“The best of ideas give the best result.”
Writing an essay is a task that involves exploration, learning and creativity. Whether it is a solo task or a task given in a group, it should be evaluated properly in order to present an unbiased result. In case of a competition, the grading process should be able to choose the best of the entries. In case of the essays given as an assignment, the grading should be able to analyze the writer on the basis of knowledge and field of improvement. Thus, just like writing the essay, equal efforts should be contributed to its evaluation.
The first thing that should be checked while grading an essay is whether all the guidelines are fulfilled. One should check whether it is submitted before the deadline, whether the writer meets the eligibility criterion and whether he or she has fulfilled other participation rules given by the organization. One should check whether the person has used the languages that were mentioned in the guidelines. The word limit can also decide whether the essay should be evaluated.
The maximum and minimum word limit plays a key role in the marks given on the essay. Some essay writing platforms ask the students to fill in the necessary details on the page. For example, participants must write their names on each page or should mention the number of words. What not to do is also stated often like the use of images and slogans. Thus, the do’s and don’ts should be taken care of. Next comes the font or the handwriting. If the essay is handwritten, it should be readable.
If the essay is typed then the mentioned font should be used or if the font is not mentioned then it should be the one which is easy to read. Font size and the structure of the sheet also matters. Before the evaluation, the last thing to check is the topic. To check whether the topic matches with the one given is the most necessary part. If the topic does not match with the essay then it should be immediately disqualified.
Once the eligibility is checked, it is time to grade the essay. One should check whether the essay is explaining the topic. The whole essay should be relevant to the title. If it is not fixed then it should be checked whether the mentioned title is doing justice with the body of the essay.
One of the most deciding parts for the essay is the introduction. A strong introduction can grab extra points. Apart from that, it greatly influences the reader or the examiner to stick around and read the whole essay. A good impression lasts longer and is beneficial in choosing the essay as the winner. The introduction should give an idea about what to expect. It should include all the points that are going to be discussed in detail further. At least, it should clearly define the title and the elaboration can be done in the body.
Next comes the body where its relevance with the introduction should be checked. The essay should have a flow, where the first paragraph of the body should revise the topic and then refer to the point that is going to be mentioned next. Thus, the next paragraph of the body should be linked to the previous one. Some essays mention the pattern that should be followed, like explaining an individual fact in each paragraph, debating, comprehending or answering queries from the previous paragraph. The essay should follow the pattern with a proper flow and connection with each other. Proper grammar and language should also be checked.
Now the originality needs to be checked. It is necessary to find out if the essay is copied from any source. A plagiarism criterion can be used to check this. The essay must be the writer’s original thoughts and should reflect his or her knowledge.
An essay greatly affects the knowledge of the writer about the topic and this knowledge can be used while grading it. How much the writer has explored and tried to learn is the question that can be answered while the evaluation. If the writer has tried to learn from multiple sources then he or she would be able to present extra information in the essay, like data, thoughts or research studies. These add additional creativity in the essay and should be appreciated while grading.
Lastly, the conclusion should be checked. A conclusion should draw the outcome for the whole essay. It can offer solutions or the effects that have originated from the previous arguments. The conclusion can yield extra marks if it is able to summarize the whole essay. The conclusion amplifies the reader’s interest as it can originate the sense of fulfillment after reading. Thus, the conclusion should have a special weightage.
Essays are a way to speak or present ideas. They are a medium to express thus, the thoughts should be clear and yielding. Some additional efforts put by the author such as self quotes can prove meaningful and should be appreciated. Once the essay is graded it becomes much more effective. It can help the writer to improve or present the best of thoughts for the readers. Thus,
“Evaluation is necessary, for the sake of improvement.”
By: Nisha Yadav
