evaluative argument essay

19 Evaluation Essays

Evaluative arguments center around the question of quality. Is something good?  Bad?  Honest?  Dishonest?  Evaluative judgments are also about values—what the writer thinks is important. Sometimes the writer’s values are not the same as his/her readers’ values, so he/she has to bridge the gap by showing respect for the audience’s opinions and clarifying the points that they do and don’t agree upon.

An important first step in writing an evaluation is to consider the appropriate standards/criteria for evaluating the subject. If a writer is evaluating a car, for example, the writer might consider standard criteria like fuel economy, price, crash ratings. But the writer also might consider style, warranty, color, special options, like sound systems. Even though all people might not base their choice of a car on these secondary criteria, they are still considered acceptable or standard criteria.

To be taken seriously, a writer must have valid reasons for his evaluation. These reasons are based on criteria. Imagine choosing your attire for a job interview at a very prestigious law firm. You look at the jeans and t-shirts in your closet and immediately decide to go shopping. Why? Because the clothes in your closet don’t meet the criteria for the interview.

The Purpose of Evaluative Writing

Writers evaluate arguments in order to present an informed and well-reasoned judgment about a subject. While the evaluation will be based on their opinion, it should not seem opinionated. Instead, it should aim to be reasonable and unbiased. This is achieved through developing a solid judgment, selecting appropriate criteria to evaluate the subject, and providing clear evidence to support the criteria.

Evaluation is a type of writing that has many real-world applications. Anything can be evaluated. For example, evaluations of movies, restaurants, books, and technology ourselves are all real-world evaluations.

Five Characteristics of an Evaluative Essay

by Dr. Karen Palmer

  1. Presenting the subject. 

Presenting the subject is an often misunderstood aspect of an evaluative essay. Either writers give too little information or too much. Presenting the subject occurs in two different places in the essay.

First, the writer should give a brief introduction of the subject in the introduction of the evaluation. This introduction occurs in the second part of the introduction–the intro to the topic. At this point, the writer should simply name the subject and give a very brief description. For example, a restaurant review should include at a minimum the name and location of the restaurant. An evaluation of a vehicle might include the make, model, and year of the vehicle and any important features.

Second, the writer should give a more detailed description of the subject following the introduction in the background section of the paper. Here the writer could give a more detailed overview of the restaurant (the type of decor, type of food, owners, history), describe the vehicle in detail, etc. Striking a balance between giving the reader the necessary information to understand the evaluation and telling readers everything is important. The amount of detail necessary depends on the topic. If you are reviewing a brand new technology or a machine, specific to your line of work, for example, you will need to give readers more information than if you are simply reviewing a restaurant or a doctor’s office.

The language used in your description can be evaluative. For example, a writer can use descriptive adjectives and adverbs to convey a certain impression of the subject, even before the claim is made.

2. Asserting an overall judgment.

The main point/thesis should be located at the end of the paper’s introduction. It should be definitive—certain, clear, and decisive. Asking a question does not pose a definitive claim. Giving several different perspectives also does not give a definitive claim. It is ok to balance your claim, though, acknowledging weaknesses (or strengths) even as you evaluate a subject positively: “While the Suburban is a gas guzzler, it is the perfect car for a large family….”

Providing a map of your reasons/criteria within the thesis is a great technique for creating organization and focus for your essay. For example, “While the Suburban is a gas guzzler, it is the perfect car for a large family because it can seat up to 9, it has a high safety rating, and it has the best in class towing capacity.” Not only does this example give a clear, balanced claim, but it also lays out the writer’s reasons upfront, creating a map in the reader’s mind that will help him follow the reasoning in the essay.

3. Giving Reasons and Support

After presenting the subject and providing readers with a clear claim, the writer must explain and justify his/her evaluation using reasons that are recognized by readers as appropriate. This occurs in the argument section of the paper and should be the most extensive part of the paper. Reasons should reflect values or standards typical for the subject. If a writer uses criteria that is not typical for the subject, he/she must be prepared to defend that decision in the essay. For example, “Buying local may not always be at the forefront of a buyer’s mind when shopping for eggs, but…” Each reason should be clearly stated as a topic sentence that both states the reason and refers back to the main claim. Going back to the suburban example, a body paragraph/section might begin with the following topic sentence: “One of the obvious reasons a suburban is great for large families is its capacity for holding that large family and all of their necessary traveling items.”

Following the topic sentence, a writer must include relevant examples, quotes, facts, statistics, or personal anecdotes to support the reason. Depending on what the subject is, the support might be different. To support a claim about a book/film, for example, a writer might include a description of a pivotal scene or quotes from the book/film. In contrast, to support a claim about gas mileage, a writer would probably simply give the information from the vehicle specifications. Support can come from a writer’s own knowledge and experience, or from published sources.

4. Counterarguing: 

Counterarguing means responding to readers’ objections and questions. In order to effectively counterargue, a writer must have a clear conception of his/her audience. What does the audience already know or believe about the subject? Effective counterarguing builds credibility in the eyes of the audience because it creates a sense that the writer is listening to the reader’s questions and concerns.

Counterarguments can occur at the end of the essay, after the writer has made his/her point, or throughout the essay as the writer anticipates questions or objections. Writers can respond to readers’ objections in two ways. First, a writer can acknowledge an objection and immediately provide a counter-argument, explaining why the objection is not valid. Second, a writer can concede the point, and allow that, the subject does have a flaw. In either case, it is important to be respectful of opposing positions, while still remaining firm to the original claim.

5. Establishing credibility and authority:   

A writer’s credibility and authority lead to readers’ confidence in your judgment and their willingness to recognize and acknowledge that credibility and authority. An author can gain credibility by showing that he/she knows a lot about the subject. In addition, the writer shows that his/her judgment is based on valid values and standards.

The writer’s authority is in large part based upon the background of the author—education, etc. Is the author qualified to make a judgment? For some subjects, like a film review, simply watching the film might be enough. In other instances, like evaluating the quality of newly constructed cabinets or the engine of a new car, more experience might be necessary.

The Structure of an Evaluation Essay

Evaluation essays are structured as follows.

First, the essay will present the  subject . What is being evaluated? Why? The essay begins with the writer giving any details needed about the subject.

Next, the essay needs to provide a  judgment  about a subject. This is the thesis of the essay, and it states whether the subject is good or bad based on how it meets the stated criteria.

The body of the essay will contain the  criteria  used to evaluate the subject. In an evaluation essay, the criteria must be appropriate for evaluating the subject under consideration. Appropriate criteria will help to keep the essay from seeming biased or unreasonable. If authors evaluated the quality of a movie based on the snacks sold at the snack bar, that would make them seem unreasonable, and their evaluation may be disregarded because of it.

The  evidence  of an evaluation essay consists of the supporting details authors provide based on their judgment of the criteria.

For example, if the subject of an evaluation is a restaurant, a judgment could be “Kay’s Bistro provides an unrivaled experience in fine dining.” Some authors evaluate fine dining restaurants by identifying appropriate criteria in order to rate the establishment’s food quality, service, and atmosphere. The examples are evidence.

Another example of evaluation is literary analysis; judgments may be made about a character in the story based on the character’s actions, characteristics, and past history within the story. The scenes in the story are evidence for why readers have a certain opinion of the character.

Job applications and interviews are more examples of evaluations. Based on certain criteria, management and hiring committees determine which applicants will be considered for an interview and which applicant will be hired.

Example Outline

Thesis: McAdoo’s is a fantastic family restaurant, offering young and old alike a great atmosphere, wonderful customer service, and a fantastic menu.

• Introduction
• Location–New Braunfels, TX
• History–old post office, restored
• Type of food
• Walking up to the restaurant–cool exterior
• Lobby–original post office doors, etc
• Tables–great decor–memorabilia from NB history
• prompt, courteous service
• refills, bread
• taking care of complaints–all you can eat lobster out–so price reduced
• land lovers
• Conclusion…If you’re ever in NB, I highly suggest stopping in at McAdoo’s and absorbing some of the great old world charm with some delicious food.

Possible “Get Started” Idea

• Evaluate a restaurant. What do you expect in a good restaurant? What criteria determine whether a restaurant is good?
• List three criteria that you will use to evaluate a restaurant. Then dine there. Afterward, explain whether or not the restaurant meets each criterion, and include evidence (qualities from the restaurant) that backs your evaluation.
• Give the restaurant a star rating. (5 Stars: Excellent, 4 Stars: Very Good, 3 Stars: Good, 2 Stars: Fair, 1 Star: Poor). Explain why the restaurant earned this star rating.

Time to Write

In this essay, you will evaluate potential obstacles to learning.  Think about the health and wellness of a college student during an international pandemic.  What do you need to be successful?  Do you have access to resources?  Are the GCC resources adequate to support the community and its students during the pandemic?

You will evaluate at least three campus resources.  Your recommendation should clearly state which of the resources should be maintained, which should be improved,  and which might be eliminated, if any.

Purpose:  This assignment will demonstrate the understanding of how to do a thorough evaluation of an approved topic. Students will review the complex elements of the topic they have chosen. Evaluative essays call for the writer to assess a subject in light of specific and explicit criteria and to make a judgment based on the assessment.

Task: This assignment evaluates a campus resource.

Write an Evaluation Essay. For this essay, you will choose a clear topic, give a reason for the evaluation, use description and categorization, create evaluation criteria, use concrete evidence and demonstrate the “why” of your position.

Possible Topics

Some topics to consider are listed here:

• Center for Learning
• Writing Center
• Math Solutions
• High Tech 1
• High Tech 2
• GCC Counseling and Career Services
• Fitness Center

Key Features of an Evaluation:

• Describe the particular phenomenon or work in a way that the rhetorical audience will understand and value.
• Present the criteria on which the phenomenon or work is to be evaluated clearly, persuasively, authoritatively, and often in an order indicating importance. Criteria can be categorized into three groups: necessary (crucial but not enough to meet your overall assessment), sufficient (meeting all of your minimum standards, including the necessary ones), and accidental (unnecessary but an added bonus to the necessary and sufficient criteria).
• Include concrete evidence and relevant examples from your personal experience and research illustrate the ways (usually in the form of assertions) the phenomenon does or does not meet each evaluative criterion. These fair and balanced assertions support the thesis statement.
• At least three (3) sources on the Works Cited; these could be from your personal experience, college web pages, public health information, or sources related to quality college resources.
• Articulate a clear argument (usually in the form of a thesis statement) about whether or not the object or phenomenon meets the criteria on which it is being evaluated.
• Demonstrate an ethical approach to the process.

Key Grading Considerations

• A clear reason for the evaluation
• Use of description
• Categorizing
• Clear evaluation criteria
• Concrete evidence & Examples
• A clear argument presented (Thesis)
• The establishment of ethos  (balanced argument)
• Secure closure to the argument (conclusion)
• Three (3) sources minimum
• Key Features are included
• One inch margins
• Typed and double-spaced
• The heading is double-spaced on the left side of the page (includes name, my name, class, date)
• Upper right-hand corner has last name and page number (EX: Dewey 1)
• The font is Times New Roman, size 12
• The title is original and is centered one line under the heading
• Works Cited page lists outside sources in MLA format
• Descriptive Language
• Correct, appropriate, and varied integration of textual examples, including in-text citations
• Limited errors in spelling, grammar, word order, word usage, sentence structure, and punctuation
• Good use of academic English
• Demonstrates cohesion and flow
• Works Cited page has hanging indents and is in alphabetical order by author’s last name

Attribution

• Content Adapted from “Five Characteristics of an Evaluative Essay” from The Worry-Free Writer by Dr. Karen Palmer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
• Content Adapted from Susan Wood, “Evaluation Essay,” Leeward CC ENG 100 OER,  licensed under the  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
• Original Content contributed by Christine Jones “Time to Write” licensed under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

English 101: Journey Into Open Copyright © 2021 by Christine Jones is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Crafting Insightful Evaluation Essay: Tips and Techniques

Table of contents

• 1 Defining Evaluation Essays
• 2 Choose a Subject for Evaluation
• 3 Develop a Clear Thesis Statement
• 4 Gather Information and Evidence
• 5 Establish Evaluation Criteria
• 6 Organize Your Essay
• 7 Write the Introduction
• 8 Write the Body of The Essay
• 9 Present Evidence and Examples
• 10 Address Counterarguments
• 11 Write The Conclusion
• 12 Revise and Edit
• 13.1 Easy Evaluation Essay Topics
• 13.2 Evaluation Essay Topics on History
• 13.3 Evaluation Essay Topics on Government and Law
• 13.4 Evaluation Essay Topics on Technology
• 14 Final Words & Expert Thoughts

Many students are required to write an evaluation essay during their academic career. While this task is challenging, it provides an opportunity for deeper learning. We believe that every student should understand how to write an evaluation essay to succeed with their coursework.

• We’ll start by demystifying what an evaluation essay is. We’ll outline its purpose in academic settings, highlighting how it differs from other essay types and why it’s a valuable tool for critical thinking and analysis.
• We’ll provide insights on how to choose a subject that is both interesting and suitable for evaluation.
• A well-organized essay is the key to success. In our article, we will break down the structure of an evaluation essay.

Examples for Clarity: Finally, we’ll provide examples of successful evaluation essays. These samples will illustrate the principles discussed and offer practical insights into what makes an effective evaluation essay.

Defining Evaluation Essays

Evaluation essays are a type of academic writing that provides value, quality, and effectiveness of a given topic. Every student must follow set criteria and provide evidence supporting their opinion.

Furthermore, an evaluation essay should always present facts and opinions in a clear and formal tone. Of course, any student can buy a custom essay , but every student should know how to plan and write one correctly for success. The first step is to choose a subject.

