English 1302

Critical Evaluation Essay Outline

Introduction

Present the Subject. Write a paragraph introducing the subject to the reader by 1) Over-viewing the “big-picture” of your film, a short plot summary, its influence on people, why it’s important to evaluate, the context of its creation and 2) Establish the evaluative criteria you will be using to prove your thesis.

Thesis: Your Judgment on the Subject. Write your complete thesis statement, which includes your judgment and reasons for support. The reasons are your judgments on the evaluative criteria you have identified to evaluate your subject. Use the word “because” to connect your judgment to your reasons.

Example: The films of Kevin Smith, from Clerks through Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, should be avoided because the humor is sophomoric, the language offensive, and the dialogue crowded with unintelligible pop-culture references.

Body of Argument

Reason One

First Criteria. State, as a topic sentence, your judgment on the first evaluative criteria, and use appropriate transition words/phrases to move from thesis to first reason. Also, restate the wording of the first reason so it doesn’t simply copy the reason as you stated it in the complete thesis. Example: “The first reason to avoid Kevin Smith’s movies is the low-brow humor.”

Support for Reason One: Textual support, quotations, examples, expert authorities, cases, statistics, comparisons to similar subjects, analogies (comparisons to somewhat related subjects).

Reason Two

Second Criteria. State, as a topic sentence, your judgment on the second evaluative criteria, and use appropriate transition words/phrases to move from thesis to first reason. Also, restate the wording of the first reason so it doesn’t simply copy the reason as you stated it in the complete thesis. Example: “Another reason to avoid Kevin Smith’s movies is not only the low-brow humor, but also the offensive language used to “be funny”.

Support: Textual support, quotations, examples, expert authorities, statistics, analogies (comparisons to related subjects).

Reason Three. Repeat above.

Conclusion

Restate thesis and premises; alter the wording so that this is not merely a copy of the complete thesis in the introduction. Make a recommendation?

The outline will end up looking like this:

Thesis

1. Topic Sentence for first body paragraph

a. Detail

b. Example

c. Quote

d. Etc.

2. Topic Sentence for Second Body Paragraph

a. Detail

b. Example

c. Quote

d. Etc.

And so forth.