Formulating

Evaluative
Statements
Reading and Writing Skills
 •Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the
chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following gives a better explanation to show the strengths and weaknesses
of something through writing?
A. Assertion
B. Counterclaim
C. Evaluative Statement
D. Critical Reading
2. The statement “Facebook is a cooler social media platform than Twitter.” is what type of
assertion?
A. Fact
B. Opinion
C. Preference
D. Convention
•Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter
on a separate sheet of paper.

3. The statement “Earth is the third planet from the sun and is the largest of the
terrestrial planets.” is an example of _________________________?
A. Fact
B. Opinion
C. Convention
D. Preference
4. Counterclaims are claims made to ___________________________.
A. Rebut new claim
B. Rebut specific claim
C. Rebut previous claim
D. Rebut an unknown claim
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.

5. “If you were born poor and remain the same after thirty years, you should think
of new ways to change your economic status for the better.”
Which of the following evaluative statements can be formulated based on the text
above?
A. The text is insignificant since all Filipinos are rich.
B. The text is unmotivating because people nowadays don’t follow piece of advice
from others.
C. The text is useful because it gives a positive advice to the readers especially for
those who are suffering from poverty.
D. The text is not interesting because it sounds demanding.
•6. “One of the ways in which people can overcome depression is by looking at the brighter side of
things in life.” This statement is an example of
A. Claim
B. Reason
C. Evidence
D. Counterclaim
7. What should an evaluation have?
1. Positive feedback 3. Both negative and positive feedback
2. Negative feedback 4. Suggestions for improvement
A. 1 and 2
B. 1, 3 and 4
C. 3 and 4
D. 1,2,3 and 4
8. “People should not commit adultery.” is an example of what type of
assertion?
A. Fast
B. Preference
C. Opinion
D. Convention
9. To rebut means _______________________.
A. To contradict someone’s statement through a formal argument
B. To argue with someone’s point of view about an issue
C. To affirm someone’s statement even if it is wrong
D. To oppose someone’s statement in a contest
10. Counterclaims are opposite of _________________.
A. Stand
B. Evidence
C. Approval
D. Claims
11. A counterclaim is one of the elements of ___________.
A. Position
B. Argument
C. Evidence
D. Rebuttal
12. This is the statement that proves the truth of a claim and generally leads to the
conclusion of an argument.
A. Claim
B. Counterclaim
C. Evidence
D. Reason
13. This is the part of an argument where a statement offers an explanation behind a
party’s claim.
A. Claim
B. Counterclaim
C. Evidence
D. Reason
14. James’ negative response to Menard’s claim is an example of _______.
A. Claim
B. Counterclaim
C. Evidence
D. Reason
15. James’ offering valid reasons to convince BJ that men and women were born
equal is an example of _________________.
A. Claim
B. Counterclaim
C. Evidence
D. Reason
Assertions
Lesson 1
•Congratulations! You have
successfully completed the preceding
module. At this point, you will be
guided to master new competency
which will help you more to become a
better critical reader and a critical
thinker as well. By the way, have you
experienced frowning and arguing to
a reading material as if it would
respond and defend itself from your
judgment? I’m pretty sure you want to
know and understand what you were
doing in instances like that. To know
this, all you have to do is to continue
reading this module.
Don’t forget to answer the pretest provided for you my dear
learner before you proceed to the lesson proper. So, what are
you waiting for, this part of the module is right for you! Good
luck!
In this lesson, you are expected to:
1. identify types of assertions;
2. formulate assertions and evaluative statements; and
3. write evaluative statements and an evaluation about the
content and properties of a written text.
In the previous module, you learned about critical reading as a
form of reasoning. This time, you will understand how critical
reading and thinking skills would help you grasp the essence of
a text/s and check for possible fallacies in the argument/s
presented in a reading material.
•Suppose your parents
give you an option of
the gift you want to
receive on your
graduation day. This is
for you to be
motivated to maintain
your academic
standing in your class.
Your choices are
illustrated below.
Answer the following questions and write them on a sheet of
paper.
1. From the choices above, what will you choose and why?
2. If you were your parents, what do you think would they tell
you after knowing your choice? Can you list down the possible
statements you may hear from them?
How did you choose your preferred graduation gift? What did
you notice on the statements you have written in question
number two?
For sure you have your own bases and considerations for your
own choice. In the situation above, you may have evaluated
each option for you to come up with the best one. At the same
time, you may have considered your needs and interests as well
as the usefulness and the value of each offer. Same rule applies
when you evaluate any reading text. You also need to consider
your bases as evidence in order to validate or verify your
assertions or claim about what you read.
For the second question, your parents may have given you
evaluative statements that express their assessment about the
choice you made.
What is an Evaluative Statement?
It is a statement that states one's sound judgement about
something through writing which is supported by reasons and
evidences. It also presents the strengths and weaknesses of
something based on a set of criteria which needs to be factual,
substantial, and unbiased.
How to Formulate an Evaluative Statement:
To formulate an evaluative statement, one needs to read the
entire text carefully and critically to understand and to check
for possible fallacies in the argument presented by the writer.
Just like any other writing, the formulation of the evaluative
statements is done in the same way except that the statement
is about your own judgment of the text’s content and
properties. You may formulate your evaluative statements in
two ways such as formulating assertions and counterclaims.
Meanwhile, you will be formulating meaningful counterclaims
at the second part of this module.
The question now is, how are you going to form evaluative
statements? It’s very simple! Just 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).
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.
Take a look at the given example below:

SITUATION:
A student was tasked to compose a poem that would express his thoughts and
feelings about various events around him. After a while, he submitted it to his
teacher before the set deadline. As the teacher evaluated his output, she was
impressed about the way the student wrote his concrete poem using the shape of a
dove as the poem’s structure to help the readers to easily understand the meaning
of his writing. Surprisingly, he chose a theme about the 2019 CoronaVirus Disease
that gives hope to the readers who may be affected by the pandemic. In addition to
this, a good physical and grammatical arrangement of words were evidently shown.
Figurative languages and imagery were also used. However, the teacher found out
that the poem was written in forced rhyme that may have caused him to use
inappropriate words. Since the teacher wanted to improve the writing skill of the
student, she then suggested to consider the use of appropriate language over rhyme
to better connect with the audience.
EVALUATION:
1)You (referring to the writer) composed an impressive poem. It
has a good physical and grammatical arrangement of words
that enhance the readers’ overall experience. Another good
thing is that your chosen theme is very timely that gives hope
to the readers in this time of pandemic. When it comes to the
elements of poetry, you used figurative languages and imagery
that added spice to the overall quality of your composition.
These literary devices stir up and startle the readers’
imagination. Furthermore, the choice of writing concrete
poetry (a poetry of which visual appearance matches the topic
of the poem) with a dove as the shape of the poem’s structure
contributes a lot in understanding the meaning of the poem.
Explanation:
The evaluation begins with an evaluative statement that says,
“You (referring to the writer) composed an impressive poem.” It
is followed by giving a positive feedback to the writer specifying
the strengths of the poem
2)However, the rhyme of your writing is forced. It seems that
the words were chosen for the sake of having a rhyming effect
that somehow affects the emotional connection between the
reader and the poem itself.
Explanation:
In the second paragraph, the evaluator mentioned the
weaknesses she saw in the writing.
3)To improve your work, you should be careful in choosing the
appropriate words to be used to best express the meaning
and emotions you would like the readers to understand
and feel. It should be considered over the rhyme of
the poem. Remember, a poem may or may not have
a rhyme but if you choose to have one, the meaning
and the emotional appeal of the poem should not be
compromised. In this way, you can have a good
connection with the readers and would therefore
make them appreciate your poem more.