When it comes to choosing a subject for an evaluation paper, students have many options to choose from.

This includes:

• Movies & television shows
• Performance of sports teams
• Restaurant review
• Comparisons

Choose a Subject for Evaluation

If you’re looking for ideas, consider pulling inspiration from your experiences or interests. You can also get ideas from current events and media.

Moreover, once you begin brainstorming ideas, you should narrow your options to choose the best topic. Ideally, you should choose a subject that’s equally interesting and suitable for evaluation. Start by reviewing topic ideas related to your main area of study.

Compare different ideas that interest you. Start asking questions that your target audience would have on your subject. Narrow your choice to what you believe would be the most interesting to study and write about.

In addition, some examples that would make an interesting evaluation subject include:

• Learning on campus vs online learning
• Your evaluation of the most recent movie or television show you’ve watched
• How social media affects modern relationships
• Availability of athletic programs in your area
• Comparison of restaurants or coffee shops in your area

Develop a Clear Thesis Statement

Every evaluation essay needs a thesis statement. In this statement, the writer will cover evaluation criteria and an overall judgment. It’s essential that the purpose of the evaluation is clearly stated.

First, be specific by keeping the thesis statement short and sweet. It doesn’t need to be a paragraph filled with real-life information. Instead, it should be a concise sentence encouraging the reader to continue reading. Here are some excellent examples of thesis statements:

• “This cafe brews coffee beans provided by a local source, and they became popular for having the largest selection of latte flavors in the city.”
• “The gore and effects in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie may be outdated, but the tension and horror in the film still hold up for today’s audience.”
• “Minecraft continues to be one of the best-selling video games because players enjoy the creative freedom they have in the open world and connecting with other players online.”

Gather Information and Evidence

An important step of evaluation essays is to gather information and evidence. You will want as much information and relevant examples as possible to support your essay.

In any case, experienced writers will provide as many sources as they can find to support their argument. This helps the writer establish credibility and also helps the reader discover where they can find more information on the topic.

So, you might be wondering what type of sources you can use for crafting an evaluation paper. Students may use any of the following sources to provide evidence for their evaluation:

• Books: choose books that have been written by experts on the subject that you’re evaluating.
• Online resources: students can find credible information online from reputable sources and government websites.
• Magazines and newspapers — print media is an excellent source to use for current events and opinions.
• Interviews: you can interview an expert in the field your essay is in. This includes in-person, over-the-phone, email, or live chat interviews.
• Opinions from credible sources: these opinions can be accessed using any of the sources listed above.

Establish Evaluation Criteria

Every writer must follow set criteria to write an interesting and well-structured essay. As mentioned above, the thesis statement is significant. This is because it’s a clear and descriptive way to present the topic.

Finally, every good evaluation essay must include the following specific criteria:

• Assertion of the writer’s overall judgment based on supporting evidence.
• Responses to counterarguments that a reader could make on the evaluation. The writer should introduce a balanced argument so their judgment makes sense to readers.

Organize Your Essay

Another crucial aspect of evaluation criteria is to display a well-structured essay. Before writing an evaluation essay, you should always plan the organization.

The entire  outline for the essay should remain focused. Once complete, the final evaluation paper should be organized, developed, and maintained a specific style. Every paper should include the following in a detailed evaluation essay outline:

• Introduction: introduce your subject with a topic sentence that grabs readers’ attention and inspires them to keep reading.
• Body: this will contain all of the key information that supports your evaluative argument and counterarguments.

Conclusion: this is where you can summarize the key points made throughout the evaluation essay and add any other relevant points.

Write the Introduction

The introduction is the first impression of your essay. Every paragraph of the essay should start with a topic sentence that introduces what the essay will be about. Always aim to write a topic sentence that’s engaging so the reader immediately establishes interest.

Basically, every student should aim to craft an attention-grabbing hook that sparks the reader’s interest. Here are a few good evaluation essay introduction example topic sentences for your evaluative essay:

• One of the growing concerns of parents in recent years is the effects of social media on their teen’s mental health.
• The quality of customer service a patron receives in restaurants and retail establishments is a crucial factor in their experience.
• Older films get lost on the younger generation for outdated graphics and dialogue, but many of them address topics that are very relevant to today’s society.

Evidently, we understand that crafting a good introduction can be intimidating. The intro can make or break the reader’s interest. Some ways to make your introduction effective are by stating an exciting or unknown fact, asking a rhetorical question, or mentioning an interesting story about the subject.

Write the Body of The Essay

The body paragraphs of your evaluative essay hold the most weight. After all, this is where you will present your opinions and facts. All the information you provide in this section must be relevant to your topic.

Basically, it must be presented in a structured manner. The main body should always include proper sentence structure, have a readable flow, and include all information and examples necessary to support your final judgment. It’s also important to use language that will convey your point formally and professionally.

Present Evidence and Examples

Anyone can write an evaluated essay. If you want people to take your evaluation essay seriously, you must demonstrate evidence for every point. You can use example quotes from reputable sources or citations to reference where you found the information for your analysis.

Additionally, you must cite sources for evaluation criteria to avoid accusations of plagiarism. An excellent  tip for writing essays is to create a body paragraph that’s a block quote.

By directly quoting the author (or source), you avoid any errors that could be mistaken for plagiarism. A direct quote can also give your evaluation more value in the middle of a body paragraph, and also be used to support the writer’s opinion.

Address Counterarguments

An evaluation essay is different from an  argumentative essay . When you’re writing an evaluation essay, you will not be required to include counterarguments in the evaluative thesis of the essay. However, it is a good idea for students to acknowledge different perspectives or criticisms of their topic.

In any case, one of the best ways to approach a counterargument is to provide an example of a common critic. Then, explain why that perspective is or isn’t valid to the opinion the student covered in their essay.

Write The Conclusion

The conclusion is the final area of the evaluation essay, where students can summarize their analysis and provide additional facts supporting their judgment.

Every good evaluation argument essay will answer all the reader’s questions on the subject before they reach the final sentence. The best way to do this is to make the conclusion restate the main ideas by presenting the key takeaways and wrapping the concluding paragraph with a secure closure on the research subject.

Revise and Edit

Once you have completed the evaluative writing process, you must revise and edit it before submitting it. This is how you can ensure your paper is of good quality and your opinion is clearly stated and backed up.

But before you review your work, it’s always good to give yourself a break. If you review the paper immediately after writing it, your brain might not pick up on typos and mistakes. By giving yourself a break, you can return and proofread it in a clear frame of mind.

When you proofread the evaluation essay, there are a few aspects that are critical for revision. You should always review the sentence structure, spelling, grammar, and punctuation usage in your essay. You should also check to ensure you used appropriate font, and headers and the essay is double-spaced.

Good Evaluation Essay Topics List

These subjects will encourage college and high school students, as well as professional writers, to critically evaluate present culture. These themes not only teach students important critical thinking skills, but also demonstrate how students influence and contribute to general knowledge.

• Race and Ethnicity in the United States
• Hitler was influential, determined, and strategic
• Importance of Sex Education
• Brown v. Board: Lgal Changes in Respect to Segregation
• Martin Luther King and the fight against racism in the US
• Industrialization and imperialism
• Starbucks Found in a Crisis
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• The Apparel Industry in the U.S.
• France: New Gender Equality Obligations Established

Easy Evaluation Essay Topics

Here is a list of handpicked good literature topics that will ignite your curiosity and engage your critical thinking skills. These easy topics cover a wide range of subjects and are just a few clicks away from inspiring your next masterpiece.

• How Do You Define Racism?
• Homeschooling vs Public School
• The Book is Composed of Two Sections
• Edgar Allan Poe in Romantic Literature
• Gerard Jones’ Biased Evaluation of Violence in Media
• Self Evaluation and Supervision
• Marriage in a World
• Climate Change Training Course
• The Importance of Evaluation in Counseling
• Animal Welfare, Chickens: Factory or Field

Evaluation Essay Topics on History

There are several historical evaluation essay ideas to consider. They vary from major events that affected our global culture to examining the historical veracity of “saving private Ryan.” These topics will intrigue you and give plenty of writing possibilities:

• John F. Kennedy’s Legacy
• Barack Obama’s Inaugural Speech
• Main Issues Of Border Wall
• After Civil Rights: Racial Realism in the New American Workplace
• Cold War in China, Cold War in Cuba, and Space Race
• Progressing the Civil Rights Movement with Aristotle’s Artistic Appeals
• China-Australia Free Trade Agreement
• What was the Harlem Renaissance?
• Aftershock: Beyond the Civil War Summary
• Mark Antony’s Described Julius Caesar

Evaluation Essay Topics on Government and Law

These topics cover the key characteristics of how we interact with society and the law. They also explore government and law by examining political marketing strategies on how some particular laws affect social behavior.

• Brown V. Board of Education and Civil Rights
• Criminal Profiling
• The Significance of the Gettysburg Address
• Race Relations have Improved in America
• Temporary Labor Migrants
• The Electoral College and How Popular Vote Doesn’t Matter
• Jeffersonian Democracy
• Granada Hills Charter High School
• Transgender Individuals in the Military
• The Segregation of Schools in the United States

Evaluation Essay Topics on Technology

As we delve into technological evaluation essay topics, you can choose to examine the merits, drawbacks, and overall impact of technological advancements. From artificial intelligence to social media, we have a plethora of ideas to explore.

• Social Media Marketing As A Way To Promote Business
• Pros And Cons Of Virtual Reality Gaming.
• Assessing Online Clothes Shop For Its Contribution To The Fashion Sector
• Evaluation of the Process of Creating Computer-Generated Graphics In Contemporary Art.
• Technology’s Role In Healthcare.
• Cybersecurity Measures’ Effectiveness.
• The Culture Wars in the Digital Age: Impact of Technology on Cultural Values.
• Ai’s Role In Job Automation.
• Impact Of Biometric Technology On Privacy.
• How The Internet Changed Communication Patterns In Online Interactions.

Final Words & Expert Thoughts

This covers everything you need to know about writing an evaluation essay. The format we discussed today can help students create a detailed analysis of the subject they’re researching while providing an educated opinion. Following proper instructions for evaluation essay criteria can help you write a detailed paper that will impress your instructor (and yourself).

Additionally, if you’re not 100% sure how to start or finish your paper, look at an evaluation argument essay example online. Don’t copy the examples, but use them for inspiration to get your thoughts flowing.

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5.7 Definition and Evaluation Arguments

Allison Murray; Anna Mills; Cathy Thwing; and Eric Aldrich

What Is a Definition Argument?

A definition argument may have as its goal to describe the nature of something, whether it be an abstract concept like justice, a historical event, or an ongoing trend. Definition arguments like this are, in fact, arguments because they seek to shape our vision of reality. We can think of them as answering the question “What is it?”

Definition arguments may attempt to explain what is meant by a particular term. Consider the following claim:

Organic, in terms of food, means plants and animals raised without additives or artificial growing conditions.

The argument here hinges upon understanding the definition of the word “organic.” In this case, organic is the subject of the argument. The claim goes on to base the argument on definition criteria. The claim states that two definition criteria of “organic” are “raised without additives” and “raised without artificial growing conditions.” “What do they mean by ‘artificial’?” If you find yourself questioning other terms used in the claim, that might mean your argument will need to dedicate a paragraph or more to defining those terms. An extended argument on organic food would need to explain in detail what distinguishes artificial growing conditions from natural ones. Can greenhouse-grown food be organic? In such a situation, it may benefit the argument to offer the dictionary definition of “organic” as a way to confirm that the writer’s and the readers’ assumptions are the same.

There are a number of online dictionaries that student authors can derive a definition from, but should the writer wish to ensure trust (ethos) with the audience, the source of the dictionary definition might matter. The dictionary.com site offers this definition for “organic”:

Organic: pertaining to, involving, or grown with fertilizers or pesticides of animal or vegetable origin, as distinguished from manufactured chemicals (“organic”).

Readers who respect the history and legacy of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) might consider its definition more credible. Considered the most definitive and complete dictionary available, the OED offers differentiated definitions of different uses of the word. In the case of “organic,” we’d need to look at sub-definition 8c to find one that works for our purposes:

Organic: of food: produced without the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial chemicals.

A definition argument can put a more specific subject into a category based on criteria, as in the following:

Though it omits hormones and antibiotics, organic ice cream remains unhealthy because it contains high levels of fat and sugar, while offering little nutritional value.

Here we have a subject—organic ice cream—and a category—unhealthy. Presumably, unhealthy things often contain similar criteria—high levels of fat and sugar, low nutritional value, and industrial additives. Organic ice cream might not contain industrial additives, but because it meets the other two criteria, it can still be considered unhealthy. A good way to test your thesis is to try out examples to see if the criteria work to distinguish things that fit the category from things that don’t. Are other things we consider unhealthy full of sugar and/or fat, low in nutrition, and made with industrial additives? Yes. Fast food hamburgers are unhealthy because they contain high levels of fat, low nutritional value, and are full of chemical preservatives.

Definition arguments will need to provide evidence for any generalizations they make about a subject. If they use a specific example, how can they show that the example is typical? They may also need to justify the choice of criteria for the definition. If we argue that the Vietnam War should not be considered a “World War” even though it involved two global superpowers, the U.S. and the Soviet Union, we will need to explain why a criterion like the number of deaths should be considered more important than the number or size of the countries involved.

The Benefits of Definition

Once we understand the value of definition for clarifying terms in an essay, we can start to appreciate the value of definition in shaping an argument, especially one centered around a contentious term. When controversy revolves around an issue, defining terms explicitly and precisely is even more critical. A definition argument can help to clarify where disagreements lie. Even if it doesn’t resolve the disagreements, it may at least prevent misunderstandings.

