essay writing about critical thinking

How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay: Examples & Outline

Critical thinking is the process of evaluating and analyzing information. People who use it in everyday life are open to different opinions. They rely on reason and logic when making conclusions about certain issues.

A critical thinking essay shows how your thoughts change as you research your topic. This type of assignment encourages you to learn rather than prove what you already know. In this article, our custom writing team will:

explain how to write an excellent critical essay;
introduce 30 great essay topics;
provide a critical thinking essay example in MLA format.
🤔 Critical Thinking Essay Definition
💡 Topics & Questions
✅ Step-by-Step Guide
📑 Essay Example & Formatting Tips
✍️ Bonus Tips

🔍 References

🤔 what is a critical thinking essay.

A critical thinking essay is a paper that analyses an issue and reflects on it in order to develop an action plan. Unlike other essay types, it starts with a question instead of a thesis. It helps you develop a broader perspective on a specific issue. Critical writing aims at improving your analytical skills and encourages asking questions.

Critical Thinking in Writing: Importance

When we talk about critical thinking and writing, the word “critical” doesn’t have any negative connotation. It simply implies thorough investigation, evaluation, and analysis of information. Critical thinking allows students to make objective conclusions and present their ideas logically. It also helps them avoid errors in reasoning.

The Basics: 8 Steps of Critical Thinking Psychology

Did you know that the critical thinking process consists of 8 steps? We’ve listed them below. You can try to implement them in your everyday life:

	Identify the issue and describe it.
	Decide what you want to do about the problem.
	Find sources, analyze them, and draw necessary conclusions.
	Come up with creative arguments using the information you’ve gathered and your imagination.
	Arrange your ideas in a logical order.
	Evaluate your options and alternatives and choose the one you prefer.
	Think of how you can express your ideas to others.
	Defend your point of view.

It’s possible that fallacies will occur during the process of critical thinking. Fallacies are errors in reasoning that fail to provide a reasonable conclusion. Here are some common types of fallacies:

Generalization . It happens when you apply generally factual statements to a specific case.
Ambiguity . It occurs when the arguments are not clear and are not supported by evidence.
Appeal to authority . This mistake happens when you claim the statement is valid only because a respected person made it.
Appeal to emotion . It occurs when you use highly emotive language to convince the audience. Try to stay sensible and rely on the evidence.
Bifurcation . This mistake occurs when you choose only between two alternatives when more than two exist.
False analogy . It happens when the examples are poorly connected.

If you want to avoid these mistakes, do the following:

try not to draw conclusions too quickly,
be attentive,
carefully read through all the sources,
avoid generalizations.

How to Demonstrate Your Critical Thinking in Writing

Critical thinking encourages you to go beyond what you know and study new perspectives. When it comes to demonstrating your critical thinking skills in writing, you can try these strategies:

Read . Before you start writing an essay, read everything you can find on the subject you are about to cover. Focus on the critical points of your assignment.
Research . Look up several scholarly sources and study the information in-depth.
Evaluate . Analyze the sources and the information you’ve gathered. See whether you can disagree with the authors.
Prove . Explain why you agree or disagree with the authors’ conclusions. Back it up with evidence.

According to Purdue University, logical essay writing is essential when you deal with academic essays. It helps you demonstrate and prove the arguments. Make sure that your paper reaches a logical conclusion.

There are several main concepts related to logic:

✔️	Premise	A statement that is used as evidence in an argument.
✔️	Conclusion	A claim that follows logically from the premises.
✔️	Syllogism	A conclusion that follows from two other premises.
✔️	Argument	A statement based on logical premises.

If you want your essay to be logical, it’s better to avoid syllogistic fallacies, which happen with certain invalid deductions. If syllogisms are used carelessly, they can lead to false statements and ruin the credibility of your paper.

💡 Critical Thinking Topics & Questions

An excellent critical thinking essay starts with a question. But how do you formulate it properly? Keep reading to find out.

How to Write Critical Thinking Questions: Examples with Answers

Asking the right questions is at the core of critical thinking. They challenge our beliefs and encourage our interest to learn more.

Here are some examples of model questions that prompt critical thinking:

What does… mean?
What would happen if…?
What are the principles of…?
Why is… important?
How does… affect…?
What do you think causes…?
How are… and… similar/different?
How do you explain….?
What are the implications of…?
What do we already know about…?

Now, let’s look at some critical thinking questions with the answers. You can use these as a model for your own questions:

Question: What would happen if people with higher income paid more taxes?

Answer: It would help society to prosper and function better. It would also help people out of poverty. This way, everyone can contribute to the economy.

Question: How does eating healthy benefit you?

Answer: Healthy eating affects people’s lives in many positive ways. It reduces cancer risk, improves your mood and memory, helps with weight loss and diabetes management, and improves your night sleep.

Critical Thinking Essay Topics

Have you already decided what your essay will be about? If not, feel free to use these essay topic examples as titles for your paper or as inspiration. Make sure to choose a theme that interests you personally:

What are the reasons for racism in healthcare?
Why is accepting your appearance important?
Concepts of critical thinking and logical reasoning .
Nature and spirit in Ralf Waldo Emerson’s poetry.
How does technological development affect communication in the modern world?
Social media effect on adolescents.
Is the representation of children in popular fiction accurate?
Domestic violence and its consequences.
Why is mutual aid important in society?
How do stereotypes affect the way people think?
The concept of happiness in different cultures.
The purpose of environmental art.
Why do people have the need to be praised?
How did antibiotics change medicine and its development?
Is there a way to combat inequality in sports?
Is gun control an effective way of crime prevention?
How our understanding of love changes through time.
The use of social media by the older generation.
Graffiti as a form of modern art.
Negative health effects of high sugar consumption.
Why are reality TV shows so popular?
Why should we eat healthily?
How effective and fair is the US judicial system?
Reasons of Cirque du Soleil phenomenon.
How can police brutality be stopped?
Freedom of speech: does it exist?
The effects of vaccination misconceptions.
How to eliminate New Brunswick’s demographic deficit: action plan.
What makes a good movie?
Critical analysis of your favorite book.
The connection between fashion and identity.
Taboo topics and how they are discussed in gothic literature.
Critical thinking essay on the problem of overpopulation.
Does our lifestyle affect our mental health?
The role of self-esteem in preventing eating disorders in children.
Drug abuse among teenagers.
Rhetoric on assisted suicide.
Effects of violent video games on children’s mental health.
Analyze the effect stress has on the productivity of a team member.
Discuss the importance of the environmental studies.
Critical thinking and ethics of happy life.
The effects of human dignity on the promotion of justice.
Examine the ethics of advertising the tobacco industry.
Reasons and possible solutions of research misconduct.
Implication of parental deployment for children.
Cultural impact of superheroes on the US culture.
Examine the positive and negative impact of technology on modern society.
Critical thinking in literature: examples.
Analyze the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on economic transformation.
Benefits and drawbacks of mandatory vaccination.

Haven’t found a suitable essay idea? Try using our topic generator !

✅ How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay Step by Step

Now, let’s focus on planning and writing your critical thinking essay. In this section, you will find an essay outline, examples of thesis statements, and a brief overview of each essay part.

Critical Thinking Essay Outline

In a critical thinking essay, there are two main things to consider: a premise and a conclusion :

A premise is a statement in the argument that explains the reason or supports a conclusion.
A conclusion indicates what the argument is trying to prove. Each argument can have only one conclusion.

When it comes to structuring, a critical thinking essay is very similar to any other type of essay. Before you start writing it, make sure you know what to include in it. An outline is very helpful when it comes to structuring a paper.

The picture enumerates the main parts of a critical essay outline: introduction, main body, conclusion.

How to Start a Critical Essay Introduction

An introduction gives readers a general idea of an essay’s contents. When you work on the introduction, imagine that you are drawing a map for the reader. It not only marks the final destination but also explains the route.

An introduction usually has 4 functions:

It catches the reader’s attention;
It states the essay’s main argument;
It provides some general information about the topic;
It shows the importance of the issue in question.

Here are some strategies that can make the introduction writing easier:

Give an overview of the essay’s topic.
Express the main idea.
Define the main terms.
Outline the issues that you are going to explore or argue about.
Explain the methodology and why you used it.
Write a hook to attract the reader’s attention.

Critical Analysis Thesis Statement & Examples

A thesis statement is an integral part of every essay. It keeps the paper organized and guides both the reader and the writer. A good thesis:

expresses the conclusion or position on a topic;
justifies your position or opinion with reasoning;
conveys one idea;
serves as the essay’s map.

To have a clearer understanding of what a good thesis is, let’s have a look at these examples.

Bad thesis statement example	Good thesis statement example
Exercising is good for your health.	All office workers should add exercising to their daily routine because it helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce stress levels.

The statement on the left is too general and doesn’t provide any reasoning. The one on the right narrows down the group of people to office workers and specifies the benefits of exercising.

Critical Thinking Essay Body Paragraphs: How to Write

Body paragraphs are the part of the essay where you discuss all the ideas and arguments. In a critical thinking essay, arguments are especially important. When you develop them, make sure that they:

reflect the key theme;
are supported by the sources/citations/examples.

Using counter-arguments is also effective. It shows that you acknowledge different points of view and are not easily persuaded.

In addition to your arguments, it’s essential to present the evidence . Demonstrate your critical thinking skills by analyzing each source and stating whether the author’s position is valid.

To make your essay logically flow, you may use transitions such as:

Accordingly,
For instance,
On the contrary,
In conclusion,
Not only… but also,
Undoubtedly.

How to Write a Critical Thinking Conclusion

In a critical thinking essay, the notion of “conclusion” is tightly connected to the one used in logic. A logical conclusion is a statement that specifies the author’s point of view or what the essay argues about. Each argument can have only one logical conclusion.

Sometimes they can be confused with premises. Remember that premises serve as a support for the conclusion. Unlike the conclusion, there can be several premises in a single argument. You can learn more about these concepts from the article on a logical consequence by Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Keeping this in mind, have a look at these tips for finishing your essay:

Briefly sum up the main points.
Provide a final thought on the issue.
Suggest some results or consequences.
Finish up with a call for action.

📑 Critical Thinking Essays Examples & Formatting Tips

Formatting is another crucial aspect of every formal paper. MLA and APA are two popular formats when it comes to academic writing. They share some similarities but overall are still two different styles. Here are critical essay format guidelines that you can use as a reference:

	APA format	MLA format

	at the top of the page;


	in the center of a new page in bold;

Finally, you’re welcome to check out a full critical essay sample in MLA format. Download the PDF file below:

Currently, the importance of critical thinking has grown rapidly because technological progress has led to expanded access to various content-making platforms: websites, online news agencies, and podcasts with, often, low-quality information. Fake news is used to achieve political and financial aims, targeting people with low news literacy. However, individuals can stop spreading fallacies by detecting false agendas with the help of a skeptical attitude.

✍️ Bonus Tips: Critical Thinking and Writing Exercises

Critical thinking is a process different from our regular thinking. When we think in everyday life, we do it automatically. However, when we’re thinking critically, we do it deliberately.

So how do we get better at this type of thinking and make it a habit? These useful tips will help you do it:

Ask basic questions. Sometimes, while we are doing research, the explanation becomes too complicated. To avoid it, always go back to your topic.
Question basic assumptions. When thinking through a problem, ask yourself whether your beliefs can be wrong. Keep an open mind while researching your question.
Think for yourself. Avoid getting carried away in the research and buying into other people’s opinions.
Reverse things. Sometimes it seems obvious that one thing causes another, but what if it’s the other way around?
Evaluate existing evidence. If you work with sources, it’s crucial to evaluate and question them.

Another way to improve your reasoning skills is to do critical thinking exercises. Here are some of them:

Exercise	Technique	Explanation
Brainstorming	Free-writing	Choose a topic and write on it for 7-10 minutes straight. Don’t concern yourself with grammar.
	Clustering	Choose a keyword and write down the words that you associate with it. Keep doing that for 5-10 minutes.
	Listing	List down all the ideas that are concerning the subject you are about to explore.
	Metaphor writing	Write a metaphor or simile and explain why it works or what it means to you.
	Journalistic questions	Write questions such as “Who?” “When?” “Why?” “How?” Answer these questions in relation to your topic.
Organizing	Drawing diagrams	Jot down your main ideas and see if you can make a chart or form a shape depicting their relationship.
	Rewriting an idea	Try briefly outlining the central idea over the course of several days and see how your thoughts change.
	Solution writing	Look at your idea through a problem-solving lens. Briefly describe the problem and then make a list of solutions.
Drafting	Full draft writing	Write a draft of a whole paper to see how you express ideas on paper.
	Outlining	Outline your essay to structure the ideas you have.
	Writing with a timer	Set a timer and write a draft within a set amount of time.
Revising	Analyzing sentences	Analyze your draft at the sentence level and see if your paper makes sense.
	Underlying the main point	Highlight the main point of your paper. Make sure it’s expressed clearly.
	Outlining the draft	Summarize every paragraph of your essay in one sentence.

Thanks for reading through our article! We hope that you found it helpful and learned some new information. If you liked it, feel free to share it with your friends.

How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay: Steps & Example

Critical thinking is a powerful skill that helps you analyze information and form well-reasoned arguments. As a matter of fact, the human brain uses more energy when critically thinking than when relaxing. This article will guide you through the steps of writing a successful critical thinking essay.

In this article, you will learn:

How to craft a strong essay
The importance of these essays
The structure with an example
Valuable bonus tips to strengthen your writing

By following these steps and incorporating the provided information, you'll be well on your way to writing impressive essays. If you need further guidance, always count on our fast essay writing service .

What is Critical Thinking Essay

A critical thinking essay is a type of writing where you analyze a topic thoroughly. You'll consider different viewpoints, evaluate evidence from studies or expert opinions, and form your own well-reasoned conclusion. Here, you need to look at an issue from all angles before deciding where you stand. This type of essay goes beyond memorizing facts. It actively engages with information, questions assumptions, and develops your own thoughtful perspective.

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Importance of Critical Thinking and Its Use in Writing

Critical thinking is a skill that benefits all types of writing, not just essays. It helps you become a more informed and effective communicator. Here's why it's important:

Stronger Arguments: Critical thinking helps you build solid arguments. You won't just state your opinion but back it up with evidence and consider opposing viewpoints. This makes your writing more persuasive and convincing.
Deeper Understanding: When writing a critical thinking essay, you'll analyze information, identify biases, and think about the bigger picture. This leads to a richer understanding of the topic and a more insightful essay.
Clearer Communication: By organizing your thoughts critically, your writing becomes clearer and more focused. You'll present your ideas in a logical order, making it easier for readers to follow your argument.
Spotting Fake News: Critical thinking skills help you evaluate the information you encounter online and in the world around you. You'll be better equipped to identify unreliable sources and biased information, making you a more discerning reader and writer.
Improved Problem-Solving: Critical thinking helps you approach challenges thoughtfully. As you write, you'll learn to analyze complex issues, consider different solutions, and ultimately develop well-reasoned conclusions. This skill extends beyond writing and can be applied to all areas of your life.

For more detailed information on the importance of critical thinking , visit our dedicated article.

Critical Thinking Essay Format

In a critical thinking essay outline, each piece has its place and contributes to the overall picture. Here's a breakdown of the key components:

Element 🔍	Content 📝
1. Title	Should be concise and reflective of your essay's content.
2. Introduction	Introduce the topic's importance. Clearly state your main argument.
3. Body Paragraphs	Each paragraph supports your thesis. Use credible sources for support. Connect evidence and analyze. Address opposing views.
4. Conclusion	Briefly recap the key points. Restate your thesis, highlighting its significance. Leave a final thought or call to action.
5. References/Bibliography	This section lists all your cited sources. Format them in a citation style like APA, MLA, or Chicago to credit original authors.

Check out our critical analysis example to see how this format comes to life.

Critical Thinking Essay Questions

Now that you understand the structure of this essay, let's get your brain working! Here are some questions to help you generate strong critical thinking essay topics:

How can you tell if a source of information is reliable?
What are the potential biases that might influence research or news articles?
How can you identify logical fallacies in arguments?
How can you weigh the pros and cons of a complex issue?
How can your own experiences or background influence your perspective on a topic?

Sample Essay Topics:

History: Should historical monuments that celebrate controversial figures be removed or repurposed?
Science: With advancements in gene editing, should we allow parents to choose their children's traits?
Art & Culture: Does artificial intelligence pose a threat to the creativity and value of human art?
Space Exploration: Should we prioritize colonizing Mars or focus on solving problems on Earth?
Business Ethics: Is it ethical for companies to automate jobs and potentially displace workers?
Education: In a world with readily available information online, is traditional classroom learning still necessary?
Global Issues: Is focusing solely on national interests hindering efforts to address global challenges like climate change?

Remember, these are just a few ideas to get you started. Choose a topic that interests you and allows you to explore different perspectives critically.

How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay

We've covered the foundation – the structure and key elements of a critical thinking essay. Now, let's dive into the writing process itself! Remember, the steps on how to start a critical thinking essay, such as defining your topic, crafting a thesis, gathering evidence, etc., are all interconnected. As you write, you'll move back and forth between them to refine your argument and build a strong essay.

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Understand the Assignment Requirements

Taking some time to understand the assignment from the beginning will save you time and frustration later. Grasping your critical thinking paper instructions ensures you're on the right track and meeting your teacher's expectations. Here's what to focus on:

The Prompt: This is the core of the assignment, outlining the topic and what you're expected to do. For example, if it asks what critical thinking skills are, Look for keywords like "define," "describe," or "explain." These indicate the type of essay you need to write and the approach you should take.
Specific Requirements: Pay attention to details like the essay length, formatting style (e.g., MLA, APA), and any specific sources you need to use. Missing these guidelines can lead to point deductions.
Grading Rubric (if provided): This is a goldmine! The rubric often outlines the criteria your essay will be graded on, like clarity of argument, use of evidence, and proper citation style. Knowing these expectations can help you tailor your writing to excel.

Select a Critical Thinking Topic

Think about the prompt or theme provided by your teacher. Are there any aspects that pique your interest? Perhaps a specific angle you haven't explored much? The best topics are those that spark your curiosity and allow you to engage with the material in a meaningful way.

Here are some tips for selecting a strong critical thinking essay topic:

Relevance to the Assignment: Make sure your chosen topic directly relates to the prompt and allows you to address the key points. Don't stray too far off course!
Interest and Engagement: Choose a topic that you find genuinely interesting. Your enthusiasm will show in your writing and make the research and writing process more enjoyable.
Complexity and Scope: Aim for a topic that's complex enough to provide depth for analysis but not so broad that it becomes overwhelming. You want to be able to explore it thoroughly within the essay's length limitations.
Availability of Sources: Ensure you have access to credible sources like academic journals, news articles from reputable sources, or books by experts to support your argument.

Remember: Don't be afraid to get creative! While some prompts may seem broad, there's often room to explore a specific angle or sub-topic within the larger theme.

Conduct In-Depth Research

This is where you'll gather the information and evidence when writing a critical thinking essay. However, don't just copy information passively. Critically analyze the sources you find.

Start with Reliable Sources: Steer clear of unreliable websites or questionable information. Focus on credible sources like academic journals, scholarly articles, reputable news outlets, and books by established experts in the field.
Use Library Resources: Librarians can guide you towards relevant databases, academic journals, and credible online resources.
Search Engines Can Be Your Friend: While you shouldn't rely solely on search engines, they can be helpful starting points. Use keywords related to your topic, and be critical of the websites you visit. Look for sites with a clear "About Us" section and reputable affiliations.
Vary Your Sources: Don't just rely on one type of source. Seek out a variety of perspectives, including research studies, data, historical documents, and even opposing viewpoints. This will give your essay well-roundedness and depth.

Develop a Strong Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement encapsulates your main argument or perspective on the topic. A strong thesis statement tells your readers exactly what your essay will be about and prepares them for the evidence you'll present.

During your critical thinking process, make sure you include these key characteristics:

Specificity: It goes beyond simply stating the topic and clearly outlines your position on it.
Focus: It focuses on a single main point that you'll develop throughout the essay.
Argumentative: It indicates your stance on the issue, not just a neutral observation.
Clarity: It's clear, concise, and easy for the reader to understand.

For example, here's a weak thesis statement:

Deepfakes are a new technology with both positive and negative implications.

This is too vague and doesn't tell us anything specific about ethics. Here's a stronger version:

While deep lakes have the potential to revolutionize entertainment and education, their ability to create highly convincing misinformation poses a significant threat to democracy and social trust.

This thesis is specific, focused, and clearly states the argument that will be explored in the essay.

Outline the Structure of Your Essay

With a strong thesis statement guiding your way, it's time to create a roadmap for your essay. This outline will serve as a blueprint, ensuring your arguments flow logically and your essay has a clear structure. Here's what a basic outline for a critical thinking essay might look like:

Section 📚	Content 📝
Introduction	Briefly introduce the topic and its significance. Clearly state your thesis statement.
Body Paragraphs (one for each main point)	Introduce paragraph's point and link to thesis. Use credible sources to support. Explain and analyze evidence. Address opposing views' weaknesses.
Conclusion	Briefly summarize the key points of your essay. Restate your thesis in a new way, emphasizing its importance. Leave your reader with a final thought or call to action (optional).

This is a flexible structure, and you may need to adapt it based on your specific topic and the length of your essay. However, having a clear outline will help you stay organized and ensure your essay flows smoothly from point to point.

Write an Engaging Introduction

The introduction should be captivating and give your reader a taste of what's to come. Here are some tips for crafting a strong introduction:

Start with a Hook: Use an interesting fact, a thought-provoking question, or a relevant anecdote to grab your reader's attention right from the start. This will pique their curiosity and make them want to read more.
Introduce the Topic: Briefly introduce the topic you'll be exploring and explain its significance. Why is this topic important to discuss?
Present Your Thesis: Clearly and concisely state your thesis statement. This tells your reader exactly what your essay will argue and prepares them for the evidence you'll present.

For example, Let's say your essay is about the growing popularity of online learning platforms. Here's an introduction that uses a hook, introduces the topic, and presents a thesis statement:

With millions of students enrolled in online courses worldwide, the way we learn is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Traditionally associated with brick-and-mortar classrooms, education is now readily available through virtual platforms, offering flexibility and accessibility. This essay will examine the advantages and challenges of online learning, ultimately arguing that while it offers valuable opportunities, it cannot entirely replace the benefits of a traditional classroom setting.

Construct Analytical Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs are the heart of your essay, where you develop your argument and convince your reader of your perspective.

Focus on One Point Per Paragraph: Each paragraph should address a single point that directly relates to your thesis statement. Don't try to cram too much information into one paragraph.
Start with a Topic Sentence: This sentence introduces the main point of the paragraph and explains how it connects to your thesis.
Support with Evidence: Back up your claims with credible evidence from your research. This could include facts, statistics, quotes from experts, or relevant examples.
Analyze and Explain: Don't just list the evidence! Use critical thinking in writing - explain how it supports your argument and analyze its significance. What does this evidence tell you about the issue?
Consider Counterarguments (Optional): In some cases, it can be effective to acknowledge opposing viewpoints and briefly explain why they're not as strong as your argument. This demonstrates your awareness of the complexity of the issue and strengthens your own position.

For example: Let's revisit the online learning example. Imagine one of your body paragraphs focuses on the flexibility of online learning platforms. Here's a breakdown of how you might structure it:

Topic Sentence: Online learning platforms offer students unparalleled flexibility in terms of scheduling and pace of learning.
Evidence: A recent study by the Online Learning Consortium found that 74% of online students reported being able to manage their coursework around their work and personal commitments.
Analysis: This flexibility allows students who may have work or family obligations to pursue their education without sacrificing other responsibilities. It also empowers students to learn at their own pace, revisiting challenging concepts or accelerating through familiar material.

Craft a Thoughtful Conclusion

The conclusion is your final opportunity to wrap up the story in a satisfying way and leave the audience with something to ponder. Here's how to write a strong conclusion for your critical thinking essay:

Summarize Key Points: Briefly remind your reader of the main points you've discussed throughout the essay.
Restate Your Thesis: Restate your thesis statement in a new way, emphasizing its significance.
Final Thought or Call to Action (Optional): Leave your reader with a final thought that provokes reflection, or consider including a call to action that encourages them to take a particular stance on the issue.

