One of my Classmates have written an essay, I have to answer the questions mentioned in the other document.

English 112, Analysis & Evaluation Essay Peer Editing Worksheet

Editor’s name ____________________________ Date________________

Author’s name ____________________________

The editor should post this completed worksheet, with any additional pages, to the discussion board for the “editing group” where the author will be able to find and download it. You should also post a saved copy of the draft with your highlighting and comments—and your comments should be in a different font size, style (bold, italics), or color for easy identification. The essay author should consider these suggestions and whether or not they want to incorporate any of them into their final essay. I will read the editing guide posted to the board in order to give you a grade for this part of the assignment.

Introduction: Read the first paragraph of the draft essay and answer the following questions in writing on this paper and/or additional sheets as needed.

What particular type of hook did the student author use to open their essay (i.e., quote, rhetorical question, anecdote, fun fact, interesting statistic, etc.)?

Highlight the hook. If there is none, say so here.

Does that hook work for you? Does it make you want to keep reading? Describe your reaction to it.

Does the first paragraph of the essay include the name of the article and the author, as well as a brief description for context-setting. Are any of these missing?

Does the first paragraph include a thesis? Copy and paste it here (this is a direct copy, not a paraphrase). If you can’t find the thesis, say so here.

Is it clear? If not, describe why/how it is unclear.

Specific? If not, explain what is vague about it.

Is it arguable? If it is arguable, you should be able to state the counter-argument. Do that here:

Now, restate the thesis in your own words. This is a test of clarity. When the author reads your restatement, it should match they original idea. If it doesn’t, they may need to state their idea more clearly and/or specifically.

Identify the following components of the thesis on the lines below: (1) general topic of article as described in the thesis, (2) the argument of the article (again as described in the thesis of the essay), (3) important rhetorical elements (structures of argument as shown on the handout from last week, ethos, logos, pathos, etc.) (ditto), (4) student author’s opinion (ditto):

Is everything there? Anything missing, weak, confusing, vague, general, or in need of clarification? Make detailed comments here.

Do you disagree with any part of the thesis? If you do, this does not necessarily mean that the author is incorrect. But reading your reservations or concerns may help them make their point clearer and/or more accessible.

Do you have any questions or suggestions for the writer about this first paragraph and the thesis? Make detailed written comments for the writer to help them revise for a really compelling introduction.

Body paragraphs. Now read the rest of the paper and answer the following questions.

Paragraph development: Does each body paragraph have its own arguable claim sentence (mini-thesis)? Highlight that claim sentence in each paragraph. If it does not, write CLAIM? following the first sentence. Each body paragraph must have either a highlighted claim sentence or the word CLAIM? added after the first sentence. Student authors should revise their essays to include a claim sentence for each body paragraph.

Do all the sentences of each paragraph relate clearly to the claim sentence of the paragraph? Do they provide good evidence and explanations for the controlling idea? Are they clear and concise? Does each paragraph follow the general pattern: claim, explanation of claim, evidence #1, explanation of evidence #1, evidence #2, explanation of evidence #2, (and so on), synthesis/conclusion, and transition to the next paragraph if necessary. If any of these elements are missing or jumbled or hard to locate or follow in any paragraph, put a note on the draft or here for the student author.

Is each paragraph clearly related to the thesis? Are there any that don’t seem to “fit” the thesis? Make sure you provide your partner with helpful comments whenever you notice a lack of coherence in the essay.

List at least three pieces of evidence the author has used to support their thesis. These will include evidence from the source article, and the evidence used to analyze and evaluate the article such as reasoning, facts, counter-examples, and other information.

1

2

3

Is each quotation properly introduced and then explained (i.e., is there a “quote sandwich”)? If not, comment directly on the draft.

No essay is perfect, especially as a first draft. Find one paragraph of the essay that you believe could be strengthened and highlight it or mark it on the draft. Explain here what you think would help make this part of the essay stronger. More or different evidence from the text? Clearer sentences? Better reasoning? More logical transitions? Explain with specific details what would you think would improve this paragraph.

Conclusion. Now read the last paragraph and answer these questions: Does the final paragraph of the essay wrap up the discussion in an interesting way? Does it restate the thesis in fresh language? Does it answer the question “so what”? Does it give the reader something to think about after finishing the essay? Is it clear, understandable and memorable? What, specifically, is your final impression after reading the conclusion—what will you take home with you after you are done with it? If you think the ending could be stronger, offer some specific suggestions.

Citations. Does the author always make it clear when they are using either language (direct quote) or ideas (paraphrase or summary) from the article with either a signal phrase (for example, “Hsu claims that . . .” or parenthetical citation (Hsu). Is each in-text citation close enough to the “borrowed” parts to make it obvious to the reader whose words or ideas are being presented? If any parts of the essay seem to use material from the article without a citation, clearly mark them on the draft document and put CITATION? in the draft.

Is there a correct Works Cited at the end of the essay?

Overall impression:

Overall, does the analysis make sense to you? You will have read the same article and discussed it in class, so you should have a good idea of its main points. Check your understanding of the article with the one being presented in the essay you are editing. Are they similar, or radically different? If different, let the student-writer know by describing your take on the article here. They may not decide to change their minds, but a different view will help them hone their own argument and make it sharper and more convincing. Use the back of this sheet to make additional comments.