Directions: You are to find an article of criticism from a legitimate, approved source on any of the short stories assigned for the semester and compose an original critical evaluation of the article.

The Critical Evaluation section of your essay should evaluate how effectively the writer explained and proved his or her thesis. The analytical portions of your Review should meet the following criteria:

Criteria for a Good Critical Evaluation

General

The Critical Evaluation's thesis makes a claim about (expresses a debatable evaluation about) the articles being evaluated.

The subject of the Critical Evaluation is the articles being evaluated, NOT the topic of the article or a topic suggested by it.

Purpose and Audience

The Thesis is clear and precise, and establishes your essay's purpose to critically analyze and evaluate the article.

The evaluation is addressed appropriately to a reader who has not read the original text

Vocabulary is precise, varied appropriately and comprehensible for the audience

The conclusion is appropriate in tone and strategy, introduces no new ideas, and synthesizes the major ideas of your Critical Evaluation

Organization

The article author's interpretations are the focus of the evaluation

Topic statements are used appropriately--paragraphs begin with topic sentences, not with quotations or examples

Each Major Division of Thought in your Critical Evaluation section exhibits a clear pattern of organization

Paragraphs exhibit a clear pattern of organization

Coherence

The evaluation maintains focus and coherence through good transitions

The evaluation maintains focus and coherence through repetitions of Key Terms from the blueprint (Organization Step) of the Thesis

Quotations are made part of your sentences; each is introduced through some coherence device: (think to 1101 and 1102 and how you may have used signal phrases to introduce quotes--remember, no stand-alone quotes).

Support

The Critical Summary uses the text appropriately (both paraphrase and direct quotation) as a source of evidence for the evaluative statements

The Critical Summary explains, argues, and SHOWs how each example proves the topic sentence of the paragraph, the major generalization of the Major Division of Thought of which it is a part, and the evaluation's Thesis

Insight

The essay's evaluation of the article or book is challenging, debatable, and not obvious or factual

The evaluation interprets, analyzes, or challenges the central points or assumptions of the work being evaluated

Clarity

Sentences are constructed with appropriate subordination

Sentences are constructed with appropriate emphasis

Grammar conforms to standard written American English

Spelling conforms to standard written American English

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