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Reading: essays, reports and criticism
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An opinion essay
- Is working from home good for society? Supporters point to the hours saved on commuting and the freedom to live anywhere. Critics answer that homes make poor offices: collaboration suffers, and junior staff lose the chance to learn by watching others. The truth probably lies in the middle. Companies that offer both options tend to keep their staff longest — and choice, it turns out, is what people value most.
- An essay builds: question → one side → the other side → the writer's judgement (lies in the middle … choice is what people value most).
What is the writer's judgement in the working-from-home essay?
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“The truth probably lies in the middle … choice is what people value most.”
Translate into English: 真相大概在中间。
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lie in the middle — the answer is between the two sides.
A report: facts with figures
- Cycling in our city has grown sharply. Five years ago, only 4% of journeys to work were made by bike; today the figure is 11%. The change followed the construction of 40 kilometres of protected cycle lanes. Accidents involving cyclists have fallen by a third, even though there are far more cyclists on the road. The next stage, says the transport office, is to connect the suburbs to the network.
- A report is built on numbers: 4% → 11%, 40 km, accidents down a third. Read the figures, get the story.
What share of journeys to work are made by bike today?
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“Today the figure is 11%” — 4% was five years ago.
True or false? Cycling accidents have risen by a third.
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Accidents have FALLEN by a third, even with more cyclists on the road.
Criticism: evaluation with nuance
- The Silent Garden, by J. M. Hall — At first glance, this is a quiet novel about an old man and his garden. Look closer, and it becomes a study of grief and recovery. Hall's prose is spare but precise, and the final chapter, though slow, earns its tears. Readers who need fast plots should look elsewhere; everyone else will be richly rewarded.
- Criticism evaluates: first impression (quiet novel) → deeper reading (study of grief) → verdict with a condition (who should read it).
Who should read The Silent Garden, according to the review?
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“Readers who need fast plots should look elsewhere; everyone else will be richly rewarded.”
A feature: a person, a place, a point
- Every morning at six, before the market opens, Li Wei unlocks his family's dumpling shop, just as his mother did for thirty years. The recipe has never changed: pork, ginger, and a secret she never wrote down. When developers offered him a fortune for the shop, Li Wei said no. "Some things," he says, folding another dumpling, "you cannot sell."
- A feature tells a small story to make a big point — the final line carries the meaning.
Why did Li Wei refuse the developers' offer?
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“Some things, you cannot sell.”
Complete: The recipe has never changed: pork, ginger, and a ___ she never wrote down.
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“A secret she never wrote down.”
Fact or opinion?
- Reports give facts you can check (4%, 40 km). Essays and reviews give opinions you can argue with (homes make poor offices).
- Ask of every sentence: can I check this, or is someone judging? That is how you read critically.
Fact or opinion?
A fact can be checked; an opinion is someone's judgement.
Common traps
- ❌ even though = because → ✓ despite: accidents fell even though there are more cyclists.
- ❌ a fortune = good luck → ✓ a very large amount of money.
- ❌ look elsewhere = look at other places → ✓ choose something else (to read).
- ❌ first glance = first sight → ✓ at first reading / on the surface — expect a deeper reading to follow.
Write three sentences giving your view on working from home: one side, the other side, and your judgement.
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Example: “Supporters say it saves time. Critics say it is lonely. In my view, two days a week at home is best.”
Your turn
- Read the essay again. Say both sides in one sentence each, then the writer's judgement in your own words.
- Write three sentences giving your view on working from home: one side, the other side, your judgement.
Keep the reading working
- Tomorrow, before you reopen this page: read one short English article and label two sentences: one fact, one opinion.
- Next in this course: contrast linkers. Reading one level down: blogs, reviews and articles. Exam-level reading: IELTS.