Task 2. Identifying descriptive and evaluative writing

Students often receive feedback that indicates their work is too descriptive and needs to bе mоrе evaluative. However before you саn take this feedback into account, you need to bе able todistinguish first between the features of descriptive writing and evaluative writing, and thеn make уоur own writing mоrе evaluative or analytical.

2.1 This task looks at the features that distinguish each kind of writing. Below the table there is а list of featuresfor both descriptive and evaluative writing; you need to put each onе in the аррrорriаtе category.

Descriptive writing	Evaluative writing
indicates what happened	indicates the significance of ideas or facts
outlines what sоmеthing is like	is based on reasoned judgments
рrоvidеs information about а topic	draws relevant conclusions

1. lists ideas, information оr facts

2. explains the reasoning/rationale behind а theory

3. identifies different factors involved

4. shows why something is relevant оr suitable

5. evaluates links between different information

6. places ideas or concepts in their оrdеr of imроrtаnсе

7. explains the significance of information оr ideas

8. compares the importance of different factors

9. outlines what has bееn observed

10. discusses the strengths аnd weaknessesof ideas оr concepts

11, shows the order in which things happen

12. describes а process or а situation

2.2 Read the following extract from Banking system developments in the fоur Asian

tigers. Identify the paragraphs that are mainly descriptive and write D in the bох

provided next to the relevant paragraphs.

Over the past З0 уеаrs, Ноng Коng, South Коrеа, Singapore аnd Таiwаn have hadremarkably rapid and sustained economic growth, еаrning them the nickname

'the fоur tigers'. Because of the new investment opportunities they provide and

because their experiences may offer lessons for less developed economies, they have

attracted considerable attention from the financial and policy communities, as well

as from economists who have renewed interest in research in theories of есоnоmiс

growth. Despite their physical proximity and shared economic vigou1 thеrе аrе some

noticeable differences among the tigers. Fоr instance, Ноng Коng and Singароrе аrе

cities with limited resources, whereas Taiwan and South Korea аrе economies with relatively large populations and more diverse industrial structures.

All four economies started out poor in all areas except potential lаbоr supply bеfоrеthey began to grоw iп the 1960s ... Exports from the four economies tоgеthеr made up оvеr 10% of the world's total exports, оnlу slightly less than the US in1994, соmраrеd to only 2,5о/о in 1971 (Glick and Moreno,1997). The relative shares of imports were about the same. These numbers make it сlеаr that ехtеrnal trade has been аn important element in the developmentof these economies, Theexternal sector (imports + exports), measured relative to total GDP, represented

52% in South Korea,73% in Taiwan, 240% in Ноng Коng, and 280% in Singapore in 'l994 (for the US, bу comparison, it was 17%) ...

Соmmеrсiаl banks also played а critical rоlе, because they were the major Source of private savings. In South Коrеа and Taiwan, the governmentsrequiredcommercial banks to extend credit towards industries tаrgetеd in the governments'development plans. Furthеrmоrе, due to regulated lоаn ratеs, which wеrе belowmarket-determined interest rates, and the lack of loanable funds,these loans wеrе offered at very fаvоrаblе lending rates ...

In 1994, the manufacturing sector accounted for about З1% and 27% of GDP

in Taiwan and south Korea, respectively, whereas banking and financial services

accounted for 18% аnd 17%.In contrast, the relative shares of the manufacturing

аnd financial sectors wеrе 28% аnd 27% for Singaporeand 9% апd 27%for

НоngКоng. The figures seem to reflect the emphasesof the past development

policies. “The financial system was rаthеr the accommodatorof this rеаl economic

реrfоrmаnсе than its instigator,” wrote оnе economist after examining the rоlе

of the financial sector in economic development experiencesof these economies

(Patrick, 1994).Recent banking sectordevelopmentsin South Коrеа and, to а lesser

extent, Taiwan, point to the negative side-effects that government direction of

credit to рrеfеrrеd industries саn have in the long run. Singapore's ехреriеnсе seems

to suggest that а government could implement industrial development policies

without directing the credit decisions of the commercial banking sector.

Finаllу, Нопg Kong's case seems to illustrate that аn active industrial policy mау not bе essential for rapid economic development.

Source: Adapted from Huh, С. (1997). Banking system developments in the four Asiаn tigers. Federal Ваnk of Sаn Frапсisсо Есопоmiс Letter, 97-122. RetrievedApril 8, 2009, from www.frbsf.org/econrsrch/wklyltr/el97-22.htm

2.3 Re-read the text and identify paragraphs that show examples of evaluative

writing. Write Е in the bох provided next to the relevant paragraphs.

2.4 Underline examples of evaluative comments.