What is an Evaluation Essay?

An evaluation essay is a one of a kind essay that cannot be categorized so easily unlike the other essays that easily come under descriptive essay, narrative essay, reflective essay and so on. In fact it is said to combine the characteristics of both comparative essay and argumentative essay. Evaluation essays are usually written for the purpose of arriving at conclusions by weighing the pros and cons of something. Such essays serve the purpose of justification of a particular statement and even preference. For example an essay talking about capital punishment and why I personally support it, could be termed as an evaluation essay. However in many cases evaluation essays just take on an unbiased role and simply discuss two or more contradictory opinions without coming to any particular conclusion. This can also be called its ideal purpose.

Evaluation essays compare and contrasts opinions and perspectives and very often the reader is left to arrive at a conclusion from reading it. It may perform the function of invoking thought but without influencing the readers to favor with any of the opinions discussed. Such essays are also often written to help one observe and pen down thoughts from a third person’s point of view. As humans we find it hard to view things from another person’s point of view and writing an evaluation essay helps one to do just that. The writer is forced to keep an unbiased mind when penning when weighing the pros and cons of something. This exposes him to the possibility of looking at things perhaps in the way others see it. The best example of such work is film reviews. The writer maintains an impartial tone and states the highlights and also the not so flattering aspects of the movie and the reader, from the review decides whether the movie is worth watching or not.
These essays have another purpose of stating or enforcing an argument. This part is included in the foremost introduction of the essay and even the conclusion of the essay that leaves an impact on the reader. In such a case it is highly significant for the writer to be assertive and very conscientious.

Tips to write a good evaluation essay

The conventional five paragraph format is recommended for writing such an essay.

However it is important that the key argument should form the thesis statement and should be expressed in the introductory paragraph of the essay.

In the subsequent paragraph the writer shall express his arguments or opinions with an authoritative tone. The later part of the essay should contain the facts which are to be expressed in a cautious impartial manner.  This is where the writer allows the reader to form their own personal opinion. This part of the essay constitutes the body of the essay and is permitted to contain as many paragraphs as required.

The essay conclusion should summarize all the above stated facts and should bring back the reader to the thesis statement and should therefore lay emphasis on it. This should be the part where the purpose of the essay is rounded off. It is also important to keep in mind that the evaluation essay should help the reader draw a conclusion which is made on fair grounds.