Essay Self-Evaluation: Formal Business Letter

 

After you print the final draft of each of your major papers/essays, write a concise self-evaluation in the form of a formal business letter to your instructor, which is to be submitted along with your final draft and your rough draft.  Your letter is to be written in block style, an  example of which you may find by going  the following website and clicking on “full block” under the heading “sample letter” :

 

http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/writing/letter/letterformat.html

 

Follow the format exactly.

 

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The first part of your letter should give your instructor permission to read and evaluate your essay.

 

Next, talk about your essay and the writing of  it. The following four questions should help to get you started, but feel free to add comments not covered by these questions.

 

Be specific.

 

What part of writing this paper took the most time?

Perhaps you had trouble finding a topic or expressing a particular idea. Maybe you agonized over a single word or phrase. Be specific when you answer this question.

 

What is the most significant difference between your first draft and this final version?

Explain if you changed your approach to the subject, if you reorganized the paper in any significant way, or if you added or deleted any major details.

 

What do you think is the best part of your paper? Why?

Explain why a particular sentence, paragraph, or idea pleases you.

 

What part of this paper could still be improved? How?

 

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Treat your letter as seriously as any composition.  Proofread it and make it as nearly perfect as you can.

 

Be sure to sign your letter.  Submit it with other required materials.

 

To see an example of a student-written letter of self-evaluation, click here.