Evaluating value and effectiveness

The idea

Use evaluate with the thing being judged, or with a clause such as whether it works. Criteria can follow against.

Examples

• The committee will evaluate the proposal against three criteria.
• Teachers evaluated the new course after its first term.
• We need more data to evaluate whether the treatment is effective.
• A mechanic is evaluating the damage to my bicycle.
• The charity evaluates each project before giving it funding.
• After the festival, the organisers evaluated what had worked well.

Watch out

Do not add about before the object: say evaluate the plan.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the correct answer. The team will ___ the results tomorrow. (evaluate / evaluates)

   Show answer or example answer

   evaluate

   evaluate follows the modal will in its base form.

2. Choose the correct answer. Last month, we ___ the plan using customer feedback. (evaluated / evaluating)

   Show answer or example answer

   evaluated

   evaluated fits a completed action last month.

3. Choose the correct answer. The panel evaluated the design ___ safety standards. (against / at)

   Show answer or example answer

   against

   against introduces the standards used for judgment.

Use it today

Describe a result you would evaluate and the criteria you would use.