Justifying an Evaluation
Essay #4 – English 111
We make evaluations every single day. We complain about the gross hotdogs in the cafeteria, or
make radical assertions about how profoundly the new Jack Johnson album changed our lives
(not really, but you get the idea, right?). Often times we offer no more than a simple, “Yeah, the
new Transformer movie sucks,” or “Last night’s episode of South Park was perverse.” These
judgmental statements are rarely accompanied by reasoned arguments or by evidence to support
the evaluations. Rarely do we think out or give detailed reasons for our assessments. We just
sometimes like to spit out these “gut reactions” for others to enjoy.
However, there are occasions in many professions and in college writing assignments (hint, hint)
that require a written evaluation. In these situations, we must provide the reader with a well-
developed, well-supported, convincing argument to justify our claim. Readers expect judgments
that are stated in writing to be authoritative and persuasive with a planned, coherent, organized,
and reasoned argument as support. In order to provide this, we must establish a clear set of
standards for our evaluations (called criteria) and support our judgments with reasons, evidence,
and examples.
“So…what’s the assignment?”
Your job is to evaluate an object of some kind: a website, book, movie, or other piece. You will
choose an object and evaluate its merits and weaknesses in light of specific criteria you (and your
intended audience) might believe are worthwhile. You will then make an overall evaluation
based on these criteria. Remember that your audience will expect you to provide sound and
well-developed reasoning for your evaluation discuss your object in terms of the criteria you’ve
selected. You will need to include specific examples to support and illustrate your opinions.
While you will be supporting your evaluation, maintain objectivity and do your best to present
the evaluation in an objective, academic, and critical tone.
“Ok…so where do I begin?”
1. The first step in constructing an evaluation is to determine the criteria by which you will
judge the piece. Keep in mind that while you are justifying your evaluation to your intended
audience, you need to be mindful of what your audience believes, thinks, or finds important
regarding your object. Which websites/books/movies might they enjoy in the first place?
Why do they like them? That might also hint at what kind of criteria you could/can use for
your evaluation.
2. Next, you will need to write a thesis that expresses two things:
Your overall judgment of the site/book/movie
AND
The criteria that you considered as you reached your decision
Caddy Fall 2013
ENG 111
For example: “While the visual elements on ‘GlobalVoicesOnline.org’ could be more
dynamic, its useful and current content, clear organization, and focus on understanding
the values of other nations make this website more than useful for the average user.”
3. You will need to provide a clear description of the object, summarizing important
information, plot points, etc. as best you can.
4. You will use the body of your essay to provide support for your evaluation by using specific
examples and reasons. For example, if you are positively evaluating a website’s currency,
you should provide examples of newly available information that the site offers its viewers.
5. Be sure to include a counter-argument. This means that even if your overall evaluation is
positive, you should be able to point to an element that either needs to be improved, or that
others might view as negative. (If your overall evaluation is negative, you will need to point
to an element that some might see as positive.)
Have fun, be creative, and most of all, show me that you understand how to construct a well-
organized, fully-developed argument.
Formatting
Essays must be word processed, double-spaced, and have standard 1” margins on the
right and left sides, top, and bottom of the page.
The font used for your final drafts should be 12-point Times New Roman or another
similarly proportioned and sized font.
In the upper left-hand corner (NOT inserted as a header!), type your name, the date, the
class (ENG111), and your instructor’s last name. This portion is also double spaced.
Pages must be numbered with your last name and page number in the upper right-hand
corner. If anything, have at least a number in the upper right hand corner.
Your essays must have a title, but do not a separate title page with your papers. The title
is centered on the next line after your name, date, class, and instructor’s name.
(Remember – a good title can go a long way. Plus, a good title is…well, good!)
Other Specifics: You MUST have sources for this essay, but there is a catch. You need 1-3
sources, but you MUST use the object you are evaluating as one of your sources. In other words,
if you use only one source, it must be the object you are evaluating. If you use 2 or 3, one of the
sources must be the object you are evaluating. The point is to have all of you do some form of
close, objective evaluation that is in-depth, detailed, and arguable. The essay is 4-5 pages in
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