Here's an example conclusion for the online learning essay:

In conclusion, while online learning platforms offer valuable flexibility and accessibility, they cannot entirely replace the benefits of a traditional classroom setting. The social interaction, real-time feedback, and personalized attention offered by in-person learning remain crucial components of a well-rounded educational experience. As technology continues to evolve, future advancements may bridge this gap, but for now, a blended approach that leverages the strengths of both online and traditional learning may be the optimal solution.

Critical Thinking Essay Example

Let's now take a look at a complete critical thinking essay to see how these steps come together. This example will show you how to structure your essay and build a strong argument.

5 Tips on How to Develop Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking helps you form well-reasoned arguments and make sound decisions. Here are 5 tips to sharpen your critical thinking skills:

Question Everything (Respectfully): Don't just accept information at face value. Ask questions like "Why is this important?" "What evidence supports this claim?" or "Are there other perspectives to consider?". Develop a healthy skepticism (doubt) but be respectful of others' viewpoints.
Dig Deeper than Headlines: In today's fast-paced world, headlines can be misleading. Go beyond the surface and seek out credible sources that provide in-depth analysis and evidence. Look for articles from reputable news organizations, academic journals, or books by established experts.
Embrace Different Viewpoints: Exposing yourself to various perspectives strengthens your critical thinking. Read articles that present opposing viewpoints, watch documentaries that explore different sides of an issue, or engage in respectful discussions with people who hold contrasting opinions.
Spot Logical Fallacies: Logical fallacies are errors in reasoning that can lead to flawed conclusions. Learn to identify common fallacies like bandwagon appeals (appealing to popularity), ad hominem attacks (attacking the person instead of the argument), or slippery slope arguments (suggesting a small step will lead to a disastrous outcome).
Practice Makes Progress: Critical thinking is a skill that improves with practice. Engage in activities that encourage analysis and debate. Write persuasive essays, participate in class discussions, or join a debate club. The more you exercise your critical thinking muscles, the stronger they become.

By incorporating these tips into your daily routine, you'll be well on your way to becoming a more critical thinker. Remember, keep questioning things, explore different ideas, and practice your writing!

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What is an Example of Critical Thinking?

How do you start writing a critical thinking essay, how to structure a critical thinking essay.

Annie Lambert

specializes in creating authoritative content on marketing, business, and finance, with a versatile ability to handle any essay type and dissertations. With a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a passion for social issues, her writing not only educates but also inspires action. On EssayPro blog, Annie delivers detailed guides and thought-provoking discussions on pressing economic and social topics. When not writing, she’s a guest speaker at various business seminars.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

Critical thinking and writing . (n.d.). https://studenthub.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/372818/2.-Critical-thinking-guide_FINAL.pdf
‌Lane, J. (2023, September 6). Critical thinking for critical writing | SFU Library . Www.lib.sfu.ca . https://www.lib.sfu.ca/about/branches-depts/slc/writing/argumentation/critical-thinking-writing

How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay: Complete Guide

Critical thinking is a complex system of judgments that helps to analyze information and come up with valid conclusions, create an assessment of what is happening, and interpret it. It can be said that critical thinking is high-level thinking, which makes it possible to question the incoming information. Read the full guide prepared by our essay writers to be better in studies.

Critical thinking in learning process

Critical thinking as an academic discipline is based on the rules of formal logic, theory, and practice of argumentation, rhetoric, and scientific epistemology (a section of philosophy that deals with instruments and limitations of cognitive activity).

Every human being has two ways of thinking: absorbing information (like a sponge absorbs the water) and thinking about information (like sifting through sand). While a person that uses the first way will be trying to remember the given information in detail, the other one will actively interact with the obtained knowledge when it comes to expressing opinion essay or choosing informal essay topics . This doesn’t mean that one way is worse; critical thinking combines these two features.

Developing critical thinking is hard, as it’s easier to take the position of your friends, family, or public opinion. Your friends may think that vaccines badly influence children’s health and you will think the same, just because your friends think so. But if you will study available information about this issue, you can change your mind, or just reiterate the conviction.

A person with developed critical thinking skills will be resistant to manipulations, immune to stereotypes or public opinion – that’s why AI essay writer isn’t the best option for the development of such skills.

The opinion, worked out independently, can surprise you with its unexpectedness, or it may turn out to be generally accepted. You can find out that such conclusions belong to certain researchers or that they have already been stated by rebels that oppose the established dogmas. Such discoveries are particularly true when you come to write my personal statement or write my research paper prompts: Working with different evidence to support your claims, you’ll meet the need to think critically to decide on the sources you can trust.

What is a critical thinking essay?

A critical thinking essay is a type of writing that is aimed to improve your analytical skills. Critical thinking essays should teach the student to carefully read the texts, utilize methodical doubt, find weaknesses in both others and personal arguments, work with concepts, and clearly and reasonably express thoughts. The basis of a critical thinking essay is to ask and answer the right questions. Tutors usually pay attention both to the quality of the text and how a student develops arguments about a certain issue. In any case, you will be sure that you have your own position based on your own research and conclusions.

Essay writing is one of the best exercises to help improve critical thinking skills. This will help you learn how to effectively work with information, structure it, filter out questionable data, make conclusions – simply everything connected with critical thinking. For example, critical thinking in essay writing will help nurses analyze their experience, reflect on a situation, solve problems, and make the right decisions in a new situation.

Fortunately, critical thinking is not an organ that can atrophy. If you think that you have low critical thinking skills, you always have a possibility of improving it on your own, or apply for paper writing help to professionals.

How to start a critical thinking essay

Every text needs structure and focus, and consistent guidelines can help you consider all valuable points of a critical essay. That’s where a “ write my essay online ” request might help: You’ll get a detailed plan of your future paper by paragraphs to know what to include in every chapter. As every piece of academic writing, critical thinking essay format consists of an introduction, several body paragraphs, and conclusion.

Choose a central problem or argument. At college you may be asked to critically analyze essays, articles, controversial opinions, literature, etc. If you will have a chance to pick a topic by yourself, make sure that it is interesting for you and that there is plenty of information that you can read about it. Make sure that the topic is not too difficult and you will be able to come up with basic arguments.
Gather information and recall to existing knowledge. What do you already know about the topic? If your topic is analyzing a certain text, you will need to read it attentively and point out the main issues. Before you will start reading, make a list of questions that you can consider while reading. Also, a good idea is to take notes as you read and briefly write your own thoughts.
Come up with a thesis statement. (It’s a must-have element of every academic paper, whether you work on write my assignment , write my coursework , write my dissertation requests.) This means that you need to come up with a central focus of your paper. A good thesis statement gives you the aim that you need to achieve in the body paragraph.
Write the body paragraph. To write this paragraph, you will need to make several actions like analyzing the material. Maybe, you have some notes with ideas that you have come up with during writing, but for writing you need to make a profound analysis.
Analyze the information. What evidence, arguments, and claims have you found? Identify weaknesses and strengths, pointing out important relationships.
Examine different viewpoints. For critical writing it is a crucial part, as it will be a mistake to consider a particular viewpoint to be obvious and undeniable. Such approach requires to examine and evaluate scholarly opinions about the topic.
Review contexts. Does the author try to approach the topic from an ideological perspective? Consider the fact that your own interpretation may be influenced by your culture, ideology, and other biases.
Come up with your own viewpoint. It is advisable to create an additional section or subparagraph dedicated to your opinion. You can imagine that you are a participant of discussion and your task is to explain your opinion with evidence. Remember that you should avoid pronouns like “I” and “my.” This rule works for all “ write my APA paper ” prompts.
Come up with conclusions. How can you evaluate your own findings? Briefly sum up the ideas you came up with in an overview. Define the importance of your findings and point out the directions that need further research.

Critical thinking essay questions

Do we often think about the role that questions play in our lives? You won’t be able to master critical thinking skills without asking the right questions.

Common questions for critical thinking usually start with who, what, why, where, and when. The right questions will help you think deeply about the context: causes and consequences, analyzing different data, and finding evidence to explain your point. (Feel free to check the Rogerian argument essay example by our experts to better understand what’s meant here.) The following questions prepared by our college paper writing service are aimed to help students to promote critical thinking while writing essays.

Questions about change.

– How has A become a turning point for B? – How has X transformed to Y? – What are the consequences of A? – What is the starting point of Y?

Questions that ask for an evaluation.

– What factors have influenced the decision? – How would the opponent critique this idea? – How would a supporter defend the decision? – How can the decision be applied in other conditions? – What factors have led to unusual consequences?

Questions that ask for rationale and evidence.

– What could be an example? – Are these justifications adequate (suitable, sufficient)? – Why do you think this is true? – What led you to this belief? – Do you have any proof for this?

Questions that ask for synthesis.

– How can this be compared? – Which option is better? – What is the benefit of this decision? – What is the value and importance? – What can I recommend? – What is better to think about?

This structured approach reflects the process that is governed by critical thinking. These questions allow us to challenge traditional thought processes and help to find new solutions.

Critical thinking essay topics

When you need to pick a topic for a critical thinking essay on your own, it can be a daunting task. Our paper writing service experts created a list of topics with suggested questions and ideas that will boost your writing process.

Should insurance cover illnesses resulting from drug addiction?

Analyze several articles related to the topic over the internet. Mark several citations that you can cite in your essay. What is your personal attitude to people that take drugs? What is your own point of view about the topic? Write the essay from the perspective of your point of view and support it with citations from sources.

What were the causes of the currency crisis in Russia?

Find relevant internet sources and analyze the origins of this crisis and its resolution. You might want to assign us with “ write my college essay ” task on this topic to get a professional and unbiased (which is supercritical in the times of ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, when most sources choose the “it’s not all that clear-cut” position) analysis and assessment of the situation. Has the International Monetary Fund provided intervention? Has the crisis ended? How did the Russian economy react to the conclusion?

What differences and similarities do social welfare institutions in USA and China have?

First, briefly describe the overall development of social welfare in the context of culture and history. Compare the development of social welfare institutions in US and China. How has the poverty reduction policy influenced the situation in China? Discuss the current situation in US and China, focusing on the US social policy. Connect the relationship of poverty reduction and development of welfare institutions in China.

Write a critical reflection about growing up, analyzing a personal experience.

Think about yourself when you were a child. What qualities have you obtained? What qualities have you lost? Why? What factors have influenced your development? Sum up your experience and how it has influenced your personal traits.

What effects do leaders and managers have on employees?

What are the qualities of leaders in organizations? Does being a leader mean to have some sort of power? Is the statement “the more power the better” true? What tools do organizations use to manipulate the employees? How can the leader avoid being corrupted?

Is the Affordable Care Act a good decision?

Write your own overall opinion about the Affordable Care Act. What are weaknesses and strengths of this Act? Develop your own opinion, considering the fact that the Affordable Care Act will require many people to buy insurance or pay a penalty. Are you ready to purchase insurance or get a fine? What would you prefer? Have you ever used health insurance? Do you see any sense in it? Why?

Can drug testing of employees be treated as an infringement of personal privacy?

Nowadays, drugs have become a part of life for many people. When a company wants to hire a professional, managers want to be sure that the employee will be reliable and peaceful. Why do companies provide drug testing? How does this testing influence the relationship between worker and employer? What types of drug testing is common in companies? How does drug addiction influence the efficiency of the worker?

How can schools encourage students to develop meta-cognition and critical thinking?

First, you should describe what is the essence of critical thinking and meta-cognition. How can all these skills be helpful for students at school and further in life? What practices should schools implement in programs? Are there any working exercises students can practice on their own?

How can managers influence successful employees to behave in a certain way?

It is pure luck if you have a productive and brilliant employee in your team. Imagine that you have some controversial issues that this employee cannot agree with or his or her behavior is wrong in some way. What psychological strategies exist that can change behavior?

Why is Apple marketing special?

You can pick several products and analyze the ways marketers use to promote particular products. What strategies do Apple marketers use? How do they introduce new categories of products? Can these methods be implemented in other companies? How?

How have modern trends for healthy eating influenced the food industry?

Pick a company that successfully adopted a healthy eating policy for their own goods. Has the company succeeded in it? Has it worked? For example, we can take McDonald’s with a milk-free latte and soy hamburgers. Are these products popular? How does the company promote this subcategory of goods?

What is the importance of critical thinking in academic writing?

First, you will need to collect some information about the topic from articles, your own experience, interviewing, observing, and come up with your point of view. Think about a list of things a good academic writer must do to become a successful writer. Why is it important? How can it be achieved?

Can microaggressions be more than racial bias?

What is microaggression? Make research of available sources and determine the forms of microaggression and discrimination. This topic may perfectly fit your “ write my term paper ” request for our essay writing experts. What is the difference between microaggressions in the workplace and sexual harassment? Have you ever faced acts of microaggression in your college, friends group, and media? What type of aggression was it? What can society do to reduce such acts?

What is the relationship between critical thinking and ethics?

Start with the definition of critical thinking and ethics. What are the steps of the critical thinking process? In what ways can you use critical thinking when studying and problem solving? What ethical lens do you prefer from the Ethical Lens Inventory? Think about how your personal ethical norms influence your decisions. How does ethics generally influence societal and professional responsibilities?

Critical thinking essay topic suggestions

If you still cannot choose a topic, maybe you will find it from these critical thinking essay questions and write my PowerPoint presentation subject matters:

What effect does violence in the media have on young children?
What are the causes of unhappy marriage?
What is the nature of the employment relationship involved in the various areas of the “gig economy”?
Critically analyze the following statement from the Marxist perspective: “Defining criminals as animals and misfits, as enemies of the state, provides a justification for incarcerating them in prison.”
How does science as a practical technique transform human lives? What dangers does this transformation pose to humanity?
Is solitary confinement cruel and unusual punishment?
What is the nature of politics? Consider its influence on public opinion, political parties, interest group activity, and political socialization.
Why has the global supply chain emerged? Why does it matter? What perspectives does it have?
Do nurses who receive anti-bullying education experience less bullying?
How do writers influence readers? What approaches do they use?
What status and rights does a female worker have in Japan?
What differences are between the burden of proof in a criminal trial and a civil trial?
Critically analyze your favorite film or soap opera.
How have gender stereotypes influenced Asian American identities?
Do Shakespeare and Montaigne agree on how a person should react to misfortune? Why or why not?
Critically analyze Steve Jobs’ commencement speech. Is it logically structured? What powerful moments does it have?
What are the best ways to eliminate domestic violence? What countries have resolved this issue?
Is sexual addiction a “biopsychosocial” phenomenon?
Should assisted suicide (by the request of the patient) be illegal? Why or why not? If you agree, what methods of punishment should be applied? If not, describe your position in detail.
What are advantages and disadvantages of being a vegan?

Critical thinking essay example

The best way to learn is to learn from examples. You will significantly improve your writing skills if you combine practical advice with a sample. One of the critical thinking essays examples that you can read below was written by a professional writer to show you how this type of essay may look. Let’s check it right away!

What Are the Scientific Causes of Happiness?

This essay will discuss the meaning of happiness and whether there is a scientifically proven method to reach happiness.

Humanity has always been interested in happiness. This term has many definitions and many approaches to modern positive psychology. From the scientific point of view, happiness is a chain of chemical processes in the body, as a result of which a person is saturated with “happiness hormones.”

Dfarhud (2014) research has shown that happiness depends on many brain chemicals: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, endorphins, cortisol, and melatonin, which can create happy feelings. No specific approach can keep chemicals on the level that brings happiness. According to this study, we can conclude that the assessment of subjective happiness and satisfaction is a complex system, and needs a balance of interactions and counterbalances.

According to Sato (2015), if a person is satisfied with life and often experiences positive emotions, the amount of gray matter in the parietal lobe on the inner surface of the cerebral hemispheres increases in the ancestral part, which is responsible for consciousness and memory. Scientists suppose that happiness can be achieved through meditation and training which, according to studies, increase the mass of gray matter in the parietal lobe of the cerebral hemispheres.

Research by Lyubomirsky (2005) has shown that thoughts can influence the balance of hormones and chemicals. That means that with positive thinking a person generates and reinforces new synapses in the brain that subsequently increase brain functions. But this cannot be applied to those who already are in depression or under certain circumstances that reduce the ability to think positively.

Many neurological articles promise to say something about happiness, but in fact, tell about the remuneration. Psychologists and scientists still have no universal recipe to become a happy person. There are various screening tests to identify the level of happiness, but the problem is that they are quite subjective. Along with brain reactions, happiness also depends on genetics, character, underlying brain systems; it is impossible to influence at a certain brain area or give a pill and make a person happy. The main aim of a scientist shouldn’t be happiness as a whole, but how to use psychic mechanisms and activities that can raise the overall subjective level of happiness.

Dfarhud, D., Malmir, M., & Khananmandi, M. (2014). Happiness & Health: The Biological Factors – Systematic Review Article. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 43(11), 1468–1477.

Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 131(6), 803-855.

Sato, W., Kochiyama, T., Uono, S., Kubota, Y., Sawada, R., Yoshimura, S., & Toichi, M. (2015, November 20). The structural neural substrate of subjective happiness. Retrieved from Scientific Reports: https://www.nature.com/articles/srep16891

Exercises for developing critical thinking skills

Critical thinking will not only improve the way you write an essay and do research. It will help you to make the right decisions in your everyday life and analyze situations you face at university and work. Practice at least one of the exercises and you will definitely feel the benefits of thinking critically.

1. Create a journal.

Get used to writing down your thoughts dedicated to a certain topic. Change it, for example, every week. You can follow this format:

Situation. Describe the situation in detail and from various points of view: scientific, logical, and emotional. Your reaction. Describe all of your emotions caused by the situation. Analysis. Think about the situation and try to find out what has happened and why. Try to get to the bottom of it. Evaluation. Try to evaluate the text you have written above. What can you do to improve your way of thinking? What misconceptions have you mentioned?

2. Set the list of goals for the week.

You can list the abilities you want to develop. Accuracy, precision, clarity, logical thinking, etc. That means that you should concentrate on these abilities in all everyday activities. For example, devote one week to concentrate on what you say and how you say it. At the end of the week you can sum up your observation and make improvements in the following week.

3. Pick an interesting topic or issue.

Find an interesting topic that you want to learn. Along with your everyday responsibilities, leave from fifteen to thirty minutes to read information about the chosen topic. This means that every day you will be reading about different points of view about the problem. You can also place the write my paper for cheap order on your chosen topic and read everything about it in one document. Your task is to doubt the information and check whether it works or not.

4. Practice mind mapping.

Mind mapping is a great tool that you can use to increase your brain power and perceiving information. Research has shown that mind maps accumulate both left and right brain capacities. Mind mapping can help you summarize information, come up with questions, and increase comprehension. For example, you can create a mind map during one lecture in your college or just listen to any educational video over the internet.

Take a piece of paper and put the main idea in the center. Draw the branches starting from the top right corner and move in a clockwise direction. Each branch will represent keywords (subheadings of the topic). It is recommended to use different colors to group ideas, so it will be easier to encode your mind map later.

Critical thinking is just a way to think with your head, questioning any, even the most interesting ideas. Of course, critical thinking won’t solve all your problems, but it’s a good habit. And the more you think, the more effectively you will work, learn, communicate, and generate creative ideas. In conclusion, there’s nothing more to say but, each of us is free to choose in which world he or she should live – a colorful, multidimensional world or a flat, black-and-white world.

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Writing to Think: Critical Thinking and the Writing Process

“Writing is thinking on paper.” (Zinsser, 1976, p. vii)

Google the term “critical thinking.” How many hits are there? On the day this tutorial was completed, Google found about 65,100,000 results in 0.56 seconds. That’s an impressive number, and it grows more impressively large every day. That’s because the nation’s educators, business leaders, and political representatives worry about the level of critical thinking skills among today’s students and workers.

What is Critical Thinking?

Simply put, critical thinking is sound thinking. Critical thinkers work to delve beneath the surface of sweeping generalizations, biases, clichés, and other quick observations that characterize ineffective thinking. They are willing to consider points of view different from their own, seek and study evidence and examples, root out sloppy and illogical argument, discern fact from opinion, embrace reason over emotion or preference, and change their minds when confronted with compelling reasons to do so. In sum, critical thinkers are flexible thinkers equipped to become active and effective spouses, parents, friends, consumers, employees, citizens, and leaders. Every area of life, in other words, can be positively affected by strong critical thinking.

Released in January 2011, an important study of college students over four years concluded that by graduation “large numbers [of American undergraduates] didn’t learn the critical thinking, complex reasoning and written communication skills that are widely assumed to be at the core of a college education” (Rimer, 2011, para. 1). The University designs curriculum, creates support programs, and hires faculty to help ensure you won’t be one of the students “[showing]no significant gains in . . . ‘higher order’ thinking skills” (Rimer, 2011, para. 4). One way the University works to help you build those skills is through writing projects.

Writing and Critical Thinking

Say the word “writing” and most people think of a completed publication. But say the word “writing” to writers, and they will likely think of the process of composing. Most writers would agree with novelist E. M. Forster, who wrote, “How can I know what I think until I see what I say?” (Forster, 1927, p. 99). Experienced writers know that the act of writing stimulates thinking.

Inexperienced and experienced writers have very different understandings of composition. Novice writers often make the mistake of believing they have to know what they’re going to write before they can begin writing. They often compose a thesis statement before asking questions or conducting research. In the course of their reading, they might even disregard material that counters their pre-formed ideas. This is not writing; it is recording.

In contrast, experienced writers begin with questions and work to discover many different answers before settling on those that are most convincing. They know that the act of putting words on paper or a computer screen helps them invent thought and content. Rather than trying to express what they already think, they express what the act of writing leads them to think as they put down words. More often than not, in other words, experienced writers write their way into ideas, which they then develop, revise, and refine as they go.

What has this notion of writing to do with critical thinking? Everything.

Consider the steps of the writing process: prewriting, outlining, drafting, revising, editing, seeking feedback, and publishing. These steps are not followed in a determined or strict order; instead, the effective writer knows that as they write, it may be necessary to return to an earlier step. In other words, in the process of revision, a writer may realize that the order of ideas is unclear. A new outline may help that writer re-order details. As they write, the writer considers and reconsiders the effectiveness of the work.

The writing process, then, is not just a mirror image of the thinking process: it is the thinking process. Confronted with a topic, an effective critical thinker/writer

asks questions
seeks answers
evaluates evidence
questions assumptions
tests hypotheses
makes inferences
employs logic
draws conclusions
predicts readers’ responses
creates order
drafts content
seeks others’ responses
weighs feedback
criticizes their own work
revises content and structure
seeks clarity and coherence

Example of Composition as Critical Thinking

“Good writing is fueled by unanswerable questions” (Lane, 1993, p. 15).

Imagine that you have been asked to write about a hero or heroine from history. You must explain what challenges that individual faced and how they conquered them. Now imagine that you decide to write about Rosa Parks and her role in the modern Civil Rights movement. Take a moment and survey what you already know. She refused to get up out of her seat on a bus so a White man could sit in it. She was arrested. As a result, Blacks in Montgomery protested, influencing the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Martin Luther King, Jr. took up leadership of the cause, and ultimately a movement was born.

Is that really all there is to Rosa Parks’s story? What questions might a thoughtful writer ask? Here a few:

Why did Rosa Parks refuse to get up on that particular day?
Was hers a spontaneous or planned act of defiance?
Did she work? Where? Doing what?
Had any other Black person refused to get up for a White person?
What happened to that individual or those individuals?
Why hadn’t that person or those persons received the publicity Parks did?
Was Parks active in Civil Rights before that day?
How did she learn about civil disobedience?

Even just these few questions could lead to potentially rich information.

Factual information would not be enough, however, to satisfy an assignment that asks for an interpretation of that information. The writer’s job for the assignment is to convince the reader that Parks was a heroine; in this way the writer must make an argument and support it. The writer must establish standards of heroic behavior. More questions arise:

What is heroic action?
What are the characteristics of someone who is heroic?
What do heroes value and believe?
What are the consequences of a hero’s actions?
Why do they matter?

Now the writer has even more research and more thinking to do.

By the time they have raised questions and answered them, raised more questions and answered them, and so on, they are ready to begin writing. But even then, new ideas will arise in the course of planning and drafting, inevitably leading the writer to more research and thought, to more composition and refinement.

Ultimately, every step of the way over the course of composing a project, the writer is engaged in critical thinking because the effective writer examines the work as they develop it.

