The Evaluation

ENGL 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I

Overview

For this assignment you will write an evaluation.  “An evaluation is at bottom a judgment; you judge something according to certain criteria, supporting your judgment with reasons and evidence” (Bullock and Goggin 202).  Keep in mind that an evaluation is more than if you liked something or not; you are sharing your thoughts about what worked or didn’t work in a particular movie, book, etc. Chapter 16 has more information on what a good evaluation contains.  

Guidelines

Develop a comprehensive and detailed 2 to 3 typed (double-spaced) evaluation for to a general audience. You can write an evaluation on anything from one of these 6 categories:

1. Product
2. Movie
3. Book
4. Restaurant
5. Performance (play, ballet, dance)
6. Album (possibly a song, but most reviews cover an album)

Consider the following questions when developing your evaluation:

• Who wrote it, developed it, or produced it?
• What is the genre of your subject, and what do people expect from that genre?
• When was it created?
• Where does it exist or where were the scenes set?
• Why was it created- for what purpose?
• How was it made?

Key Features

Arrange the parts of your evaluation in the order that will prove most effective with the audience. Your evaluation should be “rather straightforward, so drafting this kind of argument is often easier than drafting in other genres” (Johnson-Sheehan and Paine 98). At a minimum, your review should include the key features listed on pages 205-206.  

Thesis Statement

But where does my thesis statement go?  Your thesis statement can go at the end of your introduction.  Don’t surprise your readers- let them know upfront what the expectations are that you based your evaluation on.  

Formatting and Writing Conventions

Papers should be typed in a legible (ex: Calibri, Times New Roman), 12-point font and double spaced (with space between paragraphs removed).  All other formatting should adhere to MLA standards (see resources in Chapter 52 for MLA formatting help).   Additionally, you’ll want to make sure you proofread your paper carefully to avoid errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and mechanics.  

Essay Rubric

With your essay in hand, go through the rubric below, noting where you have met the assignment criteria (these are the areas that I’ll be evaluating). If needed, re-read the guidelines for clarification. The box to the left shows the points awarded to each section.

15	I have written an Evaluation essay that is 2-3 pages long (not including Works Cited), double-spaced, and in MLA formatting.
15	I have written a concise description of the subject.
15	My criteria are clearly defined.
10	I have included a balanced and fair assessment.
10	My reasons are well-supported.
10	I have written a conclusion that provides a sense of completion, and/or summation, being sure not to surprise the reader with my judgment.
10	I have written a knowledgeable discussion of the subject.
15	I have written sentences that are complete, clear, and relatively error free.  Make sure to proof read your essay.  Check to make sure it is coherent and well-organized.  Well-organized is defined according to the sequence of paragraphs on page 209.

Submission of Final Draft

Upload your assignment to the appropriate dropbox in D2L before the assignment deadline.