Peer Revision English Writing

Read the essays of your group members. Write an evaluation (one to three paragraphs) of each member ’ s essay. Evaluate with honesty. Tell the author where the essay is strong as well as where it is weak. Be specific and where possible offer suggestions for improvement. The following questions should guide your evaluation.

outline  Thesis paragraph  Organization  Development  Evidence  Complexity  Overall Guidelines

Thesis Paragraph (introduces the source and the historical context; makes an arguable claim regarding the source)

Organization  (argument organized in a logical manner; each point connected to the preceding and following points)

Development  (each aspect of the thesis is fully explored in the body of the essay; essay focuses on the primary source, using secondary sources only as they illustrate historical significance of the primary sources)

Evidence  (essay provides evidence to support all arguments; essay uses an effective balance of summary, paraphrase, quotation, description, and interpretation)

Complexity  (essay demonstrates a grasp of the historical significance of the source)  Correctness (essay uses appropriate style and contains few, if any, grammatical or mechanical errors)

Peer Review Guidelines

The Introduction Does the author use an effective attention grabber? Is the thesis clearly stated? Do you have any suggestions for improvement?

The Body Which, if any of the body paragraphs, do not support the thesis? Are paragraphs well developed with concrete details, examples, or other support? (Has the author avoided vague words such as "a lot," "things," and "sometimes.")

Does each paragraph contain a topic sentence that demands explanation and that relates to the thesis statement? Has the author effectively used transitions both within and between paragraphs? Is each paragraph unified? Has the author avoided clich é s such as "in today ’ s society" or "in conclusion"?

The Conclusion Does the conclusion do more than just repeat what has been written already? If it does simply repeat or the author can ’ t figure out what more to say, make suggestions for an effective conclusion.

Proofreading Are there any sentences that don ’ t make sense? Are there grammar and spelling errors? (Pay particular attention to comma splices, run-ons, and fragments.)