evaluation essay on a book

Sample Conclusions for a Book Evaluation Essay

# 1 � Audience: Princeton High School teachers considering letting their students read this book.

As you can see, Anthony Bukoski's book Time Between Trains has some problems; however, it also has some positive aspects.  Things like good characters, short stories, and stories that your students might relate to make this an okay book.  However, awkward settings and abrupt endings draw back the wellness of Time Between Trains .  In conclusion, I think that you should allow your students to choose from a few books, like Time Between Trains and Of Mice and Men , instead of making either book mandatory.

# 2 � Audience: College students who are looking for a book to read.

Overall, I think college students will have great experiences with this book, because it presents a lot of great qualities and situations that they could relate to.  In general, I believe Bukoski's theme of the book was about people facing the future without letting go of their true selves and forgetting where they came from.  Bukoski's interesting characters and detailed settings kept me very focused when I read this book.  I would also suggest students to either attend his presentation or do some research on information that was unclear to them.  Most of these stories that he wrote about ten or fifteen years old, but he spent many years revising how he wanted them to sound like.  He also wrote three other collectsion, Twelve Below Zero , Children of Strangers , and Polonaise , if the students want to further their reading with this author.  Bukoski is an intelligent author and this was a very thoughtful book that he has put together.

# 3 � Audience: High School Students

In conclusion, even though Bukoski did include a couple interesting stories and one interesting character, that was not enough for me to like or recommend Time Between Trains .  I do not recommend this book to high school students because the endings were unclear, and the stories were unfocused, boring, and confusing.  Bukoski seemed like an interesting person in real life, but I just didn't like what he chose to write about.  When he gave his presentation to our school, he mentioned that he had no concept in mind for his book.  I believe it.  I found his book overall to have no apparent structure, formation or concept.  Hopefully, his other books were more planned out.

# 4 � Audience: I am writing to high school teachers thinking about having their students read this book.

Overall, I think this is a great book that high school students can relate to.  I think they will enjoy the honesty the book has in it.  I don't think it is a book they will get bored with because it has many good characters and has an interesting story line in it.

# 5 � Audience: High School-Aged Students

The ideas of Marshall losing a mother, seeing his friend, Todd, experience abuse, and Gayle becoming a friend were all ideas that were represented well in the book, Right By My Side by David Haynes.  By presenting these ideas, Haynes also incorporated into these lessons positive ways to handle them for high-school-aged adolescents.  These ideas, therefore, led me to enjoy the book.  Even though the disappointing ending may anger some students, the overall impression that they will get from reading this is one that if you handle a situation well, the rewards are plentiful, both for Marshall and for application in young adolescents' lives.

How to Write an Evaluation Essay

Evaluation essay writing guide.

The main purpose of writing an evaluation essay is to present an overall view of the quality of a particular item, service, or business. It is natural for this type of essay to feature some element of the writer’s opinion, but when done correctly an it should not come across as opinionated.

When learning how to write this type of paper one of the most important skills to master is producing an evaluation that is unbiased and reasoned. Let’s look at some of the steps to complete the task.

Steps for Writing an Evaluation Essay

We’ve put together a brief outline of some of the most important steps to help with producing a well-structured paper.

• Choose your topic. As with any essay, this is one of the first steps . It may be the case that you are allocated a topic by your professor, but if not then we would advise choosing a subject that you are already familiar with. You are going to need to take an in depth look at the subject in order to make a judgement on its value, so it makes sense to choose something you already have some knowledge about.
• Write a thesis statement. This is a key element of your essay as it sets out the overall purpose of the evaluation. In the thesis you should state the criteria being used to judge the item and state the value of the item . As with any essay, your statement must be apparent and to the point. You may find that you need to revise it slightly along the way as your essay takes shape.
• Determine the criteria used to assess the product. Choose several different benchmarks in order to make your writing interesting. The criteria you choose will vary depending on what you are evaluating. For example, a software program would be judged using very different benchmarks than a clothing brand.
• Look for supporting evidence. It is important to remember that an essay is not just your opinion. You will need to look for supporting clues from credible sources for each judgement that you make.
• Draft your essay. Produce a first draft of your essay. At this stage the best course of action is to just write. Once you have something down on paper it is much easier to restructure it and flesh out areas that are not as strong as others.
• Review, revise & rewrite. Once you have completed a first draft you must read over your work and make any necessary changes. You should be prepared to rewrite your essay a couple of times to get it just right.

A Closer Look at Criteria, Judgements & Evidence

At the core of every evaluation essay there are three important elements – criteria, judgements and evidence. Let’s explore these elements in more detail.

Criteria The criteria that you choose should establish what the ideal is for the product, service or brand that you are evaluating. They will help to demonstrate what should be expected as an ideal example of what should be expected. Think about the best possible example of a product of service of the same type. What would be their best characteristics? For example, for a hotel you would expect great accomodations, cleanliness, value for money and excellent service. Once you have those benckmarks in place they can be used to evaluate any hotel.

Judgement The judgement aspect is where you establish whether or not the benchmarks have been met. Sticking with our hotel example, you might start with judging whether or not the hotel meets the benchmark of having great accomodations. Does it meet, or exceed the quality you expect? Or does it fall short? You can then proceed with the other criteria.

Evidence Remember that you must provide clues to advocate your judgements. In our hotel example, if you make the judgement that the quality of food does not meet expectations, then you should be prepared to provide evidence to support why this conclusion has been drawn.

When structuring your essay, it is usual for each paragraph to deal with a different criterion. In that paragraph you should fully explain the criterion, make the relevant judgements and offer supporting proofs.

Evaluation Essay VS Review

One of the most common mistakes that students make with the mentioned type of paper is that they assume an evaluation is the same as writing a review. Although the two types of paper do have some similarities, there are also a number of differences that set them apart. The table below highlights some of those differences.

Tips for Writing a Great Evaluation Essay

Here are a few additional tips that will help you to produce a great evaluation essay that people will enjoy reading:

• Give the Right Amount of Detail – Give plenty of detail regarding how you came to the conclusions that you did. Use supporting proofs and relevant examples to illustrate points if appropriate.
• Make Sure What You are Evaluating is Precise – An effective introduction should clearly lay out what you are going to be evaluating and the criteria you are using to do so.
• Help Readers to Agree with Your Opinion – If your evaluation is not prejudiced, then readers should agree with your conclusions and judgements. Offer enough information and evidence to make this easier for them.

