Formulating Evaluative Statements

Reading and Writing
Skills
Text and Text
Connections:
Formulating
Evaluative
Statements
Formulating Evaluative
Statements
• Learning Objectives
• 1. Define assertion;
• 2. Identify types of assertion;
• 3. Formulate assertions and evaluative
statements.
Formulating Assertions
• Giving a better explanation to show the
strength and weaknesses of something
through writing.
• Presenting a value judgment based on
a set of criteria.
How to formulate
evaluative statements
Formulating assertions
Formulating counterclaims
• About the content and
properties of a text read • In response to a claim
made in a text.
How to Formulate an
Evaluative Statement
Remember the following pointers:
1. Begin with the positives before you point out the negatives.
Remember that your evaluative statement should be factual,
substantial, and unbiased.
• When giving your negative feedback, it should not sound
insulting on the part of the evaluatee (one who is evaluated).
How to Formulate an
Evaluative Statement
Remember the following pointers:
2. Suggest a solution/s or suggestion/s on how to improve the
written material being evaluated and provide justification how
these will work.
3. Keep your feedback concise and precise.
4. Be careful in giving your feedback. Since evaluations pass
judgment onto works of authors, they must be written and
expressed with care and much diligence
Formulating Assertions
What is Assertion?
▪ It is a statement used to make a declaration
or to express strong belief on a particular
topic, often without evidence.
What is an Assertion?
▪ It is a stylistic approach or technique

involving a strong declaration, a forceful
or confident and positive statement
regarding a belief or a fact.
What is an Assertion?
▪ As defined by Tiongson (2016) assertions

are “declarative sentences that claim
something is true about something else.”
These sentences may either be
statements of truths or opinions.
Types of Assertion
Statement of FACT
Statement of OPINION
Statement of CONVENTION
Statement of PREFERENCE
Statement of FACT
This is a statement that can be

proven objectively by direct
experiences, testimonies of witnesses,
verified observations, or the results of
research
Statement of FACT
Example:
The sampaguita’s roots are used for
medicinal purposes, such as an
anesthetic and a sedative.
Opinions are based on facts but

are difficult to objectively verify
because of the uncertainty of
producing satisfactory proofs of
soundness.
Clue words for opinion statements

are:
Think, believe, seem, always, never,
most, least, worse, greatest.
Example:
The popularity of sampaguita
flower is most evident in places of
worship.
A convention is a way in which

something is done, like traditions and
norms.
Conventions depend on historical
precedent, laws, rules usage and
customs.
Example:
The sampaguita belongs to the
genus Jasminum of the family
Oleaceae.
Preferences are based on a