To take an example, let’s say the government decides to allow health insurance providers to exclude coverage to individuals with preexisting conditions. The question then arises, What precisely does constitute a preexisting condition? Any diagnosis of cancer, including minor skin cancers? Diabetes? Obesity? Hypertension? Consider how many of our friends and family members have been diagnosed with any of these conditions.

Laws rely on definitions. Many of us are familiar with the purpose of Title IX, which ensured that equal funding should be applied for both male and female athletic programs in schools. However, with the recognition of transgender students and their rights, the U.S. Department of Education offered a statement of clarification to the language of Title IX “explaining that it will enforce Title IX’s prohibition on discrimination on the basis of sex to include: (1) discrimination based on sexual orientation; and (2) discrimination based on gender identity” (“Title IX”). Schools, students, and parents can now point to this language in debates about who is protected by Title IX status, and who can be included in the funding of gender-specific sports teams.

Definitions involve emotional associations as well as descriptions of literal meaning. Public opinion can be swayed by casting a person involved in a very public event as “famous” or “infamous,” a term that has decidedly negative connotations. In the case of Trayvon Martin, a young black man who was shot by George Zimmerman, a white man, Martin was defined alternately as a “boy in a hoodie” or as a “potential thug.” And Zimmerman was defined as “a neighborhood watch leader” or “private citizen” by some, and a “vigilante” by others. In each case, the label implies a definition of the person and his behavior, and this extends the impression built in the mind of the audience.

Strategies for Definition

• Referring to existing definitions: A dictionary definition can be helpful if the term under consideration is new or very unusual or uncommon, words that readers may be unfamiliar with, or whose definitions may have become obscured with modern use. If an argument takes the position that reduced literacy rates in freshman college students make them less apt to learn from a professor who leans toward sesquipedalian speech, yet, such speech is exactly the challenge these students need to pull them away from their social media feeds and engage them in the vigorous mental workout that academia provides, the author is more likely to earn the trust of the audience if a dictionary definition is provided for this uncommon and archaic word: words that are a foot and a half long (O.E.D.).
• Identifying emotional associations (connotations): Emotional associations offer the various levels of meaning a word may have. For example, love can have several variants, such as platonic love, romantic love, familial love, passionate love, self-love, and even more specific ones, such as spirituality, philanthropy, humanity, nationalism/patriotism, and agapé, and each carries its own emotional tone that informs the definition.
• Defining a term based on what it’s not (negation): Sometimes complex words are best explained by what they are not, specifically by contrasting the word to another term. Needs are often confused with wants, but needs are anything necessary for survival. For example, people often say “I need a vacation,” when what they really mean is “I want a vacation.” You may want coffee, but you need water. You may want a new car, but a used one may suit your needs. In an article about sexual predators, Andrew Vachss says that when he tells people about the individuals he prosecutes for abuse against children, people often say, “That’s sick.” But he clarifies that there is a difference between “sick” and “evil.” A mother who hears voices in her head telling her to lock her baby in a closet is sick. A man who sells a child to pornographers is evil. “Sickness,” he says, “is the absence of choice,” while evil is the volition, the awareness of choice, and the intentional choice to commit a sinister act (Vachss).
• Creating an original definition (stipulation): This use of definition asks the reader to accept an alternate definition from the standard or commonly accepted one. This is usually the best way to utilize definition in an essay, as it allows the author the freedom to put his or her own spin on a key term. But the author must do it responsibly, providing supportive examples. For example, many young people believe that true parental love is the willingness to do anything at all for a child. However, real love isn’t expressed by doormat behavior. A parent who does his child’s homework so the child receives all “A” grades isn’t demonstrating love (note the use of negation here). Rather, true parental love is the willingness to apply fair rules and limits on behavior in order to raise a child who is a good worker, a good friend, and a good citizen.
• Elaborating on a definition (extended definition): There is no rule about how long a definition argument should be. When a simple one-line definition will not suffice, writers can develop a multi-paragraph, multi-page, or multi-chapter definition argument. For example, a newspaper article might explore at length what is meant by the phrase “cancel culture.” An entire book each might be needed to explain what is meant by the following terms: “critical race theory,” “microaggression,” “gender identity,” “fascism,” or “intersectionality.” When the concept under examination is complex, contentious, or weighted by historical examples and emotional connotations, an extended definition may be needed.

Sample Definition Arguments

This sample outline for an essay titled “When Colleges Talk about Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism, What Do They Mean?” shows the structure of one definition argument.

Practice Exercises

How are attitudes to gender changing in today’s society? Come up with a definition argument you think has some validity about a current trend related to gender. What kind of evidence could be gathered to support this claim? How would you convince readers that this evidence is typical? You could choose one of the claims below or invent your own.

• People today still associate femininity with weakness and masculinity with strength.
• Women are still more nurturing than men.
• Teenagers today see gender as a spectrum.
• Cisgender people still fear transgender people.
• Construct a definition with criteria for one of the following terms, or another term of your choice related to gender. Feel free to research the terms to get ideas. Possible terms: masculine, feminine, androgynous, macho, femme, butch, manly, womanly, machista, metrosexual, genderqueer, third gender, transgender.

What Is an Evaluation Argument?

In college, professional life, politics, and everyday life, we constantly must assess how things measure up. We are faced with questions like the following:

• Does our employer treat us fairly?
• Does our local café deserve five stars or four?
• Is the “Free City” program that makes City College of San Francisco tuition-free for residents a success?
• Is a particular hillside a good location for a wind farm?
• Does the president deserve their current approval rating?

To answer each of these questions and convince others that our answer is valid, we would need to make an evaluation argument. Most commonly, evaluation arguments rate their subject on a scale from positive to negative. Evaluation arguments make a claim about the quality of something. We can think of them as answering the question, “How good or bad is it?”

Photo by Liza Summer from Pexels under the Pexels License .

Evaluation arguments usually need to define and justify the criteria they use to make the evaluation. These criteria may consist of moral standards, aesthetic standards, or tests of successful functioning. Depending on how controversial the criteria are, the argument may need to defend and explain why they have been chosen. How can we support our choice of criteria? We may cite precedent or authoritative sources in the field, or we may discuss the merit of the criteria in themselves by arguing for the good results they lead to and aligning them with values we believe our audience will share.

Once we have convinced readers that the criteria for quality are valid, we will need to articulate our judgment about the extent to which the subject meets or doesn’t meet those criteria.

Finally, the argument will need to provide evidence of the way in which the subject meets or does not meet the criteria.

Ranking Criteria

In cases where there are multiple valid criteria, the writer may need to rank them in order of importance and justify this ranking. For example, an editorial supporting Alyesha Jenkins for mayor would need to explain what the city should be looking for in a mayor at the moment. The editorial might argue that the top priority should be finding someone who has a workable plan to address the homelessness crisis. It might then go on to identify as a secondary priority finding someone who has been an effective leader of a large organization. Finally, it might argue that finding a candidate who will focus on ending police brutality in the city should be the third priority. Given these criteria, the argument might praise Alyesha Jenkins’ concrete, popular plan on homelessness and describe her background as a successful city supervisor and head of a law firm. It might note that her record on police brutality is limited, but we still judge her to be a strong candidate.

Types of Criteria

We can classify evaluative arguments by the kind of criteria they use. They may focus on aesthetics, the appearance or appeal of something (a movie, a work of art, or a building). Or they may focus on practical concerns about how something functions or moral judgments based on values.

• Aesthetic Criteria: What makes a great film can be an academic question or an everyday debate among friends going to the movies. Film critics and Film Studies classes try to identify clear aesthetic criteria for award-worthy movies. Film blogger Tyler Schirado , who writes for the San Diego Film festival, details criteria including acting quality, dialogue, pacing, plot coherence, cinematography, production design, and special effects. Each of those criteria could in turn include sub-criteria. For example, the criteria for the quality of the special effects might include both how innovative and how spectacular they are.
• Operational Criteria: Sometimes the criteria that matter are very practical. We use operational criteria when we are looking for certain concrete results. What does the subject we are evaluating do? If we want to evaluate a new car’s safety features, we will examine to see how it performs under challenging conditions. When the FDA evaluates and tests a new vaccine, they follow a set of procedures to test how the vaccine affects first cells, then animal bodies, and finally human bodies. The FDA considers the results of all these procedures to help it decide whether to approve the vaccine or not. And if the consumer has confidence in the FDA’s standards for data collection, they can use the criteria about the vaccine’s past record of immune protection and side effects to help them decide whether or not to get vaccinated.
• Moral Criteria: An evaluation argument based on moral criteria will claim that something is right or wrong. It will need to appeal to shared values or make a case for a particular value that serves as criteria. Some values are nearly universal, such as honesty, reasonableness, and fairness. However, even values that seem universal may be defined differently by different groups. We each grow up in an environment that instills a particular set of family or cultural or religious values. These help to shape our own sense of morality, or personal values and codes that we choose to live by.

As an example, the Motion Pictures Academy includes some moral criteria as well as aesthetic criteria when it selects winners for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actors. Responding to the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, the Academy of Motion Pictures decided to incorporate the value of inclusiveness into their criteria. In order to emphasize “the inclusion of people in underrepresented groups, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people and those with cognitive or physical disabilities,” they developed a new set of criteria for nominations for Best Picture . The criteria state that starting in 2024, “to be eligible for best picture, a film must meet at least two standards across four categories: ‘Onscreen Representation, Themes and Narratives,’ ‘Creative Leadership and Project Team,’ ‘Industry Access and Opportunities’ and ‘Audience Development’” (Rottenberg). Each of these new criteria responds to the demands for inclusivity and equity and is evidence that criteria can and should evolve as social morals evolve.

Comparative Evaluation

Many times we will need to evaluate the worth of one subject in relation to another in order to judge which is better. Of course, we will need to decide on the basis for comparison, or the criteria to be used, and make that basis clear. Then we will need to evaluate each subject according to the criteria. In comparisons, ranking the criteria will often be important because one subject may do better on one criterion and worse on another. We’ll need to know which criterion is more important in order to decide which comes out ahead overall.

 Sample Evaluation Arguments

To get a sense of what research-based evaluation arguments look like in college classes, see this sample evaluation essay, “Universal Health Care Coverage for the United States.” Annotations on the essay point out how the author uses evaluation argument strategies.

• Sample evaluation essay “Universal Health Care Coverage for the United States” in PDF version with margin notes

Reflect on the following questions to construct your own evaluation argument.

• What makes a person a good role model? Choose your top three criteria.
• How would you rank those criteria in order of importance?
• Choose two prominent public figures from history, pop culture, or politics, dead or alive, who would be interesting to compare as role models.
• Evaluate each person according to the three criteria you identified.
• Which figure comes out as the better role model?
• If you ranked the criteria differently, would the other one come out ahead?
• What is most controversial in your evaluation? Is it the choice of criteria, the ranking of the criteria, or the idea that your figure fits certain criteria?

Rhetoric Matters: A Guide to Success in the First Year Writing Class Copyright © 2022 by Allison Murray; Anna Mills; Cathy Thwing; and Eric Aldrich is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Secrets of Writing an Excellent Evaluation Essay

05 July, 2020

14 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

Many people prefer to check reviews on the movie or book before watching or reading it. The summary information and honest point of view on the subject matter are usually included in an evaluation essay. You just need to analyze both sides of the chosen criterion through thorough research, analysis of your thesis, and examination of your own values. To write a good evaluation essay, you should forget about your feelings and create an objective overview of the topic. That way, you will reveal the truth about the real worth of the particular subject matter.

So, what is an evaluation essay? The answer to this question you will find out in this post.

What Is an Evaluation Essay?

An evaluation paper is a kind of essay in which you express your argumentative point of view on various topics. As a form of literary thinking, it is based on much more than just a quick judgment about a person, place, or object. The common standards of evaluation writing, such as clearance, objectivity, and coherence, are to be followed throughout the text. These standards help identify how well a subject meets up or falls short of the ideal. No wonder this kind of essay is widely used for scientific purposes when the comparison of two inventions or technologies is required. In an evaluation essay, all the arguments are delivered objectively, while your personal opinion is stated at the very end as a summary.

On the Internet, you can find lots of reviews with one sentence only: “This essay is fine.” Does it look informative to you? Can you rely on this kind of feedback? Let’s be honest, such a review can hardly provide you with a clear understanding of whether the subject is worth your attention or not. The main feature of an evaluation essay is that it contains details and evidence to support your point of view. Instead of discussing every observation, you just need to underpin your point of view with examples that will make your paper look convincing.

CJE guidelines

How to start an evaluation essay? What needs to be preconsidered? Every evaluation essay consists of three structural elements – criteria, judgement, and evidence. Let’s get deeper into details.

The criteria that you choose should evaluate a person or subject through the prism of their ideal version. What can their best features be? For instance, you would expect an interesting plot and professional acting from a movie. Once you have specific benchmarks in mind, they can be used to evaluate these points.

The judgement aspect is used to estimate whether or not the benchmarks have been met. For instance, you can start a movie evaluation from judging whether it aligns with the specific benchmark. Does it offer the quality acting you expect? Does it have gaps in the plot? These are only some of the possible options to consider.

Remember that you must develop clues to advocate your judgements. For instance, if you make the judgement that the movie quality does not meet your expectations, you should be ready to provide evidence. Without eligible evidence, your evaluation essay won’t look convincing.

When structuring your evaluation essay, it is crucial to address a different criterion in each paragraph. In that paragraph, you should reflect on each criterion, make the relevant judgements and provide supporting proofs.

How to Write an Evaluation Essay?