EssayTigers brings you the best in custom paper writing! EssayTigers brings you the best in custom paper writing!

To get started, simply place an order and provide the details!

7 Steps for How to Write an Evaluation Essay (Example & Template)

In this ultimate guide, I will explain to you exactly how to write an evaluation essay.

1. What is an Evaluation Essay?

An evaluation essay should provide a critical analysis of something.

You’re literally ‘evaluating’ the thing you’re looking up.

Here’s a couple of quick definitions of what we mean by ‘evaluate’:

• Merriam-Webster defines evaluation as: “to determine the significance, worth, or condition of usually by careful appraisal and study”
• Collins Dictionary says: “If you evaluate something or someone, you consider them in order to make a judgment about them, for example about how good or bad they are.”

Here’s some synonyms for ‘evaluate’:

So, we could say that an evaluation essay should carefully examine the ‘thing’ and provide an overall judgement of it.

Here’s some common things you may be asked to write an evaluation essay on:

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Really, you can evaluate just about anything!

Get a Pdf of this article for class

Enjoy subscriber-only access to this article’s pdf

2. How to write an Evaluation Essay

There are two secrets to writing a strong evaluation essay. The first is to aim for objective analysis before forming an opinion. The second is to use an evaluation criteria.

Aim to Appear Objective before giving an Evaluation Argument

Your evaluation will eventually need an argument.

The evaluation argument will show your reader what you have decided is the final value of the ‘thing’ you’re evaluating.

But in order to convince your reader that your evaluative argument is sound, you need to do some leg work.

The aim will be to show that you have provided a balanced and fair assessment before coming to your conclusion.

In order to appear balanced you should:

• Discuss both the pros and cons of the thing
• Discuss both the strengths and weaknesses of the thing
• Look at the thing from multiple different perspectives
• Be both positive and critical. Don’t make it look like you’re biased towards one perspective.

In other words, give every perspective a fair hearing.

You don’t want to sound like a propagandist. You want to be seen as a fair and balanced adjudicator.

Use an Evaluation Criteria

One way to appear balanced is to use an evaluation criteria.

An evaluation criteria helps to show that you have assessed the ‘thing’ based on an objective measure.

Here’s some examples of evaluation criteria:

• Strength under pressure
• Longevity (ability to survive for a long time)
• Ease of use
• Ability to get the job done
• Friendliness
• Punctuality
• Ability to predict my needs
• Calmness under pressure
• Attentiveness

A Bed and Breakfast

• Breakfast options
• Taste of food
• Comfort of bed
• Local attractions
• Service from owner
• Cleanliness

We can use evaluation criteria to frame out ability to conduct the analysis fairly.

This is especially true for if you have to evaluate multiple different ‘things’. For example, if you’re evaluating three novels, you want to be able to show that you applied the same ‘test’ on all three books!

This will show that you gave each ‘thing’ a fair chance and looked at the same elements for each.

3. How to come up with an Evaluation Argument

After you have:

• Looked at both good and bad elements of the ‘thing’, and
• Used an evaluation criteria

You’ll then need to develop an evaluative argument. This argument shows your own overall perspective on the ‘thing’.

Remember, you will need to show your final evaluative argument is backed by objective analysis. You need to do it in order!

Analyze first. Evaluate second.

Here’s an example.

Let’s say you’re evaluating the quality of a meal.

You might say:

• A strength of the meal was its presentation. It was well presented and looked enticing to eat.
• A weakness of the meal was that it was overcooked. This decreased its flavor.
• The meal was given a low rating on ‘cost’ because it was more expensive than the other comparative meals on the menu.
• The meal was given a high rating on ‘creativity’. It was a meal that involved a thoughtful and inventive mix of ingredients.

Now that you’ve looked at some pros and cons and measured the meal based on a few criteria points (like cost and creativity), you’ll be able to come up with a final argument:

• Overall, the meal was good enough for a middle-tier restaurant but would not be considered a high-class meal. There is a lot of room for improvement if the chef wants to win any local cooking awards.

Evaluative terms that you might want to use for this final evaluation argument might include:

• All things considered
• With all key points in mind

4. Evaluation Essay Outline (with Examples)

Okay, so now you know what to do, let’s have a go at creating an outline for your evaluation essay!

Here’s what I recommend:

4.1 How to Write your Introduction

In the introduction, feel free to use my 5-Step INTRO method . It’ll be an introduction just like any other essay introduction .

And yes, feel free to explain what the final evaluation will be.

So, here it is laid out nice and simple.

Write one sentence for each point to make a 5-sentence introduction:

• Interest: Make a statement about the ‘thing’ you’re evaluating that you think will be of interest to the reader. Make it a catchy, engaging point that draws the reader in!
• Notify: Notify the reader of any background info on the thing you’re evaluating. This is your chance to show your depth of knowledge. What is a historical fact about the ‘thing’?
• Translate: Re-state the essay question. For an evaluative essay, you can re-state it something like: “This essay evaluates the book/ product/ article/ etc. by looking at its strengths and weaknesses and compares it against a marking criteria”.
• Report: Say what your final evaluation will be. For example you can say “While there are some weaknesses in this book, overall this evaluative essay will show that it helps progress knowledge about Dinosaurs.”
• Outline: Simply give a clear overview of what will be discussed. For example, you can say: “Firstly, the essay will evaluate the product based on an objective criteria. This criteria will include its value for money, fit for purpose and ease of use. Next, the essay will show the main strengths and weaknesses of the product. Lastly, the essay will provide a final evaluative statement about the product’s overall value and worth.”

If you want more depth on how to use the INTRO method, you’ll need to go and check out our blog post on writing quality introductions.

4.2 Example Introduction

This example introduction is for the essay question: Write an Evaluation Essay on Facebook’s Impact on Society.

“Facebook is the third most visited website in the world. It was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg in his college dorm. This essay evaluates the impact of Facebook on society and makes an objective judgement on its value. The essay will argue that Facebook has changed the world both for the better and worse. Firstly, it will give an overview of what Facebook is and its history. Then, it will examine Facebook on the criteria of: impact on social interactions, impact on the media landscape, and impact on politics.”

You’ll notice that each sentence in this introduction follows my 5-Step INTRO formula to create a clear, coherent 5-Step introduction.