Explanation:
Finally, a suggestion was given to the writer at the third
paragraph for the improvement of the poem.
ASSERTION AND ITS TYPES:
A good critical reader does not only understand the meaning of
a reading material but also logically evaluates whether the
claims of the writer are true or false. Assertions serve as a
primary way for the readers to consider and possibly agree with
the claims presented by the writer in an expository writing.
Assertions are declarative sentences that give one’s belief
about something else as if it is true though it may not be. It is
expressed as an argument. Usually, these assertions contain
languages that expresses evaluation such as useful, significant,
important, insightful, detailed, up-to-date, comprehensive,
practical, impressive, etc.
For example, you were asked to answer the question, “Do you
believe education should continue regardless of the situation
we are facing right now?” and you would give your opinion or
argument about it. Afterwards you would make an assertion
whether you agree or disagree with the issue, thus, take a
stand and support it with your reason/s.
There are four types of assertions which are classified
according to the degree of certainty they can be judged as true
or false.
1. FACT- is a statement that can be proven objectively by direct
experience, testimonies of witnesses, verified observations, or
the results of research.
Example:
According to experts, seawater contains high amounts of
minerals such as sodium, chloride, sulphate, magnesium and
calcium.
(The first sample sentence is classified as a fact since the
mineral contents of seawater can be tested and proven through
experiments and researches.)
2. CONVENTION- is a way in which something is done similar to
traditions and norms. Its truthfulness can be verified only by
reference to historical precedents, laws, rules, usage, and
customs. Something to note about conventions is that they may
sound factual due to their being derived from customs, but
because they are socially accepted ways of doing things, they
cannot be verified objectively by measurements.

Example:
Seawater is classified as a heterogenous and homogenous
mixture.
(The second sample sentence is a convention because the
classification of seawater is based on the classification system
made by scientists and is acceptable to the scientific
community.)
3. OPINION- is a statement based on facts but is difficult to
objectively verify because of the uncertainty of producing
satisfactory proofs of soundness. Opinions result from
ambiguities; the more ambiguous a statement, the more
difficult it is to verify. Thus, they are open to disputes.

Example:
Swimming in seawater is the best activity to refresh and relax
your mind, body, and soul.
(The third sample sentence is an opinion since the claim is
difficult to prove. The truthfulness of the claim may be true to
some but not to others.)
4. PREFERENCE- states a personal choice in which the writer is
under no obligation to support or prove the truthfulness of the
statement. They are subjective and cannot be objectively
proven or logically attacked.

Example:
I love to make frequent trips to places with seawater rather
than those without it.
(The last sample sentence is a preference because it expresses
the personal choice of the writer to places with seawater over
those places without it.)
Identify the type of assertion in each statement. (FACT,
CONVENTION, OPINION, PREFERENCE)

1. I would rather watch shows than play computer

games.
2. Roses grow best in soil made of ¾ clay and ¼
sand and loam.
3. In America, the bride's family pays the majority of
the wedding costs.
4. Chocolates taste better than ice cream.
5. Lions belong to the genus Panthera which
contains well-known animals such as the tiger,
leopard, and jaguar.
6. I think that green is the best color.
7. I prefer to go to the Maldives than to St. Gallen.
8. Corazon Aquino was the 11th president (and first female
president) of the Philippines. She restored democracy after the
long dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.
9. The export of cut roses can easily become one of the most
lucrative businesses in the country.
10. President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Bayanihan to Heal As
One Act on March 24, 2020.
Check your learnings about the lesson by completing the
statements below.
o Evaluative statements should be
___________________________________.
o Formulating evaluative statements will help you become
___________________________________________________
________________.
o The two steps to formulate evaluative statements are
___________________________________________________
________________.
o Assertions can be
_________________________________________________.
o The four types of assertion are
_____________________________________.
Now, let us try to apply your learnings on formulating
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 blame
to the government for the insufficient assistance given to
them.
2. Every person has something to contribute to win the battle
against CoViD 19.
3. If you got infected by the CoronaVirus, you should not lose
hope; instead, 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 a mask,
using alcohol or sanitizer and washing hands.
B. Read the poem written by Meigma, a senior high school
student. Construct 2-3 evaluative statements about it by
answering the questions written in the table below. Focus on its
content and properties. Please be guided by the format given in
the table and the scoring rubric that follows after the poem
below.
 I hate my life
And I won’t say I’m good in my own way
I’m the worst And you can’t tell me
I did my best
Because I knew I’m a failure It’s not true that
I’m awesome
But I know People hated me
I’m a disaster
A distress
They call me Fool Stupid Unworthy
All these insults I keep to myself
For a long time Is this really me?
Are all of these true?
Believing in myself It seems so hard
To be what they demand
How I wish What does it feel? To be myself