Why Writing to Think Matters

Writing practice builds critical thinking, which empowers people to “take charge of [their] own minds” so they “can take charge of [their] own lives . . . and improve them, bringing them under [their] self command and direction” (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2020, para. 12). Writing is a way of coming to know and understand the self and the changing world, enabling individuals to make decisions that benefit themselves, others, and society at large. Your knowledge alone – of law, medicine, business, or education, for example – will not be enough to meet future challenges. You will be tested by new unexpected circumstances, and when they arise, the open-mindedness, flexibility, reasoning, discipline, and discernment you have learned through writing practice will help you meet those challenges successfully.

Forster, E.M. (1927). Aspects of the novel . Harcourt, Brace & Company.

The Foundation for Critical Thinking. (2020, June 17). Our concept and definition of critical thinking . https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/our-concept-of-critical-thinking/411

Lane, B. (1993). After the end: Teaching and learning creative revision . Heinemann.

Rimer, S. (2011, January 18). Study: Many college students not learning to think critically . The Hechinger Report. https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article24608056.html

Zinsser, W. (1976). On writing well: The classic guide to writing nonfiction . HarperCollins.

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What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples

What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples

Published on May 30, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on May 31, 2023.

Critical thinking is the ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment .

To think critically, you must be aware of your own biases and assumptions when encountering information, and apply consistent standards when evaluating sources .

Critical thinking skills help you to:

Identify credible sources
Evaluate and respond to arguments
Assess alternative viewpoints
Test hypotheses against relevant criteria

Why is critical thinking important, critical thinking examples, how to think critically, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about critical thinking.

Critical thinking is important for making judgments about sources of information and forming your own arguments. It emphasizes a rational, objective, and self-aware approach that can help you to identify credible sources and strengthen your conclusions.

Critical thinking is important in all disciplines and throughout all stages of the research process . The types of evidence used in the sciences and in the humanities may differ, but critical thinking skills are relevant to both.

In academic writing , critical thinking can help you to determine whether a source:

Is free from research bias
Provides evidence to support its research findings
Considers alternative viewpoints

Outside of academia, critical thinking goes hand in hand with information literacy to help you form opinions rationally and engage independently and critically with popular media.

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The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

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Critical thinking can help you to identify reliable sources of information that you can cite in your research paper . It can also guide your own research methods and inform your own arguments.

Outside of academia, critical thinking can help you to be aware of both your own and others’ biases and assumptions.

Academic examples

However, when you compare the findings of the study with other current research, you determine that the results seem improbable. You analyze the paper again, consulting the sources it cites.

You notice that the research was funded by the pharmaceutical company that created the treatment. Because of this, you view its results skeptically and determine that more independent research is necessary to confirm or refute them. Example: Poor critical thinking in an academic context You’re researching a paper on the impact wireless technology has had on developing countries that previously did not have large-scale communications infrastructure. You read an article that seems to confirm your hypothesis: the impact is mainly positive. Rather than evaluating the research methodology, you accept the findings uncritically.

Nonacademic examples

However, you decide to compare this review article with consumer reviews on a different site. You find that these reviews are not as positive. Some customers have had problems installing the alarm, and some have noted that it activates for no apparent reason.

You revisit the original review article. You notice that the words “sponsored content” appear in small print under the article title. Based on this, you conclude that the review is advertising and is therefore not an unbiased source. Example: Poor critical thinking in a nonacademic context You support a candidate in an upcoming election. You visit an online news site affiliated with their political party and read an article that criticizes their opponent. The article claims that the opponent is inexperienced in politics. You accept this without evidence, because it fits your preconceptions about the opponent.

There is no single way to think critically. How you engage with information will depend on the type of source you’re using and the information you need.

However, you can engage with sources in a systematic and critical way by asking certain questions when you encounter information. Like the CRAAP test , these questions focus on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.

When encountering information, ask:

Who is the author? Are they an expert in their field?
What do they say? Is their argument clear? Can you summarize it?
When did they say this? Is the source current?
Where is the information published? Is it an academic article? Is it peer-reviewed ?
Why did the author publish it? What is their motivation?
How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence? Does it rely on opinion, speculation, or appeals to emotion ? Do they address alternative arguments?

Critical thinking also involves being aware of your own biases, not only those of others. When you make an argument or draw your own conclusions, you can ask similar questions about your own writing:

Am I only considering evidence that supports my preconceptions?
Is my argument expressed clearly and backed up with credible sources?
Would I be convinced by this argument coming from someone else?

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

ChatGPT vs human editor
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Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
Using ChatGPT for your studies
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Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

Critical thinking skills include the ability to:

You can assess information and arguments critically by asking certain questions about the source. You can use the CRAAP test , focusing on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.

Ask questions such as:

Who is the author? Are they an expert?
How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence?

A credible source should pass the CRAAP test and follow these guidelines:

The information should be up to date and current.
The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching.
The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased.
For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.

Information literacy refers to a broad range of skills, including the ability to find, evaluate, and use sources of information effectively.

Being information literate means that you:

Know how to find credible sources
Use relevant sources to inform your research
Understand what constitutes plagiarism
Know how to cite your sources correctly

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search, interpret, and recall information in a way that aligns with our pre-existing values, opinions, or beliefs. It refers to the ability to recollect information best when it amplifies what we already believe. Relatedly, we tend to forget information that contradicts our opinions.

Although selective recall is a component of confirmation bias, it should not be confused with recall bias.

On the other hand, recall bias refers to the differences in the ability between study participants to recall past events when self-reporting is used. This difference in accuracy or completeness of recollection is not related to beliefs or opinions. Rather, recall bias relates to other factors, such as the length of the recall period, age, and the characteristics of the disease under investigation.

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Critical Thinking Essay: A Complete Student Guide

Icon Calendar 30 June 2024
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Essay writing is an integral academic exercise for students in higher educational institutions. As an example of different paper types, a critical thinking essay requires people to employ analytical and reflective writing skills. In essence, these skills underscore essential features of such an essay: analysis of information, reflection on key findings, a review of information’s relevance, and an identification of any conclusions made by an author(s) or other scholars. Hence, a critical thinking paper is a specific type of writing that requires learners to read documents and make interpretations from their points of view. In turn, people need to learn how to write these essays to master their analytical, creative, and reflective skills.

General Guidelines

Critical thinking is an essential skill, particularly for students who need to analyze and interpret data. In turn, a real essence of such a skill is that learners confront issues every day that require them to make prompt decisions. Moreover, it is a unique mechanism by which individuals arrive at these decisions. Therefore, a critical thinking essay is a document that allows students to address an issue holistically. Then, it means addressing issues in an essay format by using critical thinking skills from different perspectives, highlighting possible alternatives, and making well-thought-out decisions. To a target audience, such a text makes it easy to understand a writer’s message and either agree or disagree with it. Besides, a particular decision to agree or disagree is based on a writer’s information regarding an issue in question. Hence, this is why authors of such essays need to provide details that make their arguments stronger and more palatable to an intended audience.

What Is a Critical Thinking Essay and Its Purpose

According to its definition, a critical thinking essay is an academic writing form that challenges students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information to form a reasoned argument or perspective. The main purpose of writing a critical thinking essay is to encourage a deeper understanding and engagement with a topic at hand and allow students to question assumptions, recognize different viewpoints, and articulate their own reasoned conclusions (Atkins & Carver, 2022). Further on, learners enhance their ability to think logically and argue persuasively, skills that are valuable not only in academic contexts but also in everyday decision-making and problem-solving. Moreover, common elements of critical thinking include analysis, evaluation, explanation, and logical conclusion (Thurman & Gary, 2020). As a result, such a composition shapes a reflective and analytical mindset, preparing people for complex real-world and problem-solving situations. In terms of pages and words, a typical length of writing a critical thinking essay depends on an academic level, course, professor, and specific assignment criteria, while general guidelines are:

High School:

Length: 2-4 pages
Word Count: 500-1,000 words
Length: 3-5 pages
Word Count: 750-1,250 words

University (Undergraduate):

Length: 5-8 pages
Word Count: 1,250-2,000 words

Master’s:

Length: 8-12 pages
Word Count: 2,000-3,000 words
Length: 15-20 pages
Word Count: 3,750-5,000 words

How to write a critical thinking essay with examples

Writing Format

Section	Content
Title	Start by writing a concise and reflective topic for an essay’s content.
Introduction	Set up a specific context, introduce a topic, and present a thesis statement.
Thesis Statement	Clearly outline a main argument or perspective.
Body Paragraphs	Focus each paragraph on a single point supporting a central thesis with evidence, explanation, and analysis.
Counterarguments	Address potential opposing views and refute them.
Conclusion	Summarize central points and restate a thesis in light of a particular discussion.
References/Bibliography	List all sources cited in an essay and format them according to a specified citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, Harvard, etc.).

Note: Some sections in a critical thinking essay can be added, deleted, or combined with each other. In turn, its typical structure in writing includes an introduction with a thesis statement, body paragraphs with evidence, explanation, and analysis, counterarguments with refutations, and a conclusion that summarizes key points and restates a thesis.

Characteristics

When writing a critical thinking essay, people should address several essential features. Firstly, authors need to reflect on what they have read, meaning taking time to consider specific information’s relevance (Larsson, 2019). In essence, such an attitude helps them to make strong arguments in defense of their points of view. Secondly, learners need to analyze how this information is presented and state whether it is sufficient or needs improvement. Thirdly, they need to review observed information based on previous knowledge (Southworth, 2022). Here, they should say whether this information advances a concept or theory or contradicts existing knowledge. Finally, scholars need to identify a final conclusion reached by an author(s) of reviewed information and support or challenge it. In turn, some examples of sentence starters for beginning a critical thinking essay are:

In recent discussions about [topic/theme], a current controversial issue involves whether [specific aspect], with various scholars arguing both for and against this perspective based on differing evidence and interpretations.
The phenomenon of [topic] raises important questions about [related issue], prompting a need to critically examine the underlying causes and broader implications for [field or society].
As [author/expert] argues in [source’s title], the implications of [topic] require a deeper analysis of possible factors that contribute to an ongoing debate on [related aspect].
A primary purpose of this essay is to examine the impact of [topic] on [specific group or field] and explore how different viewpoints and evidence shape a current understanding of [issue].
In addressing the complexities of [topic], it is essential to consider a historical context, key arguments, and counterarguments to fully appreciate that [theme] is a solution to a current discourse.
Understanding [topic] requires more analysis of underlying factors, such as [factor 1], [factor 2], and [factor 3], each of which plays a crucial role in shaping a current discussion.
A particular debate surrounding [topic] often centers on an issue of [specific aspect], with proponents and opponents offering contrasting perspectives that cannot be used as a single solution.
A critical aspect of [topic] that warrants further analysis is [specific aspect], as it reveals significant implications for [related issue].
To fully grasp an actual significance of [topic], one must first explore historical developments and key arguments that have shaped a current understanding and ongoing debates on [issue].
In light of recent developments in [field], a hot discussion of [topic] has become increasingly relevant because it highlights a current importance of an issue and a need for a critical examination of its broader impact on [aspect].

How to Identify

Based on essential features described above, students can tell whether an essay they are writing is a critical thinking paper. Ideally, learners can know their papers are critical thinking essays if prompt requirements require them to read and analyze a text. Basically, an analysis process includes reflecting on an assigned text, commenting on how information is presented and its relation to previous knowledge, and supporting or challenging a final conclusion made (Butler, 2024). In principle, these requirements reflect defining features of such essays. A a result, to think critically, people systematically question assumptions, evaluate evidence, consider multiple perspectives, and reason logically to formulate well-supported conclusions.

A critical thinking paper differs fundamentally from other types of essays because it requires a student to read a text, such as a book or a poem, and analyze it using a writer’s perspective. Moreover, some instructions need people to analyze a film. In other words, writing a critical thinking essay emphasizes a learner’s understanding of information with a specific meaning of what a person has read, watched, or heard (Nosich, 2022). Indeed, it is a central point of difference from other types of papers that require people to refrain from personal viewpoints. Then, this feature means instructors grade such papers based on a writer’s ability to develop a coherent argument and use essential writing skills. As such, one can argue a critical thinking essay is a form of an argumentative essay.

Prompt Examples for Critical Thinking

Identify Communication Differences Between Men and Women

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to read texts that talk about how men and women communicate and identify the differences. Hence, writers should analyze what they have read and summarize it via concise statements or arguments.

Discuss Drug Use in Sports

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to research texts, such as research journal articles and government reports, that address a particular problem of drug use in sports and summarize their findings.

Explore an Anti-Meth Campaign

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to read widely about anti-meth campaigns and provide an in-depth analysis of their impacts. By reading an essay, a target audience should understand whether specific campaigns have been effective or ineffective.

Describe Homelessness and Its Social Impacts

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to read texts about homelessness, such as journal articles and reports by governments and other humanitarian organizations, and explain root causes and social implications of homelessness.

Analyze a History of College Football in the United States

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to read documents, such as books and media articles, narrating college football history in the United States. After writing a whole essay, a target audience should identify specific challenges that college football has faced in its development in a country.

Define Health Effects of Obesity

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to read research studies and medical reports discussing obesity. In turn, an essay should explain specific causes of obesity and corresponding risks that obese individuals face.

Review a Significance of Street Art and Graffiti

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to read texts discussing an entire evolution of street art and graffiti and make compelling arguments as to why they are essential features of modern art.

Sports on Television: Is It Necessary?

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to explain why television has become an essential platform for sports and how it undermines or helps advance its social and cultural significance.

What Is an Essence of Multicultural Identity?

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to explore a phenomenon of multiculturalism that has become notable and acceptable in modern society and explain its significance.

Examine a Relevance of Body Size in Modeling

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to explore a modeling profession and explain why body size matters. In other words, a complete essay should make a case as to why a model should have a particular body size.

Write About Understanding Multicultural Families

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to explore multicultural families by reading texts that address a unique issue from a research or commentary perspective and summarize its leading arguments.

Changing Gender Roles: What It Means for Traditionalists?

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to explore gender roles from a historical and present perspective and discuss how they threaten or cement traditional views about common roles of men and women.

What Is Ethnic Music, and Does It Matter in a Multicultural Society?

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to study multiculturalism and identify how ethnic music is a significant characteristic.

Explain American Society and Latino’s Influence

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to study contemporary American society’s characteristics and indicate a specific extent to which Latinos and their culture (Latin American) have become a significant part of an American identity.

Discuss Challenges of Single-Parent Households

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to read research studies on single parenthood and identify its challenges.

What Are Unique Features of a Good Movie?

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to watch movies they consider “good” and provide an analysis of what makes them so.

Interpret a Poem With a First-Person Point of View

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to select a poem, examine it, and describe its outstanding features, such as literary devices.

Illustrate a Dynamics of Adoption in a Multicultural Society

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to examine a particular aspect of adoption within a specific context of a multicultural society.

What Store Strategies Influence Consumers?

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to study a phenomenon of retail stores and give an analysis of specific factors that lead to their growth or shutdown.

Euthanasia: Questions of Ethics, Morals, and Legality

Under this prompt example, a student’s task is to examine a controversial aspect of euthanasia (mercy or assisted killing) and give an opinion on whether society should address it from some perspectives of ethics, morals, or law.

Need to Think Critically by Looking at a Topic

When it comes to essay writing, educational department’s requirements provide direction about a debatable topic. By reading such a topic, people get an idea of what kind of paper they are supposed to write. Regarding such a document, a topic should require them to research a specific theme, reflect on what they have read, and comment on a way how an author has presented information, its relevance to existing knowledge, and its actual significance for a person’s conclusion (Nosich, 2022). In turn, these five tasks underscore essential features of such a composition. As a result, to start a critical thinking essay, writers begin with an engaging introduction that provides context, introduces the topic, and clearly states their thesis statements.

When it comes to an essay structure, a critical thinking paper comprises three main sections: introduction, body, and conclusion. When writing each of these sections, students should capture essential features. Firstly, an introduction should provide a hook to capture a reader’s attention and formulate a thesis statement to guide paper’s main arguments and ideas (Atkins & Carver, 2022). In a body section, writers should use topic sentences to introduce paragraphs. Besides, learners should follow a sandwich rule, where they make a claim, provide supporting facts, and explain a significance of cited evidence to a paper’s thesis (Thurman & Gary, 2020). In a conclusion part, authors should restate a thesis statement, summarize main body points, and make a concluding remark. Finally, other essential features that people should use in their text’s paragraphs are transitions to give an entire paper a natural and logical flow of ideas and arguments.

Steps on How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay

To write a critical thinking essay, people usually start by clearly defining their topics and thesis statements, gathering and analyzing credible evidence, considering multiple perspectives, including counterarguments, and presenting a reasoned and coherent argument supported by thorough analysis and logical reasoning. In turn, some steps for writing a good critical thinking essay include:

Understand an Assignment: Carefully read and comprehend an essay prompt or question to know exactly what is required.
Choose a Topic: Select a relevant and engaging topic that allows for deep analysis and corresponding thinking.
Conduct Research: Gather reliable and relevant sources to provide evidence and support for key arguments.
Develop a Thesis Statement: Formulate a clear thesis statement that presents a main argument, claim, or perspective.
Create an Outline: Organize central ideas and structure an essay by creating an outline with main points and subpoints.
Write an Introduction: Develop an engaging introduction that provides context and states a central thesis.
Develop Body Paragraphs: Write detailed body paragraphs, each focusing on a single point, connecting to a thesis, and using evidence, explanation, and analysis.
Address Counterarguments: Identify and refute potential opposing views to strengthen a main argument.
Write a Conclusion: Summarize central points, restate a thesis in light of the evidence, and end with a strong concluding thought.
Revise and Edit: Review a critical thinking essay for clarity, coherence, and logical flow, and correct any grammatical or typographical errors.

Sample Outline Template

I. Introduction

A. Start with a hook sentence that makes an essay interesting. B. Cover brief information about a theme discussed in body paragraphs. C. End with a thesis statement.

A. Background Information:

introduce an issue for readers;
provide examples that support this issue;
explain how examples correlate with a theme;
finish with defining an issue for readers.

B. Argument on an Issue

begin with an argument on an issue;
covers examples to support this argument;
explain how examples and argument are related;
conclude how an argument on this theme is relevant.

C. Importance of an Issue

state why this issue is important;
support this statement with examples from credible sources;
explain how these examples underline the importance of an issue;
end with a concluding sentence that supports this importance.

III. Conclusion

A. Restate a thesis claim. B. Cover the key points discussed in body paragraphs. C. Provide a final thought on an issue.

Example of a Critical Thinking Essay

Topic: Roles of Critical Thinking Skills

Introduction Sample

Critical thinking is a requirement in higher education because it reflects the level of mental preparedness of students intending to join the labor industry. In this case, essay writing is one of the strategies that higher education institutions use to develop these critical thinking skills in students. Writing argumentative essays has profoundly shaped my critical thinking skills and made me more reflective and analytical in my texts.

Examples of Body Paragraphs

Background Information of an Issue

The advent of the Internet opened a new world of research as scholars found a platform to publish research findings. Besides scholars, public and private entities have turned to online platforms to spread information they perceive as critical and needful. Over time, I have come to see the Internet as a crucial reservoir of knowledge, and I always turn to it for personal enrichment. Moreover, Gilster (1997) perceives critical thinking as a critical skill for individuals who use online platforms for academic purposes. In this case, the author demonstrates that, since the Internet is full of falsehoods and incomplete and obsolete information, it is critical for those who depend on this technology to employ critical thinking. Hence, such thinking helps users distinguish between essential, relevant information and what appears to be irrelevant and nonessential.

Argument on an Issue

On the issue of critical thinking, examining and analyzing content are fundamental exercises. In essence, critical thinking entails reading a text and interpreting it by using an analytical lens. For example, when students read novels, they can use their critical thinking skills to analyze the plot and characters and provide arguments that indicate an in-depth understanding of both (Gilster, 1997). In most cases, such ideas go beyond what is written in the novel to include the student’s interpretation of events. In my case, I use the Internet to find research and media articles on different topics, such as homelessness, substance abuse, crime, and police and law enforcement. Moreover, I use these articles to reflect on the dynamics that shape life in contemporary society, using my critical thinking skills to relate the past, present, and future. Therefore, I can state confidently that this habit has made me a strong debater on contemporary issues.

Importance of an Issue

By using critical thinking skills, readers make deductions, thereby showcasing their understanding levels. As the literature suggests, critical thinking serves as a basis for knowledge accumulation and advancement (Ku & Ho, 2010). In my academic journey, I have employed critical thinking to gain insight into several issues. Furthermore, one of these issues is the significance of politics to the lives of ordinary citizens. Then, many documents I have read about politics have made me conclude that politicians are selfish by default and only develop consensus when their interests are accommodated. Hence, this understanding has made me have minimal expectations from local and national political figures.

Conclusion Sample

Critical thinking is a key skill that helps individuals to analyze and reflect on information from diverse sources. Over the years, I have used critical thinking to analyze research and media articles published on online platforms and make logical deductions. Moreover, these deductions point to my ability to take information, analyze it, and interpret it. Thus, I can confidently state that my critical thinking skills have made me aware of human weaknesses and the risk of putting too much trust in people vulnerable to shortcomings.

List of References

Gilster, P. (1997). Digital literacy: The thinking and survival skills new users need to make the Internet personally and professionally meaningful . New York, NY: Wiley.

Ku, K. Y., & Ho, I. T. (2010). Metacognitive strategies that enhance critical thinking. Metacognition and Learning , 5 (3), 251-267.

What to Include

Element	Description
Theoretical Perspectives	Mention relevant theories that provide a framework for analyzing a specific topic.
Statistical Data	Include relevant statistics to support arguments and provide empirical evidence.
Case Studies	Discuss specific examples or case studies that illustrate key points.
Personal Experiences	Reflect on personal experiences related to an assigned topic to add a unique perspective.
Expert Opinions	Cite opinions and insights from experts in a specific field to add credibility to writing.
Quotes	Use quotes from relevant literature or notable figures to support points.
Visual Aids	Include graphs, charts, or images that help to explain or support a main argument.
Field Research	Incorporate findings from interviews, surveys, or observational research if applicable.
Interdisciplinary Approaches	Integrate perspectives from different disciplines to provide a more comprehensive analysis.
Ethical Analysis	Explore specific ethical dimensions and implications of a topic under review.
Cultural Context	Discuss how cultural factors influence a particular topic and perspectives on it.
Future Predictions	Critically think about future trends or developments related to a discussed topic.
Policy Recommendations	Suggest changes or improvements to policies based on obtained findings.
Historical Comparisons	Compare a current issue with historical events or trends.
Narrative Techniques	Use storytelling to make a key argument more engaging and relatable.
Contrasting Views	Present and compare different viewpoints to highlight a particular complexity of an issue.
Philosophical Arguments	Incorporate philosophical reasoning in writing to deepen an entire analysis.
Logical Proofs	Use logical reasoning and evidence to systematically prove a central argument.
Literature Review	Summarize and critique previous research on an assigned topic.
Practical Applications	Discuss how current findings can be applied in real-world scenarios.

Common Mistakes

Lack of a Thesis: Failing to present a specific and arguable thesis that guides an essay.
Insufficient Evidence: Relying on writing personal opinions without providing credible and relevant sources to support arguments.
Ignoring Counterarguments: Not addressing opposing viewpoints or failing to refute them effectively.
Poor Structure: Writing an essay without a logical flow or clear organization, making it difficult for readers to follow a central argument.
Overgeneralization: Making general statements without sufficient evidence to back them up.
Questionable Analysis: Offering unclear interpretations or analysis of evidence rather than engaging in a deep and well-reasoned examination.
Repetition: Repeating same points or ideas without adding new insights or evidence.
Weak Conclusions: Ending a paper without effectively summarizing main points and restating a thesis.
Ignoring Formatting and Citation Guidelines: Failing to properly format an essay or cite sources according to a required academic style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, Harvard, etc.).
Grammatical and Typographical Errors: Submitting a document with numerous grammatical mistakes and typographical errors, which can distract from its content and weaken its main argument.

A critical thinking essay is a document that reflects a student’s ability to use analytical and reflective skills in studying an issue. Although writing such a composition assumes following a basic structure of a standard essay, it has features that distinguish it from other papers. When writing this type of essay, people should master the following tips:

Read and analyze information.
Reflect on study findings.
Review an actual relevance of observed information within a context of existing knowledge.
Identify any conclusions made by authors or other scholars and their significance.