4.3 How to Write your Body Paragraphs

The first body paragraph should give an overview of the ‘thing’ being evaluated.

Then, you should evaluate the pros and cons of the ‘thing’ being evaluated based upon the criteria you have developed for evaluating it.

Let’s take a look below.

4.4 First Body Paragraph: Overview of your Subject

This first paragraph should provide objective overview of your subject’s properties and history. You should not be doing any evaluating just yet.

The goal for this first paragraph is to ensure your reader knows what it is you’re evaluating. Secondarily, it should show your marker that you have developed some good knowledge about it.

If you need to use more than one paragraph to give an overview of the subject, that’s fine.

Similarly, if your essay word length needs to be quite long, feel free to spend several paragraphs exploring the subject’s background and objective details to show off your depth of knowledge for the marker.

4.5 First Body Paragraph Example

Sticking with the essay question: Write an Evaluation Essay on Facebook’s Impact on Society , this might be your paragraph:

“Facebook has been one of the most successful websites of all time. It is the website that dominated the ‘Web 2.0’ revolution, which was characterized by user two-way interaction with the web. Facebook allowed users to create their own personal profiles and invite their friends to follow along. Since 2004, Facebook has attracted more than one billion people to create profiles in order to share their opinions and keep in touch with their friends.”

Notice here that I haven’t yet made any evaluations of Facebook’s merits?

This first paragraph (or, if need be, several of them) should be all about showing the reader exactly what your subject is – no more, no less.

4.6 Evaluation Paragraphs: Second, Third, Forth and Fifth Body Paragraphs

Once you’re confident your reader will know what the subject that you’re evaluating is, you’ll need to move on to the actual evaluation.

For this step, you’ll need to dig up that evaluation criteria we talked about in Point 2.

For example, let’s say you’re evaluating a President of the United States.

Your evaluation criteria might be:

• Impact on world history
• Ability to pass legislation
• Popularity with voters
• Morals and ethics
• Ability to change lives for the better

Really, you could make up any evaluation criteria you want!

Once you’ve made up the evaluation criteria, you’ve got your evaluation paragraph ideas!

Simply turn each point in your evaluation criteria into a full paragraph.

How do you do this?

Well, start with a topic sentence.

For the criteria point ‘Impact on world history’ you can say something like: “Barack Obama’s impact on world history is mixed.”

This topic sentence will show that you’ll evaluate both pros and cons of Obama’s impact on world history in the paragraph.

Then, follow it up with explanations.

“While Obama campaigned to withdraw troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, he was unable to completely achieve this objective. This is an obvious negative for his impact on the world. However, as the first black man to lead the most powerful nation on earth, he will forever be remembered as a living milestone for civil rights and progress.”

Keep going, turning each evaluation criteria into a full paragraph.

4.7 Evaluation Paragraph Example

Let’s go back to our essay question: Write an Evaluation Essay on Facebook’s Impact on Society .

I’ve decided to use the evaluation criteria below:

• impact on social interactions;
• impact on the media landscape;
• impact on politics

Naturally, I’m going to write one paragraph for each point.

If you’re expected to write a longer piece, you could write two paragraphs on each point (one for pros and one for cons).

Here’s what my first evaluation paragraph might look like:

“Facebook has had a profound impact on social interactions. It has helped people to stay in touch with one another from long distances and after they have left school and college. This is obviously a great positive. However, it can also be seen as having a negative impact. For example, people may be less likely to interact face-to-face because they are ‘hanging out’ online instead. This can have negative impact on genuine one-to-one relationships.”

You might notice that this paragraph has a topic sentence, explanations and examples. It follows my perfect paragraph formula which you’re more than welcome to check out!

4.8 How to write your Conclusion

To conclude, you’ll need to come up with one final evaluative argument.

This evaluation argument provides an overall assessment. You can start with “Overall, Facebook has been…” and continue by saying that (all things considered) he was a good or bad president!

Remember, you can only come up with an overall evaluation after you’ve looked at the subject’s pros and cons based upon your evaluation criteria.

In the example below, I’m going to use my 5 C’s conclusion paragraph method . This will make sure my conclusion covers all the things a good conclusion should cover!

Like the INTRO method, the 5 C’s conclusion method should have one sentence for each point to create a 5 sentence conclusion paragraph.

The 5 C’s conclusion method is:

• Close the loop: Return to a statement you made in the introduction.
• Conclude: Show what your final position is.
• Clarify: Clarify how your final position is relevant to the Essay Question.
• Concern: Explain who should be concerned by your findings.
• Consequences: End by noting in one final, engaging sentence why this topic is of such importance. The ‘concern’ and ‘consequences’ sentences can be combined

4.9 Concluding Argument Example Paragraph

Here’s a possible concluding argument for our essay question: Write an Evaluation Essay on Facebook’s Impact on Society .

“The introduction of this essay highlighted that Facebook has had a profound impact on society. This evaluation essay has shown that this impact has been both positive and negative. Thus, it is too soon to say whether Facebook has been an overall positive or negative for society. However, people should pay close attention to this issue because it is possible that Facebook is contributing to the undermining of truth in media and positive interpersonal relationships.”

Note here that I’ve followed the 5 C’s conclusion method for my concluding evaluative argument paragraph.

5. Evaluation Essay Example Template

Below is a template you can use for your evaluation essay , based upon the advice I gave in Section 4:

6. 23+ Good Evaluation Essay Topics

Okay now that you know how to write an evaluation essay, let’s look at a few examples.

For each example I’m going to give you an evaluation essay title idea, plus a list of criteria you might want to use in your evaluation essay.

