you write this crituque essay
Dos and Don'ts of Critiquing
Do look for a lack of examples that make the writer jump to a conclusion hastily.
Don't forget to add the examples that he or she is missing.
(Look at our demonstration critique)
Do check that all the main ideas are defined well.
(Under what terms should kids get a trophy then? What if her daughter put in lots of effort and loved soccer, but still lost most of her games? Would she have deserved the trophy then? If we give rewards based on outcomes (winning the game), then we may not be sending the message that hard work and doing the best you can isn't enough. Are we setting up a culture that will be overly competitive and constantly fighting for the prize?)
Don't be a teacher.
(If the author had defined the term more clearly, it would have been a better paper/argument)
(The author asked several questions as a conclusion of two examples: the daughters and the mom's, which are not a good support to her idea that kids should not be awarded equally with different effort. The reason is that the author does not explain these questions thoroughly later in the article. Instead, she just keeps talking about her idea and explaining these questions narrowly. In my opinion, the author should exactly use one paragraph to explain these questions one by one, to make sure that readers totally understand her idea.)
Do find outside support to defend your position.
(Ron Alsop, a contributor to the Wall Street Journal, states, "Blame it on doting parents, teachers and coaches. Millennials are truly 'trophy kids,' the pride and joy of their parents.")
(The same survey also shows the generation's greatest expectations: higher pay (74% of respondents); flexible work schedules (61%); a promotion within a year (56%); and more vacation or personal time (50%) (Alsop 2008).
Don't tell the author to find outside support to make their argument stronger.
(Instead of a personal example, the author should have found more statistics to prove her point.)
Do thoroughly give your viewpoints about the author's ideas (analysis) AND the topic in general (opinion).
Don't use the first person to identify your viewpoints (unless giving a personal example)
(I completely agree with the author that rewards should only be given to the deserving children. -
Rewards should only be given to the deserving children.)
(Children should be allowed to experience losing; I believe it is as important as winning, as it pushes children to do better. - Children should be allowed to experience losing; it is as important as winning, as it pushes children to do better.)