With this step-by-step guide, you will learn how to write an evaluation essay. Here are the major steps to be taken:

• Choose your topic. Whatever kind of essay you are writing, you will have to take this step. Your topic can be offered by your instructor, as the case may be. But if you have to choose it yourself, you should consider a subject that you are familiar with. Thus, it will be easier for you to take an in-depth look at the subject and make a judgement on its value.
• Create a thesis statement. This is an important element of your essay as it contains the general purpose of the evaluation. In the thesis, you need to reflect on the criteria being used to judge the subject matter and state its value. Your statement should look apparent and to the point. In the process of writing, you may revise it as your essay gets shaped.
• Identify the criteria to be used for accessing the subject matter. Determine the benchmarks in your essay in order to make it interesting and engaging. The criteria you choose will depend on the subject of your evaluation. For instance, a movie will be judged using different points of reference than a book.
• Find supporting evidence . Don’t forget that an essay is not just about your opinion. You will need to find some supporting information from trustworthy sources while making each judgement. Don’t think that stating the movie or book title is enough. Use some questions to find out answers that can help you collect more information. How can you evaluate the subject? What kind of readers are you focused on? Will you focus on good or bad sides of the subject?
• Write a draft of your essay . All you need to do is to continue writing. As soon as you have something written on paper, you will rewrite or restructure it unless you are totally happy with the result.

Review, revise and rewrite. When a draft is completed, you will read over your work and make some changes if needed. You should be ready to rewrite your paper several times to get it just right.

Evaluation Essay Example

Here, you will find a well-written evaluation essay example that you can use for yourself:

• https://academichelp.net/samples/academics/essays/evaluation/standardized-tests.html
• https://www.examples.com/education/evaluation-essay-examples.html

Evaluation Essay VS Review

An evaluation essay is widely associated with a review paper. This is a common mistake many students make. Although the two types of paper have some similarities, there are more differences that set them apart. You can take a look at those differences in the table below.

Tips on Writing an Evaluation Essay from Our Experts

Following the quick tips below, you will find it easier to write an effective evaluation argument essay:

• Provide the right amount of details: Make sure you explain your thoughts clearly and provide sufficient information to convince the reader in the correctness of your judgment.
• Thesis sentence should reveal your actual opinion. If you want to build up the basis for your body, you can include the main reasons for your evaluation in the thesis sentence.
• Know your target audience. By knowing your reader, you can adjust the plot to their specific needs. Whether you write for college students or professors, you will have to apply a bit different approach in the language choice.
• Make some notes. By using a three-column note-taking method, you can organize your thoughts. The columns of criteria, evidence, and judgment will contain the relevant information which will not let you forget or mix facts.
• Be opinionated . By sounding passionate in your evaluation essay, you will increase your chances of catching readers’ attention. The use of vivid nouns and engaging verbs will strengthen the effect produced by your paper. You should have a strong judgment of how the particular subject is either better or worse than other subjects of the same type.
• Back up every judgement you make. Every time you make a judgment, you should be ready to use specific, interesting, and convincing reasons to make it up. For evidence, you can describe the subject, use funny stories, or compare and contrast some notions with a similar subject.
• Provide counter-arguments. When you disagree with what most people think about the particular subject, it makes sense to provide some counter-arguments. This will make the narration more engaging for readers.

List of 50 Evaluation Topics

Since there are many people and objects you are able to assess, an evaluation essay can be written on a wide range of topics. To evaluate something, you will need to compare it with an example within a subject you have chosen. Some possible evaluation essay topics can be found below:

• Analyze the dissimilarity between seeing a sporting event live and watching it on ITV.
• Create a comparative assessment of watching a sporting event in a cafe and watching it without leaving the comfort of your home.
• Evaluate the experience of watching a sporting event on your own and with other people.
• Evaluate how a recent drama movie portrays the tragedies of real life.
• Evaluate a classic criminal movie and what it states about the real crime rates in the modern society.
• Evaluate your favorite Chinese restaurant.
• Compare two popular Chinese restaurants in your city.
• Appraise football or basketball from the perspective of a contestant or that of a watcher.
• Analyze the way in which football or basketball has advanced over the last decade.
• Discuss the influence of ESPN on sporting events.
• Evaluate the coverage of the latest Eurovision Song Contest.
• Evaluate a fancy restaurant for how it makes the customer feel after having the meal
• Analyze the way in which a popular horror movie depicts people’s fears.
• Assess a classic action movie and talk about its ideas regarding the functions of men and women.
• Explore the change that occurred in recent war movies if compared to classic war movies.
• How do drama books affect readers?
• Evaluate a book about war and analyze whether it addresses current concerns associated with war and peace.
• Evaluate the effects of online educational programs on students’ performance.
• Do historical movies encourage history learning?
• Evaluate an Italian cafe located in your city. What is the difference between the Italian and local food?
• What makes a traditional Italian meal great?
• Can hamburgers be healthy? Mention some details and provide relevant arguments.
• How mental health issues affect students’ academic performance?
• Analyze teachers’ responsibilities in terms of elementary students’ needs.
• Evaluate the power of verbal encouragement as a motivational factor in the educational process.
• Critically reflect on education services provided to children experiencing difficulties in learning.
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of German secondary education.
• Evaluate teaching methods used at the American universities.
• Ways in which online libraries affect the students’ academic performance.
• How well the film “BraveHeart” portrays historical events?
• Analyze a movie produced in a foreign country and discuss how it reveals its national characteristics.
• Assess Kate Winslet’s play in “Titanic” and discuss which means this actor applies to adapt to this role.
• Make a comparison between modern and classic drama movies.
• Assess the distinct approaches used to transfer data from a smartphone to a PC.
• Make comparisons between various phone plans and determine which provider has the best deals for travelers.
• Assess current information security methods. Which one is the most efficient?
• Assess the key characteristics of WhatsApp.
• Compare the use of several cloud systems that can be implemented by the movie hub website.
• Estimate the chances of Facebook as a marketing resource.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of online advertising.
• Assess the existing approaches to using the Internet in colleges.
• Analyze the consequences of cultural shock.
• Assess the negative sides of overwhelming cultural diversity in the United States.
• Discuss the development path of rap and hip-hop music.
• What is the impact of Buddhism on Indian culture?
• Compare two popular social media platforms in terms of their  users, features, and benefits.
• Evaluate the latest version of your favorite smartphone and estimate the positive or negative changes that will affect the industry.
• Compare an educational approach in the military, Christian, or classical school.
• Evaluate the SAT versus the ACT tests.
• Compare the foreign policies established by a few states in the US.

Note that our company provides academic writing help. You can buy an essay written from scratch by our  essay writer .

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Definition and Examples of Evaluation Essays

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

An evaluation essay is a  composition that offers value judgments about a particular subject according to a set of criteria. Also called  evaluative writing , evaluative essay or report , and critical evaluation essay .

An evaluation essay or report is a type of argument that provides evidence to justify a writer's opinions about a subject.

"Any kind of review is essentially a piece of evaluative writing," says Allen S. Goose. "This type of writing calls for the critical thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation" ( 8 Kinds of Writing , 2001). 

Observations

• "Without good reasons for liking or disliking certain things, students can never get beyond being passive receivers of marketing, fickle consumers without a basis for their opinions. Writing evaluation papers asks them to question why they feel the way they do." (Allison D. Smith, et al., Teaching in the Pop Culture Zone: Using Popular Culture in the Composition Classroom . Wadsworth, 2009)

How to Evaluate

• "If you are evaluating a piece of writing, then you are going to need to thoroughly read the work. While you read the work, keep in mind the criteria you are using to evaluate. The evaluative aspects may be: grammar, sentence structure, spelling, content, usage of sources, style, or many other things. Other things to consider when evaluating a piece of writing is whether the writing appealed to its target audience . Was there an emotional appeal? Did the author engage the audience, or was the piece lacking something? ..."If you are evaluating anything else, use your head. You need to try, use, or test whatever thing you are evaluating. That means you should not evaluate a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette unless you have the $45,000 (or more) to buy one, or the money to rent one. You also need the know-how of driving a car of that power and a base of knowledge of other cars that you have tested to compare it to." (Joe Torres, Rhetoric and Composition Study Guide . Global Media, 2007)

Identifying Criteria for an Evaluation

• " Make a list of prominent, widely recognized standards for judging your subject. If you do not know the standards usually used to evaluate your subject, you could do some research . For example, if you are reviewing a film, you could read a few recent film reviews online or in the library, noting the standards that reviewers typically use and the reasons that they assert for liking or disliking a film. If you are evaluating a soccer team or one winning (or losing) game, you could read a book on coaching soccer or talk to an experienced soccer coach to learn about what makes an excellent soccer team or winning game." (Rise B. Axelrod and Charles R. Cooper, Axelrod & Cooper's Concise Guide to Writing , 4th ed. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006)

Ways of Organizing an Evaluation Essay

• "One way to organize an  evaluation essay is point-by-point: describe one element of the subject and then evaluate it; present the next element and evaluate it; and so on. Comparison/contrast could be an organizing structure as well, in which you evaluate something by comparing (or contrasting) it to a known item. Culinary and music reviews often use this strategy.  Chronological organization can be used for evaluating an event (either current or historical). Sequential organization can be used when describing how something works and evaluating the effectiveness of the process, procedure, or mechanism. Spatial organization can be used for evaluating art or architecture in which you describe and evaluate one element of the artifact and then move spatially to the next major element to be described and evaluated." (David S. Hogsette,  Writing That Makes Sense: Critical Thinking in College Composition . Wipf and Stock, 2009)
• Holistic Grading (Composition)
• What Is a Critique in Composition?
• Critical Analysis in Composition
• Critical Thinking in Reading and Composition
• Topical Organization Essay
• Self-Evaluation of Essays
• Moving Past the Five Paragraph Essay
• Audience Analysis in Speech and Composition
• How to Write a Critical Essay
• What Is Composition? Definition, Types, and Examples
• Research in Essays and Reports
• The Definition of a Review in Composition
• What Is Expository Writing?
• Sample Essay Rubric for Elementary Teachers
• What Is an Annotated Bibliography?
• Definition and Examples of Analysis in Composition

Writing Studio

Identifying and evaluating arguments.

In an effort to make our handouts more accessible, we have begun converting our PDF handouts to web pages. Download this page as a PDF: Identifying and Evaluating Arguments Return to Writing Studio Handouts

An argument differs from a description, a statement of belief or opinion, a hypothetical scenario, a command, or a mere set of facts. While each of these may have its own intents and purposes, an argument uses a series of statements to convince a listener or reader that certain facts, conditions, or positions are true.

Premises and Conclusions

An argument’s premise is an initial or foundational statement or assumption that sets forth the reason or evidence, and from which the conclusion of the argument follows. Often, the premises and the conclusions of an argument can be identified by the use of key words or phrases.

The following words and phrases might indicate a premise :

• as indicated by
• for the reason that
• in as much as
• may be inferred from
• seeing that

The following words and phrases might indicate a conclusion :

• accordingly
• entails that
• we may conclude
• it must be that
• it follows that
• consequently
• implies that
• as a result

Useful Questions for Evaluating an Argument

1. what assumptions does the writer make.

Does the writer assume that you will come to the text with certain knowledge, or that you will share certain of his or her values?

2. Does the writer have an agenda?

If the writer has a particular political slant, for example, where does it show through in the argument? Does it sway or influence his or her interpretations of the evidence? How?

3. How does the author use language?

What is the writer’s tone of voice? Are there specific words that you find intriguing, effective, ineffective, or downright bizarre? Are there specific rhetorical “moves” being made, effectively or ineffectively?

4. How convincing is the writer’s evidence?

Does it come from trustworthy and credible sources? Is it relevant? Does the writer interpret that evidence in a way that makes sense?

5. How convincing is the writer’s overall argument?

Do you think the writer accomplishes what she set out to accomplish? Depending on the assignment, your answer to this question may be your thesis!

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Evaluation Essay: Writing Guide, Outline & Free Samples

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Are you wondering how to write an evaluation essay? We are here to inspire and let you know all the essential steps to get started. This blog post will describe what is an evaluative essay, including its purpose and elements. In addition, you will be enlightened on how to actually write evaluations - all the necessary factors and steps will be elaborated on. These steps are: deciding what to appraise, what criteria to apply, and how to develop arguments and outlines. Toward the end, you will be provided with evaluation essay samples that will enable you to put theoretical guidelines into practice. Strictly follow this blog post from our essay writer services to the end.

What Is an Evaluation Essay: Definition

The starting point of being well-versed in this from of writing is understanding its definition and purpose, as it will lay a good foundation for further work. Evaluation essay is a paper that offers evidence that helps to justify writer's opinion on different subjects by providing enough facts to convince readers. Such type of writing requires critical thinking skills when analyzing, synthesizing, and assessing given topics to avoid misleading your audience. The main purpose of this type of paper is to provide objective criticism oт various subjects and make conclusions about them. As a result, the latter helps readers to take a stance about a topic. In addition, there is an exhaustive review of fundamental characteristics, styles, and quality of subjects under discussion. The value of a particular topic is obtained through supportive and factual evidence provided. Finally, this paper helps present well-reasoned and informed judgment on particular standards, hence clearing concerning issues about a given subject.

Things You Can Write an Evaluation About

Preparing evaluative essay is a broad topic, and you need to be well-organized, or else the text will quickly lose meaning and purpose. There are various abstract categories and exact things that you can assess in writing. When you write evaluations, ensure you deeply understand your topic of discussion. Reading through an evaluation example will help you know what to do. Some evaluation essay topics and objects suitable for assessment include:

• Experience: gaming, traveling, and shopping.
• Music: its content, the impact, instruments played, and comparison to other works by artists.
• Furniture: chair, desk, stool, table, etc.
• Fruits: guava, mangoes, oranges, pineapples.
• Trees: oak, teak, pine.
• Sports: volleyball, table tennis, golf.
• Clothes: casual wear, sportswear, formalwear.
• Class: methods of teaching , challenges, type of assessments, etc.
• Social trend: origin, overall influence, and objectives.
• Courses: journalism, mathematics, business, and history.