6.1 Evaluation of Impact

• Evaluate the impact of global warming on the great barrier reef. Recommended evaluation criteria: Level of bleaching; Impact on tourism; Economic impact; Impact on lifestyles; Impact on sealife
• Evaluate the impact of the Global Financial Crisis on poverty. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on jobs; Impact on childhood poverty; Impact on mental health rates; Impact on economic growth; Impact on the wealthy; Global impact
• Evaluate the impact of having children on your lifestyle. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on spare time; Impact on finances; Impact on happiness; Impact on sense of wellbeing
• Evaluate the impact of the internet on the world. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on connectedness; Impact on dating; Impact on business integration; Impact on globalization ; Impact on media
• Evaluate the impact of public transportation on cities. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on cost of living; Impact on congestion; Impact on quality of life; Impact on health; Impact on economy
• Evaluate the impact of universal healthcare on quality of life. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on reducing disease rates; Impact on the poorest in society; Impact on life expectancy; Impact on happiness
• Evaluate the impact of getting a college degree on a person’s life. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on debt levels; Impact on career prospects; Impact on life perspectives; Impact on relationships

6.2 Evaluation of a Scholarly Text or Theory

• Evaluate a Textbook. Recommended evaluation criteria: clarity of explanations; relevance to a course; value for money; practical advice; depth and detail; breadth of information
• Evaluate a Lecture Series, Podcast or Guest Lecture. Recommended evaluation criteria: clarity of speaker; engagement of attendees; appropriateness of content; value for monet
• Evaluate a journal article. Recommended evaluation criteria: length; clarity; quality of methodology; quality of literature review; relevance of findings for real life
• Evaluate a Famous Scientists. Recommended evaluation criteria: contribution to scientific knowledge; impact on health and prosperity of humankind; controversies and disagreements with other scientists.
• Evaluate a Theory. Recommended evaluation criteria: contribution to knowledge; reliability or accuracy; impact on the lives of ordinary people; controversies and contradictions with other theories.

6.3 Evaluation of Art and Literature

• Evaluate a Novel. Recommended evaluation criteria: plot complexity; moral or social value of the message; character development; relevance to modern life
• Evaluate a Play. Recommended evaluation criteria: plot complexity; quality of acting; moral or social value of the message; character development; relevance to modern life
• Evaluate a Film. Recommended evaluation criteria: plot complexity; quality of acting; moral or social value of the message; character development; relevance to modern life
• Evaluate an Artwork. Recommended evaluation criteria: impact on art theory; moral or social message; complexity or quality of composition

6.4 Evaluation of a Product or Service

• Evaluate a Hotel or Bed and Breakfast. Recommended evaluation criteria: quality of service; flexibility of check-in and check-out times; cleanliness; location; value for money; wi-fi strength; noise levels at night; quality of meals; value for money
• Evaluate a Restaurant. Recommended evaluation criteria: quality of service; menu choices; cleanliness; atmosphere; taste; value for money.
• Evaluate a Car. Recommended evaluation criteria: fuel efficiency; value for money; build quality; likelihood to break down; comfort.
• Evaluate a House. Recommended evaluation criteria: value for money; build quality; roominess; location; access to public transport; quality of neighbourhood
• Evaluate a Doctor. Recommended evaluation criteria: Quality of service; knowledge; quality of equipment; reputation; value for money.
• Evaluate a Course. Recommended evaluation criteria: value for money; practical advice; quality of teaching; quality of resources provided.

7. Concluding Advice

Evaluation essays are common in high school, college and university.

The trick for getting good marks in an evaluation essay is to show you have looked at both the pros and cons before making a final evaluation analysis statement.

You don’t want to look biased.

That’s why it’s a good idea to use an objective evaluation criteria, and to be generous in looking at both positives and negatives of your subject.

Read Also: 39 Better Ways to Write ‘In Conclusion’ in an Essay

I recommend you use the evaluation template provided in this post to write your evaluation essay. However, if your teacher has given you a template, of course use theirs instead! You always want to follow your teacher’s advice because they’re the person who will be marking your work.

Good luck with your evaluation essay!

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.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/admin/ Collective Behaviors: Examples & Definition (Sociology)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/admin/ 27 Examples of Folkways in Sociology
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/admin/ 10 Folk Culture Examples (for Human Geography)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/admin/ 17 Best Examples of Glocalization

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy

• A Research Guide
• Writing Guide
• Essay Writing

How to Write an Evaluation Essay

In this guide you will find:

What is an Evaluation Essay

How to start an evaluation essay, evaluation essay outline, evaluation essay example.

The overall objective of an evaluation essay is to provide validation for the quality (or lack thereof) concerning a particular specific item, product, business, service, program, book, movie etc. It is true that every evaluation will contain some sort of opinion, but in order to be done correctly, the evaluation should not read as though it is opinionated. More specifically, a good evaluation will be fact-based, unbiased and reasonable.

In order to write evaluations that follow this criteria, it is crucial to follow CJE guidelines. In other words, they are criteria, judgement and evidence.

Criteria references the desire to demonstrate what can be expected as a reasonable outcome for the component being evaluated. Establishing concise criteria will prevent the paper from becoming overly opinionated.

Judgement comes from establishing if the criteria is being met.

Evidence is all of the information used to support the judgement.

Specifically, every paragraph in the body of the essay will focus on one key fact. Each fact should be explained in detail, offering judgement and evidence to support the argument.

Potential topics for an evaluation essay include:

• The most recent season of your favorite baseball team
• How social media has impacted personal relationships
• The latest romantic comedy and how it portrays modern relationships
• How new and old generations approach technology
• Self-driving cars and their impact on modern life
• Your favorite music from high school
• Your favorite video game
• How the legalization of online casinos affects the state economy.
• How video game addiction effects youth
• The importance of the Internet in today’s business world
• The effect of farming on the environment
• Getting married at a church versus a destination wedding

Check out our full review: Read More

Starting an evaluation essay is easy.

• Choose your topic. Perhaps you are writing an evaluation essay on a movie, or you are evaluating the service provided at a local restaurant. Whatever you choose to write about, you will need to provide a critical judgement based on a series of criteria so it is necessary to either choose a topic that you know well or the one that you will be able to research.
• Develop your thesis statement. The thesis statement of an evaluative paper should define what the overall goal or purpose of the essay is. It should provide clear direction that can be used to distinguish between criteria and relevant examples. You will need to be careful to clearly cite quality, or the lack of, with regard to the specific topic you are writing about.
• Consider the criteria used to make your judgement. Is it difficult or impossible to evaluate your chosen topic at first glance? If so, consider choosing multiple points of interest that might make this step easier.
• Gather supporting evidence or material to establish your view point. You are the one making the judgement about the topic, it is up to you to support your argument in a way that will allow others to make their own opinion.

Read also: How to start a paper and improve your writing.

This is the outline structure most commonly used for evaluative writing. Each point should be addressed, ideally in the order mentioned.

Introduction

• Introduce the subject. Write a complete paragraph that introduces the subject. This can be done by providing a big picture overview of the subject, discussing the influence it has on people, and why it is worth evaluating. You should also establish the criteria that you will be calling upon to prove your thesis.
• Create your thesis statement. Establish your thesis statement; this should include the overall judgement and the supporting reasons.

