Lecture Essay writing & presentation skills - Lecture 14: Evaluation Essay

The main contents of the chapter consist of the following: How to write an argumentative/ persuasive essay? well written argumentative/ persuasive essay, steps for writing a argumentative/ persuasive essay, topic selection, dos and don’ts, common mistakes, example, general essay writing tips.

Lecture 14

Evaluation Essay

Evaluation Essay

Evaluation essays are just like reviews

* They judge whether something Is:

— good or bad,

- better or worse than other similar things

* We are familiar with this sort of writing In book

or movie reviews

Evaluation papers can be serious, or funny.

Evaluation Essay

We all love to read the review of a really bad movie or restaurant experience If you like to write satire, this can be a great paper

to try out your humor Chances are, you will have a great time, and so will your reader

How to Write Evaluation

- This type of critical writing gives fair and sound supporting evidence, so that the reader can form their opinion about the subject

Steps for Writing Evaluation

Essay

Step # 1: Choose a topic that you would like

to write about Since you will need to

make a value judgment, based on a set

of criterion, you should know your

Subject well

Step # 2: Formulate your thesis The thesis

of an evaluation essay Is its overall purpose and should be stated clearly

Steps for Writing Evaluation

Essay Step # 3: Think of the criterion that you are going to use to make your judgment

It is difficult or even impossible to

this process easier

Step # 4: Find supporting evidence to

Steps for Writing Evaluation

Essay Step # 5: Make a rough draft of your paper In — this draft, organize the criterion and the evidence that you find

Steps for Writing Evaluation

Essay Step # 6: Write the paper, following the

body part, and conclusion

>» In the introduction, introduce your value judgment about the chosen topic

>» In the main body part, present your supporting evidences

» In the conclusion briefly summarize your material

and restate your final judgment

Step # 7: Thoroughly proofread your essay

Topic Selection

In order to evaluate something, you need to compare it with the best example of that particular thing

So, to help you develop your topic into an essay, there are two Important questions to ask when you are choosing your topic to evaluate:

- What category of a thing Is it?

What are you Evaluating?

* What sort of a topic you are evaluating?

- Then you need to decide what would make

an excellent movie in that genre In your

opinion

— For example:

Evaluation Essay

- Some possible topics of an evaluation

essay are listed below:

— Evaluate a vacation spot, or your favorite

park

—- Evaluate activities that kids are involved in after school Should kids be in organized

activities or be allowed time for free play?

- Evaluate a class you are taking, or evaluate how well your high school prepared you for

Key Points to Consider

enthusiastic or negative your attitude Is towards the chosen topic, the general tone

of your essay should be reasonable

-— In some cases humor Is acceptable, but, since

it is still an academic writing, try to write It In

an appropriate scholarly manner.

Key Points to Consider

experience, descriptions or comparisons with similar objects as evidence

‘ An evaluation essay isn’t about giving an unbiased point of view — you come up with

an evaluative thesis and provide evidences

Key Points to Consider

* The more controversial the subject you have chosen for your essay, the more Supporting arguments you might need

‘ It is also useful to present the opposite point of view In this way you will show that you are aware that other opinions on the

tovic also eyist.

How to Write an Evaluation

Essay

i Present the Subject in an Interesting

Way:

- Give the Right Amount of Detail

- Help Reader Decide their Evaluation

—- More Review than Summary

Summary should not be more than 1/3 portion of

essay

How to Write an Evaluation

to help you make notes for your paper

Separate them into three columns like this:

Criteria — Evidence — Judgment

How to Write an Evaluation

Argue for your Judgment

As you state each of your judgments, you need to give reasons to prove that they are specific,

interesting and convincing

Evidence can be describing the subject, quoting, using personal anecdote or comparing and contrasting with a similar subject

Sometimes you may want to counter-argue, if you

disagree with what most people think

- For example, if your subject is very popular and you

think it is terrible, you may want to state what most people think and tell why you disagree.

Dos

* When choosing your topic, mind that some subjects may be of an interest for one group of people, but, at the same time, completely uninteresting for another

One.

Dos

Do make sure that your evidence Is

balanced between the criteria

- Your essay will look much better if you find convincing arguments for each of your

criterion

- Avoid situations when you use one strong

evidence for one criterion, and none for

Dos

- Do find the conventional standard within

the topic you’ve chosen to use It as a model for distinguishing your own points, and writing an essay

punctuation, and proofread your essay

carefully.

Don'ts

‘ Don’t forget to state clearly your value judgment, otherwise it will be difficult to understand what your paper Is about

- Dont be afraid to be concrete in your

assessments

— Use catching verbs and lively nouns In your

araiments and avoid heIna fon qaeneral or

Don ts

Don’t be afraid to give both positive and negative assessments to the same object in one paper

— For example, when describing a restaurant:

- you might write that Cuisine was delicious and the atmosphere was very sophisticated, but at the same time the service quality could be better, and

LL ~~ lanntiamam nf thn pramtamarpriypmrmimbtiiunrmrm ~rinarmanramnr LaZAlh,

Don ts

- Don’t be too informal

— Of course, your style of writing will be better If kept within some limits

- Don’t use topics that are overused

- People will not be motivated to read your essay, If It Is going to cover the same ground.

Common Mistakes

Confusing the evaluation essay with a

review

—- Areview is a brief summary of a book, a movie

or a play, while an evaluation paper provides readers with your personal assessment about

a certain object.

- Using routed arguments.

Pre-Writing

Exercise for Evaluation Essay

Pre-Writing Exercise for Evaluation

Pre-Writing Exercise for Evaluation

Essay

1 What IS your subject? Do a _ short

description or summary of it This can be

In a list or a paragraph

2 What did you expect before you

experience match your expectation or

reverse it?

Pre-Writing Exercise for Evaluation

Essay

3 What category does your subject fall

Into? Be sure to try to get as specific and narrow as possible

What would you consider to be the

very best example of this category? Explain why?

Pre-Writing Exercise for Evaluation

Essay

s Using your analysis in number 4, what do

you think a good example of this subject needs to have?

— These can turn Into your criteria for judging

your subject If you are having trouble, you can also think of how you can divide your subject into parts, or aspects of your subject

Answer: Here are some parts of my

Subject that | thought were very effective:

Pre-Writing Exercise for Evaluation

Essay

7, Here are some parts | thought were not

as effective:

s Use your answers to make a 3 column

log by putting three lines down a paper and heading them with:

— Criteria- Evidence- Judgment

If | had to put my evaluation in one

sentence can be your thesis

Recap

‘ What is Evaluation Essay?

- Evaluation or Review; Similar yet Different

- Steps for writing Evaluation Essay

* Topic Selection

* What are you Evaluating

* How to Write an Evaluation Essay

‘ Dos and Don'ts

* Common Mistakes