C2 Lesson 3: Writing Critically and Analytically with Insight
You have mastered the structure of various professional and academic genres. The final skill of a C2-level writer is to infuse these texts with critical and analytical1 thought. This means moving beyond presenting information to providing your own unique and well-supported insight2.
An analytical writer doesn't just describe what is happening; they explore *how* and *why* it is happening and what its broader implications are.
Description vs. Analysis
Descriptive writing states the facts. Analytical writing interprets the meaning and significance of those facts.
| Descriptive Writing (What?) | Analytical Writing (How? Why? So what?) |
|---|---|
| The data shows that social media use has increased by 50%. | The 50% increase in social media use suggests a fundamental shift in how young people construct their social identities. |
| Source A argues for Policy X. Source B argues for Policy Y. | The conflict between Source A and Source B's proposals reveals a deeper ideological disagreement about the role of government. |
How to Develop Critical Insight
Critical thinking is a skill you can develop by asking deeper questions about any topic before and during your writing process.
A Framework for Critical Questions
- Question Assumptions: What is being taken for granted or assumed to be true here? Is it really?
- Consider the "So What?": Why does this information matter? What are its broader implications or consequences?
- Look for Relationships: How does this idea connect to a larger economic, social, or historical trend? How does it contradict or support another idea?
- Examine All Perspectives: Who benefits from this situation? Who is harmed or left out of the conversation?
Analysis in Action: Deconstructing a Paragraph
Let's analyze a paragraph about the impact of a new dam on the Mekong River. Notice how it moves beyond just stating facts.
While official government reports on the new hydroelectric dam tend to focus exclusively on its economic benefits, such as increased energy production, a more critical analysis reveals a far more complex reality. This narrow economic perspective, for example, systematically fails to account for the profound, long-term ecological consequences of altering the river's natural flow. The disruption to fish migration patterns, a direct result of the dam's construction, is not merely a scientific detail; it represents a significant threat to the food security and traditional livelihoods of thousands of families who live downstream. Therefore, evaluating the dam's "success" requires a more holistic framework that weighs the quantifiable benefits of electricity against the intangible but crucial costs to human communities and the environment.
Analysis: This paragraph doesn't just state facts. It questions the "official reports," analyzes the "long-term consequences," explains the significance ("not merely a scientific detail"), and concludes with an insightful new idea (the need for a "holistic framework").
C2 Critical Writing Checklist
- ✔️ Are my writing move beyond description and into analysis, explaining *how* and *why*?
- ✔️ Have I questioned the underlying assumptions of my topic or sources?
- ✔️ Does my writing synthesize information to create a new, original insight?
- ✔️ Have I considered the broader implications and consequences of the points I am making?
Practice Quiz: Descriptive or Analytical?
Read the two sentences below. Which one is more analytical?
- The survey found that 85% of young people in Cambodia use a smartphone every day.
- The fact that 85% of young Cambodians use a smartphone daily indicates that digital literacy is no longer an optional skill but a fundamental requirement for social and economic participation.
Answer: B. Sentence A is purely descriptive—it states a fact. Sentence B is analytical—it interprets the *meaning and significance* of that fact.
Homework: From Description to Analysis
Your homework is to practice the crucial skill of moving from a simple fact to an insightful analysis.
Factual Statement: "In the last five years, the number of international coffee chain branches in Phnom Penh has increased by 300%."
Your Task: In your notebook, write a short analytical paragraph (3-4 sentences) that uses this fact as evidence. Do not just state the fact. Your paragraph should:
- Start with a topic sentence that makes an argument about what this trend means.
- Present the fact as evidence.
- Provide 1-2 sentences of your own analysis, explaining the deeper meaning or implications of this trend (e.g., what does it suggest about globalization, local culture, or the city's economy?).
Vocabulary Glossary
- Analytical (writing): (Adjective) - Khmer: បែបវិភាគ - Relating to or using analysis or logical reasoning to examine the parts of a topic. ↩
- Insight: (Noun) - Khmer: ការយល់ដឹងស៊ីជម្រៅ - An accurate and deep understanding of a person or thing. ↩
- Implication / Consequence: (Noun) - Khmer: ផលប៉ះពាល់ / ផលវិបាក - A likely future effect or result of an action or event. ↩
- To interrogate (an idea): (Verb) - Khmer: សួរចម្លើយ - To question an idea deeply and thoroughly to find its core meaning or weaknesses. ↩
- Holistic: (Adjective) - Khmer: ជារួម - Dealing with or treating the whole of something or someone and not just a part.