Useful information: Generate your thesis with this free thesis statement generator !

Body Paragraphs

First Reason

• Criterion One. Provide a topic sentence, along with your judgement of the first criterion. You will want to use transition words to help you move smoothly from your thesis to your first reason.
• Support for the first reason. Provide valid supporting information in the form of quotes, examples, expert testimonials, statistics, comparisons, etc.
• Address any objections and refute them. Every argument is always made stronger when the writer is able to address objections, or opposing views, and capable of providing reasons for refuting them.

Second Reason

• Criterion Two. Provide a topic sentence, along with your judgement of the second criterion. You will want to use transition words to help you move smoothly from your thesis to your next reason.
• Support for the second reason. Provide valid supporting information in the form of quotes, examples, expert testimonials, statistics, comparisons, etc.

Third Reason

• Criterion Three. Provide a topic sentence, along with your judgement of the third criterion. You will want to use transition words to help you move smoothly from your thesis to your third reason.
• Support for the third reason. Provide valid supporting information in the form of quotes, examples, expert testimonials, statistics, comparisons, etc.
• Address any objections and refute them. The reasons for this are the same as the abovementioned ones. Never underestimate the need to answer the objections, otherwise your ideas will be considered weaker and not very well founded.

Restate your thesis statement and the purpose of your essay. Remember to change up the verbiage used so that you are not simply copying your opening statement. This is the last section of your work when you may make an impression on your audience. You will sure want to leave your reader with a strong recommendation.

Read also: Get 100% plagiarism-free essay at cheap writing service .

Here is a compilation of evaluation essays examples found online:

• http://home.ku.edu.tr/~doregan/Argumentation/SampleEvaluativeEssay.html
• http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/wr122/handouts/essays1.htm

Conclusion Sentence Examples for Essays

Your closing statement is your final opportunity to speak to your audience. You need to be able to persuade them, or to highlight your own point of view, or to impress upon them your stance as an expert in the subject. The end of your evaluation essay should boast completeness and offer closure. However, it should also give the reader everything they need to form their own opinion or provoke them to want to learn more.

In order to create a sense of closure, you might choose to:

• End your essay by linking the final paragraph to the opening statement. This can be done by restating the key point that was established in the beginning using other words.
• End with a sentence made up largely of single syllable words. Simple language helps to convey the effect of understated drama.

To end a discussion, while leaving room for further thought, you might choose to:

• End with a quote or reference from a secondary source. This should echo your primary argument, or provide a different perspective.
• End by redefining one of the primary terms used in your argument.
• End by considering the implications of your analysis. What are you implying with the argument that you’ve made?

How not to end your essay

• Do not only summarize or paraphrase your essay. Yes, it is helpful to briefly summarize your argument, especially if your essay is more than ten pages in length. However, for shorter essays, it typically isn’t necessary to restate your main ideas.
• Steer clear from phrases like ‘in closing, ‘in summation’, ‘in summary’, etc. These phrases are useful when delivering oral presentations, but when a person is reading an essay, they can typically determine when an essay is about to end, so there is no need to state the obvious.
• Avoid the urge to apologize for knowing the things that you know. If you’ve done any amount of research, you will know much more about a topic than you can conceivably include in a five or ten page essay. Because of this, as you conclude your essay, you may feel reservations about the content that you have produced. On the other hand, if you haven’t invested much time into researching your topic, you may have reservations about your ability to conclude your paper. Try to supress the urge to succumb to your own doubts. They might only distract and irritate the reader and are not a good idea. Avoid phrases like ‘this is only one approach’ or ‘ there may be better ways’, etc.

Use our basic guidelines on how to follow  research paper structure requirements and succeed in writing an assignment of any complexity. You can also get writing assistance with your evaluation essay.

Get Writing Help

By clicking "Log In", you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We'll occasionally send you account related and promo emails.

Sign Up for your FREE account

Diana from A Research Guide Don't know how to start your paper? Worry no more! Get professional writing assistance from our partner. Click to learn more

Make sure there's no plagiarism in your paper

Write your essays better and faster with free samples

Generate citations for your paper free of charge

How Do You Create an Evaluation Writing?

Published 19 Oct 2022

Evaluative writing aims to give an opinion or point of view about a topic. This essay is similar in concept to the persuasive essay but intended to present a more balanced argument. It should begin with a synopsis of the article in the issue, followed by a point-of-view backed by examples and evidence presented in a complete, well-structured argument.

The main objective of writing an evaluation essay can be to confirm the quality of a product, book, movie, or service. An assessment should not be an expression of the writer’s opinion. Facts must support each thesis. As a result, each evaluation point has to be justified by valid arguments. In the end, such an essay has to convince the reader of the adequacy of the presented facts and explanations. Based on the given facts, the readers can easily form their attitude to the discussed topic.

In our article, we will explain how to write evaluation essay, where to start, and what to include in the main part. In addition, we have prepared several examples for you to illustrate the theoretical background.

Having Troubles Starting an Essay?

Before writing the task, the students often get stuck because they do not know where to begin. We have prepared clear instructions to help you get started with your essay immediately.

• Pick the relevant topic

This step is universal for any writing. If you have the opportunity to pick a theme, then opt for the topic closest to your likes and beliefs. Alternatively, you can choose one where you already have some experience.

• Make a statement

An essay is your communication with the reader. At the beginning of any conversation, you must impose the evaluative thesis and make a statement. A thesis is your main belief. It should be clear and simple. Do not overload the statement with complex inflections.

• Determine the product evaluation criteria

Choose a variety of criteria to keep your writing interesting. The criteria you select will differ based on what you are analyzing. A technological invention, for example, would be assessed using completely different standards than a book or a movie.

• Prepare valid arguments

An example should accompany every argument. It can be a historical, scientific, artistic, or real-life experience. Break the proof into stages, each of which will be an independent argument or a continuation of the previous one.

• Make a draft, think over a structure, and prepare a clear plan

Although an evaluative essay is a creative work, it has a defined structure equal for all texts. The writing structure involves putting forward a certain thesis at the beginning and then proving it with arguments or facts in the form of logical statements, quotations, or a discussion of relevant facts.

• Check and rewrite if needed

After completing the first draft, you must read the writing once again. Sometimes, it is necessary to rewrite it several times to achieve a perfect result.

