Improve your evaluative essay skills

Question 1 of 8

1

Click on each orange point and select the correct answer.

n your responses to the evaluative questions it is important to remain focused on the big picture; the effectiveness of the presentation of an aspect of SITE in the text as a whole.

When evaluating the non-fiction text in response to question 6 on paper 2 this means commenting on and providing textual evidence of the Subject, Ideas, Themes and Events within the text.

Look at this extract from Chinese Cinderella, an autobiography by the Chinese-American writer Adeline Yen Mah and choose the correct aspect of SITE from each drop-down menu on the text.

Explanation

Question 2 of 8

1

When providing evaluative responses you do not need to quote directly from the text you are writing about.

Select one of the following:

True
False

Explanation

Question 3 of 8

1

Click on each orange point and select the correct answer.

When constructing PEED paragraphs you have three different options in terms of how you provide supporting textual evidence. These are:
1.Direct quotations
2 Paraphrasing
3. Reference.
Look at the textual evidence and match it to the correct form

Explanation

Question 4 of 8

1

Look at the extract in the image opposite. It is from a newspaper article entitle Explorers or boys messing about?

Now look at this opinion which forms the point at the start of an evaluative PEED paragraph on this article

'The writer if this article engages the reader by presenting the two men as untrustworthy and irresponsible.'

Please choose 1 direct quotation taken from the extract which could be used as evidence to support this point.

Select one of the following:

'claims'
'Despite their experience'
'it is not the first time'
'Mr Smith, also from London, claims to have been flying since the age of 5.'
'for the wrong reasons'

Explanation

Question 5 of 8

1

Look at this marked example of a PEED paragraph from a response evaluating how successfully the writer of Touching the Void engaged the reader through the description of his accident.

This is a good attempt at an evaluative PEED paragraph but could have been better.

Please choose the ways in which this response could have been improved.

Select one or more of the following:

By only using part of the first sentence: 'hit the slope at the base of the cliff' before the explanation that this is a shocking start to the text.
By paraphrasing instead of quoting directly the second part of the quote used. For example they could have written:

'Following the shocking start the writer maintains the reader's engagement by creating a sense of jeopardy and building the tension as he tells us that the impact caused his knees to lock and left him hanging paralysed facing the slope.'
They could have split the quote up and used the second part as additional evidence in the development part of their PEED paragraph explaining that the reason the reader remains engaged and wants to read on is because it seems like anything could happen as Joe is left hanging helpless and paralysed against the rock face.
They actually only needed to quote the first sentence: 'hit the slope at the base of the cliff before I saw it coming'
There wasn't any need to quote directly here and it would have been better to have paraphrased both sentences, perhaps splitting them up a little.

Explanation

Question 6 of 8

1

Having offered an opinion and provided some textual evidence in the form of either a direct quotation, paraphrase or a reference what should you then focus your explanation on?

Select one of the following:

The effect your textual evidence has in relation to the focus of the question
The effect the specific technique or device used has on the reader.
What the device or technique is (name it if you can) and how this tends to be used in a general by writers for particular effect.
The effect of the textual evidence in relation to the main theme of the text.

Explanation

Question 7 of 8

1

Having offered an opinion about an aspect of the text and provided some supporting evidence in the form of either a short, direct quotation, paraphrase or reference it s important that you go on to explain the effect your evidence has in relation to the successful presentation of the aspect of SITE specified in the question.

Look at these examples of evaluative explanations about how the writer of The Explorer's Daughter engaged the reader through the presentation of life in the High Arctic.

Please match each explanation to a marker's comment.

Drag an answer into the correct orange point.

Language analysis, not evaluation

Answers Q, informed critical judgement

Assertion shows no understanding

Feature spotting Lang not evaluation

Explanation

Question 8 of 8

1

Select from the dropdown lists to complete the text.

When the examiners mark your responses to the evaluative questions on both papers they will be on the lookout for the use of evaluative rather than analytical language.
Here are two paragraphs from a response evaluating how successfully Emma Levine engaged her readers through the description of the annual donkey race in Karachi.Please complete the paragraphs by choosing evaluative terms from the drop-down menus.

Emma Levine ( successfully, brilliantly, immediately ) engages the reader in her text through her vivid descriptions of the annual donkey race in Karachi. She ( convincingly, really, imaginatively ) recreates the experience for her readers, bringing it to life by vividly describing the frantic car journey through the bustling, noisy city which she describes as being' Formula One without rules', a cultural reference which allows her Western readers to understand how fast and dangerous it was.

The use of relevant Western cultural references is something she does ( throughout, a lot, frequently ) the text which maintains the engagement of the reader, establishing a bond between them and the writer and allowing them to share her sense of excitement and anxiety at being in a strange country and witnessing an unusual event.

	Created by Sarah Holmes over 7 years ago

A quiz activity designed to help learners improve the quality of their evaluative comments. Designed for the new Edexcel 9-1 GCSE English Language exams but applicable to all new 9-1 GCSE English exams from all awarding bodies as evaluation is required in all specifications.

Improve your evaluative essay skills

Question 1 of 8

Click on each orange point and select the correct answer.

Explanation

Question 2 of 8

When providing evaluative responses you do not need to quote directly from the text you are writing about.

Select one of the following:

Explanation

Question 3 of 8

Click on each orange point and select the correct answer.

When constructing PEED paragraphs you have three different options in terms of how you provide supporting textual evidence. These are: 1.Direct quotations 2 Paraphrasing 3. Reference. Look at the textual evidence and match it to the correct form

Explanation

Question 4 of 8

Select one of the following:

Explanation

Question 5 of 8

Select one or more of the following:

Explanation

Question 6 of 8

Having offered an opinion and provided some textual evidence in the form of either a direct quotation, paraphrase or a reference what should you then focus your explanation on?

Select one of the following:

Explanation

Question 7 of 8

Drag an answer into the correct orange point.

Explanation

Question 8 of 8

Select from the dropdown lists to complete the text.

Explanation

When constructing PEED paragraphs you have three different options in terms of how you provide supporting textual evidence. These are:
1.Direct quotations
2 Paraphrasing
3. Reference.
Look at the textual evidence and match it to the correct form