Reflective Writing 3 - Critical Writing vs Descriptive Writing

Source: gradcoach.com

Hello readers. Welcome to my blog. Well, in this session I would like to talk about critical writing versus descriptive writing. Happy reading!

This course created a comfortable environment that encouraged students, including myself, to participate in active discussions. The lecturer was allowing us to share thoughts about focuses on the differences between critical writing versus descriptive writing with my friends by finding the information from the internet, it started from the definitions, characteristics, and the examples of it. The discussion was very helpful in broadening my views and knowledge of critical academic writing and descriptive writing. However, after learning critical writing and descriptive writing over the course. I know that critical writing is a type of writing where the writer defines the task, identifies, and refines the thesis. The purpose of defining the task in critical writing is to convey our point clearly so that our main point of what we mean to express is expressed in our writing. We know that critical writing is writing that analyzes and evaluates the material, then we need to identify in critical writing usually from several sources, to construct an argument. The last refines our thesis at the end of our critical writing is very important to allow us to remind our readers of what we have proven in our body paragraphs to build our critical writing to an effective conclusion. Furthermore, the characteristics of critical writing, are: identifies its significance (explains what the impact of the event was, especially concerning the research question), evaluates strengths and weaknesses (explains how this is relevant to the key issue and research question), evaluates the relative significance of details, and makes reasoned judgments. So that they can help us to write critically. Besides, in critical writing, there are several structures that we must use to build our critical writing. It is begun with a claim, reasons, or justification, then example or evidence, elaboration or justification of the evidence, and conclusion or concluding sentence. For instance:

Consuming junk food is bad for our health [claim]. Eating junk food can lead to an increase in chronic disease and obesity [reason]. According to Christy Brissette (2018), one of North America’s leading nutrition experts, she said that junk food is linked to a higher risk of obesity, digestive issues, heart disease, stroke, type two diabetes, cancer, and early death [justification]. In addition, based on Metro News (2021), Kerry Warren, a woman 33 years old died after developing serious health issues caused by junk food [example or evidence]. This is because most fast food is high in sugar, salt, saturated fat, trans fats, processed ingredients, and calories [elaboration]. So, consuming junk food is bad for our health because these give some bad impacts on our body [conclusion].

While descriptive writing is a type of writing where the writer describes the topic, and the content of the text without providing arguments. The characteristics of descriptive writing, are: states what happened (the event), state what something is like (explains what a theory says), lists details, states the order in which things happened, says how to do something (instructs to do something). For example, the sunset filled the sky with a deep red flame, setting the clouds ablaze. These points are important for good descriptive writing so order to create an impression of an event, a place, a person, or even an object in the mind of the reader. In other words, we should tell our readers what they need to know in order to better understand and follow our argument, but we should not modify that knowledge. In conclusion, when you write critically, you are persuading the reader of our point of view on a topic. However, Critical writing, which includes reflection, researching, note-taking, as well as reading, is a great technique to improve our writing skills. Whereas When you write descriptively, on the other hand, you are just informing them of what you have read, observed, or done. From my explanations about critical writing versus descriptive writing above. I can understand how to create a good critical writing. As a college student, critical writing can very help me in doing my assignments, as well as, to write my reflective writing. Hopefully, you can get a lot of knowledge from my writing.