I’m Ready with the Topic — How to Create an Ideal Structure?

As we briefly noted above, the structure of the work involves putting forward a certain thesis at the beginning and then proving it with arguments in the form of logical statements, quotations, or a declaration of relevant facts. In the end, you should write a summary of your arguments and conclude your assessment.

The structure essay example includes the following paragraphs:

• Introduction . This is the first body paragraph with the outline of the thesis

• Body Paragraphs with the arguments

First argument

Second argument

Third argument

• Summary

The “introduction” and “conclusion” are situated in the beginning and at the end of the writing correspondingly. They should not be written very elaborately. The first paragraph of the text brings the reader to the problem. The writer doesn’t need to tell much in the introduction. One or two paragraphs will be enough. In conclusion, students summarize everything that was said previously in the essay. It is important that the summary is up to a point and does not arise “out of nowhere”.

An essay always contains a thesis. It is the main idea and the position of the author. The thesis will be at the beginning of the essay if the author already has a point of view on this issue. In rare cases, depending on the task, you can indicate it in conclusion. In this case, the author comes to it due to reasoning. Any thesis must be supported by several arguments. Arguments, in turn, should be illustrated with two or three examples presented in the main body.

The Greatest Attention to the Main Part

The main body requires the most attention, especially when drawing up a plan. In our case, we state the evaluation in the introduction and then prove it in the subsequent paragraphs. It is recommended that the thesis is backed with two arguments. One will be unconvincing, and more than two might probably overload the text. In some cases, the writer is free to introduce the quantity of the arguments, but maintaining the correct structure, conciseness, and figurativeness of the text is important.

The main part must be built according to the laws of logic. It is required to move from simple to complex gradually and use the method of induction and deduction. You may combine the introduced theses in a logical sequence. As a result, one thought will follow another. You can build a thorough plan. Add the text to it and finalize your essay. Before you begin writing, prove the general structure. Firstly, consider whether the theses are in a logical sequence. Subsequently, prove that your arguments are convincing enough.

Evaluative Writing Examples to Get the Maximum out of Your Writing

After we have provided you with the information regarding the theoretical part, we suggest moving on to practice and illustrations of our explanations. Let’s consider how to evaluate things in the essay on the topic “Dangerous Video Games”.

There are several approaches to starting an essay. The most common is the standard one. The author states the main point of the writing and tells the readers what thesis should be evaluated.

Besides, you can build an introduction as a dialogue. Such a beginning stimulates the reader as a participant. The main recommendations are not to overuse the appeals and not to turn the introduction into a stream of thoughts with rhetorical questions. Alternatively, you can apply more creative approaches. A well-chosen quote immediately attracts the reader’s attention, but it is not recommended to use proverbs and clichés.

Introduction example: Video games are currently the most loved kind of entertainment. You must have played more than once, too, right? Companies that create such products earn much and are continually investing in research to make virtual reality appear genuine. Their games have become increasingly complex and appeal to a diverse clientele. Despite the fun that video games may provide to children and teens, who are the primary target consumers of game development businesses, engaging in video games at such a young age can have negative consequences.

Why Games are Dangerous: Arguments for Your Assessment

In the main part, we will explain our point expressed in the introductory evaluative thesis example.

Main Body example: Several factors may be used to assess the harm caused by video games. The most evident is their detrimental effects on players’ health. Though proponents of video gaming argue that the shooters enhance reflexes and boost focus and muscle coordination, the children who spend much time playing games face negative consequences. There is also a chance that the frequent players may lose their sight. One of the leading causes of impaired vision among teenagers is spending hours in front of a monitor.

Furthermore, abandoning healthy physical activity in favor of games may be an obesity risk factor. Playing video games at a tender age might impact one’s mental health. This results in a problem with addiction and improper behavior.

Individuals who spend most of their time on video games may be unable to separate reality and fantasy. Video games frequently provide simplified and conditional representations of settings and relationships. Gamers utilize these models and learn how to interact with their surroundings. Consequently, they lack abilities that would be learned through real-life experience rather than simulation.

When All Is Said and Done

The last paragraph should conclude your opinion and leave a vivid mark on the reader’s memory. A good conclusion connects all the elements of reasoning into one whole and extracts the most important idea that makes the text complete unity. Here is a possible example for ending your essay. This is the moment of truth. If everything that was discussed previously is easily combined into a whole by the conclusion at the end, then the essay is perfect.

Conclusion example: Video games are an inappropriate source of entertainment for children and teens. Such evaluation is based on various negative effects caused by excessive video gaming.

Young gamers who spend an unreasonable amount of time playing video games are more likely to lose sight and gain weight. They tend to be more aggressive than children who don’t spend so much time playing. Furthermore, video gaming may lead to severe addiction, as proven by recent reports on fatalities among devoted video gamers. This information collection adds to the bad perception of video games as a harmful hobby for children and teens.

Evaluation Essay Ideas — In Case You Have to Come Up With One

The essay topic should be appealing to you and your audience. It will inspire and aid in generating talking points when working on it. We have collected a list of interesting vectors and relevant criteria for evaluation essay to save you time searching for a topic.

Journal paper. Pay attention to its methodological quality, clarity, and length. Assess literature review quality and evaluate the applicability of results to actual life.

Novel. Plot intricacy, moral or social worth, and relevance to real life are recommended rating factors.

Textbook. The simplicity of explanations, connection to a curriculum, practical approach, and range of material are recommended assessment factors.

Work of art. Suggested criteria are effects on art theory, social message, composition quality, and complexity.

Podcast or a lecture. Consider speaker clarity, audience involvement, the validity of the topic, and monetary worth.

Scientific theory. The criteria include valuable input to knowledge, its effect on ordinary people’s lives, and conflicts and inconsistencies with other ideas.

Film. Storyline, actors, the moral or social worth of the message, and the development of characters are to be assessed.

Popular scientists. Recommendations for the evaluation include an influence on human health and contribution to education debates with other scientists.

Play. Criteria for evaluation include storyline complexity, acting quality, and relation to current life.

Hotel. Flexibility, cleanliness, surroundings, breakfast quality, quiet neighborhood, Wi-Fi, and parking can be evaluated.

Restaurant. Menu selection, taste, service quality, cleanliness, price, and surroundings are something that you can describe.

Vehicle. The writer can consider price, comfort, safety, and reputation.