Elements of an Evaluation Essay

Understanding all components of evaluation papers - three in total - is important during writing. They include:

• Criteria In order to determine aspects you will assess about certain brands, services, or products, a proper set of standards is required. Standard helps in demonstrating expectations. During evaluative writing, it is essential to think about some good samples of similar brands, services, or products. Also, contemplate on related significant features. For instance, a house can be well-ventilated, secure, and clean, which are quite helpful benchmarks.
• Judgment A second element in essay evaluation is judgment. This aspect helps to establish if stated standards were met. Considering the previous example of a house discussed under this criteria, you may first assess if the house is secure or not. Find out if the house meets, exceeds, or falls short of your anticipated security standards, then move on to other criteria.
• Evidence This component focuses on providing facts supporting the judgment. For instance, in the house example, if you conclude that security level does not meet the expected standards, provide evidence to prove this judgment. When you structure an evaluation essay, ensure each paragraph discusses a different criterion. It helps you to make judgments and provide evidence under each paragraph.

What to Consider Before Writing an Evaluation

There are two factors to put into consideration before writing evaluations. One of them is ensuring that evaluation argument remains objective. Objectivity is achieved by not including personal opinions in disputes. Besides, one remains objective by supporting claims with relevant facts. Also, included references need to fully support your stand. You should know that a discourse must be balanced and fair. Secondly, deciding on evaluative standards is another important factor to consider. You need to have a deeper understanding of subjects before deciding on measures to use during this analysis. Chosen standards must adequately and appropriately represent particular subjects' features, qualities, and values. Besides, when deciding on evaluation essay criteria, ensure that you focus on defending your stated thesis. In addition, have enough evidence and details to support the chosen criterion. Finally, appropriately organize your facts and make sure you have imperative and unbiased information concerning your subjects of discussion.

Evaluation Essay Outline

A clear outline provides a map of organizing ideas when you write evaluation essay. An evaluation essay outline covers at least five structured paragraphs. The first is an introductory paragraph followed by three or more body paragraphs, and finally, an essay conclusion . Below is an evaluation paper outline example under the topic of practicing vaping.

Introduction

• An introduction presents subjects, hooks readers, and elaborates on topic of evaluation.
• The last part of your introduction is a thesis statement, which asserts arguments, determines focus, and helps understand essays’ gist.
• The body must contain a minimum three paragraphs.
• Each body paragraph needs to have a criterion followed by judgment.
• Support judgments with relevant evidence.
• When concluding, summarize main points.
• Give some food for thought.

Here’s how your evaluation essay outline look:

Introductory paragraph  

• Do you know that vaping is a better alternative to smoking? How is it rated?
• Some notable issues with vaping include its safety, cost, and utility.
• This essay discusses vaping while focusing on safety issues, incurred costs, and utility to prove how it is preferred compared to traditional smoking.

Body part  

• Safety: According to the British government, vaping is 95% safer when compared to cigarette smoking. Vaping is less harmful. No second-hand smoke is produced during vaping, hence the best smoking alternative.
• Cost: Vaping is cheaper when compared to smoking. The price for a vape pen is almost $20. Coils and E-juice are inexpensive, unlike a cigarette carton, and can last twice longer.
• Utility: From environmental health, vaping has high utility. Many places have banned cigarette smoking; thus, vaping is the best alternative. Indoors and outdoor vaping is allowed, unlike cigarette smoking, which is banned indoors.

Concluding paragraph

• Vaping offers the best smoking alternative. It is of high quality, and people need to embrace it. Also, it is less costly, practical, and safer.

How to Start an Evaluation Essay

There are various steps that one can follow when writing an evaluation essay. These steps include:

• Choosing a topic A topic provides credibility for opinions and gives room for a thorough analysis of essential issues. Always start an evaluation essay by choosing an appropriate subject. You must be familiar with and have in-depth knowledge of a chosen theme to avoid misleading and losing readers. Ensure it is well-engaging for both the readers and you.
• Thesis statement development Coming up with a thesis statement is the second step, actual writing starts here. Thesis statements define main purposes of evaluative essays. Besides, they offer directions for distinguishing criteria from the examples provided. Use only relevant information when writing thesis statements.
• Criteria determination A third step to consider when preparing evaluation is thinking about criteria. Assess if evaluating a chosen topic is difficult or easy. In case of problematic topics, subdivide them into various points to make it easier.
• Conduct research and obtain supportive evidence You need to support your opinion with logical and physical facts, or else it will remain invalid. Your readers must make sense of your proof and have opportunities to use those facts to make their assumptions. After this step, you can start composing your essay.

How to Write an Evaluation Essay

Several steps exist that one can follow during evaluative writing. The first step in how to write an evaluation is to decide on a particular subject you wish to assess, followed by coming up with criteria you will use. Besides, develop solid arguments backed up with evidence. Also, create an outline, and start writing. Once you complete your writing, proofread your work. The steps below describe the chronological order of writing your essay.

1. Decide on What You Want to Evaluate

The first step when writing this essay is deciding on a topic you will assess. During writing to evaluate, choose a subject you understand better so that you have enough facts to support or oppose it. The chosen issue needs to be engaging to your readers, otherwise yo may lose your audience. Besides, when selecting a theme, ensure it is interesting in general to avoid boredom. Also, a chosen subject needs to be relevant to keep the readers informed about current trends and new developments. The majority of your audience must be aware of the concept. Always ensure that chosen topics are specific and not generic.

2. Find Criteria for Evaluation Essay

Once you discuss a subject, you must come up with criteria for essay evaluation. At this point, turn your opinions into assessments to help you define a chosen subject. You may use different ways to find criteria on how to do an evaluation paper. For instance, you can focus on a chosen characteristics of a topic to help you develop standards. Besides, you might assess the relevance of that topic and decide whether it is good or bad for your readers. Also, focusing on the impacts of subjects helps find standards when evaluating. Researching positive or negative impacts of the topic helps in mastering what and how to evaluate in an essay. Also, you may find criteria by focusing on the effectiveness of that subject, whether it is successful or not. Apart from that, one may focus on the morals or aesthetic standards of a particular subject to develop measures to discuss.

3. Come Up With an Evaluation Argument

Reader understands your decision by following the argument. Evaluative arguments refer to claims concerning the quality of particular subjects being assessed. This argument will always rate subjects as either negative or positive. With this rating, one can think of subjects as harmful or helpful, bad or good. An argument in evaluation essay defines and supports criteria. A judgment always elaborates and explains reasons for choosing particular standards despite controversy. Evaluation argument essay assesses subjects depending on chosen measures. Considered factors include practicability, aesthetics, and ethics. Make sure to determine which standards will convince your audience. Effective development of arguments starts by creating an evaluative thesis statement: take position, develop criteria, and find out if topic meets standards. For instance, when evaluating meal’s quality, you may say:

Meal’s strength depended on its presentation, it was enticing, and its outlook was appropriate.

Another example could be: 

Meal’s weakness was in overcooking, as its flavor became less pronounced.

Additionally, another example of a subject could be practicing vaping. In such case, an evaluation argument example will be: 

Vaping is safe, inexpensive, and highly practical when compared to cigarette smoking, and due to these reasons, it is a recommendable practice for traditional smokers who wish to break old habits.

4. Create an Evaluative Essay Outline

After choosing a discussion topic, one can create an outline for essay . Outlines start with the development of thesis statements, followed by a list of main ideas and a conclusion. For this essay type, outlines require a minimum of five paragraphs. The first paragraph of the evaluation in writing is introduction that ends with a thesis statement. An introduction is followed by at least three body paragraphs and a conclusion. Outlines are important as they form a basis for thoughtfully constructing ideas. Also, they help in organizing your points sequentially for them to remain orderly. In addition, they are useful in picking relevant information, providing steady foundation when starting to write. Thus, it is worth noting that outlines form a crucial part of these essays, and they give a sketch of writing.

5. Write an Evaluation Paper

When you write evaluative papers, ensure you follow everything stated in your outline. The sections discussed below will help you understand how to write evaluation:

• Introduction When writing your introductory paragraph, ensure it engages you and your readers. Introduce subjects by capturing the reader’s attention. Elaborate on selected subjects, their influence, and reasons for assessing those topics. Be clear with chosen criteria you will be discussing. Generally, when writing your introductory paragraph, provide your entire subject overview.
• Thesis statement The last sentence of an introduction is a thesis statement. It tells your readers what they should expect from evaluation essay and its purpose. Include evaluative arguments that rate subjects either positive or negative with supportive facts. A good evaluation thesis example must include all the stated parts.
• Body A body is commonly the lengthiest part in this type of writing. You must develop a minimum of three body paragraphs in your evaluation paper. When writing body paragraphs, always use transition words while moving from a thesis statement to the first reason and other successive reasons. During evaluate writing, all body paragraphs must start with topic sentences, which inform your reader about your opinion. After stating topic sentences, write your criteria. A criterion will elaborate on the standards of a topic you are discussing. When you are done with it, provide judgments. Judgments must elaborate whether the standards of subjects were met or not. Thereafter, provide evidence supporting your argument. Following that, mention any objections about your judgment, then finalize by refuting those claims. Repeat all these steps for each body paragraph. Ensure you remain relevant in all the paragraphs to avoid losing your readers.
• Conclusion A conclusion is the final evaluation paragraph. When concluding, start by restating your thesis statement and follow by summarizing and reflecting on major points.

6. Proofread Your Evaluation Essay

When you complete your evaluation writing, the last step is proofreading and revising your work. Reading through your work helps improve your paper's quality and remove mistakes. Besides, it enables you to locate and correct inconsistencies in your text. Also, when you edit your work, you ensure that the ideas of your paper are well-defined. Revising your work helps in assessing if the content was appropriately conveyed. Also, it guarantees that sentences are grammatically appropriate by correcting typing and spelling errors to avoid readers’ confusion. Finally, you should read through your work critically and develop better ways of improving clarity, good structure of sentences, and entire effectiveness.

Evaluative Essay Structure

There are various examples of evaluation essays format. These formats include:

• Chronological structure It is used when describing events based on how they happened in an orderly manner, starting from the earliest to the last, like when evaluating current or historical events. Chronological essay structures are more descriptive because they are detailed.
• Spatial structure In contrast to previous type, this one is used when presenting details of particular subjects depending on their location in space. A spatial essay form is used when describing an item like architecture or art depending on how they appear when observed. Something else that people need to understand is that it is easy to remember a spatial essay structure because physical location is used when describing subjects.
• Compare and contrast structure Compare structure is used when exploring existing similarities between subjects, while contrast structure exists for discussing differences between items. Mostly, subjects discussed in compare and contrast papers fall under the same category; however, there may exist exceptions to this rule.
• Point-by-point format structure This is a subtype of compare and contrast essay that provides a general view of individual items being analyzed. This essay type compares a set of subjects because paragraph arrangement depends on main points and not by topic. Each paragraph discusses the main point and include subjects as they relate to each main point.

Evaluation Essay Example

There are millions of evaluative essays samples posted online. These examples offer impressive descriptions of evaluative essays with all the key steps to follow and will help you polish your skills when writing this paper. However, not all of the examples posted online are reliable. Therefore, the only preferred evaluation essay sample that students can use must come from peer-reviewed sources. Essay types from scholarly sites are written by reputable authors who meet all required standards; moreover, you can easily find an excellent book on this subject with appropriate examples. Attached are evaluation essays samples from credible writers. 

Tips on How to Write Evaluation Essay

For one to write perfect essays, there are some helpful tips you may follow. Following these points will help you produce impressive evaluation and your readers will enjoy.  Some of those tips when writing an evaluation essay include:

• Carefully read certain materials while making notes and analyzing content.
• Read through each paragraph before transitioning to another section.
• Avoid leaving out negative aspects, but try to discuss both pros and cons of your subjects.
• When reading other’s evaluative essay, analyze each paragraph and notice the authors’ mistakes: is information helpful? what can you do better?
• Avoid adding minor details with insufficient supportive evidence, as they will mislead you and your readers.
• Express your thoughts concisely and clearly as you peruse the written evaluation examples.
• Ensure that your evaluation essay thesis is anchored to your judgment.
• Write your paper with precision and attention to details while avoiding wordiness and providing enough useful information as you keenly follow the guide.
• Enable your readers to feel and agree with your assessment.

Bottom Line on Writing Evaluation Essays

Understanding the text’s definition and purpose is your first step toward knowing how to write a good evaluation. Thereafter, list categories and respective things you will assess during your writing. Master the three elements of an evaluative essay and use them effectively. Your argument must be objective and help clearly decide on what criteria to use. Besides, you need to understand all sections of an outline, how to start evaluative essay, and then, follow essential steps. In addition, get acquainted with the four types of essay structure. Remember that you always can increase your experience by reading some good evaluative writing examples. Keep all these tips in mind to ensure you write a proper essay.

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FAQ About Evaluation Papers

1. what are the four components of an evaluation essay.

• Introduction is the first component of evaluation essay that hooks readers, introduces the subject, and contains thesis statement.
• Background information is the second component; it clarifies to readers your evaluation topic.
• Criteria is the third component, which entails standards for evaluating subjects.
• Conclusion is the fourth component; it restates your thesis statements and summarizes main points.

