How to write a good Review Essay

By: Ishita Sharma

July 23, 2022

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5/5 - (2 votes)

A review essay is an evaluation of the author’s written works and is analytical in nature. These are supposed to analyze in minute detail the author’s work, develop an argument that supports a particular theme, introduce evidence to strengthen the argument, and then come up with a conclusion. It requires two stages: developing an argument and a well-organized review. You can write by focusing on a single work or different works done by a single author or a collection of works on a single topic.

REVIEWING A SINGLE WORK

A review essay on single work attempts to minutely reaffirm the author’s idea or argument.

DIFFERENT WORKS OF SINGLE AUTHOR

The review essay tries to see these different works as parts of an author’s larger, lifelong writing career. Here you must also reflect on how the different work fit together.

COLLECTION OF WORK ON A SINGLE TOPIC

The review essay seeks to summarize and compare the major positions a variety of writers have on that topic.

STEPS FOR WRITING A GOOD REVIEW ESSAY :

1) WRITE THE TITLE OF YOUR WORK
It should reflect the focus of the whole essay. Your work’s title can either be interrogative, descriptive, or declarative.

2) MENTION THE ARTICLE YOU ARE WORKING ON
The readers must know on which articles your reviews are based upon or else it may confuse the readers and they will be disinterested in reading your review. It must be just below the title and there should be no gap between the mentioned article and the first sentence.

3) IDENTIFICATION OF ARTICLE
After mentioning the article you are working on, now include the identification of your reviewed article by writing the title of the article, author of the article, title of the journal, and year of publication in the first paragraph.

4) INTRODUCTION
It should start with an identification sentence. The underlying theme and affirmation of the article that you are reviewing should be mentioned here. Also, include the proposition in the introduction paragraph. The proposition can have more than one key idea. The introduction paragraph should be about 20-25% of the whole essay and not more than that. Highlight the positive features and facts of the report.

5) BODY
Here you will express the central thought, arguments, and findings of the article in your own words, you can refer to the summary for some assistance. You will have to show the readers how the article supports its affirmation and make your conclusion on the article. Here you must keep in mind that you must not write the body in the first person pronouns and do not cover specific examples familiar to the experts in the field.
After reading and understanding the article properly you can support your affirmation with the evidence from the article. You can make use of quotes to support your points. You can also focus on showing if the information provided by the author supports the underlying argument of the essay or not.

6) CONCLUSION
The conclusion of the essay should include a summary of all the major points of the essay. It must also include your opinions about the importance and the validity of those points. You must finish the conclusion by recapitulating your hypothesis.
After finishing your work you must re-read it a day after as it will help you identify grammar mistakes or flaws if present. You must get a second opinion also before finalizing your work.

MISTAKES TO AVOID WHILE WRITING A REVIEW ESSAY

1) Over-dependence on an average source like nonacademic source etc.
2) Faulty grammar – Without proper grammar, your essay will look monotonous and unclear. This will make readers disinterested in reading your essay.
3) Repetition- In order to fulfill the word count some of you may repeat the same ideas and arguments and this, in turn, shows a lack of research done by you.
4) Lack of original ideas- Without proper explanation can make it difficult for the readers to interpret your points. While presenting evidence you must always remember to support it with some brief analysis.
5) Not editing properly- While editing you can come across some mistakes that can be corrected on time. A second opinion is a must before finalizing your work.

A review essay does not necessarily offer a definitive conclusion. It reveals your opinion on the work. It gives you room to experiment. All types of review essays have some kind of underlying theme whether you are reviewing single work, multiple works, or a single topic. Lastly, you must ensure that the readers are fully engaged while reading your essay as it is what will make your essay a successful one.

By: Ishita Sharma

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