House. Suggested evaluation criteria are location, construction safety and quality, neighborhood, and infrastructure.

Doctor. The student may include such factors as equipment quality, value for money, feedback, knowledge, and experience.

Course. The assessment points are teachers, practical application, guidance, and price.

In essay writing, no one obliges you to express only positive beliefs. The content may well include a negative component. However, it is crucial to use reasoned arguments rather than simply stating that you are in opposition.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback, related blog posts, how to write a good essay on history.

History is one of the academic subjects, opening the door to remarkable facts and powerful ideologies that greatly impacted a course of particular ...

How to Write Business Essay Like a Pro

Any writing is stressful for most people because it is a rather laborious task requiring certain skills. The essay takes the most time and effort a...

Receive regular updates, discounts, study guides and more

You have subscribed to EduBirdie news.

Thanks for subscribing!

Check your inbox to verify your email.

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 by Christine Jones is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

How to Write an Evaluation Essay: Detailed Guide & Topics

What is an evaluation essay, 6 steps to craft an outstanding evaluation essay, pick your paper topic.

Choose your topic carefully and look for good paper examples before you start writing.

Craft a Thesis Statement

Determine the evaluation criteria, find the supporting evidence, write your raw draft.

Try to describe each idea in detail for your paragraphs. Sometimes you should write more and remove unnecessary sentences during the editing process.

Review, Edit & Proofread

Evaluation essay: criteria, judgments & evidence.

Evaluation Essay Outline: Things You Need to Know

Start with a catchy sentence. You need some kind of hook to grab the reader's attention.

Body Paragraphs

First reason.

Always look for solid reasons and judgments. All your quotes, examples, or expert testimonials must be taken from trusted academic sources.

Second Reason

Third reason.

Where to Find an Evaluation Essay Example?

Good Evaluation Essay Topics for Students

Evaluation essay topics on books & literature.

• The efficacy of self-improvement books.
• The book that began the genre.
• Study social problems through literature.
• Which book shook you to the core?
• The best book to depict historical events.
• Evaluation of the novel Billy Budd .
• Critical evaluation of Vivian Bearing story .

Movie Evaluation Essay Samples

• Is the remake better than the classic?
• Is “V for Vendetta” the best political movie?
• Who is the best James Bond?
• The lessons taught through animation.
• The movie that ruined the book.

Evaluation Argument Essay Topics On Music

• Evaluating your favorite Broadway show.
• What Is your dad’s favorite band?
• The Rock Legend’s impact assessment.
• Which song is better than chocolate for you?

Evaluation Paper On Food

• The pros and cons of processed foods.
• The worst takeout service you know.
• Walk a mile in a food critic’s shoes.
• Can frozen meals be considered edible?

Evaluation Argument Essay Topics On Sports

• General assessment of any sport.
• Are sports dangerous, rather than healthy?
• The ever-present threat of doping.
• How does running affect the cardio system?

Evaluation Essay Topics On Technology

• The consequences of Internet.
• The qualities of a good app.
• Is Google making us stupid?
• Is Tesla making our life easier?
• The latest flagship smartphone review.
• The technology’s negative impact on society.

Evaluation Argument Essay Topics On Education

• Who is the best professor?
• Is a business degree worth it?
• The most useless class you have ever taken.
• Should college tuition be affordable?
• Research proposal evaluation.

Evaluation Argument Essay Topics On Economic

• Evaluation of the expected socio-economic results .
• Reducing supplier evaluation cycle time .
• Policy monitoring vs. policy evaluation comparison brief .
• Walmart's vision and mission statement evaluation .

Evaluation Argument Essay Topics On Nursing

• Evaluation of epidemiological problem – diabetes .
• Methods of economic evaluation of the health services .
• Health communication campaigns evaluation .
• Evaluation of hypericin herb-drug interactions .
• Comprising the evaluation of the merits of obamacare health policy .
• The evaluation plan for diabetes program .
• Medical articles evaluation .
• Patient's evaluation statement .
• Evaluation of nurses' handover practice in an acute outpatient dialysis unit.

Evaluation Argument Essay Topics On Politics & Career Growth

• Media evaluation in presidential campaign .
• Leadership and strategy evaluation .
• Self-evaluation at all career stages .
• Masterly-done speech evaluation .
• Providing the evaluation of president Andrew Jackson's tenure in office .
• My evaluation for future leadership .

Interesting Evaluation Argument Essay Topics

• Faculty evaluation .
• Evaluation of the old testament .
• Evaluation of Hellene's proposed venture .
• Critical analysis and evaluation of text .
• Role of performance evaluation in a project environment .
• BP oil spill documentary evaluation .
• Evaluation with the continued rising cases of climate change .

Challenging Evaluation Argument Essay Topics

• Recommendation of the annual executive health evaluation .
• Evaluation of a chosen periodical source .
• Areas of development in the current UAE Legislations in light of FATF mutual evaluation report .
• Areas of evaluation in informatics solution proposal .
• Frankenstein critical analysis evaluation .
• Starbucks' external factor evaluation matrix .
• Personal work group evaluation .
• External factor evaluation and internal factor evaluation for Oracle .
• Post-training evaluation plan .

Easy Evaluation Argument Essay Topics

• Research proposal evaluation .
• Ethics and performance evaluations .
• Evaluation proposal for the social awareness program for hispanics .
• Critical evaluation of luxury brand stores: Saint Laurent and Balmain .
• Analysis and evaluation of the community agency observation .
• Evaluation design .
• Resource evaluation exercise .

College Easy Evaluation Argument Essay Topics

• Evaluation and application of thesis - HP's supply chain .
• Training evaluation writing assignment .
• Apple Inc's strategic evaluations .
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of financial markets and institutions .
• Comprising health policy evaluation .
• Clinique company training and evaluation plan .
• Evaluation of the project: purchasing a new printing machine .
• Ethical evaluation of alphabet company .
• Strengths and limitations of the evaluation plan .
• Why some managers hate performance evaluation .
• Evaluation of issues in technology integration .
• Werner Erhard's life evaluation .
• Evaluation of the quality of a consumer product .

New paper type - Summary of online lectures 5% OFF!

essay writing service

KingEssays reviews:

4.4 out of 5

4.5 out of 5

What is an Evaluative Essay?

