WRITING TO ANALYSE REVIEW COMMENT

THE WRITING FRAMEWORK

The framework should serve as a guideline only: an individual reasoned response is the aim.  Before tackling the question make sure you are clear on the nature of the different parts.  For instance, let us look at this one:

Consider whether exams are getting easier, your reasons for your view and comment on how improvements could be made.

There are three parts to this question:

1.  The review part identifies what happens: it is the actual events, occurrences e.g.

‘More students have gained ‘C’ grades in the last ten years.’

The review is the first part of the article.

2.  The analysis explores why things happen: it is the consideration of causes, methods, reasons, looking at the underlying issues, sorting and interpreting e.g.

‘More students obtaining high grades does not necessarily mean that exams are getting easier; it may be that students are more motivated in a difficult financial climate and are working harder.’

The analysis is the middle section of the article.

3.  The comment considers the analysis, it evaluates (this means looking at its significance), i.e. you assess the relative merits, with view to reaching a considered recommendation on the best course of action.  It is the conclusion.  Some useful evaluative phrases:

• • ‘Because the benefits of doing x, are outweighed by …,’
  • ‘There needs to be a detailed investigation which looks at…because…’
  • ‘We must bear in mind that, on one hand, … ; on the other hand, there is the potential to ….’
  • ‘Whilst one solution would be to …, we must not forget …’
  • ‘I would prefer (something which is relatively appealing) to (something more unsatisfactory) because ….

Ideally you would evaluate put alternative solutions into a perspective so that you finally choose one.  Remember you are not trying to persuade someone to agree with you; you are, instead, reasoning your way through a problem to a rational conclusion.

Some More Useful Phrases:

• • As a result of …
  • One reason ….
  • This is/was due to …
  • Another …
  • another possible explanation
  • One cause is / may be
  • One solution
  • Whilst, …

SAMPLE ESSAY

THE QUESTION

Analyse one or more particular examples of cheating that you know of, and comment on apparently why cheating is common in some areas of life.

THE ESSAY / ARTICLE / REPORT

(The Review) Cheating is more common than people might think.  It is even probable that many people have cheated at one or more times in their lives.  There are examples in public life where people have been found to have cheated and lied about their qualifications.  Understandably, they do not want this fact to be commonly known, not because they would face disgrace.  One example of cheating, in schools, is the writing of coursework.  Although students are required to submit their own work, some do not.  Ways of cheating include: getting a parent or friend to complete the coursework and submitting it as their own; sometimes students will copy somebody’s work that has already been written and marked.

(The Analysis) The reasons behind this cheating may be laziness, pressure to achieve high grades, poor organisation or simply lack of time due to other commitments.  None of these justify the blatant deception involved.   However, it is not always only the student who is at fault.  Family or friends who give unauthorised aid are equally to blame.  Despite the many excuses, which include wanting to see their friends do well and wanting to help relieve a friend’s stress, neither pupil nor abettor can be excused.  Their ways of thinking can be understood but not condoned.  A student knowingly handing in work that is not her own is guilty of deception and fraudulent behaviour.

. … … …

The Comment) Having studied three ways of cheating, it is clear that there is a recurrent theme: ambition.  It seems that people, on both a large and a small scale, will do anything to achieve what they desire.  This selfishness is a part of human nature and it accounts for cheating worldwide.