An argument of evaluation is an argument that states why something is good/bad, successful/not successful, effective/ineffective, competent/incompetent, and so forth. It’s essentially a judgment which ranks a subject on a specific scale or spectrum using clearly stated criteria. These types of arguments can be made in numerous ways and on numerous topics.
Choosing a topic:

Choose one of the five arguments from your inventory as a starting point for your research. So that you’re not simply restating what someone else has said, it must meet one of these two conditions:

• The original argument is not primarily an evaluation; it is one of the other four types. Your job, then, is to find an angle to the argument (or a closely related argument) which would work as an evaluation. For example, if I wanted to start with an article which is primarily an argument of fact about gluten intolerance, I could write an argument of evaluation which evaluates how effective a gluten-free diet really is for the average person.

– OR –

• The original argument is primarily an evaluation, but you disagree with the author’s stance and want to argue the complete opposite. In this case, although you could use some content from the original argument for your naysayer, you will need to research and find support for your opposing claim.

Directions:

1. Consider your topic thoughtfully. Make sure you can place it into a certain For instance, if you were evaluating The Notebook, you would rank it in the romantic film category. If you were evaluating one of Obama’s policies on education, it would be considered in the category of similar policies he has made. This will help you to choose criteria of judgment.
2. Pick a specific audienceto whom you will address this argument. Think about who would be interested in this issue. College students? Younger women in the workplace? Baseball fans? Narrow it down—the audience should never be “everybody” or “all Americans.” What type of style, evidence, and tone would work best for that intended audience?
3. Write your essay. It must include the following things:

• A clear thesis with a claim and a reason
  • Consider whether or not you need to qualifyyour thesis (Example: Instead of “Jon Stewart is the funniest person on TV,” you would say “Jon Stewart is one of the most influential TV personalities of this decade.” Don’t make claims you can’t support.)
• A briefoverview of your topic (a sort of background paragraph or summary)
• An explanation or defense of your criteria
  • What criteria/standards are you using to judge your topic? Can you justify these criteria?
  • Example: What features make a film a classic? (quotability? reviews? money made?)
• Evidence that your subject meets or fails to meet the criteria you set
• Consider and address the alternate views(opposing viewpoints and counterarguments)
  • What would those that oppose you say? How can you refute their arguments?
• Pathos, Logos, and Ethos: Try to use all 3 appeals in your argument, keeping in mind which ones will be most effective for your audience. (See textbook for help.)
• Outside sources
  • You must include 3-4 credible outside sources
  • You must incorporate ideas from those sources into your essay. Make sure to introduce the author/site and state why he/she/it is relevant
  • Use MLA citations throughout your paper
• Works cited
• Correct page length
  • 3-4 pages, notincluding heading, images, or works cited information
  • 12 point Times News Roman, double-spaced, 1” margins, and stapled

2 Pages

4 References