Many students are asked to evaluate a story or subject in their course material through an evaluation essay. But, before starting you need to understand what an evaluation essay is and how it differs from descriptive type of essay. An evaluation essay is a feedback or review, however it has a huge contrast. These kinds of essays can be written for any subject from film to restaurant. An evaluative essay generally speaking, is an individual evaluation which contains an abstract view with providing a justification. For example you watch a movie and then you are asked to evaluate it on the basis of your exposition. The interesting fact about an evaluative essay is its uniqueness. Two individual can have a different evaluation for the same subject. While watching a film, one may find it interesting while other may find it boring. The criteria for making an evaluation essay is different for everyone depending upon their way of analysis. Here is your guide to begin with writing an evaluation essay for your chosen subject:

How Do You Write an Evaluation Essay: Quick Tips

Following are the quick tips on how to write an effective evaluation essay:

• Go through source material to thoroughly consider your exposition before composing it. Along these lines, you can keep yourself from revising a few times before submitting it.
• Look for each section of your evaluation paper before proceeding to the next section. It can assist you with organizing contemplations and you can make sure that essential aspects are not ignored anywhere.
• While evaluating, avoid discussing the perspectives about your objects that are fascinating for you only. Obviously, the writer may need to expound regarding a matter they truly like, however remember that everyone reading your essay probably won't have interest in your theme.
• When assessing your subject, don't overlook negative perspectives. Regardless of whether you believe that the occasion, place, and different angles are essential, endeavor to give perusers detriments just as points of interest.
• The entire exposition must be written in one tone.
• It is appealing to have communicated all of the opinions experienced while reviewing the work.
• Avoid an absence of thinking, and a direct retelling of the work.

This is only a sample, to get your own paper you need to:

Evaluation Essay Example

Evaluation Essay Example Movie

Evaluation Essay Examples

Evaluation Essay Outline

Evaluation Essay Sample

Self Evaluation Essay Examples

How Do You Start an Evaluation Essay?

Before you start an evaluative essay, first choose your topic. Follow the simple steps to begin with any evaluative paper. Here are the initial steps:

• The topic can be about anything such as a movie, story, book, novel, restaurant or any service organization.
• Initially, write a theoretical explanation of your selected subject.
• Then determine the criteria used to evaluate the product or service. Make a thesis statement that present your contention about the subject.
• Look for the enough supporting proofs to defend your position so, the readers would be able to agree with your hypothesis.
• Make a draft of your exposition.

Order an Exclusive Paper of Top Standard

100% Originality Assured. Only Qualified Specialists

Top Quality

96% customers' satisfaction rate

400+ Native Writers

with minimum Master's degree

Discounts & Bonuses

5% discount with FIRST5 code

Evaluation Essay Key Elements

The important elements to make an evaluation essay are three: i.e. criteria, judgments and evidence, which are explained as follows: 

Criteria implies setting up what the standards are for the item to be evaluated. Making a criterion implies exhibiting what is expect as the perfect result. For an effective evaluation essay you have to make a clear criteria in your mind. In fact jot it down! A clear criteria drives the conclusion. For instance, when assessing an eatery, the writer need to build up the criteria on the basis of value, neatness, timeliness of order and taste. By clinging to a strong criteria you would then be able to be compare a particular eatery to another.

The judgment of your evaluation is the foundation of your essay around which thesis statement revolves, is based on whether the measures are met. As it were, the judgment is the thing that really is. Utilizing the model from above, if the main foundation for assessing a food providing company is the nature of the food they offer, the judgment would state regardless of whether the specific eating place has offered services that meets this expressed quality.

The evidence is the proof which provide refinements to help your judgment. In case that your judgment is that a specific restaurant or service organization does not reliably offer quality, you have to proof this with evidence enough to indicate from where the judgment has been arrived. 

What is an Example of Evaluation Essay?

Similar to descriptive essay, the evaluative essay outline consist of introduction, body and conclusion. Below, you can find the guidelines on how to write each part:

• Introduction

when beginning an evaluation essay, the hardest part is to write an effective introduction? The main purpose of a solid intro is to catch the eyes of reader and quickly delineate for what your essay is, so that just a few sentences can reveal your exposition and the reader would like to continue reading. Coincidentally, for the starting part a few sentences are sufficient. Your introduction closes with the thesis statement which articulate your thoughts on which you are going to put in highlights in the evaluation.

• Body paragraph

There should be atleast three or more paragraphs in the body section. Each passage of body section should be started with a topic sentence that fills in as a little examples and illustrations. Prove your topic sentence with evidence from credible resources. Ensure that you have exhibited enough data and subtleties in each passage, so every reader who reads it, can be prepared to agree with your ideas.

Your conclusion begins with thesis statement. A conclusion, like other essays has a closing phrase. Start your conclusion by restating your thesis restatement. Then, review all the main points you have raised in your body paragraphs wrapping up with the final estimation you want your readers to get from your evaluation. Simple, this is how you conclude your essay!

Many students when composing an evaluation essay try to begin with the sample and example which helps them in writing. Regardless of if the essay is your evaluation paper test, as a student you may discover basic ideas to consider in your evaluation essay. The composition procedure of an evaluation essay can be simple when you have a model to replicate or follow. From a genuine model of an evaluative essay you can pick the standards that the essay writer has utilized in their composition. It is never prescribe to the students to duplicate the content of the evaluation essay available online for your evaluation paper – it might be viewed as faking. In extraordinary cases, the students can make over completed papers. However, when the essay is written without anyone else help, it is can surely very different, for which the student can get a high assessment. If you copy and re-write some material from the examples, be sure to check the composed article for unoriginality. Also, we have provided below a few sample works in this article for your assistance.

• Film Evaluative Essay
• Tunnel Vision

Bottom Line

Conclude your story with the inferences you have reached through evaluation and shape the assessment of your chosen story. A conclusion is meant to sum up all you had offered in your body section. At last, you can offer advice to the pursuers of the essay on whether viewing the story was worthy or not. If you concluding by negative criticism, you have to quickly clarify why. At that point, clarify your position especially inspired by which events. You should conclude with the inquiries that can assist you with making your exposition about the story: Has the story lived up to the expectation you had? Portray what you expected before you had seen the story and whether it has satisfied you as an audience or not. How can this story be contrasted with another from a similar class? Do you believe that this is the perfect story of a specific class? For this you can utilize this correlation with feature negative or positive parts of the story.

Popular Essays