

1. How many syllables does a line have?

2. _______________________________________________________________________
3._______________________________________________________________________
4._______________________________________________________________________
5. With the questions you have written, what approach did the writer use in the sample
critique above?
a. Feminism b. Formalism c. Biographical

PRACTICE TASK 2: “THE QUESTION JIVE”

Directions: Identify the critical writing approach used in each of the following questions
which you may have included in your simple critique outline.
__________1. What effects are produced? Do any of these relate to one another or to the
theme?
__________2. Is there a relationship between the beginning and the end of the story?
__________3. What tone and mood are created at various parts of the work?
__________4. How does the marital status of a character affect her decisions or happiness?
__________5. How does culture view women vs. men?

PRACTICE TASK 3. -
Directions: Two sample 30-word flash fiction stories are hereunder written. Choose one of
your interests. Analyze and decide on the approach/es you will use in critiquing the piece.
Draft your critical approach questions and put them together in your critique outline. Then,

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write a critique not less than a paragraph or fifty words. Use the rubric below in checking
your critique content.

8 years old and married Walking away from the bin, she felt

To a man I could call papa, relief, though she couldn’t stop her

8years old and pregnant tears. “Someone better than me will

love it”, she thought, her baby’s
With a child I won’t live to love
cries fading into the night.
8 years old praying for death

-Anne Moraa-
-Adebisi Adedun-

Source: https://www.magunga.com/30-word-flash fiction

Your Critique Writing Rubric

Critique Structure: (Note: Depending on your performance, your teacher may devise a
scoring rubric suited for you.)

I. Introduction (Short paragraph/paragraph/s - one to three sentences or more)

Introduction Statement (include Title, author, your opinion) 5points
Your thesis 5points
II. Plot Summary/Description (Short paragraph/s – one to three sentences or more)
This involves the gist or the description of the material. For a short story, this is
the understanding of plot or summary of the piece examined. 10 points
III. Analysis and Interpretation/Evaluation (One to three paragraph/s) 60 point
IV. Conclusion/Closing paragraph 20 points
______________
100 points/percent

Note: A specific scoring rubric may be provided by your teacher depending on your
level of understanding and the extent or quality of outputs your teacher requires you
to do so.

B. ASSESSMENT: Read and analyze each item carefully. Write the letter of the correct
answer on a separate sheet.

1. Determine the appropriate approach used by the writer in writing the sample excerpts of
critique written below.
Your love is like the sun,
That lights up my whole world
I feel the warmth inside;
Your love is like the river,

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 That flows down through my veins
I feel the chill inside;
Excerpt of a Critique
It has a sestet stanza or six lines in a stanza, it’s lyrical because it shows strong
feelings and thoughts. It shows no rhyme (a, b, c, d, e, c). It is a hexameter consisting of six
numbers of feet and it shows repetition of phrases. The repetition is intently used to evoke a
strong feeling.
a. Formalism c. Marxist
b. Biographical d. Readers Response

2. Excerpt of a critique:
The poem explores the concept of justice and how it is applied in the Philippine
Society today compared to our times in the past. Although it is about the Supreme Court in
particular, it also reflects other problems in the Philippine Government. For example the use
of money and power by government officials to cover up their mistakes in public. Evident in
the content, we can say at present that checks and balances in the Philippine Government to
some extent are still alive and well, however, there are loopholes at some circumstances
apparent or observable today.
. a. Psychological approach c. Historical/Marxist
b. Formalism d. Feminist

3. Excerpt of a critique:
The piece begins from a thought about how happy life is. The experiences of the
main character the moment he was born depicts a remarkable good life. Contentment as it
may seem is repeatedly expressed in the piece. However, a twist seems to unfold the mask
behind happy faces, happy moments and happy life. It is the exact opposite of reality as
hinted by some contradicting thoughts by the speaker. This I think is very much possible
because the main character it seems is the author himself.
a. Biographical c. Historical
b. Formalism d. Feminist

IV. RUBRIC FOR SCORING

(Note: For Practice Task 3 and or additional Teacher-made activities, the rubric
below may be adopted or modified.)

3 2 1

Organization Writing has a clear It is not easy to tell the Writing has unclear
Introduction Statement Introduction Statement Introduction Statement
(include Title, author, (include Title, author, (include Title, author,
your opinion) and or your opinion) and or your opinion) and or
thesis thesis thesis
10 points
(Points to be assigned (Points to be assigned
varies depending on the varies depending on the
presented output) presented output)
. .

