Writing Evaluative Statements

• Evaluation refers to the formulation of value judgment.
• An evaluative statement is a statement that you can make to reflect your judgment and generalization about the text you have read.
• Descriptive statements contributes to a bare presentation of facts, as in the claim.
• Evaluative statements functions in a different way by offering assessment, as in the claim.
• Assertion is a statement used to make a declaration or to express strong belief on a particular topic, often without evidence.
• According to Tiongson (2016), assertions are “declarative sentences that claim something is true about something else.” These sentences may either be statements of truths or opinions.
• 4 Types of Assertion

  • Statement of Fact
  • Statement of Opinion
  • Statement of Convention
  • Statement of Preference
• Statement of Fact


  Statements that can be proven objectively by direct experiences, testimonies of witnesses, verified observation, or results of research.
• Statement of Opinion


  Opinions are based on facts but are difficult to objectively verify because of the uncertainty of producing proofs of soundness.
• Statement of Convention


  A convention is a way in which something is done, like traditions and norms. Conventions depend on historical precedent, laws, rules, usage, and customs.
• Statement of Preference


  Preferences are based on personal choice; therefore, they are subjective and cannot be objectively proven or logically attacked.
• Counterclaims are claims made to rebut a previous claim. They provide a contrasting perspective to the main argument.
• 4 Elements of an Argument

  • Claim
  • Counterclaim
  • Reason
  • Evidence
• Claim


  main argument
• Counterclaim


  opposite of claim
• Reason


  tells why a claim is made
• Evidence


  fact or research to support the claim and reason