Atkins, H. S., & Carver, L. (2022). Writing is thinking: Strategies for all content areas . Rowman & Littlefield.

Butler, H. A. (2024). Predicting everyday critical thinking: A review of critical thinking assessments. Journal of Intelligence , 12 (2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence12020016

Larsson, K. (2019). Using essay responses as a basis for teaching critical thinking – A variation theory approach. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research , 65 (1), 21–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2019.1650824

Nosich, G. M. (2022). Critical writing: A guide to writing a paper using the concepts and processes of critical thinking . Rowman & Littlefield.

Southworth, J. (2022). Bridging critical thinking and transformative learning: The role of perspective-taking. Theory and Research in Education , 20 (1), 44–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/14778785221090853

Thurman, S. S., & Gary, W. L. (2020). Critical literacy: Integrating critical thinking, reading, and writing . Cognella Academic Publishing.

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How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay: The Complete Guide

by Antony W

June 26, 2024

Are you looking for a detailed guide on how to write a critical thinking essay step-by-step? Maybe you have an idea to get you started by you want to be sure you have the right lead?

You’ve come to the right place.

Critical thinking is a complex system that involves conceptualization and evaluation of information and presentation of observation and analysis based on objective reasoning. The application of critical thinking in life dimension lowers the chances of making mistakes and guides humans towards finding, and possibly believing in, some kind of truth.

When it comes to critical thinking essay writing, you’ll have a topic to read and analyze critically. In the end, you should demonstrate that you not only understand everything there is to know about the topic but that you can also present an objective analysis that presents a well-researched theory.

Keep reading this guide to learn exactly how to write a critical thinking essay in the shortest time possible.

What is a Critical Thinking Essay?

A critical thinking essay is an assignment in which students have to demonstrate their analytical abilities. For it’s worth, critical thinking essays should enable you to read attentively, employ methodical doubt, identify flaws in arguments, work with concepts, and articulate thoughts clearly and reasonably.

The foundation of a critical thinking essay is the ability to ask and respond to the appropriate questions. Tutors typically evaluate both the text’s quality and the manner in which a student develops arguments about a certain subject.

Learning how to write a critical thinking essay is the best way to hone your critical thinking ability. Doing this will assist you in developing the ability to work efficiently with information, arrange it, filter out dubious material, and draw conclusions.

How is a Critical Thinking Essay Different from Other Essay?

A critical thinking essay is essentially different from other types of essays in that it asks students to read a text and examine it through the lens of the author. In other words, producing a critical thinking essay demonstrates students’ comprehension of material and their ability to make sense of what they have read, observed, or heard.

How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay

There following is a step-by-step guide to help you write a critical thinking essay :

Step #1: Choose a Topic

The initial step should be to choose an appropriate critical thinking essay topic. If it is a school or college project, you will most likely receive the subject from your professor. If your teachers do not assign a topic, you may choose one.

The best themes for critical thinking include books, a film, art, or a law. You can demonstrate your knowledge by giving your perspectives on contentious issues and explaining why you support your assertion.

Step #2: Research

Conduct research on the subject and learn about its distinguishing characteristics. What makes your theme unique? By emphasizing the solution to this question, you can write an entirely distinctive critical thinking essay.

Step #3: Write the Essay

Create an outline.

Not only does a critical thinking essay outline assist you in organizing your thoughts, but it also assists you in directing your train of thought in the appropriate direction. Additionally, it assists you in organizing your essay in such a way that it has a natural flow or rhythm.

Keep in mind that thoughts come in various ways, but an outline can help you discipline them.

Create a Thesis Statement

The introduction includes a thesis statement. A thesis statement must be compelling. Your thesis statement should be debatable, and you should be able to present adequate evidence to back your response. The thesis statement should serve as the anchor for the remainder of the essay.

Choose the Most Persuasive Evidence

Choose the most persuasive evidence from the outline’s researched list. To weed out the most vulnerable pieces of evidence, ask these questions and keep only those that respond. Which ones best support your thesis? Which of the shards of evidence will be most recognizable by subject-matter experts? Which one has the most authors and specialists advocating for the same cause? The responses will assist you in framing your topic.

Write the Body of the Essay

If you want to discuss a recent incident that affected you, you will need to conduct research to fill out the essay. Not only should you consider meeting the word count specified, but you should also include facts and pieces of pertinent information in your essay.

While expressing your opinion, discuss both the positive and negative aspects. Write about whatever evidence you come across and do not conceal any aspect of your research and provide all sides of your subject.

Is the issue a representative of contemporary or postmodern themes?
Does the topic have a connection to any historical event?
What questions arose as you observed or learned about your subject?
Create a list of these questions and respond to them in the body paragraphs .

Write a Strong Conclusion

A conclusion paragraph summarizes your points. Your conclusion should emphasize what you’ve attempted to demonstrate or prove to your readers. Prior to writing the final paragraph of your essay, take some time to think about what you have just written and in what order you’ve written them so as to conclude your work effectively. You can motivate the reader to take action, summarize the key points, or explain how the subject affects the reader. Make every effort to relate back to previous ideas and connect them into a unified argument.

Some Tips to Help You Write Better

Take a break after you finish writing the essay. By taking a brief break, you can recharge your brain. Then carefully check your document for typos, grammatical flaws, wordy sentences, and other errors that could jeopardize your work.
Invite a friend or family member to read your critical thinking and provide helpful feedback.
Cite all sources, including quotations, figures, and theoretical information that you used in your essay.
To alleviate stress, begin writing in advance. Typically, last-minute writings have poor grammar and organization.
Attempt to begin as soon as possible and produce an excellent critical thinking essay!

About the author

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

How to Use Critical Thinking in Your Essay and Write Smarter

Critical thinking: What would essay writing be without it? Well, you know what Mr. Spock would say.

In fact, without critical thinking, essays would be highly illogical. Critical thinking allows you to dig under the surface to understand and articulate a subject or point of view.

To put it another way: If you want to influence and impress others with your intellect and authoritative grasp of the issues, you have to put those critical thinking skills to good use.

But what exactly is critical thinking? It is the application of decision making , deductive reasoning , critical analysis , evaluating, and problem solving . In other words, it’s all the ingredients that makes for a great essay.

In this post, I’ll break down the essential parts of critical thinking and show how critical thinking can make your essay writing much stronger.

#1 Decision Making

Decision making is an important skill in critical thinking because it requires you to decide which choice is the best or most useful among the many available alternatives.

You use decision making when you choose your topic and thesis statement, organize your essay, do research, and determine which information is relevant. Decision making is also important in problem-solution essays, because you’ll have to decide which solutions will work best with the problems you’re addressing.

But decision-making also means choosing the best way to argue your opinions. After all, an incoherent opinion is about the same as having no opinion at all.

For instance, an author might be assigned to write an essay on ethics in politics. She decides to write specifically about campaign finance, but what type of essay should she write? Argumentative , problem-solution , persuasive , expository ? Each type of essay offers different ways for the author to present the subject, but she must decide on one that will best serve her interests.

Having a firm grasp of the topic, understanding what it means and how it might affect you personally, is a good start to deciding how to articulate topics within essay form. This is why it helps to choose a topic and an essay type you can stand behind 100%.

#2 Deductive Reasoning

You use deductive reasoning every time you sit down to write an essay and whenever you make any important decision in your life. It allows you to determine how to arrive at a decision and how you feel or think about the essential aspects of any topic.

Let’s take a closer look at how deductive reasoning is used in the process of planning and writing an essay.

Deductive reasoning makes specific conclusions from inferences through a singular line of thought. It’s a logical way to understand very broad ideas. Here’s a simple example of deductive reasoning at work:

Notice how the topic starts off very broadly, then narrows its approach as it finds connections between the broad and specific statements. Logically speaking, if all dogs have canine teeth, then Tuffy, who’s a dog, has canine teeth too.

When writing an essay, you’ll have to draw on similar inferences to make specific statements (thesis) or conclusions.

For instance, in an essay about global climate change, an author might want to examine the effects of climate change on food security. An example of how she might use deductive reasoning in her essay might look like this:

The logic of deductive reasoning is being applied here: If climate change causes droughts and droughts affect agriculture, then it goes to figure that climate change will affect access to food.

Of course the author will have to bolster her claims with facts and examples, but the outline of her essay will generally follow the deductive reasoning in her statement.

Make sure your essay follows a clear, logical path toward its conclusion. An essay with muddled or incoherent logic never grabs or influences readers.

#3 Critical Analysis

Critical analysis is the ability to analyze material and develop underlying judgments or opinions about it.

Any time you explore ideas, opinions, information, or the creative works of others, you employ critical analysis. Let’s look at two types of critical analysis that are common in essays: deep reading and empirical analysis.

Deep Reading

One form of critical analysis is deep reading. Used primarily in literary criticism, deep reading is the close examination of a literary text––a novel, short story, poem, etc.––for its symbolism, metaphors, characters, and plots.

Deep reading is also the exploration of the historical, biographical, and political context in which a literary text was written to explain or understand its subtext.

For instance, an author might explore the gender politics in William Shakespeare’s comedies by examining his use of language, witty dialogue, and gender characterization.

Empirical Analysis

Another form of critical analysis is empirical analysis. Empirical analysis studies a case through the experience or observation of its subjects, i.e., testing the effects of a new drug on a controlled group of patients.

Empirical analysis is especially useful in problem solving essays both to bolster and even refute solutions to specific problems.

For instance, an author might analyze empirical studies on criminal behavior to draw deeper conclusions about how laws, policies, poverty, or societal influences might affect that behavior, and then suggest changes in policy to address the problems she is examining.

#4 Evaluation

Evaluation is an extremely important skill in critical thinking. When you make an argument, you have to back it up with facts and examples, but your argument is only as strong as the information you provide. This means you have to evaluate whether the statements, opinions, facts, and figures you use are valid and logically sound.

The research you use shouldn’t be biased or slanted, (i.e., cherry-picking data to fit the conclusions). Nor should it mislead readers with information that is erroneous or has been debunked. The statements you use should also have some basis in logic.

For instance, a statement that claims gay marriage will lead to decriminalizing child sex or bestiality is not very logical or sound, because the acts of consenting adults isn’t the equivalent of those that aren’t. It’s also biased.

Always use information that is up-to-date, especially when it comes to scientific or medical reviews and journals. A good rule of thumb: At least half of the bibliographical material you use should be within five to eight years old . That way, you’ll have a better idea of what has been updated, debunked, or found inconclusive.

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Evaluation is also important to problem solving because you have to weigh the validity of one solution over the other. This means evaluating the pros and cons and reviewing data and actual examples. When the information you use is biased, slanted, or has been thoroughly debunked, then the argument you make won’t be very convincing.

#5 Problem Solving

Problem solving is another critical thinking skill that you’ll find useful in essay writing. In fact, it’s the most important of all because, no matter how skilled, all writers will encounter problems.

Problem solving involves breaking a problem down to its finest parts and figuring out what’s not working. It’s sort of like what happens when you run a diagnostics test on your computer to find out why it crashed. A diagnostics test is a process of elimination that examines each essential part to determine which one has failed.

You use the same process when you encounter problems in your writing. Let’s say an author is having trouble organizing her ideas coherently. This is a common problem essay writers encounter.

The author might handle this problem by breaking it down and evaluating or eliminating possible causes: Is the topic too broad? Are there too many ideas to contain within a five-structure essay? Could any one of those ideas be an essay topic in itself?

For instance, if the topic broadly explores how Shakespeare wrote about women, the author might narrow it down to characters like Lady Macbeth and how their positions of power reflected the gender politics of Elizabethan society.

By breaking down the problem and examining it thoroughly, you’ll be able to figure out the cause and come up with a solution that works best. That is the very essence of critical thinking.

Let’s Apply What We Know

So now that you know the basics of critical thinking, let’s put it to good use and see how it’s applied in an actual essay.

I pulled this New York Times op-ed “The Global Benefits of Binocularity” by Erik Parens. It investigates neurological studies that determine whether humans have free will. The op-ed draws several conclusions about the usefulness of this empirical work and what it might actually say about us as human beings.

I made up this chart to show how the author applies basic concepts of critical thinking to arrive at the conclusions he makes in the essay.

As you can see from the op-ed, Parens sets up his argument by agreeing largely with many of the neurological studies and their general importance. By critically analyzing and evaluating different sources on the subject, however, he arrives at a different conclusion about whether humans are singularly affected by neurological impulses. As the above chart demonstrates, he applied all the tools of critical thinking to arrive at this conclusion.

You’ll also notice that he combines the expository and problem-solution style essays, as well. He sets up much of his essay to actually refute claims made by Francis Crick, then offers his own solution about how we should go about studying free will.

To learn about writing problem solution and expository essays, read “ How to Write a Problem-Solution Essay ” and “How to Write an Expository Essay That Pops” for additional help.

Final Thoughts on Critical Thinking in Essay Writing

Isn’t it apparent how important critical thinking is to writing a good essay? You’ve already used some of these skills without realizing it. However, it’s helpful to know what you’re doing so that you’ll be able to effectively apply these skills to your next essay.

If you need additional help, read “10 Thesis Statement Examples to Inspire Your Next Argumentative Essay,” to give you some ideas on how to get started. I also recommend reading this blog post by Peter J. Francis, a teacher who explains logic on the grammatical level .

Lastly, I suggest you browse these essays to get more examples that apply critical thinking skills effectively.

So really, it’s not that hard. By following the basic rules of critical thinking, you’ll be able to write an essay that is compelling, persuasive, and logical.

Good luck and have fun!

Psst... 98% of Kibin users report better grades! Get inspiration from over 500,000 example essays .

About the Author

Cynthia C. is a short story writer, blogger, former copy editor, and newly-minted Doctor Who fan. You can find her on Google+

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Understanding Critical Thinking Essays

A critical thinking essay is an academic essay that allows you to interpret and analyze situations from a certain point of you. You must analyze the topic you are given in detail, using your critical thinking skills. The main objective of this essay is for the student to use their critical thinking skills to convey their message to the audience. Depending on the topic you are given, you have to present your thoughts coherently to your audience.

When writing a critical thinking essay , you must answer the given question. Not just that, but you also have to give a very clear argument by presenting your point of view. Your essay has to be very clearly written. The audience should understand what you are talking about and where you are getting your point of view from.

This is something that is the most important. You should have sufficient information to back that up when you give your point of view.

Furthermore, you also have to make sure that it is grammatically correct and has been proofread to see if there are any errors, poor sample of the Critical Thinking Essay you may also be aware of it.

Here are some general tips on writing a critical essay here:

How to Write a Winning Critical Thinking Essay?

Many students find it hard to write a critical thinking essay. This essay allows you to showcase your analytical skills. While it seems complicated, you can break it down into more doable parts and start working on it. Here are a few steps to help you write a great critical thinking essay .

Step 1 – List down the requirements

The first thing you need to do is be very clear about what is required of you. You can only work well on a task when you know what you need to do. Many students fail to write an essay that is up to the mark because they do not fully well understand the requirements. If you feel like you don’t have clarity on certain parts, then simply tell your instructor to help you with it.

Step 2 – Understand the source material

Whatever point of view you have comes from a certain source. Therefore, you must ensure that you first understand the material and how to use it best. Once you know that, you will automatically be able to do much better.

Step 3 – Write notes

It is always recommended that you make notes of the evidence while at it. You might have so many valid points coming to mind when you write an essay . So make sure you jot them down as they come to mind. When you do that, things will automatically start seeming so much easier. Ideas will flow naturally, and you won’t have to worry about missing out on something. Interesting tips you may also find by reading an article on the topic of c ritical thinking essay vs. critical essay .

Step 4 – Identify challenges

When looking at different critical thinking essay topics, identify the primary challenges that you think you will face. Once you know what those are, the approach you will choose will be in line with what you are looking for, eventually allowing you to do a much better job. Only once you acknowledge them can you do a good job of working on them. So you need to make sure that you do a decent job with that.

Step 5 – Find solutions

In the previous step, you found out all about the challenges that you are facing. Now you need to find potential solutions that can help you with that. You are sure to do a great job with a good understanding of the source material. All you need to do is clearly understand where you are headed with things.

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Structuring Your Critical Thinking Essay: A Step-by-Step Outline

Are you still worried about how to write a critical thinking essay? Don’t worry. This outline will help you structure your essay in the best way possible, again allowing you to ensure that your thoughts flow to you in the best way possible. A critical Thinking Essay is not too complicated and even can be the same as writing Capstone Project

Introduction

In the introduction, you need to give a brief background, and you also need to give your thesis statement. You can only do this well when you understand the critical thinking essay topics well. Also, reading the article about avoiding plagiarism will be helpful. Writing a critical thinking essay is not as hard as you think.

You just need to make sure that you have things planned out properly. In the introduction, you need to discuss the topic briefly and give your stance. This is the part that you need to do well on. This is because your introduction is the one part that hooks the reader, making them want to go further with it.

In the body of the essay , you need to give your main point of view, and you also need to make sure that you give sufficient evidence to support what you are saying. Like in an essay about your life , you should prove the main objects that are included.

Remember that this part is very important. All of the main arguments go here. So make sure that you plan it out very well. Present your argument very clearly and then give evidence to support it. Your main argument must be very strong to convince the reader to see things from your point of view and clearly understand what you are trying to say.

Conclusion

This is the part where you end your essay. You summarize your key arguments here by explaining your point of view in detail. In short, you need to summarize coherently what you have said by far. When you present your argument here, you allow the readers to draw a logical conclusion from the essay. So this is a very important part too.

Check the article on how to write a critical precis , that would be really helpful. Following this outline, you can add a lot of weight to your essay and structure it in a way that allows you to score very well on it.

Step-by-step guide

Now that you know what is a critical thinking essay and how to write a critical thinking essay, too, here are a few useful tips that can help you further.

Make a clear argument

When you present your ideas, there should be no ambiguity. The reader should very clearly be able to tell what you are saying. Especially your thesis statement needs to be very clear.

Make proper use of evidence

The evidence that you give also needs to be appropriately organized. Once you know exactly what you have to say, you can give your point of view much better. If you are quoting something, you need to reference it as well.

Paragraph strategically

When using paragraphs, make sure you do it strategically so you know what you are doing and how important it is. Every paragraph needs to bring in a new idea , so you know how to write in a way that allows your writing to flow coherently.

Use academic language

Remember that the essay you are writing is academic, so you must use the right language when working on it. This says a lot about your knowledge as a student.

Once done, make sure that you proofread your essay very well. When you do that, it will allow you to find mistakes that you can then instantly correct. When we are writing in a flow, we often ignore things we should ideally be paying attention to. So always make sure to go through everything once when done correctly.

This way, you will surely be able to write an excellent critical thinking essay! Good luck.

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Laura Orta is an avid author on Writing Metier's blog. Before embarking on her writing career, she practiced media law in one of the local media. Aside from writing, she works as a private tutor to help students with their academic needs. Laura and her husband share their home near the ocean in northern Portugal with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books.

Critical Thinking Essay Outline and Structure

A critical thinking essay outline is an essential part of writing an excellent essay. It helps you to organize your thoughts and ideas and ensures that your arguments are logical and well-structured. When writing a critical thinking essay outline, it's important to understand the topic well, analyze your sources carefully, and create a well-structured outline.

Critical Thinking Essay Topics

Critical thinking essay topics for your ease. This article explores a range of captivating critical thinking essay topics that will challenge your analytical abilities and stimulate intellectual discourse. Choose your topic wisely.

Critical Thinking Essay vs. Critical Essay

Both critical essays and critical thinking essays are important forms of academic writing that require careful analysis, evaluation, and reflection. While a critical essay involves analyzing and evaluating a text or idea, a critical thinking essay requires you to analyze an issue and reflect on it from different angles.

Critical Thinking Skills for writing Critical Thinking Essay

Critical thinking is an essential skill when it comes to writing a successful critical thinking essay. It involves analyzing and evaluating complex topics, making connections, and forming well-supported arguments. Developing strong critical thinking skills takes time and practice, but it can be done with the right approach. In this article, we'll explore tips and strategies to help you improve your critical thinking skills and approach your essay with confidence.

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A Guide On How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay

Updated 26 Jul 2024

This particular term refers to a type of essay written to discuss a specific idea, voice clip, written piece or a video, using purely one’s ideas, writing an argumentative essay , critical analysis essays and suggestions, with no input from other sources of information. Critical thinking reading and writing are often required by university lecturers as well as other teachers to test the student’s ability to independently produce ideas based on what he/she is given. We want to help you study so Edubirdie addresses the "write my essay for me" request for every student.

Where do we come in?

One may be tempted to ask, “What is the purpose of critical thinking?” Critical thinking tests college student’s writing and analytical abilities; how adept he is at reading between the lines and proffering arguments with solid back-up points. And this is where our services are of great use in terms of help with essay . We work towards aiding you through the process and ensuring that your critical thinking thesis reflects the best of your abilities.

Image credit: Globaldigitalcitizen

Critical Thinking Essay Structure

Introduction.

The introduction of a critical thinking essay serves as the foundation for your argument. It should begin with a hook to capture the reader's interest, followed by a brief overview of the topic to provide context. The most crucial element is the thesis statement, a clear and concise declaration of your main argument or perspective. This section should also outline the key points that will be discussed in the essay, setting the stage for a structured and logical progression of ideas.

Body Paragraphs

Each body paragraph in a critical thinking essay should focus on a single idea that supports the thesis. Start with a topic sentence that clearly states the main point of the paragraph. Follow this with evidence, which could include quotes, data, or examples from credible sources. Analyze this evidence critically, explaining how it supports your argument and considering any potential counterarguments. This section should demonstrate your ability to engage with different viewpoints and use logical reasoning to support your claims. Ensure each paragraph transitions smoothly to the next, maintaining a coherent flow throughout the essay.

The conclusion should succinctly summarize the main points discussed in the body paragraphs and restate the thesis in light of the evidence presented. This section should not introduce new information but rather synthesize the essay's findings, highlighting their significance. Reflect on the broader implications of your argument and suggest potential areas for further research or exploration. A strong conclusion will leave a lasting impression on the reader, reinforcing the importance of your critical analysis.

The references section is essential for crediting the sources used in your essay. Each source should be cited following the appropriate academic style guide, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. Accurate and thorough referencing not only bolsters the credibility of your work but also allows readers to locate the original sources for further study. This section underscores the importance of academic integrity and the value of well-supported arguments.

Steps to Writing a Good Critical Thinking Essay

Understand the Assignment : Ensure you fully understand the essay prompt and requirements. Identify the key questions you need to answer and the objectives you need to achieve. This step is crucial for staying focused and meeting the instructor's expectations.

Research Thoroughly : Conduct comprehensive research using credible sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites. Take detailed notes and highlight key points that support or challenge your thesis. This helps you build a strong foundation for your argument.

Develop a Thesis Statement : Create a clear, concise thesis statement that presents your main argument or perspective. This statement should guide the direction of your essay and be specific enough to provide a focus for your analysis. A strong thesis is critical for a coherent essay.

Create an Outline : Organize your thoughts and structure your essay with an outline. Plan the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. This helps ensure a logical flow of ideas and that all necessary points are covered. An outline acts as a roadmap for your writing process.

Write the Introduction : Start your introduction with a hook to grab the reader's attention, provide background information to set the context, and clearly state your thesis. The introduction should set the stage for your argument and make the reader want to continue.

Compose Body Paragraphs : Each body paragraph should focus on a single idea that supports your thesis. Start with a topic sentence, provide evidence, analyze this evidence, and explain how it supports your argument. Use logical reasoning and ensure each paragraph transitions smoothly to the next.

Address Counterarguments : Acknowledge opposing viewpoints and refute them with logical reasoning and evidence. This demonstrates your ability to think critically and strengthens your argument by showing you have considered multiple perspectives.

Write the Conclusion : Summarize the main points discussed in the body paragraphs, restate the thesis in light of the evidence presented, and discuss the broader implications of your argument. The conclusion should not introduce new information but should leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Revise and Edit : Review your essay for clarity, coherence, and consistency. Check for grammatical errors and ensure that your argument is logically sound. Editing helps refine your essay and improves its overall quality.

Proofread : Carefully proofread your essay to catch any remaining errors or typos. This final step ensures your essay is polished and free of mistakes, making it more professional and credible. Proofreading is essential for producing a high-quality piece of writing.

