Peer Review Essays

ISSUE

GUIDED QUESTIONS

THESIS STATEMENT

1. How is the thesis structured?

2. Does it follow the teacher’s instructions?

3. How can the thesis be more specific and complex?

4. How can the writer demonstrate why his/her argument is significant?

5. Does the thesis provide an outline of where the paper goes?

ORGANIZATION

1. How do the ideas in the paper progress?

2. How does the writer transition between points and/or paragraphs?

3. Does the writer use paragraphs that are too short?

4. How can the writer develop the paragraph more or integrate this information somewhere else?

5. Does the writer use paragraphs that are too long?

6. How can the writer condense these paragraphs or split them up?

EVIDENCE/ANALYSIS

1. Is every piece of evidence followed by analysis?

2. Where can the analysis better explain the evidence?

3. How often does the writer use quotations?

4. Where can the writer paraphrase instead?

5. Is it clear how examples support the argument and connect to the thesis statement?

6. Does the writer make any leaps in judgment that are questionable or illogical?

7. Where can the writer incorporate a counter argument?

CITATION

1. What citation style should the writer be using?

2. Is the writer following this style?

3. Does the writer cite the text appropriately in the works cited page?

4. Are any in-text citations missing?

5. Is the punctuation correct for each direct quote and citation?

INTRODUCTION

1. How does the introduction hook the reader?

2. Does the introduction provide enough context on the topics covered in the paper?

3. Does the introduction use cliches (like rhetorical questions or dictionary definitions)?

CONCLUSION

1. Does the conclusion introduce new information?

2. How can the conclusion restate the thesis in a more complex way?

3. Does the conclusion summarize the main points of the paper?

4. How does the conclusion reinforce the significance of the writer’s argument?

GRAMMAR/SENTENCE STRUCTURE

1. Is there appropriate variation of sentence structure? (Using phrases, inverted syntax, no fragments, etc.)

2. Is everything punctuated correctly?

3. Did the author appropriately capitalize and punctuate names, titles, beginning and ending of sentences, and quotes?

4. Is the paper free of major grammatical errors and typos?