Evaluation Essays“I write to discover what I know.”

Flannery O’Connor

Judgment Making Everyday we judge food, clothes, books,

classes, teachers, TV shows, political candidates, films.

“I like it or I don’t like it” are common phrases.

Want to be taken seriously? Provide valid reasons for your opinions.

Your reasons must be based on shared criteria that readers recognize as appropriate for evaluating the particular type of subject.

Appropriate reasons Must reflect the values or standards

typically used in evaluating the thing under consideration, such as a film, a poker game or a car.

Examples: Acting, musical score and story line are

common standards for judging a film, because the theatre was too cold or the popcorn too buttery are not.

Valid Support Using the support of experts in the subject

is important because it deals in specifics.

Proper evaluation is intelligently rigorous—not general in nature.

Importance of learning this genre. College students have many opportunities

to judge: Critiquing a book or journal article, judge

aspects of course work, assess the value of conflicting interpretations of a historical event or a short story, or evaluate your progress in a class.

What do you think is important? This is the basis of all Evaluation.

Reading and writing evaluations will help you understand your own values as well as those of others.

How do you bridge the differences of conflicting opinion?

Show respect for other’s concerns despite your disagreement by noting the differences and countering them within your essay.

This is what counterargument is all about.

Counterarguing Important for winning your argument.

Yes, to evaluate something falls under the umbrella of Argumentation.

Without countering, you risk losing your reader’s attention or trust in your logic.

Creating Common Ground In order to engage your reader, figure out a

way to create common ground—this is your hook—the thing that makes the reader want to read on.

Creativity in Evaluation Choice of subject matter, creation of

common ground with the reader, careful choice of outside sources and quotes, use of showing techniques and active verbs, a strong sense of voice and choice of detail all demonstrate the use of creativity and show the reader you care.

Where does the Imagination Fit in? Einstein said, “The new idea is found in the

imagination, not in the mind.” Of course, you must create a reasonable argument, but that does not mean to ignore your creative self.

And, finally… I will repeat the Flannery O’Connor quote

found on the first slide: “I write to discover what I know.”

With everything you write, the writer should learn something about himself or herself. That is the powerful secret behind writing.