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Before you buy a computer, phone, or video game, do you take a look at the reviews? Brief reviews, written by consumers, are easy to find, but some are more helpful than others. The best reviewers know what they’re talking about. They don’t just say what they like, they justify why they like it, giving examples or other evidence. Moreover, their judgment is based not on individual taste alone but on commonly held standards or criteria. For example, no one would consider it appropriate to judge an action film by its poetic dialogue or its subtle characterizations; instead, they would judge it by whether it delivers an exciting roller-coaster ride. The usefulness of an evaluation—be it a brief consumer comment or an expert’s detailed review—depends on readers sharing or at least respecting the writer’s criteria.

IN COLLEGE COURSES

For a film course, a student writes a review evaluating the last two Harry Potter movies in terms of how effectively they adapt J. K. Rowling’s much-loved novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007). He compares key scenes in the films (like that in Part 2 in which Bellatrix Lestrange and the other Death Eaters attack Hogwarts in the final battle of the Second Wizarding War) with their counterparts in the novel. To support his judgment, he analyzes the sequence of camera shots and angles, which he illustrates with stills from the film and contrasts with quotations from the novel. In refuting critics who think the movies leave out too much detail, he treats his audience—his instructor and classmates—as if they were knowledgeable about the films and novel, and he is careful not to let his review fall into plot summary. He concludes that while some die-hard Harry Potter fans may be reluctant to sacrifice their vision to the director’s, the films effectively capture the bleak mood and nerve-racking excitement of the last Harry Potter novel.

IN THE COMMUNITY

A motorcycle enthusiast evaluates the tour he took of the Harley-Davidson factory in York, Pennsylvania, for his blog. In his post, “Hog Heaven,” he concedes that some may get restless waiting to get in—he waited over an hour—but he was entertained while he waited by the great old “hogs” from eras past on display. Most of the post focuses on how informative and exciting the factory tour was: his anticipation while donning safety glasses and headset, the buzz he got from being on the factory floor with over a thousand workers, and the thrill of watching a motorcycle roll off the assembly line. He uses photos from his visit to illustrate his post, and he links to Harley-Davidson’s handy Ride Planner to help other enthusiasts plan their own trip.

IN THE WORKPLACE

At a conference on innovations in education, an elementary school teacher gives a presentation evaluating the effectiveness of using Schoolhouse Rock! videos to teach math to second graders. She tries to maintain objectivity in her voice that matches the objectivity of her evidence: a comparison of her students’ test results with those of other students in her district who did not see the videos. She surmises that the Schoolhouse Rock! videos are an effective teaching tool because the witty lyrics and catchy tunes make the information memorable and fun, but she concedes that additional research is needed to rule out other factors, such as her own enthusiasm for the videos or the makeup of her class.

In this chapter, we ask you to choose a subject for evaluation that you can examine closely. Analyzing the selections in the Guide to Reading that follows will help you learn how to use appropriate criteria to support your judgment. The Guide to Writing later in the chapter will show you ways to use the basic features of the genre to make your evaluation interesting and persuasive.