©Michael D. Sublett
Your Name
Today's Date
Your task is to provide meaningful feedback about the strengths and weaknesses of a classmate's paper. Make your comments so clear that the writer will not need to consult the evaluation format. Instead of "Yes," write "Yes, essay has an introduction." Arrange your commentary in outline form. Use a title that names the writer. Number your pages, starting with page 2. Stay with either second person references (you, your, a direct appeal to the writer ["Chris, please remember to cite your sources carefully."]) or third person (she, he, hers, his, an indirect reference to writer ["Chris failed to cite sources properly."]). Set a good example for the writer by carefully crafting and proofing your response.
(I) Presentation Respond to these in your own words.
(A) Has the writer avoided cover sheet and binder?
(B) Does the paper have an appropriate title?
(C) Has the writer centered the title, dropped it two inches, and
capitalized appropriately?
(D) Is the writer's name-date block in the proper corner of page 1?
(E) Do the pages (2, 3, . . .) have numbers,
and are the pages in the proper order?
(F) Is there a staple, and is it in the
forward-slash position?
(II) Introduction Write a brief comment on each of these items.
(A) Does this essay have an introduction?
(B) If so, how effective is the introduction in
getting your attention?
(C) Does the essay contain a proper preview
statement?
If yes, the
statement should read something like the following:
"In
this essay, you will learn . . . ."
(III) Middle Paragraphs Comment on at least half of the middle paragraphs, especially those deserving praise or needing improvement. Identify carefully which paragraph is which. It is in this section where you can really help the writer.
(A) Summarize the subject of the paragraph
in one sentence.
(B) Criticize (positively or negatively)
the paragraph's content, placement, and length.
(IV) Conclusion Every essay deserves an effective conclusion.
(A) Are you certain where the conclusion
begins? How do you know?
(B) In the conclusion, does the writer explore
implications of the topic?
(V) Visuals Many essay subjects require visual material. Always answer (A) below.
(A) Does this essay contain visual material? Should it?
(B) Is each visual element essential or
merely decorative?
(C) Does each visual have an identifying
number?
(D) In the text, has the writer referred to
each visual by number?
(E) Do photographs have captions? Are the
captions helpful? Explain.
(F) Has the writer noted the sources of data
used in graphs, tables, and maps?
(VI) References Essays often demand a list of sources. Always answer (A) below.
(A) Does this essay call for a reference list?
(B) Has the writer used a consistent system of
citing references in the text, and in
the
appended reference list?
(C) Is there any evidence of plagiarism? In other words, has the writer borrowed
(verbatim
or paraphrased) from someone else without identifying the proper source?
(D) Except for purposely anonymous informants,
could you track down all of the
writer's
sources?
(VII) Mechanics Comment on overall quality of mechanics. How much do mechanical errors interfere with your understanding, accepting, and enjoying the essay? Which of the following need attention?
(A) Spelling (include contractions
here)?
(B) Capitalization (demand consistency)?
(C) Punctuation (be specific, e.g., use
of apostrophe)?
(D) General proofing (mark up the essay
as needed)?
(E) Sentence structure (fragment, run-on,
comma splice)?
(F) Other? (messy printer, faint printer,
etc.)
(VIII) Overall Reactions Comment fully on the effectiveness of this essay in achieving its purpose and in fulfilling the professor's assignment. I consider this paragraph to be the most important part of your response. Do not repeat the source information that appears below the signature block.
Sincerely,
SIGN HERE PLEASE.
Leave four blank lines; and type your name on this line, directly under "Sincerely."
Source: After Susan Kennedy-Kalafitis and Dawn Carleton, "Encouraging
Peer Dialogue in the Geography Classroom: Peer Editing to Improve
Student Writing," Journal of Geography in Higher Education
20/3 (November 1996): 323-41.
Contact me via email at mdsuble@ilstu.edu.
Learn more about me at my homepage.
Created 30 December 1997. Last revision occurred 4 January 2011.