Evaluation essays

It is always pleasant to give your appraisal regarding something. If you like sharing your ideas with others, you would love to write an evaluation essay. If you have never completed this type of a written assignment, the following article is just for you.

Such a paper aims to provide a reader with a general view of a specific quality of a subject matter. It can be anything from a gadget or service and up to a business sector. It would help if you understood that this essay presupposes your opinion; however, it should not be too obstinate.

What you should include in the evaluation paper is a well-thought and unbiased opinion regarding a specific issue. Profound reasoning is a secret ingredient of your essay. It may seem to be a challenging task at first glance. However, there are specific steps that would help complete this written assignment successfully. Find these out in the following article.

Evaluation essay elements

Three fundamental determinants can help you to craft an excellent evaluation paper. These are criteria, evidence, and judgment. Thus, these determinants affect the way you write your work. Have a closer look at these elements:

• Criteria. To put it simply, criteria are the characteristics that comprise the ideal picture of the subject matter. For instance, if you estimate a coffee machine, you already have a perfect image of it. You know what you want to get from the best coffee machine, which features make it outstanding, even its shape, color, or size add to this image.

You can perceive criteria as a collection of expectations regarding service, item, or brand. When you have a straightforward suite of benchmarks on your mind, you know how to approach the subject of your paper. It would be easier for you to organize your evaluation with the ready criteria. Note that every new criterion should be introduced in a new paragraph. Thus, you will have a paragraph with a criterion, judgment, and evidence in it.

• Judgment. As for the judgment, it is relatively simple. You already have your criteria — the ideal metrics — and now, you can judge whether the item under consideration has got any of the characteristics that make it closer to the perfect image.

At the same time, there is no need to stick to your ideal image if the subject matter is even better.

The evaluation essay allows you to present your critical skills as well. For example, perhaps your coffee machine not only meets your expectations but also exceeds them. You can write about that. Or, maybe, the item demonstrates one criterion better than the rest on your list and then discusses this in detail.

• Evidence. The part where you need to advocate your judgment is the least pleasant for many students. It is easier to say that something is not excellent, and be done with it. However, the evaluation essay is all about evaluation and backing up of your words. This kind of essay can even teach some people to stand by their words.

Pre-writing tips

Before you start writing, mind several handy recommendations:

• Be specific about the topic and decide on what you are going to evaluate. There is no point in being in a rush when you are going to write an essay. You can think about as many topics as you wish and then, you can pick one using the exclusion method. If you are a cinemaholic and want to evaluate a movie, you can open the list of the films you have already watched. After this, you can narrow down the list by defining the desired genre, for instance, and so on.
• Define the subject. Continuing with the movie example, you can research the main story’s background. It would work perfectly if the film is based on a true story. You will need this information to present the plot in detail and describe strong characters for the readers.
• Define your target audience. For any text you write, it is essential that you understand your audience. Knowing your reader’s possible expectations and interests, you can structure and format your essay accordingly.
• Besides, it is critical to realize what your target readers already know. Your readers have certain expectations and already know some information regarding the issue. But also, this may give you an ace in the hole. The thing is that if you are aware of what a reader already knows, you can decide on how to surprise and interest him or her.
• Define some excellent criteria. The criteria for your paper will define the way your essay works for readers. If you decide on some average and standard criteria, it will not be that interesting to read your evaluation. However, if you think about something new and find an angle that helps to see the subject matter from another side — that will capture the readers’ attention. Additionally, make sure to provide some good examples for your analysis.
• Estimate every criterion. If you mention a particular criterion, you must evaluate it. This part is a continuation of the previous point. There must be examples to prove your idea and judgment to see how the criteria work for a specific item. Your arguments should always match the thesis statement.

Writing an evaluation essay step by step

Having some pre-writing tips in front of you, you can tune in an essay writing mood and get down to work. While it is clear how you should choose your topic, there are some other things for you to consider. Below, you will learn about some proper steps that can help you to complete an evaluation essay.

Write an outline with the thesis statement. Having this central statement — your thesis — you can pick the correct wording for all the outline elements. Do not forget to add the criteria of your choice in the statement as well. It would be best if you not talk in circles but keep the thesis comprehensive and straightforward for your readers.

Write down your criteria aside from the outline to see these in front of you. You will use every criterion to construct the body of your outline. Highlight the judgment and evidence for every criterion so that it looks like a naturally codependent chain.

Your body should consist of three to five paragraphs; the number depends on the number of criteria you have. If you have too many of these, stick to the most critical and fresh ones in the topic’s context. Every paragraph must look like a single complete text. The concluding part is your summary of the entire essay. Here, you will remind your reader about the thesis (restating it), criteria, and compelling evidence.

Post-writing tips for refinement

While you may think that your essay is complete after you write the last sentence and put the period in the end, it is not how it works. Proofreading and revision enter the scene! You may not like it, but there is no way you write everything correctly. You must check your spelling, constructions, grammar, and punctuation.

Writing the paper, students always pay more attention to the content, and it is a great approach. However, after you are done, it is time to revise everything. You will have a fresh look at the way you presented your idea. At this point, you should not be afraid of fixing something and rewriting the sentences or even the entire paragraphs.

As you know, the evaluation essay is not a summary, and it is so easy to slide from the estimation to a simple overview. Another thing is the structure of your paper. As you proofread the essay, you must also see how it corresponds structurally to the evaluation essay format. Think whether you have a hook, a powerful thesis, enough background data, and paragraphs that turn around one criterion.

See if your body paragraphs have three essential elements — criteria and judgment backed up with decent evidence. Remember that every paragraph must have every aspect. As for the conclusion, it should be synchronized with the introductory paragraph and rephrase the thesis statement. Omit any new information and write about the things that are in your essay already.

The post-writing tips can come in handy not only for the evaluation essays but for other writing assignments as well if taken seriously. Sure, you can ask someone to check your work. Nevertheless, it is your work, and you have your idea of it. Therefore, spend some time proofreading and double-check how your text adheres to the outline. Following the post- and pre-writing tips, structural peculiarities, and requirements regarding the essential elements, you can boost your evaluation essay writing skills.