2. What to write in an evaluation essay?

There are numerous things that one can consider during essay evaluations. Evaluation writing examples and their respective criteria include:

• Movies: A plot, relationship among actors, and scenes.
• Restaurants: Quality of food, price, and cleanliness.
• Websites: Type of content, its design, and ease of navigating.
• House: Overall quality, accessibility, and cost.
• Business: Market share, its strengths and weaknesses.
• Social trend: Origin, overall influence, and objectives.
• Leader: Overall achievements, style of leadership, integrity.
• University: Offered programs, number of graduates per year, online or in-person, reputation.
• Class: Methods of teaching, challenges, type of assessments.
• Job: Nature of work, working hours, bosses, salary, demand.
• Advertisement: Media used when advertising, effectiveness, level of convincing, level of engagement.
• Speech: Type of audience, main purpose, compelling.

3. What is the difference between an evaluation and review?

Despite similarities existing between an evaluation essay and a review, the two differ. An evaluative essay focuses on deeper research and analysis of certain subjects, while a review provides a general outlook of particular subjects. Evaluative essays must have criteria that judge specific subjects, and reviews do not need criteria. In addition, under certain conditions, it is mandatory to cite sources used in writing evaluative essays, while reviews do not require references.

4. What is a good evaluative thesis example?

A good evaluative thesis must inform readers what to expect and its impact and determine an essay’s focus. Also, a strong thesis must state evaluative arguments. Here is a proper evaluation essay thesis example: Vaping is highly practical, inexpensive, and safe compared to cigarette smoking, and following these reasons, it is a recommendable practice for traditional smokers wishing to leave old habits.

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How to Write an Evaluation Essay in a Few Easy Steps

Are you ready to master the art of writing evaluation essays? This comprehensive guide on how to write an evaluation essay will provide you with the knowledge and techniques required to craft an exceptional evaluation essay. From understanding the purpose and components of evaluation essays to selecting the perfect topic and crafting a strong thesis statement, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in and learn how to create a well-structured, engaging, and effective evaluation essay.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• Somewhat similar to analytical essays , evaluation essays are compositions that present an opinion or judgement based on criteria and evidence.
• Crafting a successful evaluation essay requires selecting the right topic, developing a strong thesis statement, creating an outline, introducing the topic effectively in the introduction and providing relevant examples to support your assessment.
• Examining samples for guidance as well as avoiding common pitfalls can help you create effective evaluation essays on suggested topics such as marketing campaigns or college education.

Evaluation Essays: What are Those?

An evaluation essay, also known as an evaluation essay or an evaluation argument essay, is a unique type of composition that assesses a particular concept, item, or service, presenting an opinion or judgment concerning the subject. The purpose of such essays is to provide an educated and judicious assessment of the subject, using criteria and evidence to support the judgment. Evaluation essays consist of three essential components: judgment, criteria, and evidence.

To write an evaluation essay, you need to follow these steps.

• Introduce the topic in an engaging manner.
• Express a definite, authoritative judgment that occupies two-thirds of the evaluation paper.
• Support your judgment with appropriate criteria and gather supporting evidence.

Maintaining a balance between providing the reader with the requisite information to comprehend the evaluation and informing them of all details is crucial for a successful evaluation essay.

The criteria for evaluation essays are the parts of the topic that are judged as good or bad, better or worse than something else. Appropriate criteria in an evaluation essay serve to evaluate the subject in an impartial and judicious manner, ensuring that the evaluation is based on relevant and objective standards.

For example, a restaurant review may use criteria such as:

• Presentation

To evaluate the dining experience.

Each paragraph in the body of an evaluation essay should be dedicated to one key fact or aspect of the subject being evaluated, thoroughly elucidated, with judgment and evidence to back the argument. By following these guidelines and incorporating relevant criteria and evidence, you can create an engaging and well-structured evaluation essay that effectively assesses its subject.

Choosing the Right Topic for Your Evaluation Essay

Selecting an appropriate topic for your evaluation essay is essential, as it will determine the extent of the essay and the criteria applied for evaluation. To brainstorm ideas for an evaluation essay topic, consider categories such as movies, technological devices, restaurants, museums, plays, websites, stores, sports stadiums, concerts, books, events, and more. The two essential questions to ask when selecting a topic to evaluate are: “What category does it belong to?What is the ideal way of representing something in that category? Can you provide an example?

For example, if you choose to evaluate a romantic comedy movie, consider what the exemplar of a romantic comedy is and what criteria you would use to assess the quality of the movie. Criteria for evaluating a romantic comedy might include humor, unexpected plot developments, and relatable characters. By selecting a topic that can be evaluated objectively and possess enough criteria to validate the evaluation, you can create a more engaging and successful evaluation essay.

Once you have chosen your topic, it’s important to offer the subject and provide any pertinent information regarding it. This will set the stage for your evaluation and help the reader understand the context of your essay. For instance, when evaluating a car, you might provide information about:

• fuel economy
• crash rating
• special options

Keep in mind that your evaluation essay should maintain a balance between providing the reader with the requisite information to comprehend the evaluation and informing them of all details. By selecting a topic that can be evaluated objectively and using appropriate criteria, your evaluation essay will be more engaging and effective.

Developing a Strong Thesis Statement

A strong thesis statement is crucial for an evaluation essay, as it sets the tone and focus for the entire paper. The thesis statement in an evaluation essay offers a judgment regarding the subject in accordance with the specified criteria. To create a strong thesis statement, first, contemplate the pertinent criteria or standards for evaluating the subject.

A beneficial technique for generating order and concentration in an evaluation essay is to furnish a map of your reasons/criteria within the thesis. This will help guide the reader through the essay and make your argument more coherent and organized. A well-constructed thesis statement not only provides a definite direction for your essay, but it also assists the reader in understanding the primary purpose of the essay.

For example, if you’re evaluating a restaurant, your thesis statement could be: “The XYZ restaurant impresses with its flavorful dishes, elegant ambiance, and attentive service, making it the ideal dining experience.” By incorporating the pertinent criteria within your thesis statement, you provide a clear and concise roadmap for the reader to follow throughout your evaluation essay.

Crafting the Evaluation Essay Outline

The evaluation essay outline is an essential aspect of the writing process, as it helps to organize your thoughts and create a coherent structure for your essay. The outline consists of the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, with each section playing a vital role in the overall structure.

In the following subsections, we will discuss the importance of each part of the evaluation essay outline, and how to effectively develop and utilize these sections to create a well-structured and engaging evaluation essay.

Introduction

The introduction of your evaluation essay should grab the reader’s attention and present the subject and thesis statement. To hook the reader, consider using:

• A vivid description of the subject
• Evaluating what other people think of the subject
• Incorporating a quote from someone about the subject
• Narrating a personal story of your interest in the subject

For instance, if you’re evaluating a new restaurant, you could start by describing the ambiance and the aroma of the dishes being served. This will engage the reader and encourage them to read on.

Be sure to present the thesis statement clearly, as it sets the stage for the rest of your evaluation essay, including the topic sentence that will guide each paragraph.

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of your evaluation essay play a crucial role in providing an objective overview of the subject, followed by an assessment based on standards and substantiation. The initial evaluation paragraph should introduce the topic and provide a neutral overview. Subsequent body paragraphs should evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the item being evaluated, in accordance with the criteria established for its evaluation.

For example, when evaluating a car, the first paragraph might provide a brief overview of the car’s features and specifications. The following paragraphs would then assess the car based on criteria such as:

Be sure to thoroughly elucidate each key fact or aspect of the subject being evaluated, with judgment and evidence to back the argument.

When writing the body paragraphs, it’s essential to maintain a balance between providing the reader with the requisite information to comprehend the evaluation and informing them of all details. By offering a balanced and objective assessment of the subject, your evaluation essay will be more engaging and effective.

The conclusion of your evaluation essay should include the following elements:

• Restate the thesis statement to remind the reader of the main argument.
• Recapitulate the main points discussed in the essay.
• Provide a final assessment or suggestion based on the final evaluation.
• Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion.
• Leave the reader with a lasting impression of your evaluation.

For example, if you evaluated a restaurant, your conclusion might be:

• Restate the thesis statement
• Summarize the positive aspects (flavorful dishes, elegant ambiance, and attentive service)
• Provide a final suggestion for readers to give the restaurant a try

By providing a well-rounded conclusion, you allow the reader to form their own opinion about the subject, while reinforcing the key points of your evaluation essay.

Writing Techniques for Successful Evaluation Essays

Effective writing techniques for evaluation essays include using objective criteria, presenting a balanced view, and engaging the reader. One of the primary steps in composing an evaluation essay is to strive for impartial analysis prior to forming an opinion and to employ evaluation criteria. This ensures that your evaluation is based on relevant and objective standards, making your essay more credible and persuasive.

Presenting a balanced perspective is essential for maintaining credibility in the eyes of your audience. By demonstrating respect for opposing positions and elucidating points you concur with and diverge from, you create a more engaging and effective evaluation essay. This approach also allows you to address potential objections or queries from your readers, further strengthening your argument.

Lastly, engaging the reader is crucial for the success of your evaluation essay. Utilize vivid descriptions, compelling examples, and a clear and concise writing style to maintain the reader’s interest throughout your essay. By employing these writing techniques, you can create a well-structured, engaging, and effective evaluation essay that effectively assesses its subject.

Utilizing Relevant Examples in Your Evaluation Essay

Incorporating relevant examples in your evaluation essay is crucial for supporting the judgment and providing evidence for the criteria used in your evaluation. These examples can bolster your assessment and furnish proof for the standards employed, making your evaluation essay more persuasive and convincing.

For instance, when evaluating a car, you might provide examples of how the car’s fuel economy compares to similar models or cite an expert’s review of the car’s performance and safety features. In the case of a restaurant review, you could describe specific dishes you tasted and how they met or fell short of your expectations based on the criteria you established for evaluating the quality of a meal.

By incorporating pertinent examples, you not only make your evaluation essay more engaging and relatable, but also provide the evidence necessary to support your judgment and validate the criteria used in your assessment. This will make your evaluation essay more credible and convincing to your readers.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Evaluation Essay Writing

There are several common pitfalls in evaluation essay writing that can hinder the effectiveness of your essay. These include poor organization, lack of focus, and excessive use of quotations. To avoid these issues, it’s essential to maintain a clear and logical structure for your evaluation essay, ensuring that your argument is coherent and well-supported by evidence.

Another common pitfall is the lack of focus on the evaluation criteria. It’s essential to establish appropriate criteria for your evaluation and consistently refer to these criteria throughout your essay. This will help to maintain a clear focus and ensure that your evaluation is based on objective and relevant standards.

Lastly, be cautious when using quotations in your evaluation essay. While it’s important to provide evidence to support your judgment, excessive use of quotations can detract from your own analysis and opinion. Instead, use quotations sparingly and ensure that they are directly relevant to the criteria you’re using to evaluate the subject.

By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can create a more effective and engaging evaluation essay that will resonate with your readers.

Examining Evaluation Essay Samples

Examining evaluation essay samples can provide valuable insights into the structure, content, and style of successful evaluation essays. By analysing these samples, you can gain a better understanding of how to craft your own evaluation essay, incorporating the most effective techniques and strategies for presenting a persuasive and engaging argument.

You can find evaluation essay samples on academic writing websites, which can serve as an excellent starting point for your own evaluation essay. These samples can help you identify the most effective ways to present your subject, establish criteria for evaluation, and provide evidence to support your judgment. Additionally, examining evaluation essay samples can help you understand how to maintain a logical structure and clear thesis statement, which are essential for the success of your essay.

By studying a good evaluation essay sample and applying the insights gained to your own writing, you can create a well-structured, engaging, and effective evaluation essay that effectively assesses its subject.

Suggested Evaluation Essay Topics

To help inspire and guide your writing process, here is a list of suggested evaluation essay topics.

• Evaluate the latest blockbuster movie based on its plot, character development, and special effects.
• Assess the effectiveness of a social media campaign in promoting a new product or service.
• Analyze the performance of a sports team during a specific season, considering the team’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Evaluate a new restaurant in your area based on its menu, service, and ambiance.
• Assess the impact of a specific parenting approach on children’s development and well-being.

These are just a few examples of topics that can be explored in an evaluation essay.

• The effectiveness of a new marketing campaign
• The quality of a restaurant’s customer service
• The impact of a government policy on the economy
• The value of a college education

Remember, the key to a successful evaluation essay is selecting a topic that can be evaluated objectively, using appropriate criteria and evidence to support your judgment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an evaluation essay.

An evaluation essay is a type of argumentative writing in which a writer presents an opinion or viewpoint with supporting evidence. It involves the writer’s judgment of a subject or body of work based on criteria and evidence, while providing a summary of the article in question.

How do you start writing an evaluation?

To start writing an evaluation essay, begin by providing background information on the subject and outline the purpose of the evaluation. Next, list the criteria you will use to evaluate the product and include relevant evidence to support your judgment.

Finally, draft your essay and review, revise, and rewrite it to produce a well-structured evaluation.

How do you start an evaluation paragraph example?

Beginning an evaluation paragraph requires providing a big picture overview of the subject, discussing its influence on people and why it is worth evaluating. Establishing the criteria that will be used to support the thesis should also be included. Written in a formal tone, this introduction should contain a clear conclusion right away.

How do I choose the right topic for my evaluation essay?

When selecting a topic for an evaluation essay, consider a range of options such as movies, technological devices, restaurants, museums, plays, websites, stores, sports stadiums, concerts, books, events, and more.

Make sure the topic is objective and has enough criteria to allow for valid evaluation.

How can I create a strong thesis statement for my evaluation essay?

A strong thesis statement for an evaluation essay should identify the criteria used to assess the subject, and provide a definitive judgment based on those criteria.

