english

Useful Language for a Critical Review

Summary language

 This article is divided into two / three parts. First...

 While the title might suggest...

 The tone appears to be...

 The second / third claim is based on...

 The author challenges the notion that...

 The author tries to make more modest claims...

 This article is aimed at... This intended

readership...

 The article examines the...

 The author develops / suggests a theoretical /

pedagogical model to…

 This article positions itself firmly within the field of...

 The argument is therefore...

 The author asks "..."

 This article contributes to the field of...

 The article is intended to encourage students / researchers to...

 The approach taken by the author provides the opportunity to examine...in a qualitative /

quantitative research framework…

 The author notes / claims that…

 According to Author (Year)…

Evaluation language

***Evaluation is the most important part in a critical review.

Positive

 This chosen framework enlightens…

 The authors rightly conclude that ...

 The author’s work is a detailed, well-written and rigorous account of...

 The beginning of...provides an informative overview into...

 The author wisely suggests / proposes that...

 The reader is rewarded with...

 There is no denying the author's subject knowledge nor his / her...

 As it stands, the central focus of Title of Article is well supported by its empirical findings...

 In addition, this research proves to be timely as…

 On this well researched basis the author emphasises / proposes that...

Negative

 This argument is not entirely convincing, as...

 However, through trying to integrate...with...the author...

 There are difficulties with such a position as…

 Inevitably, several crucial questions are left unanswered by this insightful / timely

 / interesting…

 This article is not without disappointment from those who would view...as...

 This analysis intends to be...but falls a little short as...

 The tables / figures do little to help / greatly help the reader...

 This explanation has a few/ several weaknesses. The first is...

 The author's brief introduction to...may leave the intended reader confused as it fails to

properly...

 Less convincing is the broad-sweeping generalisation that...

 The author's prose is dense and littered with unnecessary jargon...

 As it stands, the central focus of Title of Article is poorly supported by its empirical findings...

 For instance, the term...is never properly defined and the reader left to guess as to whether...

 The article becomes repetitious in its assertion that...

 The thread of the author's argument becomes lost in an overuse of empirical data...

 When considering all the data presented…it is not clear...

Conclusion language

 Overall this article / book is an analytical look at...which within the field of...is often

overlooked.

 Despite its problems, Title offers valuable theoretical insights / interesting examples and a

starting point for researchers of...

 This detailed and rigorously argued article...

 This article by Author ... is highly informative...