Methods for Evaluating
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State an overall claim about your subject. In this essay, you should determine which of the items you are comparing is “better” or “preferable” to the other. This overall claim is your thesis statement. Without it, your essay does not have a purpose.
State an overall claim about your subject. In this essay, you should determine which of the items you are comparing is “better” or “preferable” to the other. This overall claim is your thesis statement. Without it, your essay does not have a purpose.•Describing the product or performance being evaluated. Readers need basic information—who, what, when, and where—to form a clear judgment. You will need to choose items that you can observe more than once so you can get the needed “showing” details.
Describing the product or performance being evaluated. Readers need basic information—who, what, when, and where—to form a clear judgment. You will need to choose items that you can observe more than once so you can get the needed “showing” details.•Clarifying the criteria for your evaluation. A criterion is a standard of judgment that most people interested in your subject agree is important and serves as a yardstick against which you measure your subject. The criterions are the points of comparison that are discussed between the two products/services.
Clarifying the criteria for your evaluation. A criterion is a standard of judgment that most people interested in your subject agree is important and serves as a yardstick against which you measure your subject. The criterions are the points of comparison that are discussed between the two products/services. •Stating a judgment for each criterion. The overall claim is based on your judgment of each separate criterion. Include both positive and negative judgments. This is a value based judgment. When considering each specific criterion, is this element of the product/service good or bad?
Stating a judgment for each criterion. The overall claim is based on your judgment of each separate criterion. Include both positive and negative judgments. This is a value based judgment. When considering each specific criterion, is this element of the product/service good or bad?•Supporting each judgment with evidence. Support (or evidence) for each judgment might include description, examples, illustrations, testimony (interview), etc. This evidence will support your assertion whether the specific criteria is good or bad.
Supporting each judgment with evidence. Support (or evidence) for each judgment might include description, examples, illustrations, testimony (interview), etc. This evidence will support your assertion whether the specific criteria is good or bad.•Balancing your evaluation with both positive and negative judgments about your subject. The judgments for each of your products/services should be both positive and negative. An evaluation for a product/service that is all positive merely results in an “advertisement,” while evaluations that are entirely negative may seem too harsh or mean-spirited (and may seem as if you have a personal vendetta against the company owner/artist, etc.).
Balancing your evaluation with both positive and negative judgments about your subject. The judgments for each of your products/services should be both positive and negative. An evaluation for a product/service that is all positive merely results in an “advertisement,” while evaluations that are entirely negative may seem too harsh or mean-spirited (and may seem as if you have a personal vendetta against the company owner/artist, etc.). ORGANZING YOUR ESSAY (COMPARISON/CONTRAST)
When you use comparison/contrast in an essay, your opinion about the two elements in question becomes your thesis statement; the body of the paper then show why you arrived at that opinion.
Developing Your Essay
Two principal patterns of organization
•Block
Block•Point by Point
Point by PointPattern One: Block (One-Side-At-A-Time) Method
Thesis: Wendy’s is a better restaurant then McDonald’s because of it’s superior food, service, and atmosphere.
A.Wendy’s
Wendy’s1.Food
Food2.Service
Service3.Atmosphere
AtmosphereB.McDonald’s
McDonald’s 1.Food
Food2.Service
Service3.Atmosphere
AtmosphereIf you choose the block pattern, you should discuss the three points—food, service, atmosphere—in the same order for each subject. In addition, you must include in your discussion of subject “B” specific references to the points you made earlier about subject “A.”
Pattern Two: Point-By-Point
Thesis: Wendy’s is a better restaurant then McDonald’s because of it’s superior food, service, and atmosphere.
A.Food (Point 1)
Food (Point 1)1.Wendy’s
Wendy’s 2.McDonalds
McDonaldsB.Service (Point 2)
Service (Point 2)1.Wendy’s
Wendy’s2.McDonalds
McDonaldsC.Atmosphere (Point 3)
Atmosphere (Point 3)1.Wendy’s
Wendy’s 2.McDonalds
McDonaldsConclusion
If you choose this pattern of organization, you must make a smooth transition from subject “A” to subject “B” in each discussion to a choppy seesaw effect. Be consistent: present the same subject first in each discussion of a major point.
Problems to avoid
1)The “so-what” thesis
The “so-what” thesis•Tell your readers your point and then use a comparison or contrast to support the idea; don’t just compare or contrast items in a vacuum. Ask yourself, “What is the significant point I want my readers to learn or understand from reading this comparison/contrast essay? Why do they need to know this? In this essay, you want your readers to understand which product/service is better and why.
Tell your readers your point and then use a comparison or contrast to support the idea; don’t just compare or contrast items in a vacuum. Ask yourself, “What is the significant point I want my readers to learn or understand from reading this comparison/contrast essay? Why do they need to know this? In this essay, you want your readers to understand which product/service is better and why.2)Inadequate description.
Inadequate description. •If you do not describe your product/service distinctly with “showing” details and description, you reader won’t understand your preference.
If you do not describe your product/service distinctly with “showing” details and description, you reader won’t understand your preference.3)Avoid a choppy essay.
Avoid a choppy essay. •Use transitional phrases to avoid a “ping-pong effect.” Avoid the repetition of words (especially the two items being compared). Remember that you want your essay to avoid sounding like “Chop Sticks” on the piano. Use pronouns, synonyms, and the transitional words and phrases below to create the proper flow of words/ideas.
Use transitional phrases to avoid a “ping-pong effect.” Avoid the repetition of words (especially the two items being compared). Remember that you want your essay to avoid sounding like “Chop Sticks” on the piano. Use pronouns, synonyms, and the transitional words and phrases below to create the proper flow of words/ideas.ComparisonContrast
Contrastalso however
howeversimilarly on the contrary
on the contrarytoo on the other hand
on the other handboth in contrast
in contrastlike although
althoughnot only . . . but also unlike
unlikehave in commonthough
thoughshare the same instead of
instead ofin the same manner but
but