This statement should be clear and concise, and should provide the reader with a clear understanding of the essay’s purpose. It should also be specific enough to provide a framework for the essay’s argument.

In conclusion, mastering the art of writing evaluation essays requires understanding the purpose and components of such essays, selecting an appropriate topic, crafting a strong thesis statement, and developing a well-structured outline.

By employing effective writing techniques, incorporating relevant examples, and avoiding common pitfalls, you can create an engaging and persuasive evaluation essay that effectively assesses its subject.

With the knowledge and strategies provided in this comprehensive guide, you are well-equipped to tackle any evaluation essay topic and create a lasting impression on your readers.

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7.4.2: Annotated Sample Evaluation Argument

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English 101

Universal Health Care Coverage for the United States

The United States is the only modernized Western nation that does not offer publicly funded health care to all its citizens; the costs of health care for the uninsured in the United States are prohibitive, and insurance companies are often more interested in profit margins than providing health care. These conditions are incompatible with U.S. ideals and standards. Universal health care coverage is a better system for all citizens because it is more cost-effective and upholds the value of human life. (Note: The thesis evaluates universal healthcare based on two specific criteria.)

One of the most common arguments against providing universal health care coverage (UHC) is that it will cost too much money, but in fact, UHC is a cheaper option than private insurance if one considers all costs. (Note: This body paragraph addresses the criteria of cost by answering the question, "How cheap is universal healthcare?" The author summarizes a counterargument about cost and then refutes it.) While providing health care for all U.S. citizens would cost a lot of money for every tax-paying citizen, citizens need to examine exactly how much money it would cost, and more importantly, how much money is too much when it comes to opening up health care for all. Those who have health insurance already pay a considerable amount of money, and those without coverage are charged unfathomable amounts. The cost of publicly funded health care versus the cost of current insurance premiums is unclear. In fact, some Americans, especially those in lower income brackets, could stand to pay less than their current premiums.

 Under the current system, even patients with coverage must pay for some treatments out of pocket. (Note: This paragraph continues the discussion of cost, introducing a particular case in which the current system means high costs for patients.) Each day an American acquires a form of cancer, and the only effective treatment might be considered experimental by an insurance company and thus is not covered. The costs may be so prohibitive that the patient will either opt for a less effective, but covered, treatment; opt for no treatment at all; or attempt to pay the costs of treatment and experience unimaginable financial consequences. Medical bills in these cases can easily rise into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, which is enough to force even wealthy families out of their homes and into perpetual debt. Even though each American could someday face this unfortunate situation, many still choose to take the financial risk. Instead of gambling with health and financial welfare, U.S. citizens should press their representatives to set up UHC, where their coverage will be guaranteed and affordable.

A common argument against UHC in the United States is that other comparable national health care systems, like that of England, France, or Canada do not deliver timely patient care. (Note: Introduces a counterargument.) UHC opponents claim that sick patients in these countries often wait in long lines or long wait lists for basic health care. A fair amount of truth lies in these claims, but Americans must remember to put those problems in context with the problems of the current U.S. system as well. (Note: The author admits seeing some merit in the counterargument before they go on to offer a rebuttal.) It is true that people often wait to see a doctor in countries with UHC, but we in the United States wait as well, and we often schedule appointments weeks in advance, only to have onerous waits in the doctor’s waiting rooms.

Even if UHC would cost Americans a bit more money each year, we ought to reflect on what type of country we would like to live in, and what types of morals we represent if we are more willing to deny health care to others on the basis of saving a few hundred dollars per year.  (Note: This paragraph focuses on the criteria of values.) In a system that privileges capitalism and rugged individualism, little room remains for compassion and love. It is time that Americans realize the amorality of U.S. hospitals forced to turn away the sick and poor. UHC is a health care system that aligns more closely with the core values that so many Americans espouse and respect, and it is time to realize its potential.

Despite the opponents’ claims against UHC, a universal system will save lives and encourage the health of all Americans. It is time for Americans to start thinking socially about health in the same ways they think about education and police services: as a right of U.S. citizens.

Attributions

Adapted from an essay included in Writing for Success , licensed CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 . Annotations by Natalie Peterkin, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 .  

Evaluation Essay

Evaluation Essay - Definition, Examples, and Writing Tips

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Are you unsure about what it takes to evaluate things from your perspective in an evaluation essay?

If you’re having a hard time understanding how to present a balanced assessment of the subject, worry not!  We are here to help you get through the evaluation essay writing process.

In this blog, you will learn all about evaluation essays. From the definition, writing process, topics, tips, and a lot more, you’ll learn how to write an evaluation essay effortlessly!  

Continue reading to get a better idea.

• 1. What is an Evaluation Essay?
• 2. Evaluation Essay Structure
• 3. How to Start an Evaluation Essay?
• 4. How to Write an Evaluation Essay?
• 5. How to Format Your Evaluation Essay?
• 6. Evaluation Essay Examples
• 7. Evaluation Essay Topics For College Students
• 8. Evaluation Essay vs. Review

What is an Evaluation Essay?

Let’s first understand the evaluation essay meaning, here is the standard definition:

An evaluation essay offers a value judgment or an opinion of something. It presents an overall view of a particular subject’s quality. Moreover, it provides a critical analysis and a complete evaluation of something.

What is the Purpose of an Evaluation Essay?

The main purpose of an evaluation essay is to present an opinion and evaluate a topic critically. This type of writing determines the condition, worth, or significance by careful appraisal and study.  

This essay features the writer’s opinion, but when done correctly, it does not sound opinionated. Instead, it provides the facts and evidence to justify the opinions about the essay’s subject.

To write a good evaluation essay, you need to master critical evaluation and present the evaluation in an unbiased manner. You may also discuss both the pros and cons of the subject.

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Evaluation Essay Structure

The four different ways to format and organize the evaluation essay are as follows.

1. Chronological Structure

It is a sequential organization that could be used for evaluating historical or current events. It tells how something works and assesses the effectiveness of a mechanism, procedure, or process.

2. Spatial Structure

The spatial organization structure is used for evaluating or describing art or architecture. Here, you will define one element of the artifact and spatially move to the next. 

3. Compare and Contrast Structure

The compare and contrast structure is used to evaluate or review the culinary or music genre. Here the writer evaluates a subject by comprising and contrasting it with the known subject.

4. Point-by-Point Structure

The point-by-point structure is also used for culinary and music reviews. But, in this structure, you describe one element and then evaluate it, describe the second element and evaluate it, and so on.

After setting the criteria and collecting evidence for strengthening your judgment, you’ll start your evaluation essay. Let’s see what are the steps involved in starting an evaluation essay.

How to Start an Evaluation Essay?

When you start writing an evaluation essay, grabbing the reader’s attention is essential. For this, hook the reader from the beginning until the end to ensure that your essay’s opening follows an engaging tone. 

Step 1. Choose an Interesting Topic

Deciding the topic and evaluation essay criteria is important. Make sure it's not just compelling and interesting, but also informative so that you can find enough material for a detailed evaluation. 

Step 2. Set the Evaluation Essay Criteria

For an evaluation essay, you have to set the criteria for evaluation first. Criteria are the standards or measures by which someone assesses the quality or value of the subject. 

Some key points to establish the criteria are:

• Identifying relevant aspects that relate to the subject 
• Defining the criteria clearly so that it is specific and understandable for readers
• Your criteria should be directly relevant to the nature of the subject
• Always consider the audience’s expectations and standards while setting the criteria
• Your thesis statement should always align with your evaluation criteria

Step 3. Collect Evidence for Your Judgment

The author’s judgment of the subject states whether the subject is good or bad. It is an overall assessment or the opinion supported by the evidence. The judgment corresponds to the benchmarks set by the author in the essay criteria. 

The evidence is a combination of supporting data and facts. Using the evidence, the author demonstrates how well the subject meets the judgment. The evidence serves as the foundation of your evaluation. 

Without providing strong and accurate evidence, you will not be able to convince the readers of your judgment. 

Step 4. Decide the Essay Structure

After that, decide on the structure that you want to follow. It can be a chronological or point-by-point structure

Step 5. Craft the Essay Outline

When you create an essay outline , evaluate what should be added and removed. If you skip this step before writing, you may lose track of what to include in your essay while you write.   

So, writing an outline for your evaluation essay is a critical step that eases your writing journey. 

Here is a sample evaluation essay outline:

Step 6. Declare Your Thesis Statement

For an evaluation essay that keeps the reader hooked from the start, opt for a catchy thesis statement . The thesis should state the main point of the evaluation. 

In the thesis statement, you should always express your stance on the subject clearly. In doing so, the readers will have a clear idea about the purpose and direction of your essay. 

Now, understand how to write an evaluation essay by following the detailed procedure mentioned below.

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How to Write an Evaluation Essay?

Here is a step-by-step guide for you to write an evaluation essay.

Step 1. Write the Introduction

The introduction is the first impression your readers will have of you, so it's crucial to make a good one. It should capture attention and excite readers, drawing them into what you have to say about this topic. 

The following are the elements that you should consider while writing the introduction:

• Start with an interesting hook statement so that you can get the reader’s attention.
• Provide background information about the topic for the reader to understand the subject
• Establish the evaluation essay thesis statement. It sets out the overall purpose of the evaluation, so make sure it is apparent and to the point

Read this evaluation essay introduction example, and you’ll understand exactly what to pen down in yours:

Step 2. Draft the Body Section

The body of the essay consists of three paragraphs. Each paragraph holds different ideas related to one another and flows smoothly from start to finish, just like how a good story should be told.

Here are the important points that must be included in the body paragraphs.

• Start with the topic sentence that presents your judgment about the topic
• Present the supporting evidence to back up the topic sentence and your viewpoint.
• Present a balanced evaluative argument to show impartiality
• Compare and contrast the subject to another subject to show the strengths and weaknesses
• Present the evaluation from multiple perspectives, while being both positive and critical
• Always use transition words between your paragraphs to ensure a smooth and coherent flow for the reader. 

Step 3. Write the Conclusion

It is the final chance to convince your reader to agree with your point of view. You’re supposed to summarize and conclude the essay. In the conclusion , you present your final evaluation of the essay. 

Keep in mind the following aspects while writing a closing paragraph of an evaluation essay. 

• Summarize the points and evaluative arguments that you made in the body section.
• Justify your thesis statement.
• Provide a concrete and secure conclusion to your argument by ultimately leaving the reader convinced by your evaluation.

Step 4. Proofread, Revise, and Edit

The final step is proofreading and editing. Always spend enough time reading your essay carefully. It will help you catch the unintentional mistakes you have made and recover them. If needed, you can also revise your essay 2–3 times.

How to Format Your Evaluation Essay?

For formatting your evaluation essay, follow the standard academic writing guidelines. You can opt for different formatting styles like APA, MLA, or Chicago. 

In general, you should stick to the below formatting guidelines: 

Font and Size:

• Use a legible font such as Times New Roman or Arial.
• Choose a standard font size, often 12-point.
• Set one-inch margins on all sides of the paper.
• Double-space the entire essay, including the title, headings, and body paragraphs.
• Create a title for your essay that reflects the subject and purpose of the evaluation.
• Center the title on the page.
• Use title case (capitalize the first letter of each major word).
• Include a header with your last name and page number in the top right corner.
• Follow the format “Last Name Page Number” (e.g., “Smith 1”).

Citations (if applicable):

• Include citations for any sources used in your evaluation.
• Follow the citation style specified by your instructor or the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago).

Counterargument (if included):

• Clearly label and present any counterargument.
• Provide a well-reasoned response to the counterargument.

References or Works Cited Page (if applicable):

• Include a separate page for references or a works cited page if your essay includes citations.
• List all sources in the appropriate citation style.

Well, the time has come to look at some great evaluation essay examples. Getting help from sample essays is always a great way to perfect your evaluation papers.

Evaluation Essay Examples

Evaluation can be written on any topic, i.e., book, movie, music, etc. Below, we have given some evaluation essay examples for students: 

Evaluation Essay Sample PDF

Movie Evaluation Essay Example

Critical evaluation Essay Example PDF

Product Evaluation Essay PDF

Source Evaluation Essay Example PDF

Employee Self-Evaluation Essay Example

How to Start A Self-Evaluation Essay Example PDF

Evaluation Essay Topics For College Students

For writing an amazing evaluation essay, the first thing that you require is an essay topic.  Here are some incredible topic ideas for college students. You can use or mold them according to your preference. 

• Artificial intelligence's impact on society: A double-edged sword?
• Evaluate the online teaching and on-campus teaching styles
• Analyze and evaluate the Real Madrid football team and their performance
• Is media a threat to cultural cohesion or a source of enrichment?
• Compare and evaluate recorded music and live performance
• Evaluate how a university's football team impacts students' personalities
• Critically evaluate a remake of an original movie you have watched recently
• Analyze how the roles of females and males changed in recent romantic movies
• Evaluate your favorite restaurant, its food, aroma, and everything
• Critically evaluate gender disparities in college majors and career choices.

Evaluation Essay vs. Review

At first glance, an evaluation essay might look like a review. But, there are some notable differences between them. See this table to see how both pieces of writing differ from each other.

To conclude, 

After reading the step-by-step guide and examples, you must have learned the art of writing a good evaluation essay. We’re confident that you’re now able to provide a balanced and effective evaluation of the topics you choose for your essay.

But writing a perfect essay is not that simple; you require a lot of practice and experience to become a good writer. That is why we are here to help you write any type of academic essay. 

MyPerfectWords.com is a writing service that offers help for all academic writing assignments. We have a team of professional writers who are experts in writing all types of essays and evaluation papers. 