Making a Critical Thinking Essay Stand Out

Crafting a standout critical thinking essay involves more than just presenting an argument. It requires a nuanced approach that engages the reader and demonstrates your analytical abilities. To achieve this, it’s essential to focus on what to include and what to exclude from your essay. This ensures that your writing is both compelling and scholarly, capturing the essence of critical analysis.

What to Include:

Unique Perspective : Offer a fresh viewpoint or original argument that adds to existing discussions on the topic.
Strong Thesis : Craft a clear, compelling thesis statement that is both specific and arguable.
Evidence and Analysis : Use a variety of credible sources to support your points. Analyze this evidence thoroughly, showing a deep understanding of the material.
Logical Structure : Ensure your essay is well-organized with a clear progression of ideas. Use transitions effectively to guide the reader.
Critical Engagement : Address counterarguments thoughtfully and refute them with strong evidence and reasoning. This demonstrates your ability to consider multiple perspectives.
Insightful Conclusion : Summarize your main points and restate your thesis in a way that reflects the evidence presented. Discuss the broader implications of your findings.

What to Exclude:

Biased Sources : Avoid relying on sources that lack credibility or present information in a biased manner.
Unsubstantiated Claims : Do not include statements that are not backed by evidence. Every claim should be supported by research or logical reasoning.
Overgeneralizations : Steer clear of broad statements that lack nuance. Critical thinking requires precision and specificity.
Repetitive Content : Avoid repeating the same points or arguments. Each paragraph should introduce new ideas or evidence.
Informal Language : Maintain a formal tone throughout your essay. Avoid slang, contractions, and casual expressions.
Irrelevant Information : Stay focused on your thesis and exclude any information that does not directly contribute to your argument.

By carefully selecting what to include and exclude, you can craft a critical thinking essay that is engaging, persuasive, and intellectually rigorous. This balance ensures that your essay not only stands out but also effectively communicates your analytical prowess.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, a standout critical thinking essay hinges on the careful balance of including and excluding specific elements. By presenting a unique perspective, crafting a strong thesis, supporting arguments with credible evidence, and maintaining a logical structure, you can create an engaging and persuasive essay. Addressing counterarguments and offering insightful conclusions further demonstrate your analytical abilities and depth of understanding.

Conversely, avoiding biased sources, unsubstantiated claims, overgeneralizations, and repetitive content ensures the clarity and professionalism of your work. Keeping a formal tone and staying focused on your thesis are essential for maintaining academic rigor.

Now that you have the tools to craft an outstanding critical thinking essay, it’s time to put them into practice. Start by thoroughly understanding your topic and developing a strong thesis. As you write, continually refine your arguments and ensure each element of your essay contributes to a cohesive and compelling analysis. Happy writing!

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Critical thinking definition

Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.

Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to belief and action, requires the critical thinking process, which is why it's often used in education and academics.

Some even may view it as a backbone of modern thought.

However, it's a skill, and skills must be trained and encouraged to be used at its full potential.

People turn up to various approaches in improving their critical thinking, like:

Developing technical and problem-solving skills
Engaging in more active listening
Actively questioning their assumptions and beliefs
Seeking out more diversity of thought
Opening up their curiosity in an intellectual way etc.

Is critical thinking useful in writing?

Critical thinking can help in planning your paper and making it more concise, but it's not obvious at first. We carefully pinpointed some the questions you should ask yourself when boosting critical thinking in writing:

What information should be included?
Which information resources should the author look to?
What degree of technical knowledge should the report assume its audience has?
What is the most effective way to show information?
How should the report be organized?
How should it be designed?
What tone and level of language difficulty should the document have?

Usage of critical thinking comes down not only to the outline of your paper, it also begs the question: How can we use critical thinking solving problems in our writing's topic?

Let's say, you have a Powerpoint on how critical thinking can reduce poverty in the United States. You'll primarily have to define critical thinking for the viewers, as well as use a lot of critical thinking questions and synonyms to get them to be familiar with your methods and start the thinking process behind it.

Are there any services that can help me use more critical thinking?

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Subject Guides

Academic writing: a practical guide

Criticality in academic writing.

Academic writing
The writing process
Academic writing style
Structure & cohesion
Working with evidence
Referencing
Assessment & feedback
Dissertations
Reflective writing
Examination writing
Academic posters
Feedback on Structure and Organisation
Feedback on Argument, Analysis, and Critical Thinking
Feedback on Writing Style and Clarity
Feedback on Referencing and Research
Feedback on Presentation and Proofreading

Being critical is at the heart of academic writing, but what is it and how can you incorporate it into your work?

What is criticality?

What is critical thinking.

Have you ever received feedback in a piece of work saying 'be more critical' or 'not enough critical analysis' but found yourself scratching your head, wondering what that means? Dive into this bitesize workshop to discover what it is and how to do it:

Critical Thinking: What it is and how to do it (bitesize workshop)[YouTube]

University-level work requires both descriptive and critical elements. But what's the difference?

Descriptive

Being descriptive shows what you know about a topic and provides the evidence to support your arguments. It uses simpler processes like remembering , understanding and applying . You might summarise previous research, explain concepts or describe processes.

Being critical pulls evidence together to build your arguments; what does it all mean together? It uses more complex processes: analysing , evaluating and creating . You might make comparisons, consider reasons and implications, justify choices or consider strengths and weaknesses.

Bloom's Taxonomy is a useful tool to consider descriptive and critical processes:

Bloom's Taxonomy [YouTube] | Bloom's Taxonomy [Google Doc]

Find out more about critical thinking:

What is critical writing?

Academic writing requires criticality; it's not enough to just describe or summarise evidence, you also need to analyse and evaluate information and use it to build your own arguments. This is where you show your own thoughts based on the evidence available, so critical writing is really important for higher grades.

Explore the key features of critical writing and see it in practice in some examples:

Introduction to critical writing [Google Slides]

While we need criticality in our writing, it's definitely possible to go further than needed. We’re aiming for that Goldilocks ‘just right’ point between not critical enough and too critical. Find out more:

Critical reading

Criticality isn't just for writing, it is also important to read critically. Reading critically helps you:

evaluative whether sources are suitable for your assignments.
know what you're looking for when reading.
find the information you need quickly.

Critical reading [Interactive tutorial] | Critical reading [Google Doc]

Find out more on our dedicated guides:

Using evidence critically

Academic writing integrates evidence from sources to create your own critical arguments.

We're not looking for a list of summaries of individual sources; ideally, the important evidence should be integrated into a cohesive whole. What does the evidence mean altogether? Of course, a critical argument also needs some critical analysis of this evidence. What does it all mean in terms of your argument?

Find out more about using evidence to build critical arguments in our guide to working with evidence:

Critical language

Critical writing is going to require critical language. Different terms will give different nuance to your argument. Others will just keep things interesting! In the document below we go through some examples to help you out:

Assignment titles: critical or descriptive?

Assignment titles contain various words that show where you need to be descriptive and where you need to be critical. Explore some of the most common instructional words:

Descriptive instructional words

define : give the precise meaning

examine : look at carefully; consider different aspects

explain : clearly describe how a process works, why a decision was made, or give other information needed to understand the topic

illustrate : explain and describe using examples

outline : give an overview of the key information, leaving out minor details

Critical instructional words

analyse : break down the information into parts, consider how parts work together

discuss : explain a topic, make comparisons, consider strengths & weaknesses, give reasons, consider implications

evaluate : assess something's worth, value or suitability for a purpose - this often leads to making a choice afterwards

justify : show the reasoning behind a choice, argument or standpoint

synthesise : bring together evidence and information to create a cohesive whole, integrate ideas or issues

CC BY-NC-SA Learnhigher

More guidance on breaking down assignment titles:

<< Previous: Structure & cohesion
Next: Working with evidence >>
Last Updated: Aug 7, 2024 2:21 PM
URL: https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/academic-writing

75 Critical Thinking Essay Topics

Critical thinking requires students to think for themselves, question everything, and look at both sides of an issue before coming to a conclusion. In critical thinking essay writing, these same skills are applied to examine a topic more closely. In this type of essay, the writer must not only present their own opinion on the subject but must also back it up with evidence and reasoning.

Critical thinking essays can be challenging to write depending on the topic, course, and length of the assignment. However, there are some tips and tricks that can make the process a little bit easier. Take a look at our detailed guide breaking down the components of an excellent critical thinking essay, and consider using any of our 75 critical thinking essay topics at the end to get started.

Essential Things to Consider When Writing a Critical Thinking Essay

When writing a critical thinking essay, students must look past surface-level information and delve deeper into the subject matter. This requires a lot of research and analysis, which can be tough for some students. However, if you take the time to plan your essay and follow these tips, you should be able to write a great critical thinking essay that will impress your instructor.

1. Do Your Research

Before you can start writing your essay, you need to make sure that you have enough evidence to support your claims. This means doing a lot of research on your topic. Try to find reliable sources from experts in the field that you can use to back up your points. Once you have gathered all of your evidence, you can plan out your essay.

2. Create An Outline

An outline will help keep your thoughts organized and ensure that you don’t forget any vital information. Your outline should include a thesis, an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each part of your outline should also have a few key details that you want to discuss to help make the writing process go smoothly.

3. Write A Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement is the most essential part of your essay. It should be a clear and concise statement that presents your argument. Your thesis statement should be included in your introduction and reaffirmed in your conclusion.

It is important to note that because this is a critical thinking essay, your thesis should be more than just a statement of fact. Instead, it should be an arguable claim that you will be defending throughout your essay.

For example, if you are writing about the death penalty, your thesis statement needs to be more than, “The death penalty is wrong.” This thesis doesn’t leave room for discussion or debate. A better thesis statement would be, “The death penalty is a violation of human rights and it should be abolished.” This thesis statement presents an argument that can be debated and discussed.

4. Write The Introduction

Your introduction should start with a hook that grabs the reader’s attention. You can use a surprising statistic, a quote, or a rhetorical question. After the hook, you should provide some background information on your topic. This will help orient the reader and give them context for your argument. Finally, you should end your introduction with your thesis statement.

5. Write The Body Paragraphs

Each body paragraph should start with a topic sentence that introduces the paragraph’s main point. The rest of the paragraph should be used to support this point with evidence and reasoning. You should have at least three body paragraphs in your essay, but you can have more if needed.

Pro Tip: Critical thinking essays examine and analyze – they don’t just restate facts. When presenting your evidence, be sure to discuss it critically. What are the implications of this evidence? How does it support your argument?

6. Write The Conclusion

The conclusion of a critical thinking essay should be just as strong as the introduction. You should start by restating your thesis statement. Then, you should provide a brief summary of the main points of your essay. Finally, you should end with a strong closing statement that leaves the reader thinking about your argument long after they finish reading, such as a call to action or a final thought-provoking question.

Citing Sources in a Critical Thinking Essay

Since this type of essay will rely on evidence and reasoning, it is important to use credible sources. Be sure to only use reliable sources from experts in the field. When you do use sources, be sure to cite them properly. This will show that you are using other people’s work ethically, and it will also help strengthen your argument by showing that you have looked at the issue from multiple perspectives.

Citing sources has many different rules that you will need to follow depending on the formatting style that you are using. The most common formatting styles are MLA, APA, and Chicago. Be sure to check with your professor to see which style they prefer before you start writing your essay.

When citing in MLA format, you’ll need to use in-text citations. These are brief citations included in the body of your essay whenever you use a source. The full citation for each source is listed in the Works Cited section at the end of your paper.

When citing in APA format, you’ll need to use in-text citations and a reference list. The in-text citations are brief citations included in the body of your essay whenever you use a source. The reference list is a list of all the sources that you used – usually included at the end of your paper.

When citing in Chicago style, you’ll need to use footnotes or endnotes. These are brief citations at the bottom of each page (footnotes) or the end of your paper (endnotes).

Any of these 75 critical thinking essay topics will help students struggling to find an arguable and interesting topic.

Critical Thinking Essay Topics About Social Issues

Is democracy the best form of government?
Is capitalism good or bad?
Is socialism a viable alternative to capitalism?
Does religion do more harm than good?
Should creationism be taught in schools?
Is the death penalty ethical?
Are zoos cruel?
Is it ethical to eat meat?
Is climate change real?
Who is responsible for climate change?
Should wealthy nations do more to help developing nations?
Is immigration a good or bad thing?
What are the root causes of terrorism?
Is terrorism ever justified?
Are gun laws too strict or not strict enough?
Is healthcare a human right?
Should abortion be legal?
What are the ethical implications of stem cell research?
What should be done about the global water crisis?
How can we best help refugees?

Critical Thinking Essay Topics About General Issues

Should people be judged by their looks?
Is it better to be single or in a relationship?
Are men and women equal?
Should parents be held responsible for their children’s actions?
Is it better to grow up with siblings or as an only child?
Should the drinking age be lowered?
Is drug legalization a good or bad idea?
What are the best ways to deal with stress?
How can we prevent bullying?
Are social media and technology making us more or less connected?
Should parents monitor their children’s internet use?
Should schools ban cell phones?
How can we reduce the number of teenage pregnancies?
What is the best way to deal with teenage rebellion?
Is homeschooling a good or bad idea?
Should all students be required to learn a foreign language?
Should schools start later in the morning?
Are there better alternatives to traditional schooling?
Is college tuition too high?
Should student loans be forgiven?
Should colleges be free to attend?
What are the best ways to prepare for a job interview?
How can we better retain employees?
What are the best ways to motivate employees?
How can we reduce workplace stress?
Should remote working be encouraged?
What are the pros and cons of globalization?
Is consumerism a good or bad thing?
How can we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels?

Critical Thinking Essay Topics About The Environment and Conservation

What are the best ways to reduce pollution?
Should we be doing more to conserve water?
How can we reduce food waste?
Is nuclear energy a good or bad thing?
What are the best ways to deal with climate change?
Is overpopulation a real problem?
What can we do to reduce our reliance on plastic?
Should we be doing more to protect endangered species?
How can we best preserve our natural resources?
What is the best way to deal with hazardous waste?
What are the best ways to reduce deforestation?

Critical Thinking Essay Topics About Technology

Should we be doing more to regulate the internet?
How can we best protect our privacy online?
What are the best ways to deal with cyberbullying?
Is social media a good or bad thing?
Are we too reliant on technology?
What are the best ways to deal with data breaches?
Should we be worried about artificial intelligence?
What are the best ways to deal with tech monopolies?

Critical Thinking Essay Topics About American Classics

Explore the theme of capitalism in Fight Club.
What is the significance of the title The Great Gatsby?
Is Atticus Finch a good father?
What is the significance of the title To Kill a Mockingbird?
Is Holden Caulfield a sympathetic character?
How does Steinbeck portray the American dream in The Grapes of Wrath?
How does Fitzgerald use symbolism in The Great Gatsby?

When writing on any of these 75 critical thinking essay topics, be sure to support your position with solid reasoning, examples, and evidence.

110 Synthesis Essay Topics
70 “How To” Essay Topics
100 Example Essay Topics
160 Process Analysis Essay Topics
130 Problem Solution Essay Topics

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Essay About Critical Thinking: Top 5 Examples and Prompts

Critical thinking refers to our ability to reason; if you want to write an essay about critical thinking, here are helpful essay examples and prompts for you.

Critical thinkers can understand connections between opinions or ideas and detect reasoning inconsistencies. They can also identify, analyze, and solve problems systematically since they rigorously question ideas instead of immediately accepting them as facts. However, no one can think critically all the time. Our emotions, beliefs, and current mindset affect our ability to reason.

To better understand how critical thinking applies to our lives, below are samples you need to read:

1. The Value of Teaching Critical Thinking by Kenny Ward

2. how positive thinking relates to learners by jeanne morales, 3. barriers to critical thinking by olga george, 4. the difference between creative and critical thinking by eduardo ortega, 5. critical thinking philosophy by anonymous on cram.com, 1. what is school’s role in developing critical thinking, 2. the relationship between ethics and critical thinking, 3. leaders in unifying and dividing a country, 4. critical thinking in the medical field, 5. critical thinking, decision making, and stress management, 6. the effect of social media on critical thinking skills, 7. barriers to having critical thinking skills.

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“Critical thinking helps you to imagine yourself in others… and to develop your ability to listen to them with an open mind, even if their views are contrary to you.”

Ward’s essay talks about the importance of teaching critical thinking. To think critically means to understand yourself better. Doing so will help you accept and learn from your mistakes. You will also better connect with the people around you because you’ll be able to put yourself in their shoes. You’ll learn to use your mind over your emotions in critical thinking.

Check out these essays about beliefs .

“Metacognition… makes me think that I don’t really have all the answers to the world, and need to keep on exercising my brain to capture knowledge, and progressively start increasing my learning, because there is a lot of stuff out there, to not be ignorant and learn.”

Morales discusses the reality that students are fond of having their “free time” but won’t use it to stimulate their brains. Further, she explains that students today cannot control their use of technology, thereby direly affecting their learning.

It’s vital that students be aware of learning, be open-minded, and ask questions to get answers. The author believes that asking questions aids a person in developing knowledge. Additionally, for Morales, it’s best to focus on one thing to avoid distractions. Because when a person multitasks, especially students, their attention gets divided, and their tasks will take longer to finish.

“To overcome this, we can try to not rely only on the first thing you hear and to do our research and ask questions when needed to gather more information.”

George’s essay tackles the barriers to his critical thinking. The first barrier is that he relies on mainstream media which has its own agenda. This is dangerous, as they can intentionally spread misinformation for their gain. The internet is also unreliable since it can fabricate data.

The second barrier he talks about is the ignorance or lack of details about a report or information. He explains that not having enough information is difficult for a critical thinker. An individual can come to the wrong conclusion about a specific story or event if the information is lacking.

“When you are thinking creatively, you are generating a new set of ideas… When you are thinking critically, you are making choices from ideas someone has already created.”

Ortega discusses what separates creative and critical thinking by laying down relevant quotes and examples in his essay.

For him, creative thinking means creating, generating, or bringing out new possibilities. Creative thinking is nonjudgemental and expansive, for you must think broadly. In contrast, critical thinking is about the ideas you already made or choosing from the ideas you already have. Therefore, critical thinking needs to be analytical, judgemental, and selective.

“I have learned that one of the most important aspects of critical thinking is to decide what you are aiming to achieve and then make a decision based on a range of possibilities.”

The author describes critical thinking as the ability to reason and be an active learner. He uses it as a crucial step in his decision-making process and urges others to do the same. He also mentions that people can use their “wasted time” productively by thinking critically.

7 Prompts About Critical Thinking

Here are 7 helpful writing prompts to get you started on your next essay.

Essay about critical thinking: What is school’s role in developing critical thinking?

Critical thinking is learned, making schools primarily responsible for children developing their critical thinking abilities. In your essay, you can include why schools should pay attention to their students’ critical thinking.

Next, add existing operations schools follow to progress their student’s thought processes. Then discuss steps in developing their student’s analyzation skills as it can significantly impact their future decision-making.

While critical thinking aids us in reaching a rational decision, ethics or values help us land a morally-correct one. Create an essay that argues critical thinking needs ethics and vice versa. Explain why, and write about their relationship. You may also offer examples by sharing your experience or personal observations.

Do you want to be an influential essay writer who takes a clear stand on a specific subject? See our guide on how to write an argumentative essay .

Writing an essay about critical thinking doesn’t mean you should only talk about what critical thinking means. In this prompt, you can demonstrate your critical thinking by showing your prowess in politics.

It doesn’t have to be controversial or jargon-filled. You can pick leaders’ qualities that you know will help unify or divide a country. For example, you can point out current problems and recommend solutions that a leader with a certain quality can understand and provide.

Working in the medical field requires a lot of critical thinking. People in this field deal with their lives. It’s an intriguing prompt that will allow you to put yourself in a professional position and let your readers understand their points of view.

A great example is putting yourself in a position of a doctor who needs to choose between saving the mother or the baby inside the mother’s womb – what critical thinking should the doctor do? What should he prioritize: the hospital’s protocol, law, family’s wishes, etc.?

Writing an essay about the relationship between critical thinking, decision-making, and stress management can be engaging, as many readers will relate to your prompt. How is critical thinking affected by stress? Should we make decisions when we’re stressed?

Via this prompt, you can convince your readers that it’s vital to develop critical thinking skills continuously.

Due to today’s widespread digitalization, many people spend most of their time on social media. With this prompt, you can discuss the possible connection between diminished critical thinking skills and time spent on social networking sites. Then explain how this can be avoided.

Since critical thinking can be learned through consistent practice, why do you think some individuals, though super smart, did not attain the level of a critical thinker? You can write about the possible barriers to achieving critical thinking skills and explain why they became hindrances.

Here’s a tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. For example, write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

Critical Essay: The Complete Guide. Essay Topics, Examples and Outlines

Whether you specialize in literature or just write an essay for a class, knowing how to write a critical essay will give you an advantage throughout your studies at a university and in your professional career. Writing critical essays allows you to develop critical thinking skills, including attentive reading, technical analysis, academic writing skills, searching for reference books, and editing. Mastering these skills will help you conduct a scientific conversation and allow you to communicate and think more productively.

What is a Critical Essay?

A critical essay is an analysis of any piece of text. It can be a book, a movie, an article or even a painting. The main point of this type of an essay is to interpret text or position it in a wider context. For instance, if you write a critical analysis of a book, you may analyze the tone of its text and find out how it influences the overall meaning of the book. If you analyze a movie, you might concentrate on a symbol that you see over and over again. Nevertheless, you have to include an argumentative thesis about the text and have a lot of evidence sources, obviously textual, to support your statements.

How to write a Critical Essay? Step-by-Step Guide

Find out the topic as early as possible to plan your research.
Find the information you need in a wide variety of sources, including journal articles, books, encyclopedias, and news. Gather more information than you plan to actually refer to when writing a paper, but do not collect too much, it can distract you from the main thing, and you will eventually include it in your essay simply because you found it. Do not use Wikipedia and do not copy other people’s comments; no matter from which website you take them, plagiarism will be discovered.
Look through your sources to separate interesting information from irrelevant material. Interesting research can be found in books, literary guides, in published critical articles on your particular topic. And vice versa, do not investigate things that do not relate to your topic, what I mean is, do not engage in the study of witches, if the topic of your paper is a monarchy.
Carefully reread the relevant materials and evaluate them critically. Highlight, underline or otherwise mark the necessary information in your personal articles and books. Use colored stickers to draw your attention to important details in library books. Make a brief summary of each source after reading it. Pay attention to important details and highlight the main point of view for further use.
Formulate the thesis by reviewing your notes and research. You can write a more general thesis or ask an important question that your paper will answer.
Write a preliminary introduction, knowing that you can edit or even rewrite it later.
Develop an approximate plan based on your notes and studies.

Identify two or three main sections of the body of your essay. These sections should consist of your most important arguments. Use your notes and research to fill these sections with details. You can copy and paste the most important details or arguments into your plan.

Identify the relationships between sections of your essay and briefly describe them on the margins of your plan.
Use this connection to write an approximate conclusion.
Set your paper aside for a few days before rereading the draft.
Leave enough time to make a thorough review of all material that will clarify any illogical reasonings or arguments.
Complete your essay by carefully checking the final version of the printed version. Use your imagination and make the introduction interesting for readers. Write a clear thesis statement and use up-to-date sources, with a lot of useful information.

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Critical Essay Outline

Writing a good critical essay requires a deep analysis of a given topic, and the ability to form clear arguments in order to draw meaningful conclusions. It is important to be aware of the various elements that must be taken into consideration when ordering an essay in order to produce a well-structured, balanced and compelling piece of work. Doing so will help you understand the material better, think more critically, and come up with a more insightful analysis of the topic. Additionally, it will also help you to identify any gaps in the existing literature that can be addressed in your own research.

As with any other essay, the critical analysis consists of the introduction, body, and conclusion. The outline that you will see below is just a sample for you to understand what it can look like. Once you are comfortable, you are free to change it, add more details or arrange it differently to make it more effective. If you are really unsure what your essay is supposed to look like, you can also contact your teacher.

INTRODUCTION

The introduction has three main functions. First of all, you have to introduce the reader to the topic of your paper, what are you going to analyze here but briefly? Then, describe how are you going to address the topic of your paper. And finally, grab the reader’s attention, make them want to stay here, and read the rest of your paper.