Content Introduction, summary/ Key parts are present, Some parts are not
description, analysis and however, some details present in which
interpretation including are not written with appropriate details were
conclusion are well clarity. compromised.
described.
(Points to be assigned

RO_Senior HS_EAPP_Q1/3_LP 6 6
 60 points varies depending on the (Points to be assigned
presented output) varies depending on the
. presented output)
.

Quality Work The written output has The written output has The written output has no
elucidated, balanced and elucidated appropriate focus which requires
or explained its focus focus but could be better. revisiting the springboard
either strengths or subject.
weaknesses of the (Points to be assigned
masterpiece etc. or both. varies depending on the (Points to be assigned
presented output) varies depending on the
15 points . presented output)
.

Mechanics With the guiding The written output The written output
questions appropriate to underscores critical underscores critical
an approach, the written analysis and analysis and
output underscores interpretation but may be interpretation but may be
evident critical analysis improved. improved.
and interpretation.
(Points to be assigned (Points to be assigned
15 points varies depending on the varies depending on the
presented output) presented output)
. .

Total 100 POINTS

V. REFLECTION/COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS

Complete the following phrases into a complete sentence as you relate your reflection

1. I have learned that__________________________________________________

2. I need further explanation on___________________________________________

VI. REFERENCES

Ashford Writing Center. 2020. Sample Article Critique. Ashford Writing Center.
Retrieved from https://writingcenter.ashford.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/Sample
%20Critique_Neutral.pdf . Date Accessed: 15 July 2020.

Barrot & Sipacio. 2017. Communicate Today ENGLISH for Academic & Professional
Purposes for SHS. Quezon City: C&E Publishing, Inc.

Bid4papers.com. 2019. How to Write a Book Critique Like a Professional. Bid4papers.com.

Retrieved from https://bid4papers.com/blog/writing-critique-novel/. Date Accessed: 15
July 2020.

Geyte E. V. 2013. Writing: Learn To Write Better Academic Essays. London: Harper Collins
Publishing.

Gioia’s  & Kennedy, 1995. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama,
Sixth Edition (New York: HarperCollins.

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Guerin W. et al. 2005. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature, 5th Edition. New
York: Oford University Press.

Cusd80.com. Literary Criticism: Questions for a Variety of Approaches. n.d. Cusd80.com

https://www.google.com/search?
biw=1350&bih=648&sxsrf=ALeKk03sEGHyFRaqGM6cEVO5JmcKD3j8Q
%3A1594539172024&ei=pLwKX6WMAciUmAWG35bgAQ&q=approaches+to+criticis
m+questions . Date Accessed: 15 July 2020.
Crossman, V. 2020. A Rose for Emily: A Formalist Approach. Victoriaj
crossman.wordpress.com. Retrieved from https://victoriajcrossmanwordpress. com/
american -literature/a-rose-for-emily-a-formalist-approach/. Date Accessed: 15 July
2020.

Poetry Foundation. Org. 2020. “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou. Poetry Foundation. Org.
Retrieved from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48989/caged-bird. Date
Accessed: 15 July 2020.

Montgomery.k12.us. Guidelines to Writing a Short Story. Montgomery.k12.us. Retrieved

from
https://www.montgomery.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1501/Classes/686/shortStorycritique.pdf
Date Accessed: 15 July 2020.

Tyson L. 2006. Critical Theory Today: A User Friendly Guide, 2nd ed.

https://www.magunga.com/30-word-flash fiction

Prepared by:
PIO T. TELEG JR.
Bato Rural Development High
School
Division of Catanduanes

Quality Assured by:

SONIA V. PRENSADER, SPII LORAINE T. CHIONG

Bato Rural Development High School Catanduanes National High School
Division of Catanduanes Division of Catanduanes

GINA B. PANTINO, Ed. D. HELEN TITONG

EPS 1- English EPS 1 - English
Division of Catanduanes Division of Masbate

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VII. ANSWER KEY

PRACTICE TASK 1 PRACTICE TASK 2

1. How many syllables a line has. 1. Formalism

2. Answers vary 2. Formalism

3. Answers vary 3. Formalism

4. Answers vary 4. Feminism

5. Feminism

PRACTICE TASK 3: Answers vary

ASSESSMENT: 1. A 2. C 3. A

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