personal choice; therefore, they are
subjective and cannot be objectively
proven or logically attacked.
Example:
Sampaguitas are the most
beautiful and most fragrant of all
flowers.
Formulating
Counterclaims
What is a COUNTERCLAIM?
Counterclaims are claims
made to rebut a previous
claim. They provide a
contrasting perspective to
the main argument.
Formulating Counterclaims
• What are the major points on which you and
the author can disagree?
• What is the strongest argument? What did
they say to defend their position?
• What are the merits of their view?
• What are the weaknesses or shortcomings in
their argument?
• Are there any hidden assumptions?
• Which lines from the text best support the
counterclaim you have formulated?
Steps in Writing Counterclaims
Step 1
Ways to begin counterclaim paragraphs
✓ Many people believe that..
✓ It is often thought that…
✓ It might seem as if…
✓ While it is common..
Step 2
Ways to transition from the opposite side
back to your opinion
✓ What this argument fails to consider is…
✓ This view sounds convincing at first but…
✓ Although the core claim is valid, it suffers
from the flaw in its…
Step 3
Write a counterclaim.
✓ Use one of the sentence starters in step
one.
✓ Remember to transition back to your
opinion.
✓ Use one of the sentences starters in step
two.
Example of counterclaim:
It is often thought that social
studies is the favorite academic class for
junior high school students. However,
what this argument fails to consider is
that science allows for more hands-on
activities. For example, when studying
amphibians, you get to dissect a frog
rather than just read about an event
from the past.
What are HEDGES?
Hedges is a word or phrase that minimizes negative
impact of criticism. Hedges could come from different
forms such as:
Modals: (may, could, would, etc.)
Frequency adverbs (usually, generally, commonly)
Probability adverbs ( probably, possibly, presumably)
Examples
• Obesity is caused by the bad food
choices being offered by the food
industry.
• Obesity is probably caused by the bad
food choices being offered by the food
industry.
To be able to locate counterclaims to an argument,
remember the following:
1. Show competence and familiarity with
the writer’s topic.
2. Examine different perspectives and not
just passively accepting the writer’s
claim.
3. Consider the topic, and make sure you
are willing to engage different viewpoints
from your own.
4. Clarify your personal position on the
topic
Martha is an incoming Grade 11 student. She has been
using a basic cellphone ever since she was in junior high school. She
is very eager to go back to school and be productive, but when she
learned about the integration with technology and digital tools to
extend in the classrooms beyond the constraints of traditional walls
particularly in the public school due to the global pandemic, her
excitement turned into frustration. Martha desperately wants to
have a smartphone, so she can have access to online learning.
Having this in mind, she tells her father, Mang Tonyo, that she
needs a smartphone.
Mang Tonyo, thinking only of the additional expense, simply
says, “No.” Martha has made her claim – asking for a smartphone.
Mang Tonyo has made his counterclaim – opposing Martha’s claim
Martha must offer valid reasons to convince Mang Tonyo that she
needs the smartphone because it has access to internet and so he
needs to provide her with one. Martha might provide evidence of the
necessity of using smart phone nowadays as part of the new normal
life in the time of coronavirus. Martha’s reasoning may include a
description of how important a smartphone is as far as convenience
and flexibility in online distance learning are concerned.
Four Elements of Argument
1. CLAIM - is a statement that asserts
facts based on one’s understanding about
a particular topic or issue.
In the given example, Martha asking his

father to buy her a smart phone is an
example of a claim.
2. COUNTERCLAIM - is just the opposite
of claim. It is a statement that contradicts
one’s claim and is usually proven and
supported by both reasons and
evidences.
Mang Tonyo’s negative response to
Martha’s claim is an example of
counterclaim.
3. REASON - is the part of an argument
where a statement offers an explanation
behind a party’s claim.
Martha’s offering of valid reasons to

convince Mang Tonyo that she needs the
smart phone is an example of reason.
4. EVIDENCE - is the statement that proves
the truth of a claim and generally leads to
the conclusion of an argument.
Martha provides evidence of the necessity

of using smartphone as part of the new
normal life in the time of corona virus is an
example of evidence.
Formulate Evaluative statements
A. Directions: Form an evaluative statement
for every given text and label it whether
positive or negative depending on the focus
of the evaluation. See the sample below.
Text: If you are not so smart, you should try
to be a teacher.
Evaluative Statement: The statement is very
discriminatory against those with average
intelligence and teachers in general.
Example: Negative
1. In this time of pandemic, people should give all the
blames to the government for the insufficient
assistance given to them.
2. Every person has something to contribute to win the
battle against CoViD
3. If you got infected by the Corona Virus, you should
not lose hope but be positive about it.
4. If you are a student with no internet connection at
home, you better not enroll for this school year while
we are in these trying times.
5. When you go out of your house to buy essential
things, you must follow the minimum health protocols
like social distancing, wearing mask, using alcohol or
sanitizer, and washing hands.

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Reading and Writing

▪ It is a stylistic approach or technique

▪ As defined by Tiongson (2016) assertions

This is a statement that can be

Opinions are based on facts but

Clue words for opinion statements

A convention is a way in which

Preferences are based on a

In the given example, Martha asking his

Martha’s offering of valid reasons to

Martha provides evidence of the necessity

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