BODY PARAGRAPHS

This is going to be the largest part of your essay. Here you have to write about something you said you are going to write about in the intro. In other words, support your thesis statement. You have to make a General Statement, then add some quotes to expand it or prove it. After that you have to explain how the quote relates to the thesis, here you have to ask yourself “so how does it relate to my thesis”. And do not forget about Transitions which are connecting paragraphs.

To write a paper in a relevant way, students need to add new information to their research and assess the significance of each argument. Critical essays are meant to be insightful and thought-provoking, so they should provide enough evidence and analysis to support the argument and connect it to the thesis statement. Moreover, students should pay attention to the structure of the essay and make sure they write a paper that is logically organized and easy to understand.

In other words, the conclusion is restating of your thesis. If you have written a strong and clear introduction, the conclusion will not be a problem at all.

So, you have to Restate your Thesis. But do not just repeat what you said before, put it differently. Basically, you said that you are about to prove to us something and now you have to show us that you did. And make a good ending. Make it memorable. Your reader has to have a feeling that the point has been proven.

Introduction

Attention-catcher
Briefly say what you are going to talk about
Thesis statement

Body paragraphs

Topic Sentence (piece of evidence that supports your opinion)
Supporting Evidence and Details
Concluding Sentence/Transition
Restate the thesis statement in different words
Summarize the main key pieces of evidence
Final closing sentence

Critical Essay Topics

Good critical essay topics.

Describe the way irony was used in your favorite classical book
Feminist ideologies in a piece of literature
Analyse how the background of the author affects his writing.
Describe the secondary characters in your favorite book
What makes a good and captivating drama series?
Choose a movie/series that recently won a best picture award
Provide one alternative to anti-poverty programs today and discuss
What are the problems of eating healthy? Discuss
What are the economic benefits of recycling? Discuss what makes it effective in your context
Discuss how historical figures is portrayed in movies

Critical Essay Tips

Try to start in advance, if possible. You will write a better essay and will not experience stress if you start writing earlier than the last night.
Finish the draft a few days earlier to leave time for checking it.
Ask a friend or a family member to check and comment on your essay. Professional writers write a few drafts of their work, and you, most likely, will have to do the same.
Work according to your own needs. For example, some people need a plan, while others believe that a formal plan kills inspiration. Find out what is best for you, and act accordingly.
Write in your own style. It is better to correctly use words that you know, than abuse words that you do not know, in an attempt to sound smarter.
Make sure that the quotes are given as accurately as possible, including inverted commas, statistics, and theoretical concepts. If in doubt, it’s better to be wrong in quoting than to be accused of not being able to conduct your research, which can lead to accusations of plagiarism.
Essays written at the last minute, suffer from a lack of logic and poor grammar. Remember that your teacher has read hundreds, if not thousands of student papers, and can easily understand that you wrote an essay at the last minute.

I know that you might still be lost in all these long explanations but bear with me. Here are some useful links you might like to review at Edusson :

Essay Topic Generator. Do not know how to name your essay? Then this link is just for you. Everything is simple, enter the keywords for your essay and select the category and you’ve got yourself a great title.
Essay Examples . I know that sometimes you just can’t start writing until you see how it is all supposed to look like. So, here you go – essay examples. Be sure not to rewrite the content, though.
Essay Checker . One of the most important parts of writing an essay is checking it once it’s done. You might write a great essay in terms of content, but if you have grammar mistakes or your answers are not relating to the questions, say goodbye to your good grade.
Essay Editing Service . Just to make sure you have not missed anything, use this service. Let a professional do their work.

Writing a good definition essay can be a challenging task. Students often need to pay for papers to be written for such assignments, and it is not always easy to find a reliable source for them. Fortunately, Edusson can provide quality papers and ensure that students get the best results. By using this custom essay writing service, students can be sure that their papers will meet the requirements of their professor and be of the highest quality.

So, that is it. I hope your skills will get even better now. Good luck!

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Clear Thinking, Critical Thinking, and Clear Writing

The argumentative essay is the kind of writing that most demands critical-thinking techniques. An argumentative essay aims at defining and defending a position; and principles of critical thinking help us keep the essay focused on its subject, with arguments that genuinely support its position. Thus Chapter 2 will first devote itself to organization, which can help your writing overcome the illogicality and irrelevance that often plague argumentative essays. We then turn to clarity in communication, and the threats to clarity from ambiguity and vagueness.

1. The argumentative essay tries to support a position on an issue.

2. Good argumentative writing is organized. Clarity of structure is most often threatened by eccentric organization of material; lack of clarity is best prevented through reliable writing practices.

3. Good argumentative writing is also clear. A piece of writing can be hard to understand when it uses words poorly.

4. Clarity at the level of meaning (in words and phrases) is most often threatened by ambiguity and vagueness.

5. Persuasive writing differs from argumentative writing in aiming mainly at winning agreement from others, rather than (the argumentative ideal of) establishing objective grounds for a claim.

6. Good writing avoids reinforcing biases about race and gender.

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3.1: Critical Thinking in College Writing - From the Personal to the Academic

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There is something about the term “critical thinking” that makes you draw a blank every time you think about what it means.* It seems so fuzzy and abstract that you end up feeling uncomfortable, as though the term is thrust upon you, demanding an intellectual effort that you may not yet have. But you know it requires you to enter a realm of smart, complex ideas that others have written about and that you have to navigate, understand, and interact with just as intelligently. It’s a lot to ask for. It makes you feel like a stranger in a strange land.

As a writing teacher I am accustomed to reading and responding to difficult texts. In fact, I like grappling with texts that have interesting ideas no matter how complicated they are because I understand their value. I have learned through my years of education that what ultimately engages me, keeps me enthralled, is not just grammatically pristine, fluent writing, but writing that forces me to think beyond the page. It is writing where the writer has challenged herself and then offered up that challenge to the reader, like a baton in a relay race. The idea is to run with the baton.

You will often come across critical thinking and analysis as requirements for assignments in writing and upper-level courses in a variety of disciplines. Instructors have varying explanations of what they actually require of you, but, in general, they expect you to respond thoughtfully to texts you have read. The first thing you should remember is not to be afraid of critical thinking. It does not mean that you have to criticize the text, disagree with its premise, or attack the writer simply because you feel you must. Criticism is the process of responding to and evaluating ideas, argument, and style so that readers understand how and why you value these items.

Critical thinking is also a process that is fundamental to all disciplines. While in this essay I refer mainly to critical thinking in composition, the general principles behind critical thinking are strikingly similar in other fields and disciplines. In history, for instance, it could mean examining and analyzing primary sources in order to understand the context in which they were written. In the hard sciences, it usually involves careful reasoning, making judgments and decisions, and problem solving. While critical thinking may be subject-specific, that is to say, it can vary in method and technique depending on the discipline, most of its general principles such as rational thinking, making independent evaluations and judgments, and a healthy skepticism of what is being read, are common to all disciplines. No matter the area of study, the application of critical thinking skills leads to clear and flexible thinking and a better understanding of the subject at hand.

To be a critical thinker you not only have to have an informed opinion about the text but also a thoughtful response to it. There is no doubt that critical thinking is serious thinking, so here are some steps you can take to become a serious thinker and writer.

Attentive Reading: A Foundation for Critical Thinking

A critical thinker is always a good reader because to engage critically with a text you have to read attentively and with an open mind, absorbing new ideas and forming your own as you go along. Let us imagine you are reading an essay by Annie Dillard, a famous essayist, called “Living like Weasels.” Students are drawn to it because the idea of the essay appeals to something personally fundamental to all of us: how to live our lives. It is also a provocative essay that pulls the reader into the argument and forces a reaction, a good criterion for critical thinking.

So let’s say that in reading the essay you encounter a quote that gives you pause. In describing her encounter with a weasel in Hollins Pond, Dillard says, “I would like to learn, or remember, how to live . . . I don’t think I can learn from a wild animal how to live in particular . . . but I might learn something of mindlessness, something of the purity of living in the physical senses and the dignity of living without bias or motive” (220). You may not be familiar with language like this. It seems complicated, and you have to stop ever so often (perhaps after every phrase) to see if you understood what Dillard means. You may ask yourself these questions:

What does “mindlessness” mean in this context?
How can one “learn something of mindlessness?”
What does Dillard mean by “purity of living in the physical senses?”
How can one live “without bias or motive?”

These questions show that you are an attentive reader. Instead of simply glossing over this important passage, you have actually stopped to think about what the writer means and what she expects you to get from it. Here is how I read the quote and try to answer the questions above: Dillard proposes a simple and uncomplicated way of life as she looks to the animal world for inspiration. It is ironic that she admires the quality of “mindlessness” since it is our consciousness, our very capacity to think and reason, which makes us human, which makes us beings of a higher order. Yet, Dillard seems to imply that we need to live instinctually, to be guided by our senses rather than our intellect. Such a “thoughtless” approach to daily living, according to Dillard, would mean that our actions would not be tainted by our biases or motives, our prejudices. We would go back to a primal way of living, like the weasel she observes. It may take you some time to arrive at this understanding on your own, but it is important to stop, reflect, and ask questions of the text whenever you feel stumped by it. Often such questions will be helpful during class discussions and peer review sessions.

Listing Important Ideas

When reading any essay, keep track of all the important points the writer makes by jotting down a list of ideas or quotations in a notebook. This list not only allows you to remember ideas that are central to the writer’s argument, ideas that struck you in some way or the other, but it also you helps you to get a good sense of the whole reading assignment point by point. In reading Annie Dillard’s essay, we come across several points that contribute toward her proposal for better living and that help us get a better understanding of her main argument. Here is a list of some of her ideas that struck me as important:

“The weasel lives in necessity and we live in choice, hating necessity and dying at the last ignobly in its talons” (220).
“And I suspect that for me the way is like the weasel’s: open to time and death painlessly, noticing everything, remembering nothing, choosing the given with a fierce and pointed will” (221).
“We can live any way we want. People take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience—even of silence—by choice. The thing is to stalk your calling in a certain skilled and supple way, to locate the most tender and live spot and plug into that pulse” (221).
“A weasel doesn’t ‘attack’ anything; a weasel lives as he’s meant to, yielding at every moment to the perfect freedom of single necessity” (221).
“I think it would be well, and proper, and obedient, and pure, to grasp your one necessity and not let it go, to dangle from it limp wherever it takes you” (221).

These quotations give you a cumulative sense of what Dillard is trying to get at in her essay, that is, they lay out the elements with which she builds her argument. She first explains how the weasel lives, what she learns from observing the weasel, and then prescribes a lifestyle she admires—the central concern of her essay.

Noticing Key Terms and Summarizing Important Quotes

Within the list of quotations above are key terms and phrases that are critical to your understanding of the ideal life as Dillard describes it. For instance, “mindlessness,” “instinct,” “perfect freedom of a single necessity,” “stalk your calling,” “choice,” and “fierce and pointed will” are weighty terms and phrases, heavy with meaning, that you need to spend time understanding. You also need to understand the relationship between them and the quotations in which they appear. This is how you might work on each quotation to get a sense of its meaning and then come up with a statement that takes the key terms into account and expresses a general understanding of the text:

Quote 1: Animals (like the weasel) live in “necessity,” which means that their only goal in life is to survive. They don’t think about how they should live or what choices they should make like humans do. According to Dillard, we like to have options and resist the idea of “necessity.” We fight death—an inevitable force that we have no control over—and yet ultimately surrender to it as it is the necessary end of our lives.

Quote 2: Dillard thinks the weasel’s way of life is the best way to live. It implies a pure and simple approach to life where we do not worry about the passage of time or the approach of death. Like the weasel, we should live life in the moment, intensely experiencing everything but not dwelling on the past. We should accept our condition, what we are “given,” with a “fierce and pointed will.” Perhaps this means that we should pursue our one goal, our one passion in life, with the same single-minded determination and tenacity that we see in the weasel.

Quote 3: As humans, we can choose any lifestyle we want. The trick, however, is to go after our one goal, one passion like a stalker would after a prey.

Quote 4: While we may think that the weasel (or any animal) chooses to attack other animals, it is really only surrendering to the one thing it knows: its need to live. Dillard tells us there is “the perfect freedom” in this desire to survive because to her, the lack of options (the animal has no other option than to fight to survive) is the most liberating of all.

Quote 5: Dillard urges us to latch on to our deepest passion in life (the “one necessity”) with the tenacity of a weasel and not let go. Perhaps she’s telling us how important it is to have an unwavering focus or goal in life.

Writing a Personal Response: Looking Inward

Dillard’s ideas will have certainly provoked a response in your mind, so if you have some clear thoughts about how you feel about the essay this is the time to write them down. As you look at the quotes you have selected and your explanation of their meaning, begin to create your personal response to the essay. You may begin by using some of these strategies:

Tell a story. Has Dillard’s essay reminded you of an experience you have had? Write a story in which you illustrate a point that Dillard makes or hint at an idea that is connected to her essay.
Focus on an idea from Dillard’s essay that is personally important to you. Write down your thoughts about this idea in a first person narrative and explain your perspective on the issue.
If you are uncomfortable writing a personal narrative or using “I” (you should not be), reflect on some of her ideas that seem important and meaningful in general. Why were you struck by these ideas?
Write a short letter to Dillard in which you speak to her about the essay. You may compliment her on some of her ideas by explaining why you like them, ask her a question related to her essay and explain why that question came to you, and genuinely start up a conversation with her.

This stage in critical thinking is important for establishing your relationship with a text. What do I mean by this “relationship,” you may ask? Simply put, it has to do with how you feel about the text. Are you amazed by how true the ideas seem to be, how wise Dillard sounds? Or are you annoyed by Dillard’s let-me-tell-you-how-to-live approach and disturbed by the impractical ideas she so easily prescribes? Do you find Dillard’s voice and style thrilling and engaging or merely confusing? No matter which of the personal response options you select, your initial reaction to the text will help shape your views about it.

Making an Academic Connection: Looking Outward

First year writing courses are designed to teach a range of writing— from the personal to the academic—so that you can learn to express advanced ideas, arguments, concepts, or theories in any discipline. While the example I have been discussing pertains mainly to college writing, the method of analysis and approach to critical thinking I have demonstrated here will serve you well in a variety of disciplines. Since critical thinking and analysis are key elements of the reading and writing you will do in college, it is important to understand how they form a part of academic writing. No matter how intimidating the term “academic writing” may seem (it is, after all, associated with advanced writing and becoming an expert in a field of study), embrace it not as a temporary college requirement but as a habit of mind.

To some, academic writing often implies impersonal writing, writing that is detached, distant, and lacking in personal meaning or relevance. However, this is often not true of the academic writing you will do in a composition class. Here your presence as a writer—your thoughts, experiences, ideas, and therefore who you are—is of much significance to the writing you produce. In fact, it would not be farfetched to say that in a writing class academic writing often begins with personal writing. Let me explain. If critical thinking begins with a personal view of the text, academic writing helps you broaden that view by going beyond the personal to a more universal point of view. In other words, academic writing often has its roots in one’s private opinion or perspective about another writer’s ideas but ultimately goes beyond this opinion to the expression of larger, more abstract ideas. Your personal vision—your core beliefs and general approach to life— will help you arrive at these “larger ideas” or universal propositions that any reader can understand and be enlightened by, if not agree with. In short, academic writing is largely about taking a critical, analytical stance toward a subject in order to arrive at some compelling conclusions.

Let us now think about how you might apply your critical thinking skills to move from a personal reaction to a more formal academic response to Annie Dillard’s essay. The second stage of critical thinking involves textual analysis and requires you to do the following:

Summarize the writer’s ideas the best you can in a brief paragraph. This provides the basis for extended analysis since it contains the central ideas of the piece, the building blocks, so to speak.
Evaluate the most important ideas of the essay by considering their merits or flaws, their worthiness or lack of worthiness. Do not merely agree or disagree with the ideas but explore and explain why you believe they are socially, politically, philosophically, or historically important and relevant, or why you need to question, challenge, or reject them.
Identify gaps or discrepancies in the writer’s argument. Does she contradict herself? If so, explain how this contradiction forces you to think more deeply about her ideas. Or if you are confused, explain what is confusing and why.
Examine the strategies the writer uses to express her ideas. Look particularly at her style, voice, use of figurative language, and the way she structures her essay and organizes her ideas. Do these strategies strengthen or weaken her argument? How?
Include a second text—an essay, a poem, lyrics of a song— whose ideas enhance your reading and analysis of the primary text. This text may help provide evidence by supporting a point you’re making, and further your argument.
Extend the writer’s ideas, develop your own perspective, and propose new ways of thinking about the subject at hand.

Crafting the Essay

Once you have taken notes and developed a thorough understanding of the text, you are on your way to writing a good essay. If you were asked to write an exploratory essay, a personal response to Dillard’s essay would probably suffice. However, an academic writing assignment requires you to be more critical. As counter-intuitive as it may sound, beginning your essay with a personal anecdote often helps to establish your relationship to the text and draw the reader into your writing. It also helps to ease you into the more complex task of textual analysis. Once you begin to analyze Dillard’s ideas, go back to the list of important ideas and quotations you created as you read the essay. After a brief summary, engage with the quotations that are most important, that get to the heart of Dillard’s ideas, and explore their meaning. Textual engagement, a seemingly slippery concept, simply means that you respond directly to some of Dillard’s ideas, examine the value of Dillard’s assertions, and explain why they are worthwhile or why they should be rejected. This should help you to transition into analysis and evaluation. Also, this part of your essay will most clearly reflect your critical thinking abilities as you are expected not only to represent Dillard’s ideas but also to weigh their significance. Your observations about the various points she makes, analysis of conflicting viewpoints or contradictions, and your understanding of her general thesis should now be synthesized into a rich new idea about how we should live our lives. Conclude by explaining this fresh point of view in clear, compelling language and by rearticulating your main argument.

Modeling Good Writing

When I teach a writing class, I often show students samples of really good writing that I’ve collected over the years. I do this for two reasons: first, to show students how another freshman writer understood and responded to an assignment that they are currently working on; and second, to encourage them to succeed as well. I explain that although they may be intimidated by strong, sophisticated writing and feel pressured to perform similarly, it is always helpful to see what it takes to get an A. It also helps to follow a writer’s imagination, to learn how the mind works when confronted with a task involving critical thinking. The following sample is a response to the Annie Dillard essay. Figure 1 includes the entire student essay and my comments are inserted into the text to guide your reading.

Though this student has not included a personal narrative in his essay, his own world-vievvw is clear throughout. His personal point of view, while not expressed in first person statements, is evident from the very beginning. So we could say that a personal response to the text need not always be expressed in experiential or narrative form but may be present as reflection, as it is here. The point is that the writer has traveled through the rough terrain of critical thinking by starting out with his own ruminations on the subject, then by critically analyzing and responding to Dillard’s text, and finally by developing a strong point of view of his own about our responsibility as human beings. As readers we are engaged by clear, compelling writing and riveted by critical thinking that produces a movement of ideas that give the essay depth and meaning. The challenge Dillard set forth in her essay has been met and the baton passed along to us.

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Write about your experiences with critical thinking assignments. What seemed to be the most difficult? What approaches did you try to overcome the difficulty?
Respond to the list of strategies on how to conduct textual analysis. How well do these strategies work for you? Add your own tips to the list.
Evaluate the student essay by noting aspects of critical thinking that are evident to you. How would you grade this essay? What other qualities (or problems) do you notice?

Works Cited

Dillard, Annie. “Living like Weasels.” One Hundred Great Essays. Ed. Robert DiYanni. New York: Longman, 2002. 217–221. Print.

Critical Thinking in College Writing. Authored by : Gita DasBender. Located at : http://writingspaces.org/sites/default/files/dasbender--critical-thinking.pdf . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson’s 10 Step Guide to Clearer Thinking Through Essay Writing

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Practice comes first

T he other day I came across Jordan Peterson’s essay writing guide in a Microsoft Word document buried in reddit.

I’ve spent nearly a decade teaching, working, and studying in university English departments, yet this guide, written by a psychologist, has the most useful, practical advice on essay writing I have ever seen.

Peterson’s writing instruction is grounded in the principles, wisdom, and insights he’s uncovered in his research of depth psychology and through his career as a practicing as a clinician.

Peterson points out that essay writing is more than just a thing to do get grades in college. It’s a practical method for clarifying your thinking and learning to articulate yourself.

This planet needs people ( especially men ) who are willing to enter into the chaotic fray of conflicting beliefs and ideologies, and who have the skill to articulate what matters most to them, no matter the cost.

Peterson calls this ‘speaking the truth,’ and it’s something I’m trying to develop verbally using the nonviolent communication technique . This guide has helped me with a process to clariy my own thinking through writing–something that I do a lot of. I’ve reposted the guide here in full to bring some attention and visibility to Peterson’s method in the hopes that others might also find it helpful.

You can download the original template document here .

Jordan Peterson’s Essay Writing Guide

Part one: introduction, what is an essay.

An essay is a relatively short piece of writing on a particular topic. However, the word essay also means attempt or try. An essay is, therefore, a short piece written by someone attempting to explore a topic or answer a question.

Why bother writing an essay?

Most of the time, students write essays only because they are required to do so by a classroom instructor. Thus, students come to believe that essays are important primarily to demonstrate their knowledge to a teacher or professor. This is simply, and dangerously, wrong (even though such writing for demonstration may be practically necessary).

The primary reason to write an essay is so that the writer can formulate and organize an informed, coherent and sophisticated set of ideas about something important.

Why is it important to bother with developing sophisticated ideas, in turn? It’s because there is no difference between doing so and thinking, for starters. It is important to think because action based on thinking is likely to be far less painful and more productive than action based upon ignorance. So, if you want to have a life characterized by competence, productivity, security, originality and engagement rather than one that is nasty, brutish and short, you need to think carefully about important issues. There is no better way to do so than to write. This is because writing extends your memory, facilitates editing and clarifies your thinking.

You can write down more than you can easily remember, so that your capacity to consider a number of ideas at the same time is broadened. Furthermore, once those ideas are written down, you can move them around and change them, word by word, sentence by sentence, and paragraph by paragraph. You can also reject ideas that appear substandard, after you consider them more carefully. If you reject substandard ideas, then all that you will have left will be good ideas. You can keep those, and use them. Then you will have good, original ideas at your fingertips, and you will be able to organize and communicate them.

Consider your success over the course of a lifetime. Here is something to think about: the person who can formulate and communicate the best argument almost always wins. If you want a job, you have to make a case for yourself. If you want a raise, you have to convince someone that you deserve it. If you are trying to convince someone of the validity of your idea, you have to debate its merits successfully, particularly if there are others with other competing ideas.

If you sharpen your capacity to think and to communicate as a consequence of writing, you are better armed. The pen is mightier than the sword, as the saying goes. This is no cheap cliché. Ideas change the world, particularly when they are written. The Romans built buildings, and the Romans and the buildings are both gone. The Jews wrote a book, and they are still here, and so is the book. So it turns out that words may well last longer than stone, and have more impact than whole empires.

If you learn to write and to edit, you will also be able to tell the difference between good ideas, intelligently presented, and bad ideas put forth by murky and unskilled thinkers. That means that you will be able to separate the wheat from the chaff (look it up). Then you can be properly influenced by profound and solid ideas instead of falling prey to foolish fads and whims and ideologies, which can range in their danger from trivial to mortal.

Those who can think and communicate are simply more powerful than those who cannot, and powerful in the good way, the way that means “able to do a wide range of things competently and efficiently.” Furthermore, the further up the ladder of competence you climb, with your well-formulated thoughts, the more important thinking and communicating become. At the very top of the most complex hierarchies (law, medicine, academia, business, theology, politics) nothing is more necessary and valuable. If you can think and communicate, you can also defend yourself, and your friends and family, when that becomes necessary, and it will become necessary at various points in your life.

Finally, it is useful to note that your mind is organized verbally, at the highest and most abstract levels. Thus, if you learn to think, through writing, then you will develop a well-organized, efficient mind — and one that is well-founded and certain. This also means that you will be healthier, mentally and physically, as lack of clarity and ignorance means unnecessary stress. Unnecessary stress makes your body react more to what could otherwise be treated as trivial affairs. This makes for excess energy expenditure, and more rapid aging (along with all the negative health-related consequences of aging).

So, unless you want to stay an ignorant, unhealthy lightweight, learn to write (and to think and communicate). Otherwise those who can will ride roughshod over you and push you out of the way. Your life will be harder, at the bottom of the dominance hierarchies that you will inevitably inhabit, and you will get old fast.

