Writing Evaluation
✍
A piece of writing (for example an essay) is often evaluated for its:
✍ STYLE - among others, its grammar, sentence construction, paragraphing (arrangement of a piece of writing in paragraphs), and flow
✍ STUFF or substance - that is, the contents, subject matter or gist, of the writing. The stuff or substance in a piece of writing should answer the question:
"What is this essay / article all about?"
Using an analogy, a piece of writing can be thought of as a hamburger. The style is about the manner or way which the burger is prepared. For example, on the bottom slice of a bun, the lettuce is placed. Next, the meat patty, cheese and sauces are added. Finally, the top slice of the bun is placed. The "style" of the burger would be considered bad if the aforementioned ingredients were placed haphazardly and / or in the wrong way. Imagine a burger which has the bun sandwiched between two patties. Now, imagine holding the patties that have sauces spread on them!
Similarly, a piece of writing is considered bad if, among others,
☹ the spelling is atrocious,
☹ the rules are not followed,
☹ the sentence construction is not proper,
☹ the paragraphing lacks organisation.
On the other hand, a burger might look good and appetising BUT it lacks substance. This is the case when the beef patty is tiny and the accompaniments are few. Such a burger begs the famous question, "Where's the beef?" (Click on / Touch the link to watch the video.)
The same goes for a piece of writing. The essay may be flawless in grammar. However, there is little, or no, "stuff" in it. In other words, there is insufficient subject matter to interest the reader. Even worse, the reader might ask the question, "What was all that essay about?" after reading the piece of writing.
To sum it up, a piece of writing should have both style and stuff (subject matter).
