If you are asked to do a general analysis, you can include what you think are the most important problems and assets of the text. For academic critiques, the introduction should outline what you are being asked to critique. This can be done in the introduction or near the end, if you desire. Critiques based on works in progress should begin and end with positive assessments. The positive assessments should begin with a general description of what is positive in the text. Then, you can include praise of imagery, characters and other details. For a published work, this will give your basis for review. For a non-published work, this will tell the author how you interpreted the work. You do not need to do an analysis of all of these elements, unless you are asked to by the author or assignment. Focus on things that stuck out as you read and reread the work. Try not to refer to things that need work as weaknesses. If you are doing an academic critique, add how you interpreted the work and found it convincing and complete. If you are doing a draft writing critique, feel free to leave a few opinions or topics for thought and discussion. Consider presenting your critique to the author in person. Written critiques do not have the nuance of verbal critiques.

Summary: Clarify with the author or professor what you are being asked to critique. Introduce the critique with a short description of the author and text. Explain the significance of the work. Begin with positive critiques, if you are writing the critique based on a draft. Include a short summary of the work next. Do an analysis of the larger elements of fiction, such as plot, setting, protagonist, antagonist and point of view. Add both positive and negative points under each section. Explain the overall success of the work in the conclusion.


Buildings include the home, classroom, theater, restaurants and any other building you can think of. The exception to this rule is indoor areas that are considered public areas, such as lobbies or elevators.  This rule apply said to all kinds of hats, including baseball caps. If a woman enters the elevator, a man should remove his hat. He may put the hat back on, or “don” it, once he has left the elevator and entered the corridor. It is a sign of respect to remove your hat during wedding processions, funeral processions, and formal photographs. You should also remove it during the national anthem.  Hold your hat appropriately when you remove it. Hold it so that the internal lining is not visible to others. During the national anthem, hold your hat with your right hand, so that the hat covers your left shoulder, and your right hand is over your heart. This is known as “doffing” your hat. Removing the hat is a sign of respect to the person you are conversing with, such as when you are being introduced to someone or entering a conversation.  When meeting a superior or someone of repute outdoors, remove your hat to show deference. If a conversation in which you've removed your hat carries on for more than a minute, you may replace your hat on your head. The hat may also be placed back upon the head if the conversation moves elsewhere, or occurs on the move. Some places of worship, such as mosques, require your head to be covered while visiting. Keep your hat on your head if you visit such a building.  Yamulkes/kippahs are often required in Jewish synagogues, (or appreciated for gentiles). If you do not have one, spare head covering is often available at the entrance.  Some churches or circles of Christian thought require head coverings during worship or prayer. Check with your congregation to see if they require covering.

Summary: Remove your hat when entering a building. Remove your hat during formal events and processions. Remove your hat when you start a conversation. Keep your hat on when required.


Small surface cracks and chips that don't go all the way through the granite can be unsightly, but they don't pose a threat to the longevity of your granite surface. In fact, small cracks that go with the grain of the granite, called fissures, are a normal aspect of the stone.  If you can only see a hairline crack from a very specific angle and you can't feel it when you run your hand across the surface, then it is likely that the crack is completely harmless and can be left alone. To ensure that these small imperfections do not become more unsightly, be sure to seal your granite regularly, usually once a year. In order to make the repair blend in with the rest of the slab, you will need to color the glue to match it. This is done by using some of the granite to color the glue. To create granite dust, use a grinder with a diamond grinding bit to go over the surface of a matching piece of granite. The fine dust created is what you will use.  You will need no more than 2 teaspoons of granite powder to repair most cracks under 1 foot (0.30 m) long. If you have an extra piece of the counter top material, you can use this. You can also remove a bit of granite dust from an area that is not visible, such as the underside of a counter top. Wear a dust mask that is rated for this type of particulate. Cover the area all around the chip or crack so that the filler will not get all over the surface. Use painter's tape or any other tape product that can hold up to epoxy or resin, and yet will come off the granite easily when you are done. Mask off to within 1⁄8 inch (0.32 cm) around the whole crack or chip so that cleaning up will be easier. Follow the directions supplied with the epoxy you are using, which typically includes mixing a set amount of each part of the epoxy with each other. Then add the granite dust until the product is a thick paste that is the same general color as the granite.  Pick an epoxy that states on its packaging that it can be used for granite or stone repair. Use a wooden paint mixer or other disposable tool with at least 1 flat side to mix the epoxy. Tongue depressors work exceptionally well for this job. This tool will then also be used for applying the epoxy to the crack. Smear the epoxy into the crack or chip until it is filled. You can do this with the tool you used to mix the epoxy. Then smooth it out as much as you can, as any bumps will need to be sanded down. The epoxy does tend to shrink a bit while drying, so it's better to over-fill the crack than to under-fill it.
Summary: Determine whether the crack or chip needs to be repaired at all. Collect matching granite dust. Mask off the area. Mix 2-part epoxy and the granite dust. Apply the epoxy.