Don’t ever underestimate the power of words. Without them, we would still be living in trees. So when you are writing an essay, you are harnessing the full might of culture to your life. That is why you write an essay (even if it has been assigned). Forget that, and you are doing something stupid, trivial and dull. Remember it, and you are conquering the unknown.

A note on technology

If you are a student, or anyone else who is going to do a lot of writing, then you should provide yourself with the right technology, especially now, when it is virtually costless to do so. Obviously, you need a computer. It doesn’t have to be that good, although a digital hard drive is a good investment for speed. Less obviously, you need two screens, one set up beside the other. They don’t have to be bigger than 19” diagonal. Even 17” monitors will do well. High resolution is better. You need the two screens so that you can present your reference material on one screen, and your essay (or even two versions of your essay, side by side) on the other.

Having this extra visual real estate really matters. It will make you less cramped and more efficient. A good keyboard (such as the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic keyboard) is also an excellent investment. Standard keyboards will hurt your hands if you use them continually, and the less said about a notebook keyboard the better. Use a good mouse, as well, and not a touchpad, which requires too much finicky movement for someone who is really working. Set up the keyboards so you are looking directly at their centers when you are sitting up straight. Use a decent chair, and sit so that your feet can rest comfortably on the floor when your knees are bent 90 degrees.

These are not trivial issues. You may spend hours working on your writing, so you have to set up a workspace that will not annoy you, or you will have just one more good reason to avoid your tasks and assignments.

A note on use of time

People’s brains function better in the morning. Get up. Eat something. You are much smarter and more resilient after you have slept properly and ate. There is plenty of solid research demonstrating this. Coffee alone is counter-productive. Have some protein and some fat. Make a smoothie with fruit and real yogurt. Go out and buy a cheap breakfast, if necessary. Eat by whatever means necessary. Prepare to spend between 90 minutes and three hours writing. However, even 15 minutes can be useful, particularly if you do it every day.

Do not wait for a big chunk of free time to start. You will never get big chunks of free time ever in your life, so don’t make your success dependent on their non-existent. The most effective writers write every day, at least a bit.

Realize that when you first sit down to write, your mind will rebel. It is full of other ideas, all of which will fight to dominate. You could be looking at Facebook, or Youtube, or watching or reading online porn, or cleaning the dust bunnies from under your bed, or rearranging your obsolete CD collection, or texting an old flame, or reading a book for another course, or getting the groceries you need, or doing the laundry, or having a nap, or going for a walk (because you need the exercise), or phoning a friend or a parent — the list is endless. Each part of your mind that is concerned with such things will make its wants known, and attempt to distract you. Such pesky demons can be squelched, however, with patience. If you refuse to be tempted for fifteen minutes (25 on a really bad day) you will find that the clamor in your mind will settle down and you will be able to concentrate on writing.

If you do this day after day, you will find that the power of such temptations do not reduce, but the duration of their attempts to distract you will decrease. You will also find that even on a day where concentration is very difficult, you will still be able to do some productive writing if you stick it out.

Don’t kid yourself into thinking you will write for six hours, either. Three is a maximum, especially if you want to sustain it day after day. Don’t wait too late to start your writing, so you don’t have to cram insanely, but give yourself a break after a good period of sustained concentration. Three productive hours are way better than ten hours of self-deceptive non-productivity, even in the library.

PART TWO: LEVELS OF RESOLUTION

Words, sentences, paragraphs and more.

An essay, like any piece of writing, exists at multiple levels of resolution, simultaneously. First is the selection of the word. Second is the crafting of the sentence. Each word should be precisely the right word, in the right location in each sentence. The sentence itself should present a thought, part of the idea expressed in the paragraph, in a grammatically correct manner. Each sentence should be properly arranged and sequenced inside a paragraph, the third level of resolution.

As a rule of thumb, a paragraph should be made up of at least 10 sentences or 100 words. This might be regarded as a stupid rule, because it is arbitrary. However, you should let it guide you, until you know better. You have very little right to break the rules, until you have mastered them.

Here’s a little story to illustrate that idea, taken in part from a document called the Codex Bezae :

Christ is walking down the road on the Sabbath, when good Jews of that time were not supposed to work. In the ditch, he sees a shepherd, trying to rescue a sheep from a hole that it has fallen into. It is very hot and, clearly, the sheep will not be in very good shape if it spends a whole day in the desert sun. On the other hand, it is the Sabbath. Christ looks at the shepherd and says, “Man, if indeed thou knowest what thou doest, thou art blessed: but if thou knowest not, thou art cursed, and a transgressor of the law.” Then he walks on down the road.

The point is this: There is a rest day for a reason. Otherwise people would work all the time. Then they would be chronically unhappy and exhausted. They would compete each other to death. So if it’s time for everybody to rest, then rest, and don’t be breaking the rule. However, it is also not good to let a sheep die in the hot sun, when a few minutes of labor might save it. So, if you are respectful of the rule, and conscious of its importance, and realize that it serves as a bulwark against the chaos of the unknown, and you still decide to break it, carefully, because the particularities of the circumstances demand it — well, then, more power to you. If you are just a careless, ignorant, antisocial narcissist instead, however, then look out. You break a rule at your peril, whether you know it or not.

Rules are there for a reason. You are only allowed to break them if you are a master. If you’re not a master, don’t confuse your ignorance with creativity or style. Writing that follows the rules is easier for readers, because they know roughly what to expect. So rules are conventions. Like all conventions, they are sometimes sub-optimal. But not very often. So, to begin with, use the conventions. For example, aim to make your paragraphs about 10 sentences or 100 words long.

A paragraph should present a single idea, using multiple sentences. If you can’t think up 100 words to say about your idea, it’s probably not a very good idea, or you need to think more about it. If your paragraph is rambling on for 300 words, or more, it’s possible that it has more than one idea in it, and should be broken up.

All of the paragraphs have to be arranged in a logical progression, from the beginning of the essay to the end. This is the fourth level of resolution. Perhaps the most important step in writing an essay is getting the paragraphs in proper order. Each of them is a stepping stone to your essay’s final destination.

The fifth level of resolution is the essay, as a whole. Every element of an essay can be correct, each word, sentence, and paragraph — even the paragraph order — and the essay can still fail, because it is just not interesting or important. It is very hard for competent but uninspired writers to understand this kind of failure, because a critic cannot merely point it out.

There is no answer to their question, “exactly where did I make a mistake?” Such an essay is just not good. An essay without originality or creativity might fall into this category. Sometimes a creative person, who is not technically proficient as a writer, can make the opposite mistake: their word choice is poor, their sentences badly constructed and poorly organized within their paragraphs, their paragraphs in no intelligible relationship to one another — and yet the essay as a whole can succeed, because there are valuable thoughts trapped within it, wishing desperately to find expression.

Additional levels

You might think that there could not possibly be anything more to an essay than these five levels of resolution or analysis, but you would be wrong. This is something that was first noticed, perhaps, by those otherwise entirely reprehensible and destructive scholars known as post-modernists. An essay necessarily exists within a context of interpretation, made up of the reader (level six), and the culture that the reader is embedded in (level seven), which is made up in part of the assumptions that he or she will bring to the essay.

Levels six and seven have deep roots in biology and culture. You might think, “Why do I need to know this?” but if you don’t you are not considering your audience, and that’s a mistake. Part of the purpose of the essay is to set your mind straight, but the other part, equally important, is to communicate with an audience.

For the essay to succeed, brilliantly, it has to work at all of these levels of resolution simultaneously. That is very difficult, but it is in that difficulty that the value of the act of writing exists.

Considerations of Aesthetics and Fascination

This is not all that has to be properly managed when you write an essay. You should also strive for brevity, which is concise and efficient expression, as well as beauty, which is the melodic or poetic aspect of your language (at all the requisite levels of analysis). Finally, you should not be bored, or boring. If you are bored while writing, then, most importantly, you are doing it wrong, and you will also bore your reader.

Think of it this way: you get bored for a reason, and sometimes for a good reason. You may be bored while writing your essay because you are actually lying to yourself in a very deep way about what you are doing and why you are doing it. Your mind, independent of your ego, cannot be hoodwinked into attending to something that you think is uninteresting or useless. It will automatically regard such a thing as unworthy of attention, and make you bored by it.

If you are bored by your essay, you have either chosen the wrong topic (one which makes no difference to you and, in all likelihood, to anyone else) or you are approaching a good topic in a substandard manner. Perhaps you are resentful about having to write the essay, or afraid of its reception, or lazy, or ignorant, or unduly and arrogantly skeptical, or something of the kind.

You have to place yourself in the correct state of mind to write properly. That state of mind is partly aesthetic. You have to be trying to produce something of worth, beauty and elegance. If you think that is ridiculous, then you are far too stupid at the moment to write properly. You need to meditate long and hard on why you would dare presume that worth, beauty and elegance are unworthy of your pursuit. Do you plan to settle for ugly and uncouth? Do you want to destroy, instead of build?

You must choose a topic that is important to you. This should be formulated as a question that you want to answer. This is arguably the hardest part of writing an essay: choosing the proper question. Perhaps your instructor has provided you with a list of topics, and you think you are off the hook as a consequence. You’re not. You still have to determine how to write about one of those topics in a manner that is compelling to you. It’s a moral, spiritual endeavour.

If you properly identify something of interest to you, then you have put yourself in alignment with the deeper levels of your psyche, your spirit. If these deeper levels do not want or need an answer to the question you have posed, you will not possibly be interested in it. So the fact of your interest is evidence of the importance of the topic. You, or some part of you, needs the answer — and such needs can be deep enough so that life itself can depend upon them. Someone desperate, for example, might find the question “why live?” of extreme interest, and absolutely require an answer that makes life’s suffering worth bearing. It is not necessary to ensure that every question you try or essay to answer of that level of importance, but you should not waste your time with ideas that do not grip you.

So, the proper attitude is interested and aesthetically sensitive.

Having said all that, here is something to remember: finished beats perfect . Most people fail a class or an assignment or a work project not because they write badly, and get D’s or F’s, but because they don’t write at all, and get zeroes. Zeroes are very bad. They are the black holes of numbers. Zeroes make you fail. Zeroes ruin your life. Essays handed in, no matter how badly written, can usually get you at least a C. So don’t be a completely self-destructive idiot. Hand something in, regardless of how pathetic you think it is (and no matter how accurate you are in that opinion).

PART THREE: THE TOPIC AND THE READING LIST

The central question that you are trying to answer with the essay is the topic question. Here are some potentially interesting topic questions:

Does evil exist?
Are all cultures equally worthy of respect?
How should a man and a woman treat each other in a relationship?
What, if anything, makes a person good?

These are very general, abstract topics. That makes them philosophical. Good topics do not have to be so general. Here are some good, more specific topics:

What were the key events of Julius Caesar’s rule?
What are the critical elements of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution?
Is “ The Sun Also Rises ,” by Ernest Hemingway, an important book?
How might Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud’s theory of the psyche be contrasted?
How did Newton and Einstein differ in their conceptualization of time?
Was the recent Iraq war just or unjust?

You can begin your essay writing process two different ways. You can either list the topics you have been assigned, or list ten or so questions that you might want to answer, if you are required to choose your own topic, or you can start to create and finalize your reading list. If you think you can already identify several potential topics of interest, start with Topics. If you are unsure, then start constructing your Reading List.

CHOICE BETWEEN TOPICS and READING LIST

Put these in question form, as in the examples above.

If you can’t do this, then you have to do some more reading (which you will likely have to do to complete the essay anyway). There is, by the way, no such thing as reader’s block. If you can’t write, it is because you have nothing to say. You have no ideas. In such a situation, don’t pride yourself on your writer’s block. Read something. If that doesn’t work, read something else — maybe something better. Repeat until the problem is solved.

Reading List

Indicate here what you have to or want to read. These should be books or articles, generally speaking. If you don’t know what articles or books might be appropriate or useful, then you could start with Wikipedia articles or other encyclopedic sources, and look at their reference lists for ideas about further reading. These sources are fine as a beginning.

If you find someone whose writing is particularly interesting and appropriate, it is often very useful to see if you can find out what authors they admired and read. You can do this by noting who they refer to, in the text of their writings or in the reference list. You can meander productively through wide bodies of learning in this manner.

Assume you need 5–10 books or articles per thousand words of essay, unless you have been instructed otherwise. A double-spaced page of typing usually contains about 250 words. List your sources now, even if you have to do it badly. You can always make it better later.

Notes: (see next section for Notes on Notes):

Reading 10 (repeat if necessary).

Notes (repeat if necessary):

A Psychological Note and some Notes on Notes.

While you are reading, see if you can notice anything that catches your attention. This might be something you think is important, or something that you seriously disagree with, or something that you might want to know more about. You have to pay careful attention to your emotional reactions to do this.

You also want to take some notes. You can place your notes below the readings you listed above.

When you are taking notes, don’t bother doing stupid things like highlighting or underlining sentences in the textbook. There is no evidence that it works. It just looks like work. What you need to do is to read for understanding. Read a bit, then write down what you have learned or any questions that have arisen in your mind. Don’t ever copy the source word for word. The most important part of learning and remembering is the recreation of what you have written in your own language. This is not some simplistic “use your own words.” This is the dialog you are having with the writer of your sources. This is your attempt to say back to the author “this is what I understand you are saying.” This is where you extract the gist of the writing.

If someone asks you about your day, you don’t say, “Well, first I opened my eyes. Then I blinked and rubbed them. Then I placed my left leg on the floor, and then my right.” You would bore them to death. Instead, you eliminate the extra detail, and concentrate on communicating what is important. That is exactly what you are supposed to be doing when you take some notes during or after reading (after is often better, with the book closed, so that you are not tempted to copy the author’s writing word for word so that you can fool yourself into thinking you did some work).

If you find note-taking in this manner difficult, try this. Read a paragraph. Look away. Then say to yourself, out loud, even in a whisper (if you are in a library), what the paragraph meant. Listen to what you said, and then quickly write it down.

Take about two to three times as many notes, by word, as you will need for your essay. You might think that is inefficient, but it’s not. In order to write intelligibly about something, or to speak intelligently about it, you need to know far more than you actually communicate. That helps you master level six and seven, described previously — the context within which the essay is to be understood. Out of those notes you should be able to derive 8–10 topic questions. Do so. Remember, they can be edited later. Just get them down.

PART FOUR: THE OUTLINE

At this point you have prepared a list of topics, and a reading list. Now it’s time to choose a topic.

ENTER TOPIC HERE

Here’s another rule. When you write your first draft, it should be longer than the final version. This is so that you have some extra writing to throw away. You want to have something to throw away after the first draft so that you only have to keep what is good. It is NOT faster to try to write exactly as many words as you need when you first sit down to write. Trying to do so merely makes you too aware of what you are writing. This concern will slow you down. Aim at producing a first draft that is 25% longer than the final draft is supposed to be. If your final work is to be 1000 words, then write that (or four pages) below. The word document will automatically add 25% to the length you specify.

Now specify the length of your essay.

ADD 25% TO THE ABOVE LENGTHS

Now you have to write an outline. This is the most difficult part of writing an essay, and it’s not optional. The outline of an essay is like the skeleton of a body. It provides its fundamental form and structure. Furthermore, the outline is basically the argument (with the sentences themselves and the words serving that argument).

A thousand-word essay requires a ten-sentence outline. However, the fundamental outline of an essay should not get much longer than fifteen sentences, even if the essay is several thousand words or more in length. This is because it is difficult to keep an argument of more than that length in mind at one time so that you can assess the quality of its structure. So, write a ten to fifteen sentence outline of your essay, and if it is longer than a thousand words, then make sub-outlines for each primary outline sentence.

Here is an example of a good simple outline:

Topic: Who was Abraham Lincoln?
Why is Abraham Lincoln worthy of remembrance?
What were the crucial events of his childhood?
Of his adolescence?
Of his young adulthood?
How did he enter politics?
What were his major challenges?
What were the primary political and economic issues of his time?
Who were his enemies?
How did he deal with them?
What were his major accomplishments?
How did he die?

Here is an example of a good longer outline (for a three thousand word essay):

Topic: What is capitalism?
How has capitalism been defined?
Where and when did capitalism develop?
How did capitalism develop in the first 50 years after its origin?
— How did capitalism develop in the second 50 years after its origin?
— (Repeat as necessary)
Historical precursors?
— (choose as many centuries as necessary)
Advantages of capitalism?
— Wealth generation
— Technological advancement
— Personal freedom
Disadvantages of capitalism?
— Unequal distribution
— Pollution and other externalized costs
Alternatives to capitalism?
— Communism
Consequences of these alternatives?
Potential future developments?

Beware of the tendency to write trite, repetitive and clichéd introductions and conclusions. It is often useful to write a stock intro (what is the purpose of this essay? How is it going to proceed?) and a stock conclusion (How did this essay proceed? What was its purpose?) but they should usually then be thrown away. Write your outline here. Try for one outline heading per 100 words of essay length. You can add subdivisions, as in the example regarding capitalism, above.

Write outline here:

Outline sentence 1:
Outline sentence 2:
Outline sentence 3:
Outline sentence 4:
Outline sentence 5:
Outline sentence 6:
Outline sentence 7:
Outline sentence 8:
Outline sentence 9:
Outline sentence 10 (repeat if necessary):

PART FIVE: PARAGRAPHS

So, now you have your outline. Copy it here:

OUTLINE COPIED HERE

Now, write ten to fifteen sentences per outline heading to complete your paragraph. You may find it helpful to add additional subdivisions to your outline, and to work back and forth between the outline and the sentences, editing both. Use your notes, as well. Use single spacing at this point, so that you can see more writing on the paper at once. You will format your essay properly later.

Don’t worry too much about how well you are writing at this point. It is also best at this point not to worry too much about the niceties of sentence structure and grammar. That is all best left for the second major step, which is editing. You should think of the essay writing process as twofold. The first major step is the first draft, which can be relatively quick and dirty. For the first draft you can use your notes, extensively, and rough out the essay. If you get stuck writing anywhere, just move to the next outline sentence. You can always go back.

The second major step is editing. Production (the first major step) and editing (the second) are different functions, and should be treated that way. This is because each interferes with the other. The purpose of production is to produce. The function of editing is to reduce and arrange. If you try to do both at the same time then the editing stymies the production. It’s not faster to combine them, nor is it better, and it is bound to be frustrating.

Here is an example of writing associated with an outline question: (note: places where references are necessary are indicate as (REFERENCE, 19XX). How to format these references will be discussed later.

Outline sentence: How has capitalism been defined?

Something as complex as capitalism cannot be easily defined. Different authors have each offered their opinion. Liberal or conservative thinkers stress the importance of private property and the ownership rights that accompany such property as key to capitalism (REFERENCE, 19XX). Such private property (including valuable goods and the means by which they are produced) can be traded, freely, with other property owners, in a market where the price is set by public demand, rather than by any central agency. Liberal and conservative thinkers stress efficiency of production, as well as quality, and consider profit the motive for efficiency. They believe that lower cost is a desirable feature of production, and that fair competition helps ensure desirably lower prices. The World Socialist Movement (REFERENCE, 19XX), an international consortium of far left political parties, defines capitalism, by contrast, as ownership of the means of production by a small minority of people, the capitalist class, who profitably exploit the working class, the genuine producers, who must sell their ability to work for a salary or wage. Such socialists believe that it is profit that solely motivates capitalism, and that the profit motive is essentially corrupt. Modern environmentalists tend to add the natural world itself to the list of capitalist targets of exploitation (REFERENCE, 19XX). Thinkers on the right tend to regard problems emerging from the capitalist system as real, but trivial in comparison to those produced by other economic and political systems, real and hypothetical. Thinkers on the far left regard capitalism as the central cause of problems as serious as poverty, inequality and environmental degradation, and believe that there are other political and economic systems whose implementation would constitute an improvement.

It took two paragraphs to begin to address the first outline sentence. Notice that the essay begins without referring to itself. It is better to tell the reader what the essay will be about and how the topic will be addressed than to meander around stupidly at the beginning of an essay, but it is still better to grab the reader’s attention immediately without beating around the bush.

Once you have completed ten to fifteen sentences for each outline heading, you have finished your first draft. Now it is time to move to editing.

EDITING AND ARRANGING OF SENTENCES WITHIN PARAGRAPHS

Copy the first paragraph of your first draft here:

Paragraph 1:

Now, place each sentence on its own line, so it looks like this (this example is taken from the first paragraph on capitalism, above):

Something as complex as capitalism cannot be easily defined.

Different authors have each offered their opinion.

Liberal or conservative thinkers stress the importance of private property and the ownership rights that accompany such property as key to capitalism (REFERENCE, 19XX).

Such private property (including valuable goods and the means by which they are produced) can be traded, freely, with other property owners, in a market where the price is set by public demand, rather than by any central agency.

Liberal and conservative thinkers stress efficiency of production, as well as quality, and consider profit the motive for efficiency.

They believe that lower cost is a desirable feature of production, and that fair competition helps ensure desirably lower prices.

Now, write another version of each sentence, under each sentence, like this:

Liberal and conservative thinkers alike stress the importance of quality and efficiency, and see them as properly rewarded by profit.

In this example, the meaning of the sentence has been changed slightly, during the rewrite. It may be that the second sentence flows better than the first, and is also more precise and meaningful. See if you can make each sentence you have written better, in a similar manner:

Better would mean shorter and simpler (as all unnecessary words should be eliminated). There is almost nothing a novice writer can do that will improve his or her writing more rapidly than writing very short sentences. See if you can cut the length of each sentence by 15–25%. Remember, earlier, you tried to make your essay longer than necessary. Here you can start cleaning it up.
Better would mean that each word is precisely and exactly the right word. Don’t be tempted to use any word that you would be uncomfortable to use in spoken conversation. Often, new writers try to impress their readers with their vocabulary. This often backfires when words are used that are technically correct but whose connotation is not, or that are unsuitable within the context of the sentence, paragraph or full essay. An expert writer will spot such flaws immediately, and see them for what they are: forms of camouflage and deception. Write clearly at a vocabulary level you have mastered (with maybe a bit of stretching, to produce improvement).

Read each sentence aloud, and listen to how it sounds. If it’s awkward, see if you can say it a different, better way. Listen to what you said, and then write it down. Rewrite each sentence. Once you have done this with all the sentences, read the old versions and the new versions, and replace the old with the new if the new is better. Then copy the new paragraph here:

New paragraph 1:

Repeat for each paragraph:

New paragraph 2:

New paragraph 3:

New paragraph 4:

New paragraph 5 (etc.):

Now you are going to try to improve each of those paragraphs. Copy them again here, unchanged (you are doing this so that you can easily compare the improved paragraphs to the originals, so that you can be sure they are truly improved, before you keep them):

New paragraph 1 (copy):

New paragraph 2 (copy):

New paragraph 3 (copy):

New paragraph 4 (copy):

New paragraph 5 (copy) (etc.):

Start with paragraph 1. Break it up into single sentences, as you did before. Now check to see if the sentences are in the best possible order, within each paragraph. Drag and drop them, or cut and paste them, into better order.

PART SEVEN: RE-ORDERING THE PARAGRAPHS

Now, copy all of the new, improved paragraphs that you have edited here:

New improved paragraph 1:

New improved paragraph 2:

New improved paragraph 3:

New improved paragraph 4:

New improved paragraph 5 (etc.):

Now you are going to try to improve the order of those new, improved paragraphs. Copy them here, again, unchanged.

New improved paragraph 1 (copy):

New improved paragraph 2 (copy):

New improved paragraph 3 (copy):

New improved paragraph 4 (copy):

New improved paragraph 5 (copy) (etc.):

Now look at the order of the paragraphs themselves (as you just did with the sentences within each paragraph). It may well be that by now in the editing process, you will find that the order of the subtopics within your original outline is no longer precisely appropriate, and that some re-ordering of those sub-topics is called for. So, move around the new improved paragraph (copies) above, until they are ordered more appropriately than they were.

PART EIGHT: GENERATING A NEW OUTLINE

So now you should have produced a pretty decent second draft. You have identified the appropriate sources, written the proper notes, outlined your argument, roughed in a first draft (paragraph by paragraph), rewritten your sentences to make them more elegant, and re-ordered those sentences, as well as the paragraphs themselves. This is much farther than most writers ever get. You may even think you’re finished — but you’re not.

