Peer Critique (ILS, ESSAY ONLY, no presentations)
You will read your partner's paper TWICE.
On the first read through, if questions about the paper's content occur to you as you read, please write those on your partner's draft. Do not make statements, do not mark through your partner's words and rewrite, and do not mark grammar and mechanical errors.
On the second read through your peer’s draft , answer each of the following questions thoughtfully and thoroughly. Offer as many details as possible. USE COMPLETE SENTENCES. Simple “yes” and “no” answers are not acceptable.
If you feel inclined to answer yes or no, please explain why.
Your response must be typed. This is not a test to see if you have done things “correctly”; rather, this is an opportunity for you to receive responses and feedback about what you have written from a reader who is familiar with the goals of this assignment.
After you have finished with your response, make sure your name is on the critique you have written. You will then provide the author with a copy, and the author will read it and make necessary revisions to their paper.
You should also upload a copy of your completed crtique to the appropriate folder in Ulearn.
1. What do you think of the title? Does suggest what the author's main point will be? Does it mention the titles of the works/texts that it discusses and the names of the authors of those works? Does it preview the ENTIRE content of the author's essay? Suggest ways the author might improve this.
2. Read through the introduction and assess the thesis/claim. Is it clearly stated? If you have trouble identifying it, please say so. Identify the specific sentence that you think directly states the thesis/claim.
3. Does the intro preview the entire content of the author's essay? Does it provide adequate background info concerning the topic and preview the essay's main points? Does it explain how the symbols are connected to the idea of gender (masculinity/femininity) and what is revealed about the author's cultural assumptions about this? Is there a "so what" statement in the intro that attempts to emphasize the importance and relevance of the topic to the reader?Suggest ways the author may improve this.
4. Does the author's conclusion adequately summarize the main points found in the body of the essay? Is there a restatement of the thesis/claim? Is there a "so what" statement in the conclusion that attempts to emphasize the importance and relevance of the topic to the reader? Does the conclusion bring the audience to the acceptable ending, why or why not?
5. When read together, do the intro and conclusion form ONE complete thought? How so/How not? Explain.
6. Is the thesis/claim well supported in the body of the essay with specific evidence? How so/how not? Indicate one paragraph in which the writer’s evidence is strong. Then find one paragraph in which the writer needs more evidence. Refer to specific sentences or passages to support your response. Explain your reasoning. Did the writer include quotes from the text(s) under discussion as their evidence?
7. Examine the first sentence of each paragraph. Does it provide an appropriate sub-claim/topic sentence that is clearly connected to the overall claim and adequately previews the entire content of the paragraph with which it is associated?
8. Number the paragraphs in the writer’s essay and then describe, briefly, the purpose or main idea of each paragraph: i.e., paragraph one introduces the problem, paragraph two gives the writer’s personal experience with the problem, etc. When you finish, explain how the writer might improve the organization of the essay.
9. When relating the essay's content to a source we've read or viewed as a class, does the author use present tense verbs when relating the content of those sources? Identify any verbs that are in the past tense.
10. Does the author properly introduce any class sources that are used and set up their context for discussion? Does the author punctuate quotations and cite them correctly? All direct quotations from a text should be placed within quotation marks and the title of a novel or film should be italicized [Ex.: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison , while a short story or essay is placed within quotation marks [Ex: “The Black Cat”]. An example of a direct quotation: “I was born a slave, but I never knew it till six years of happy childhood had passed away” (1962).] Note: the punctuation of a quote comes after the parentheses but the quotations marks come before them. There should not be quotation marks around the title of the author’s paper you are currently reading. If the author has missing quotation marks or has them misplaced or not punctuated a quote properly anywhere in this essay, please correct those for them now.
11.Note: the language in this essay must be formal and academic. Does the author use appropriate language? Cite examples of inappropriate language, such as slang or informal expressions (“I,” personal pronouns, or contractions).
12. Does the paper convince you? Why or why not? What does the paper still need?
13. Revision plan. List three key changes that the writer should make during the revision.
14. What additional suggestions can you give the author?
