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Justifying An Evaluation

The document provides guidance on how to write an effective evaluation or review. It discusses including key criteria for judgment, providing background information on the subject, stating a clear thesis with an overall judgment, addressing alternative judgments, using logical organization, and offering a balanced judgment that discusses both strengths and weaknesses. Revising and proofreading are also important to improve the draft.

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Mohsin Mumtaz
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153 views

Justifying An Evaluation

The document provides guidance on how to write an effective evaluation or review. It discusses including key criteria for judgment, providing background information on the subject, stating a clear thesis with an overall judgment, addressing alternative judgments, using logical organization, and offering a balanced judgment that discusses both strengths and weaknesses. Revising and proofreading are also important to improve the draft.

Uploaded by

Mohsin Mumtaz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Justifying an Evaluation

 Evaluations are made and distributed in a range of media for different purposes and
audiences. Students of a history course may, for example, obtain a review and post it on
the class site, which will provide a description of the key points of the book and an
examination of the authors' support for these arguments with credible proofs and reliable
sources.
 Choosing Appropriate Criteria:
The success of evaluation depends on whether readers agree that the criteria being
applied are sound and based on widely accepted standards of judgment.
 A well Presented Subject:
Read first to identify the subject of the review, which is often named in the title (for
example, “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: A Hell of a Ride”) and described briefly in the
opening paragraphs. Look also to see how the writer classifies the subject in terms of its
genre.
 A Well Supported Judgment:
Identify the judgment the writer asserts, and determine whether he or she thinks the
subject is good or bad, better or worse than other things in the same genre. Typically,
writers announce their judgment in a thesis statement early in the evaluation.
 An Effective Response to Objections and Alternative Judgments:
Notice how the writer responds to objections to the argument or to alternative judgments
readers might prefer. Writers may concede (accept) or refute (argue against) alternatives,
providing a transition or other cues to alert readers.
 A Clear Logical Organization:
Read to see if the writer provides cues to help readers follow the logic of the argument.
 A Well-Presented Subject: Providing Information:
Reviews usually begin by providing basic information about the subject. For example,
William Akana’s title identifies his subject by name, “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: A Hell
of a Ride.” The second paragraph also provides the kinds of information readers expect to
learn from film reviews, such as the name of the director (and his or her well-known
films), the main actors and their roles, the setting, and a brief summary of the plot.
 Consider possible topics: Offering a mixed judgment:
 Some of the most effective and interesting evaluations are neither wholly positive nor
negative. Instead, they point out both strengths and weaknesses while developing a clear
overall judgment.
 A Clear, Logical Organization: Using Comparison and Contrast:
Lengthy evaluations can be difficult to follow, but writers have a number of strategies at
their disposal to help guide readers. They may use transitional words and phrases or
numbered lists, as Gladwell does. But they may also use subtler strategies to help create
cohesion.
 Formulate a working thesis stating your overall judgment.
 Develop the reasons and evidence supporting your judgment.
 Organize your draft to appeal to your readers.
 Write the opening sentences:
Offer an anecdote
Start with an assumption or expectation that will be reversed, perhaps surprisingly
Begin with a comparison your readers are likely to be familiar with:
 Improving the Draft: Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
 Making Complete, Logical, and Grammatically Correct Comparisons

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