The next step will take you from a “B” essay to an “A” essay. It may even help you write something that is better than you have ever produced (better meaning richer in information, precise, coherent, elegant and beautiful). Copy what you have written so far here:

FULL RE-ORDERED ESSAY HERE:

Read it. Then go to the next page.

This part of the process will probably strike you as unnecessary, or annoying, or both, but what do you know? This is the step that separates the men from the boys, or the women from the boys, or the men from the girls, or whatever version of this saying is acceptably non-sexist and politically correct.

You have just finished reading your essay. Try now to write a new outline of ten to fifteen sentences. Don’t look back at your essay while you are doing this. If you have to, go back and re-read the whole thing, and then return to this page, but don’t look at your essay while you are rewriting the outline. If you force yourself to reconstruct your argument from memory, you will likely improve it. Generally, when you remember something, you simplify it, while retaining most of what is important. Thus, your memory can serve as a filter, removing what is useless and preserving and organizing what is vital. What you are doing now is distilling what you have written to its essence.

Write new outline here:

1. New outline sentence 1:

2. New outline sentence 2:

3. New outline sentence 3:

4. New outline sentence 4:

5. New outline sentence 5:

6. New outline sentence 6:

7. New outline sentence 7:

8. New outline sentence 8:

9. New outline sentence 9:

10. New outline sentence 10 (repeat if necessary):

Now that you have a new outline, you can cut and paste material from your previous essay. To do this, open up a new Word document beside this one. Then cut and paste the new outline that you have written into the new Word document. Return to the original document, and scroll up to the full, re-ordered essay you copied and pasted into Part Eight, above. Then cut and paste from the re-ordered essay into your new outline.

You may find that you don’t need everything you wrote before. Don’t be afraid to throw unnecessary material away. You are trying to get rid of what is substandard, and leave only what is necessary.

Once you have finished cutting and pasting your old material into the new outline, then copy the new essay, and paste it into a new word document. That will be your final essay. Don’t forget to put a title page on it.

PASTE NEWLY OUTLINED ESSAY HERE :

PART NINE: REPEAT

Now you have a third draft, and it’s probably pretty good. If you really want to take it to the next level, then you can repeat the process of sentence rewriting and re-ordering, as well as paragraph re-ordering and re-outlining. Often it is a good idea to wait a few days to do this, so that you can look at what you have produced with fresh eyes. Then you will be able to see what you have written, instead of seeing what you think you wrote (which is the case when you try to edit immediately after producing).

You are not genuinely finished until you cannot edit so that your essay improves. Generally, you can tell if this has happened when you try to rewrite a sentence (or a paragraph) and you are not sure that the new version is an improvement over the original.

PART TEN: REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

When you write a sentence that contains what is supposed to be a fact or at least an informed opinion, and you have picked it up from something you read, then you have to refer to that source. Otherwise, following convention, people may accuse you of plagiarism, which is a form of theft (of intellectual property). There are a large number of conventions that you can follow to properly structure your references and your bibliography (which is a list of books and articles that you have read to obtain relevant background information, but from which you may not have drawn any ideas specific enough to require a reference).

The conventions of the American Psychological Association (APA) are commonly used by essay writers. This convention generally requires the use of the last names of the authors of the source in parentheses after the sentence requiring a reference. For example:

It is necessary to add a reference after a sentence containing an opinion which is not your own, or a fact that you have acquired from some source material (Peterson, 2014).

This sentence could also be constructed like this:

Peterson (2014) claims that it is necessary to add a reference after a sentence containing an opinion which is not your own, or a fact that you have acquired from some source material.

There are also many conventions covering the use of a direct quote, which have to be followed when you directly quote someone, rather than paraphrasing them. Here is an example, adding the specific (fictional) number of the page containing the quoted material in the original manuscript:

Peterson (2014, p. 19) claims that “the conventions of the American Psychological Association (APA) are commonly used by essay writers.”

In the Reference List, at the end of the essay, Peterson’s paper might be listed, as follows (this is a fictional reference):

Peterson, J.B. (2014). Essay writing for writers. Journal of Essay Writing, 01, 15–24.

Different conventions hold for different types of source material such as webpages, books, and articles. All the details regarding APA style can be found at http://www.apastyle.org/

Your instructor may have recommended, or demanded, use of a different set of conventions. Information about other techniques and rules can be found at http://www.easybib.com/reference/guide/mla/general .

It is necessary to master at least one convention. The rules are finicky and annoying. However, they are necessary, so that readers know what writers are up to. Furthermore, you only have to learn them once, so bite the bullet and do it.

Copy your essay here again.

Add references where they are necessary. Then, add your reference list to the end of your essay. Make sure you construct both according to APA convention, or some other set of rules.

YOUR COMPLETED ESSAY

Now your essay is completed. Now you need to copy it into a new Word document, and format it properly.

That generally means double-spaced, with a title page, with a five space tab indent at the beginning of each paragraph. If you want to add subtitles, or section headers, their use is discussed in detail at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ . Additional useful information for style, including examples, can be found at http://bit.ly/ZC5eFV . A video discussing such matters is available at http://bit.ly/ZpX1nR .

If you got this far, good work. If you write a number of essays using this process, you will find that your thinking will become richer and clearer, and so will your conversation. There is nothing more vital to becoming educated, and there is nothing more vital than education to your future, and the future of those around you

Good luck with your newly organized and refreshed mind.

Please support, follow, and learn from Dr. Peterson around the web:

This is his Patreon crowd funding hub
This is his Self Authoring writing program
Jordan B. Peterson’s official website
His Podcasts
Youtube channel
His ‘Great Books’ reading list
Follow him on twitter here

Public domain.

Written by ur_immeasurable

Disciplined mind. Skillful heart. Powerful body.

Text to speech

Before beginning a critical thinking essay it’s a good idea to come up to speed on critical thinking and what it is. The process of thinking critically begins with an open mind. It’s quite alright to already have an opinion on an issue but you must be willing to at least consider objectively ideas that differ from your own.

Someone who tends to think critically would probably agree with statements like the following.

o I hate talk shows where people shout their opinions but never give any reasons at all.

o Figuring out what people really mean by what they say is important to me.

o I always do better in jobs where I'm expected to think things out for myself.

o I hold off making decisions until I have thought through my options.

o Rather than relying on someone else's ideas, I prefer to read the material myself.

o I try to see the merit in another’s opinion, even if I reject it later.

o Even if a problem is tougher than I expected, I will keep working on it.

o Making intelligent decisions is more important than winning arguments.

A person who does NOT tend to think critically would be more likely to agree with the following.

o I prefer jobs where the supervisor says exactly what to do and exactly how to do it.

o No matter how complex the problem, you can bet there will be a simple solution.

o I don't waste time looking things up.

o I hate when teachers discuss problems instead of just giving the answers.

o If my belief is truly sincere, evidence to the contrary is irrelevant.

o Selling an idea is like selling cars, you say whatever works.

Read Peter Facione's , especially pages 4-6. [It's a PDF and loads slowly.]

Developing the ability to think critically can be difficult because it is easier to make hasty judgments based on opinions and biases than it is to evaluate facts and arguments. For example, your friends might think that the death penalty is just, and you might also think so just because your friends do. Without hearing any arguments to the contrary, your viewpoint, based solely on the opinions of others, would be weak.

The approaches to life and living which characterize critical thinking include the following.

inquisitiveness with regard to a wide range of issues

o concern to become and remain well-informed

o alertness to opportunities to use critical thinking

o trust in the processes of reasoned inquiry

o self-confidence in one’s own abilities to reason

o open-mindedness regarding divergent world views

o flexibility in considering alternatives and opinions

o understanding of the opinions of other people

o fair-mindedness in appraising reasoning

o honesty in facing one’s own biases, prejudices, stereotypes or egocentric tendencies

o prudence in suspending, making or altering judgments

o willingness to reconsider and revise views where honest reflection suggests that change is warranted

The best way to develop critical thinking is to write. Writing forces you to organize your thoughts, contemplate your topic, evaluate your data in a logical fashion and present your conclusions in a persuasive manner. Good writing is the epitome of good critical thinking. Writing promotes critical thinking by requiring you to acquire, synthesize and logically analyze information, and then present this information and your conclusions in written form.

Many college assignments require you to support a thesis. The concept of a critical thinking essay is that you start an end in mind. You don't necessarily know how you feel about a subject or what you want to say about the subject … you allow the research and your own thinking to determine the outcome. This is writing to learn rather than writing to prove what you know.

The critical thinking essay has you look at and contribute to a range of arguments rather than just one at a time. Critical thinking essays consider the strengths and weaknesses of various solutions to a problem or various answers to a question. It requires thinking ... not information reporting.

The critical thinking essay starts with a question, not a thesis. Your essay shows how your thinking changes as you research a topic. For example, when you begin researching capital punishment, you may be in favor of the death penalty because it is a deterrent. Then you may find some studies that question whether it has a deterrent effect and that may influence your thinking. You don't have to know what you think about your topic when you start writing your critical thinking essay.

Essays are shorter pieces of writing. Therefore, essays are (by nature) concise and require you to be clear and to the point. This means that there is no room for your thoughts to wander or stray … you must be deliberate and stay on topic.

Perhaps it is helpful to think of an essay in terms of a or debate with a classmate. If you and I were discussing whether or not there should be a death penalty in the US, there would be a beginning, middle and end to our conversation. As with a conversation, your essay must be complete, and logically so, leaving no doubt as to your intent or argument. However - again, think of this as a conversation - your essay shouldn't be formal. Remember, you're talking about ideas and thought processes ... don't try to do that in third person!

To help you stay on topic, your critical thinking essay should be organized in keeping with the outline below.

(1-2 paragraphs)

Focus on explaining the topic.

(minimum of 3 paragraphs but use as many as necessary ... several short paragraphs are better than 1-2 overly long paragraphs)

Write your body before your write your introduction and conclusion.

Examine all aspects of the topic. Show your knowledge and grasp of the material you have read.

Discuss the differing opinions of the topic as reflected in the research.

Discuss any issues or problems.

Did you have enough information?

Did the research raise issues you hadn't considered?

Did the research contain confusing, incomplete or contradictory information?

Explain how your research influenced your thinking.

If your thinking has changed, what changed it?

If your thinking has not changed, how did what you learned support your original opinion?

If you're not sure about your opinion, what information might you need to form an opinion?

(generally 1 paragraph)

The conclusion rounds off the essay.

Refer back to your main ideas or points and reiterate your answer to the question.

NEVER introduce new information in your conclusion.

The conclusion moves from specific to general.

Read Irving Hexham's if you are uncertain what constitutes plagiarism.

Home — Essay Samples — Education — Critical Thinking — Critical Thinking Reflection Essay

Critical Thinking Reflection Essay

Categories: Critical Thinking

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Published: Aug 1, 2024

Words: 616 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

The importance of critical thinking, the components of critical thinking, applying critical thinking in different aspects of life.

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GRE Analytical Writing Section (Revised): Tips to Write GRE Issue Essays

Analytical writing and critical thinking skills are assessed in the GRE Analytical Writing Section . A strong GRE score above 4.5 is advised if you plan to apply to the top-ranked universities. We’re testing your capacity to formulate arguments, defend complex concepts, and make decisions. Now just one activity is available in the revised Analytical Writing Assessment GRE: Analyze an Issue. You have thirty minutes to compose an essay based on the provided prompt. Your writing style and word count will determine how well you do on the GRE Analytical Writing section. Write the essay in no more than four or five paragraphs, keeping its word count between 500 and 600.

Analytical Writing Measure Overview

Starting on September 22, 2023, the GRE General Test’s Analytical Writing measure evaluates your analytical writing and critical thinking abilities by looking at your capacity to:

articulate and support complex ideas
construct arguments
sustain a focused and coherent discussion
It doesn’t assess specific content knowledge

The “Analyze an Issue” activity, which takes 30 minutes to complete, is the Analytical Writing measure. In this activity, a viewpoint on a matter is presented along with guidelines for how to react. You must assess the problem, take into account all of its nuances, and create a case for your position that is supported by facts and examples.

GRE Issue Essay Format

An issue-based GRE AWA essay should be between 500 and 600 words long. The common subjects are interesting and can be approached from many angles. Keep your mind that there are no perfect answers in GRE AWA. Examining a problem is an assignment that assesses your ability to think critically on a common subject. You must provide a strong justification for your choice. Go through the guidelines carefully and draft a preliminary plan of action before starting to write your response. The following categories of instructions are possible:

Provide justifications and examples for your position on the suggested course of action.
Write a strong answer outlining how much you agree or disagree with the stated claim.
Write a response outlining your position and supporting it. You must talk about the two points that have been made.
Give a rationale for your stance on the stated claim.
Write a response outlining the policy’s effects and how they affected your choice.

GRE Analytical Writing Section Topics

There is currently only one task in GRE AWA: examine a topic. Critical thinking and analytical skills are assessed in this part. The GRE AWA question type is not standardized. To comprehend the most recent modifications, you must refer to the revised GRE pattern. Typical subjects for a GRE analysis include the following:

Technology and Society
Intellectual Endeavours
Government and power

Tips for Writing GRE Issue Essay

Aside from picking a side, the fundamental GRE issue tips are to use powerful, declarative phrases, relevant, and precise examples. In their GRE essays, candidates might use the following AWA GRE issue tips:

Start by Practicing GRE Issue Essays: In the GRE issue problem, applicants are asked to share their thoughts on a topic of general interest. GRE AWA advice requests that applicants practice writing three or more essays for the GRE. This will assist applicants with time management, understanding the different kinds of prompts, and gathering the information needed to write.
Pick One Side: Applicants are required to endorse just one side of the question. Speaking from both perspectives will weaken and confuse their essay. The examiner evaluates the candidate’s argumentative style. Those who study the AWA GRE examples and advice will be better able to write.
Give Relevant Examples: GRE AWA advice assists applicants in offering useful examples that will bolster their essays. Candidates must only include examples that bolster their essay; they cannot cover the entirety of it. Examples from a variety of fields, including business, the arts, history, and more, are available.
Follow a Structured Pattern in GRE Issue Essay: A well-structured essay is a crucial GRE AWA recommendation. Examiners like reading well-organized essays over poorly written ones. It raises the GRE AWA score and gives readers more clarity.

GRE Analytical Writing Score Range

After the test, scores for the GRE will be accessible on the official ETS website in eight to ten days. The range of scores for the GRE analytical writing is 0 to 6.0. The GRE score is valid for five years; in order to be admitted, candidates must submit or mail their extra score reports to the universities of their choice during this validity period. Let’s talk about the criteria that ETS looks for in your AWA essay grades:

GRE AWA Score	Explanation
6.0 – Outstanding	Clear identification of the most important features of the argument with deep analysis. Looks for cogent ideas, logical organization, and connecting them properly without sudden transitions. Strongly supports the main points of the critique. Demonstrates superior control of the English language, sentence formation, spelling, grammar, and GRE vocabulary and the variety used in standard written English. Few to no flaws in the writing.
5.0 – Strong	Clearly, identification of the important features of the argument and analyzes them thoughtfully. Develops ideas clearly, and connects them logically, with appropriate transitions. Gives very sensible support to the main points of the critique. Has clear control of language, GRE grammar, including diction and syntactic variety It may have minor flaws like spelling errors, but no major flaws.
4.0 – Adequate	Capable of identifying and analyzing the main features of the argument. Develops and organizes ideas satisfactorily, but some important connections and transitions may be missing. Supports the main points of the critique. Demonstrates sufficient control of language, but may lack syntactic variety. May have many minor flaws or some major flaws.
3.0 – Limited	Does not identify or analyze many of the important features of the argument. Has limited logical development and no proper organization of ideas. Offers support of little relevance and value for points of the critique Uses language imprecisely and/or lacks sentence variety Contains occasional major errors or frequent minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics
2.0 – Seriously Flawed	Demonstrates no understanding of the main features of the argument. Almost no analyses of the main points have been made. Does not develop any ideas or is disorganized Provides zero to few relevant pieces of evidence. Has frequent serious problems in the use of language, grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.
1.0 – Fundamentally Deficient	Provides little to no evidence of the ability to understand and analyze the main idea. Failure to develop an organized response. Contains severe and persistent errors in language and sentence structure Has an unusually frequent pattern of errors in grammar, usage, and logic. A totally incoherent response.
0.0 – Unscorable	The responses are off-topic. The responses are written in a language other than English. The responses are a mere copy of the given topic. The responses consist only of random keystroke characters. No response.

GRE Analytical Writing Section Practice Questions with Answer

GRE Analytical Writing Section- FAQs

What is the awa score on the gre.

The GRE AWA score has a 0.5-point increment structure and ranges from 0 to 6 levels. Nearly all of the best colleges in the world accept applicants with a GRE AWA score of at least 4, which is regarded as a respectable score.

What is the AWA portion of the GRE?

The analyze an issue task and the analyze an argument task are the two distinct components of the GRE AWA. Analytical and critical thinking skills are assessed in the GRE AWA section.

What is the passing score for GRE AWA?

The GRE AWA does not have a set passing score. A GRE AWA average of more than 4.5 is regarded as a strong performance and is accepted by the majority of the world’s best colleges.

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Guest Essay

What’s Happening in Britain Is Shocking. But It’s Not Surprising.

A line of police officers stand in front of buildings in Liverpool.

By Hibaq Farah

Ms. Farah is a staff editor in Opinion. She wrote from London.

The scenes are shocking.

In the wake of the murder of three young girls in the northwestern town of Southport, England, riots erupted across the country. Seizing on misinformation about the suspect’s identity, far-right rioters embarked on a harrowing rampage, setting fire to cars, burning down mosques, harassing Muslims, looting stores and attacking hotels housing asylum seekers. In an early August weekend , there were over 50 protests and almost 400 arrests. In the week since, hundreds of rioters have been charged and dozens convicted.

The country is stunned. But for all the events’ eye-popping madness, we shouldn’t be surprised. The animosities underpinning the riots — hatred of Muslims and migrants alike — have long found expression in Britain’s political culture, not least under the previous Conservative government whose cornerstone commitment was to “stop the boats” on which migrants made their way to British shores.

Far-right extremists, emboldened by that government’s turn to migrant-bashing, have been waiting for the perfect chance to take to the streets. Crucially, they have found a home online, where platforms — poorly regulated and barely moderated — allow the spread of hate-filled disinformation, whipping up a frenzy. These have been disturbing days. But the chaos has been coming.

Disinformation is at the heart of the riots. In the aftermath of the killings in Southport, users on X posted and shared false claims, stating that the alleged attacker was an asylum seeker who arrived in Britain by boat — when he was in fact born and raised in Wales. On TikTok, far-right users went live and called on one another to gather in protest. Their reach was wide. Thanks to the platform’s aggressively personalized For You page, it is not difficult to get videos in front of users who have already engaged with far-right or anti-migrant content.

The apparatus of assembly extended to messaging services. On Telegram , far-right group chats shared lists of protest locations; one message included the line “they won’t stop coming until you tell them.” In WhatsApp chats, there were messages about reclaiming the streets and taking out “major bases” of immigrant areas in London. These calls to action were quickly amplified by far-right figures like Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson, the founder of the English Defense League , who took to X to spread lies and foment hate. Almost immediately, people were out on the streets, wreaking havoc.

There was little to stop the outpouring of false claims and hateful language, even after officials released information about the suspect’s identity. Legislation on internet safety is murky and confusing. Last year, the Conservative government passed the Online Safety Act , whose remit is to protect children and force social media companies to remove illegal content. But there is no clear reference in the law to misinformation.

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How to cite ChatGPT

Use discount code STYLEBLOG15 for 15% off APA Style print products with free shipping in the United States.

We, the APA Style team, are not robots. We can all pass a CAPTCHA test , and we know our roles in a Turing test . And, like so many nonrobot human beings this year, we’ve spent a fair amount of time reading, learning, and thinking about issues related to large language models, artificial intelligence (AI), AI-generated text, and specifically ChatGPT . We’ve also been gathering opinions and feedback about the use and citation of ChatGPT. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and shared ideas, opinions, research, and feedback.

In this post, I discuss situations where students and researchers use ChatGPT to create text and to facilitate their research, not to write the full text of their paper or manuscript. We know instructors have differing opinions about how or even whether students should use ChatGPT, and we’ll be continuing to collect feedback about instructor and student questions. As always, defer to instructor guidelines when writing student papers. For more about guidelines and policies about student and author use of ChatGPT, see the last section of this post.

Quoting or reproducing the text created by ChatGPT in your paper

If you’ve used ChatGPT or other AI tools in your research, describe how you used the tool in your Method section or in a comparable section of your paper. For literature reviews or other types of essays or response or reaction papers, you might describe how you used the tool in your introduction. In your text, provide the prompt you used and then any portion of the relevant text that was generated in response.

Unfortunately, the results of a ChatGPT “chat” are not retrievable by other readers, and although nonretrievable data or quotations in APA Style papers are usually cited as personal communications , with ChatGPT-generated text there is no person communicating. Quoting ChatGPT’s text from a chat session is therefore more like sharing an algorithm’s output; thus, credit the author of the algorithm with a reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation.

When prompted with “Is the left brain right brain divide real or a metaphor?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that although the two brain hemispheres are somewhat specialized, “the notation that people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

You may also put the full text of long responses from ChatGPT in an appendix of your paper or in online supplemental materials, so readers have access to the exact text that was generated. It is particularly important to document the exact text created because ChatGPT will generate a unique response in each chat session, even if given the same prompt. If you create appendices or supplemental materials, remember that each should be called out at least once in the body of your APA Style paper.

When given a follow-up prompt of “What is a more accurate representation?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that “different brain regions work together to support various cognitive processes” and “the functional specialization of different regions can change in response to experience and environmental factors” (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for the full transcript).

Creating a reference to ChatGPT or other AI models and software

The in-text citations and references above are adapted from the reference template for software in Section 10.10 of the Publication Manual (American Psychological Association, 2020, Chapter 10). Although here we focus on ChatGPT, because these guidelines are based on the software template, they can be adapted to note the use of other large language models (e.g., Bard), algorithms, and similar software.

The reference and in-text citations for ChatGPT are formatted as follows:

Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023)
Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)

Let’s break that reference down and look at the four elements (author, date, title, and source):

Author: The author of the model is OpenAI.

Date: The date is the year of the version you used. Following the template in Section 10.10, you need to include only the year, not the exact date. The version number provides the specific date information a reader might need.

Title: The name of the model is “ChatGPT,” so that serves as the title and is italicized in your reference, as shown in the template. Although OpenAI labels unique iterations (i.e., ChatGPT-3, ChatGPT-4), they are using “ChatGPT” as the general name of the model, with updates identified with version numbers.

The version number is included after the title in parentheses. The format for the version number in ChatGPT references includes the date because that is how OpenAI is labeling the versions. Different large language models or software might use different version numbering; use the version number in the format the author or publisher provides, which may be a numbering system (e.g., Version 2.0) or other methods.

Bracketed text is used in references for additional descriptions when they are needed to help a reader understand what’s being cited. References for a number of common sources, such as journal articles and books, do not include bracketed descriptions, but things outside of the typical peer-reviewed system often do. In the case of a reference for ChatGPT, provide the descriptor “Large language model” in square brackets. OpenAI describes ChatGPT-4 as a “large multimodal model,” so that description may be provided instead if you are using ChatGPT-4. Later versions and software or models from other companies may need different descriptions, based on how the publishers describe the model. The goal of the bracketed text is to briefly describe the kind of model to your reader.

Source: When the publisher name and the author name are the same, do not repeat the publisher name in the source element of the reference, and move directly to the URL. This is the case for ChatGPT. The URL for ChatGPT is https://chat.openai.com/chat . For other models or products for which you may create a reference, use the URL that links as directly as possible to the source (i.e., the page where you can access the model, not the publisher’s homepage).

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How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay: Examples & Outline
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Ms. Farah is a staff editor in Opinion. She wrote from London. The scenes are shocking. In the wake of the murder of three young girls in the northwestern town of Southport, England, riots erupted ...
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How to cite ChatGPT
We, the APA Style team, are not robots. We can all pass a CAPTCHA test, and we know our roles in a Turing test.And, like so many nonrobot human beings this year, we've spent a fair amount of time reading, learning, and thinking about issues related to large language models, artificial intelligence (AI), AI-generated text, and specifically ChatGPT.

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