Metering clarification

rickp

I'm shooting a 5D2 and when shooting during the day I always use the Evaluative metering. Just recently I took a animal and nature photography course at a local college and the instructor told us to use center weighted average. Once in a while I'll use spot metering when I think the shot calls for it.

So my question in can anyone clarify when one would use center weighted over evaluative and partial metering. I know more or less when to use spot, but the others I'm still in the dark so to speak. I've done some googling and for the most part all I can find is the text book answer and the % of light each mode meters or picks up on.

I'm hoping some here can clarify once and for all the difference.

Thanks
R.