Peer Editing Sheet - Essay Three

Elizabeth Losh


This peer editing sheet should take 30-40 minutes to complete.  Your section leader may ask you to download two peer editing sheets from the web, if you are reading two different people's essays. 

Remember that it is important to get feedback to the other person promptly and well before the final draft is due so that the writer can use your comments in the revision process. 

Your section leader may allow you to use e-mail or you may contact your partner in the dorms or by telephone to discuss your criticism so the revision process can progress quickly.  Overly general or uncritical comments in peer editing will lower your class participation writing grade.

This peer editing sheet includes page references to the Writer's Handbook, but you may also want to point out helpful passages from Writing from A to Z.  Remember that both books have alphabetical indexes!


1. Read the essay through.  In your own words, paraphrase the argument here:




2. Is the thesis arguable (page 96)?  Were you persuaded by the argument?





3. Does the thesis tell you something new about the relationship of the two textts to each other?  Do the passages seem to "converse" (page 67) with each other?




4. Mark the most interesting idea in the essay.  Indicate where this interesting claim on your partner's paper.  Does this interesting idea relate to the thesis?  If not, would you recommend revising the thesis?




5.  What are the important key terms in the essay?  (See pages 80-81.)   List them below.  Are these key terms defined?  (See pages 41-42.)






6.  List the kinds of analysis in the essay in the space below (e.g. analysis of narrative, analysis of image, analysis of primary source, etc.).  To review what you have learned about analysis, re-read pages 46-47 and page 76.  Then rank the kinds of analysis that the writer uses  for importance to the thesis (with "1" being most important) and interest to you as a reader (with "A" being the most readable).







7. Is the essay in "point-by-point" or "block-by-block" format (page 68)?  Did the writer choose the best organizational strategy in your opinion?  Why or why not?





8. Are all the topic sentences "arguable assertions" (page 75)?  Mark the best topic sentence.  Mark the weakest.  Suggestions? 






9. Mark all the transitions between paragraphs and rank them from "weak" to "strong."  Mark all the transition words.  Which ones seem most useful and which ones seem least useful? 





10. Should the writer focus on 1) problems with the thesis or 2) problems with ordering paragraphs to improve the transitions (page 77)?




11. Mark what each paragraph "says" (in the left margin) and then write what it "does" (in the right margin).  (See page 75)





12. How does the essay read when you do the "abstract test" on it (page 76)




13.  Which section of the Writer's Handbook would you recommend that the writer read to write a better paper?  List the pages below.





14.  Which section of Writing from A to Z would you recommend for final editing and proofreading for grammar and mechanics?  List the pages below.