So what are you waiting for? Buy custom essay online and have a sigh of relief! 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. what are the four components of an evaluation essay.

The four components of an evaluation essay are:

• Introduction
• Background information

2. What are the 4 types of evaluation?

The four types of evaluation are:

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Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

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Keep reading

157 Quality Evaluation Essay Topics (Template)

This article provides over 150 evaluation essay topics. Follow these steps to select your topic and start writing your essay. You can navigate to each point in the post, or scroll down to browse the whole post:

Step 1: Choose a Topic

• Step 2: Create an Evaluation Criteria for your Topic
• Step 3: Use my Essay Template to write your Essay

Read Also: What is an Evaluation Essay?

Below, the evaluation essay topics are split into the following categories for ease of use. Feel free to navigate the post using these links or browse all suggestions by continuing to scroll down.

• Books, Television and Movies
• Restaurants
• Education, Universities and Schools
• Pop Culture

Politics and Economics

• Music and Art

Famous People

• Social Theory, Sociology and Philosophy
• Social Services
• The Environment

Media and Literature (Books, Movies, Television, Social Media)

You might want to write about one of these topic ideas if you’re studying literature or English studies, or intending to study literature at school, college or university level. Here are some media and literature topics to examine for some good evaluation essays:

• the moral messages in a book.
• the educational value of a book.
• the suitability of a book for a certain age group.
• the entertainment value of a book.
• whether a book has withstood the test of time.
• whether a movie adaptation on a book does the book justice.
• the merits of moving from paper books to eBooks.
• the suitability of a movie for children.
• the political, social, or moral messages in a move.
• how a movie has withstood the test of time.
• the quality of acting, producing and directing in a movie.
• whether a movie should have won an Oscar.
• How realistic animations or special effects are within a movie.
• whether the sequal to (The Matrix, Toy Story, Hunger Games, etc.) is as good as the original.
• the addictiveness of TV shows.
• If acting on a TV show is better or worse than another show.
• the messages in plot lines in a TV show.
• how well a TV show reflects real life.
• the impacts of Television on adolescents’ tastes.
• whether Television continues to have relevance to people’s lives in 2019.
• how Television creates shared sense of community and national identity within a society.
• whether a nation should have a government paid television station like BBC (UK), CBC (Canada) or ABC (Australia).
• Whether social media has been good or bad for society.
• Whether children should be exposed to social media.
• If social media should be regulated by the government.

I’ve found my topic. Take me to Step 2.

Restaurants and Food

An evaluative essay on restaurants and food is common in high school when learning critical writing. You could evaluate:

• How good the service is in a restaurant.
• the breadth and suitability of a menu in a restaurant.
• the restaurant’s business model.
• the health of a restaurant’s offerings.
• the restaurant’s environment and atmosphere.
• the health of the average American diet.
• the merits of vegetarianism.
• the merits of veganism.
• the merits of an all-meat diet.

People studying urban planning, engineering or economics may be asked to write an essay on transport. Here are some evaluative topics to consider for you. You could evaluate:

• the speed and efficiency of transportation in your local area.
• the cost effectiveness of transportation in your local area.
• the quality of a car based on categories like value for money and build.
• the quality of an airline service based on categories like seat comfort, service and speed.
• the efficiency of a train service between two cities.
• Whether road repairs in your local community made driving safer.
• the potential of electric cars for taking over internal combustion engine cars in the next 10 years.

Students studying meteorology , agricultural studies or atmospheric sciences might be asked to write a topic on weather patterns. Here are some ideas of evaluative essays on this topic. You might want to evaluate:

• the accuracy of a weather prediction service in your local area.
• the suitability of weather conditions for agriculture in your local region.
• the impact of extreme weather events on people in your local community.
• how seasons impact upon people’s moods.
• how much El Nino and El Nina weather systems impact a city.

Students studying a range of topics including ICT, cultural studies, education studies and social sciences might be asked to write on a topic on technology. Here’s some ideas for you. You could evaluate:

• the impact of Facebook on society.
• how internet has changed the world.
• the reliability of internet connection in a certain country.
• Whether smart phones have made life better.
• the addictiveness of games on children.
• whether technology has made learning better, more inclusive and easier.

Urban planning, politics and local government majors often look at cities and how they’re built. Here are some possible topics for you to cover. You might want to analyze:

• Whether buses or trains are better for transit in your city.
• what makes a city ‘liveable’.
• the impact of your city on the nation’s culture and economy.
• How good is the the nightlife in your city.
• How good are the the restaurants in your city.
• the local government in your city.
• whether living in the city is good for people’s lives.

Education, School, College and Universities

Students studying education studies or teaching will be asked to write an evaluative essay at some point in your degree. You might also need to evaluate a course you recently took. Here’s some ideas. You could evaluate:

• whether a course had practical implications for your life.
• the value of teaching in a particular course.
• the value for money of the course.
• how well technology was used to teach the course.
• whether the course could have been taught in a different format (online, on-campus, etc.)
• the usefulness of resources provided in the course.
• the teaching theories employed in a course, and whether they were appropriate.

Similarly, students considering going to a particular university may need to write an evaluation of a university or university education in general. You may also be asked to write on educational issues in a general education studies degree. Here’s some ideas for you. You might want to assess:

• the strengths and weaknesses of a local university’s football team.
• the value for money of a local college.
• whether university is worth the money for young people.
• the impact of compulsory school uniforms on children’s education (see more: 35 Pros and Cons of School Uniforms ).
• whether a particular degree / major has decent career prospects.
• the availability of public transit to or from a local school.
• the usefulness of humanities degrees to society.
• the usefulness of science degrees to society.
• whether trade schools should be made free for all.

Students studying sport sciences, kinesthesiology , or sports journalism may be asked to write an evaluative essay. Here’s some ideas for you. You could assess:

• the accuracy and biases of a sports broadcast.
• the impact of your favorite sports on people’s mental health.
• the impact of a particular sport on a person’s physical health.
• the value of a sports team for community building.
• the effect of recent rule changes on a sport.
• the line-up of sports in the Olympics and whether it improves the games.
• the strength of a current sports team line-up.
• the quality of a ground on which a sport is played.
• the impact of sports stars as mentors on children.
• whether sporting events should be played on religious or public holidays.
• how well a particular sport helps students develop problem solving skills.
• If half time entertainment at the Superbowl is better than it was in previous years.

Popular Culture

Popular culture is a topic commonly studied in cultural studies, media studies and communications degrees. However, you might also be asked to cover this in a general social sciences course or a general high school essay. Here’s some ideas for you. You could start with ‘Write an Analysis of…”

• whether Miley Cirus is a good influence on young people.
• the impact of K-Pop on western culture.
• the impact of Hollywood movies on world cultures. Is this Americanization of the world a positive or negative?
• the impact of Bollywood on western culture.
• how YouTube has influenced youth subcultures .
• the impact of Rue Paul’s Drag Race on LGBT awareness in the United States.

Students studying political sciences or economics will likely be asked to write a research paper that critically evaluates a topic throughout their degree. Social studies students in high school will also be called upon to write an evaluative essay of this type as well. Here’s some ideas for you. You could evaluate:

• a past president’s impact on society.
• a political party’s position on the environment.
• a political party’s position on the economy.
• the overall value of a politician’s position for society.
• the impact of the great depression on American society in the 1930s
• the impact of the 2008 Great Financial Crisis on the world.
• the immigration policies of the Democratic party.
• whether Capitalism has been good or bad for society.
• how Socialism impacts upon societies.
• whether rich people should be taxed more.

This is a very common topic for critical essays in high school. You may also need to conduct an evaluative essay on travel in a course within cultural or tourism studies. Here’s some ideas for you. You could write an evaluation of:

• Evaluate your favorite recent travel experience.
• a group travel company’s offerings according to categories such as value for money, service and authentic experiences.
• a travel destination according to factors including enjoyment, ease of travel, cultural attractions and safety.
• the impact of the burning of Notre Dame in 2019 on Paris tourism.
• London’s pub scene.
• the value of a gap year between high school and college .
• the potential impact of travel on people’s worldviews.
• whether travel is worth the money.

Art and Music

Cultural studies and fine arts degrees will ask you to write many good evaluative essays. You’ll be asked to focus on famous artists and art theories. Here’s some examples to get you mind ticking. You could analyze:

• the impact of Picasso on art theory.
• the Mona Lisa’s ongoing relevance in the 21 st
• the value of contemporary art for society.
• whether a degree in fine arts is worth the money.
• whether investment in the arts is a worthwhile way of spending public tax money.
• the merits of calling Banksy an ‘artist’ rather than a public nuisance.
• whether Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi was actually worth $450 million dollars when sold in 2017.

Similarly, courses that examine musical theory, cultural studies and youth studies may ask you to write evaluative topics focused on music. Here’s some musical topics you could use in an evaluative essay. You could say “Write an evaluation of…”

• whether hip hop / grunge / punk is a positive influence on youth.
• the creativity of prominent themes in Top 40s country music.
• the impact of The Beatles on rock music.
• the impact of Michael Jackson on music.
• Jay-Z’s impact on rap music.
• how music impacts youth culture.

This is a very popular topic provided to middle and high school students. However, just about any college course may ask you to write on a famous person also. Here’s some ideas for you. You could “Write an evaluation of…”

• your grandmother’s impact on your life.
• Evaluate your favorite role model’s impact on society.
• Bill Gates’ impact on society.
• Martin Luthor King’s legacy.
• Oprah’s potential impact on young black women.
• how Joe Rogan has changed the media landscape.
• the merits of Louis C. K. returning to comedy.
• Trevor Noah’s role as host of The Daily Show.

Sociology, Social Theory and Philosophy

Social sciences degrees require you to write many evaluative essays. Degrees in the social sciences include sociology, psychology, cultural studies and philosophy degrees. Here’s some ideas for you. You could evaluate:

• the strengths and weaknesses of Karl Marx’s approach to economic and social theory.
• how social relationships have been impacted by Twitter.
• whether Post-Modernism has changed the world for the better or worse.
• the merits of Confucius’s philosophy.
• the impact of the scientific method on the world.
• whether Spinoza’s philosophy has merits in 2019.
• the pros and cons of existentialist philosophy.
• the impact of first wave feminism on the 20 th
• the merits of Freud’s theory of child development.

Evaluation essays on religion is common in both high school and college courses. Here are some ideas for a research paper or evaluative essays on religion. You could assess:

• Mohammad ’s influence on the world today.
• the merits of the message of Jesus Christ in the 21 st
• how Hinduism has impacted Indian culture.
• whether religion has had an overall positive or negative impact on the promotion of human flourishing.
• the impacts of religion’s decline in the west in the past 50 years.
• whether science has made religion irrelevant.
• whether islamophobia is on the rise within the western world.

Social Services (Medical, etc.)

Social services might be covered in health care, local government, criminology or sociology degrees. They may also pop up in courses covering urban planning and public health. Here’s some ideas for you. You could evaluate:

• whether social safety nets are beneficial for society.
• the pros and cons of the implementation of universal healthcare within OECD nations.
• the impacts of your local council’s laws on homelessness upon people in poverty.
• the merits of having social care provided by religious bodies rather than governmental bodies.
• the impact of tolls on major highways into and out of cities.
• whether continued funding of Libraries by local councils is worthwhile.
• whether preventative youth programs can decrease pressure on criminal courts.

Environment

Environmental studies is a rapidly growing topic in universities. You’ll be asked to write evaluative essays throughout a range of courses on climate change, environmental management and ecosystems. Here’s some ideas for you. You could write an evaluation of:

• whether the world’s governments are doing enough to prevent climate change.
• the impacts of the pollution of oceans on our oceans’ ecologies.
• the impacts of logging in Indonesia on Orangutans.
• whether individuals’ recycling actually can have an impact on protecting natural environments.
• whether wind turbines can be a genuine alternative to fossil fuels.
• the impacts of the Tesla company on speeding up the uptake of electric vehicles.

Step 2: Create an Evaluation Criteria

Once you’ve selected your evaluation essay topics, you’ll now need to create an evaluation criteria. This will be the skeleton for the body paragraphs of your essay! This criteria is useful for coming up with ideas for assessing the pros and cons, or strengths and weaknesses, of a topic. Try to come up with about 5 criteria you can assess your topic on. For example, if my evaluation essay topic was on a particular type of car, I might evaluate it based on the following criteria:

Possible Criteria for an Evaluation Essay Evaluating a Car

• Value for Money
• Suitability for families
• Fuel efficiency

Possible Criteria for an Evaluation Essay Evaluating a Restaurant

• Quality of service
• Food choices
• Taste of Food
• Food presentation

Once you’ve selected your evaluation criteria, you can write your evaluation paper by turning each point into a paragraph. For example, you’d write one 4 – 7 sentence paragraph exploring the value for money of the car, then another 4 – 7 sentence paragraph exploring the safety features of the car, and so on and so forth… until your evaluation paper is written!

Step 3: Use this Essay Template to write your Essay

In my post on how to write an evaluation essay , I provide you with an evaluation essay template. I recommend writing an evaluation essay using this template to ensure your evaluation essay is as good as possible. Here’s the Essay Template:

Remember, you should always check my advice with your teacher. If your teacher gave you a different format or doesn’t like your essay idea, follow your teacher’s advice! After all, they’re the people who will be marking your piece.

If you haven’t yet, you might want to check out my original article on evaluative essays that digs deep on what evaluation essays are  and why you need to have an evaluation criteria. It goes into a lot more depth of the purpose of evaluative essays. It also has an example evaluation essay that you can check out to get an idea of how to write those body paragraphs in detail. Good luck with your evaluative essay, and I hope this post on evaluation essay topics was useful for you!

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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