(Read from the bottom to the top)

Lesson 2

Counterclaims
What’s up! I would like to commend you for completing the
previous lesson. I am sure you have already gained a
meaningful experience in complying with all those tasks. Are
you now ready for the next module? Alright, sit back and enjoy
your new learning venture. I am sure you will also have a good
time in going over with this lesson as much as you liked the
former one. Best of luck!
In this module, you are expected to:
1. identify parts of an argument;
2. formulate counterclaims; and,
3. analyze a passage using the four elements of an argument.
Let’s Refresh
Let’s begin our discussion today with a brief review. Read
through the following statements and determine whether
these statements are factual or opinionated. Write F for fact
and O for opinion for your answers. Use a separate sheet of
paper for your answers.
___________1. There are five common types of assertion.
___________2. Assertion is an action of stating that a
statement is either a fact or
belief.
___________3. The statement, “We are all children of a loving
Father in heaven” is an
example of assertion.
___________4. Fact is one type of assertion which can be
proven objectively by direct
experience, testimonies of witnesses, verified observations, or
the
results of research.
___________5. Another type of assertion is opinion. Opinions
result from ambiguities;
meaning the more ambiguous a statement, the easier it is to
verify.
What can you say about the activity? Did you find it easy or
difficult? Why did you say so?
Formulating Counterclaims
To be an effective critical thinker, it is not enough just to be able
to identify claims and assertions. The ability to analyze an
argument is essential to understanding the text more deeply,
but understanding the claim is not the only facet of the
argument. You must also learn how to analyze the
counterclaims and evidence provided by the text. Being able to
recognize and formulate counterclaims in reaction to an
argument is a characteristic of a good critical reader.
Counterclaims are claims made to rebut a previous claim. To
rebut means to contradict someone’s statement through a
formal argument. They provide a contrasting perspective to the
main argument.
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.
Example:

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 the internet. 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 smartphone nowadays as
part of the new normal life in the time of CoronaVirus.
Martha’s reasoning may include a description of how important
smartphone is as far as convenience and flexibility in on-line
distance learning are concerned.
In this example of counterclaim, Mang Tonyo now needs to
support his refusal to provide Martha with a smartphone. He
should be ready to give solid, substantiated reasons for his
refusal to provide something that the family has been spending
for all those years. This may include evidence of the family’s
inability to send her and her siblings to a private school, and
that his budget is not sufficient enough to afford a brand new
smartphone since the family income has suffered due to
COVID-19.
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

smartphone 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 smartphone 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 CoronaVirus is an
example of evidence.
Identify whether the following statements are CLAIM,
COUNTERCLAIM, REASON or EVIDENCE. Then pick out the
word, clause, or phrase that proves your answer.

____________ 1. If you want to keep people around you,

continue to open the door
of friendship and always accentuate the positive.
____________ 2. I am a child of a loving God who created me
after His own image.
I am happy for who I am, and I don’t have to be someone I am
not.
____________ 3. I don’t think so. Charles Darwin’s Theory of
Evolution explains that
humans evolved to from monkeys.
____________ 4. I did not come from the apes because I don’t
look like one of them!
____________ 5. Since we are blessed with the freedom to act
for ourselves, it is up
to us to choose good from evil.
Check your understanding of the lesson by answering the
following questions:
o What is a counterclaim?
___________________________________________________
_______________.
o What is the difference between claim and counterclaim?
___________________________________________________
________________.
o What are the four parts of an argument?
___________________________________________________
________________.
o What does rebut mean?
___________________________________________________
________________.
o What is a characteristic of a good critical reader?
___________________________________________________
_________________.
Overseas Heroes
Below is a representation of our modern-day heroes, our OFWs
created by Wendell Almasco, a former senior high school
student. Formulate counterclaims out of the claims written on
the table below. Be guided by the scoring rubric that follows
after the claim.