How should I include critical viewpoints in my essay?

Critics can be very difficult to engage with effectively. The best way to go about responding to a critic is by understanding how it fits into the familiar PEA/PEE (Point Evidence Analysis/Explain) formula. A solid starting point would be to follow your Analysis with the critical viewpoint (PEAC), which indicates you have considered the critic's opinion in relation to your own argument.

Once you are comfortable with how you respond to critics, you can begin to stregnthen your approach by mixing up the PEAC formula. Opening with a critical viewpoint (CPEA), for example, will allow you to organise an entire paragraph (and therefore your argument) around a critical response. This will make for a more engaged response, and will help you to produce a top-band answer.

JH
Answered by James H. English Literature tutor

6596 Views

See similar English Literature A Level tutors

Related English Literature A Level answers

All answers ▸

Compare and contrast characters that suffer from hysteria in The Yellow Wallpaper and The Bell Jar


Explore the significance of this extract in relation to the tragedy of the play as a whole. (Act 1, Scene 2 of Othello)


How can I remember enough about a novel to answer a close-book exam question?


How do I structure an essay?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning