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.
Trang 1Lecture 14
Trang 3Evaluation 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
Trang 4Evaluation 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
Trang 5How to Write Evaluation
Essay?
* People make judgments all the time about everything that surrounds them
- Each day we face various facts and scenes, and to act adequately we need to develop our assessment of them
Trang 6Steps 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
Trang 7Steps 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
evaluate something immediately, so
allocate several touchstones to make
this process easier
Trang 8Steps for Writing Evaluation
Essay
Trang 9Steps for Writing Evaluation
Essay
Step # 6: Write the paper, following the
classic structure of an introduction, main
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
Trang 10Topic 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:
Trang 11What are you Evaluating?
* What sort of a topic you are evaluating? — For instance: - |f itis a movie, then what genre? — Horror? —- Romance? Disney? —- Family Movie?
- Then you need to decide what would make an excellent movie in that genre In your
opinion
Trang 12Evaluation 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
Trang 13Key Points to Consider
* Remember, that no matter how
enthusiastic or negative your attitude Is towards the chosen topic, the general tone of your essay should be reasonable
Trang 14Key Points to Consider
- You can use quotations, personal
experience, descriptions or comparisons with similar objects as evidence
Trang 15Key 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
Trang 16How 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
Trang 17How to Write an Evaluation Essay 2 Make a Clear, Authoritative Judgment (2/3 of paper) Thesis sentence should tell exactly what you think Define the audience Create a Three-Column-Log
to help you make notes for your paper
Trang 18How to Write an Evaluation
3 Essay
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
Trang 19Dos
* 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
Trang 20Dos
Do pick at least 4-5 criteria to make an assessment
Trang 21Dos
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
Trang 22Dos
- 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
‘ Do use proper grammar and
punctuation, and proofread your essay
Trang 23Don'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
Trang 24Don 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
Trang 25Don 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
Trang 26Common Mistakes
Confusing the evaluation essay with a
review
Trang 27Common Mistakes
‘ Distinguishing an insufficient number
of criterion
- If you have less than at least three criteria, you wont be able to assess your object entirely
Trang 28Pre-Writing
Exercise for
Trang 29Pre-Writing Exercise for Evaluation
Essay
- This exercise is intended to help you prepare to write your Evaluation Essay
- As you fill out the questions, you will be Starting to write notes that can turn into
Trang 30Pre-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
viewed your subject? Did your
experience match your expectation or
Trang 31Pre-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?
Trang 32Pre-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
Trang 33Pre-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 it would be This
Trang 34Recap
‘ 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