User:Crestfalling/Writing "Reception" sections

Common problems

• Too many quotes = breaking up flow
• Too few quotes = giving opinions in Wikivoice
• Repetitive wording is boring
• Repetitive, or lack of, sentence structure is boring and hard to follow
• A collection of opinions without organization is hard to follow and inefficient

Quoting

• Avoid quotes longer than a sentence unless it's really necessary for context.
• Descriptions/observations (anything that's akin to a fact) should generally not be quoted
• Opinions, such as "fantastic" or "unique" should generally be quoted
• Try to prioritize concise summaries over unusual turns of phrase

Wording

Bold = common, unformatted = use for variety

Strong positive

• Acclaimed, lauded
• Hailed, applauded, celebrated

Positive

• Praised, commended, spoke favorably of, expressed approval of
• Positively reviewed, was enthused by, enjoyed

Neutral

• Noted, wrote, stated, said
• Remarked

Mixed

• Was ambivalent about, offered a mixed assessment of
• Expressed reservations towards

Negative

• Criticized, was critical of, disliked, was disappointed/unenthused by, disapproved of
• Reviewed unfavorably, found fault with

Strong negative

• Rejected, dismissed, was sharply critical of
• Lambasted

Analytical

• Observed, found, examined, commented on, discussed
• Highlighted, emphasized, singled out, identified

Evaluative

• Described, characterized, regarded, considered
• Deemed, judged

Argumentative

• Contended, argued, opined

Comparative analysis

For when grouping two critics' opinions together

Similar

• Concurred, offered a similar assessment

Neutral

• While, and

Comparative

• More/less favorable, more/less positive

Contrasting

• Whereas, in contrast, however

Structure

See WP:RECEPTION for more examples.

• Organize paragraphs by thematic topic (characters, plot, genre approach, animation, legacy/influence, etc.)
• Within each topic, signpost at the beginning with a topic sentence, such as "The animation was generally well-received".
• Use demonstrative quotes/opinions from critics in accordance with due weight. For example, if almost every critic says the same thing, then use two quotes that establish a consensus.
• If you don't have enough sources to confidently say the sample is representative, then try saying "several critics [verb]" or "[adjective] by several reviewers".

Topic sentences

Strongly positive (don't use unless you have a third-party source saying this, otherwise it's WP:SYNTH)

• Was universally acclaimed

Positive (almost all available reviews say similar things)

• Acclaimed, enthusiastically received, lauded, commended

Mostly positive (many reviews say similar things)

• Praised, well-/positively/favorably/warmly received, approved of

Somewhat positive (a majority of reviews say similar things)

• Met with mostly favorable reactions, generally well-/positively/favorably/warmly received

Mixed

• Mixed, divided on, disagreed, varied

Somewhat negative

• Mixed-to-negative, leaned negative

Mostly negative

• Disapproved of, were unenthused by

Negative

• Criticized, disliked, largely negative

Strongly negative (once again, use a third-party source for this)

• Was universally criticized, panned, lambasted