Peer Editing English 110 Synthesis

Directions: Trade papers with another student. Carefully consider all of the questions in the following slides and comment on your peer’s paper regarding the answers to the questions. Offer as many helpful comments as possible and write them down for your partner clearly either on the essay itself or a separate sheet of paper.

The Introduction Read the paper and answer the following questions about the introduction: Does the introduction use the hook, background, thesis format? If not, what format does the writer use? How effective is the introduction? Find the writer’s thesis. How clear is it? Is it argumentative? Write any suggestions that you have on the writer’s paper.

The Body Look at the body of the writer’s paper. Do the body paragraphs use topic sentences? How well written are they? How well does the writer use evidence and commentary? How clear are the writer’s ideas? Do the body paragraphs stay on topic? How well does the writer cite his or her sources? Does the writer cite all of the information that is not common knowledge or their own ideas? Write any suggestions concerning the body on the writer’s paper.

Rebuttals How well does the writer handle rebuttals? Does the writer bring up an opposing idea and clearly argue against it? Do the rebuttals avoid bringing up irrelevant side-issues or make bad assumptions? How well does the writer handle tone here? For example, does the writer avoid language that seems to not treat the opponent fairly? Also, are there at least 2 rebuttal paragraphs?

The Conclusion Look at the writer’s conclusion. Does it restate the thesis in different words? Does it touch on the ideas presented earlier in the paper? How well does it avoid seeming to be another body paragraph? How well developed is it? Write any comments that you have about the conclusion on the writer’s paper.

Organization: How well did the writer organize the paper? How effective is the organization pattern that is used? Did the writer organize the essay in such a way that all of the ideas were developed and explained sufficiently without confusion or without skipping around?

Logic How logical is the writer’s argument? Does it avoid fallacies and back up all of its claims? Does it avoid using only pathos or personal experience to back up a point? How convincing is the writer’s reasoning? Also, does the writer seem to use sources in a logical and fair way without misrepresenting them or misunderstanding what they appear to say? In addition, does the writer’s paper largely focus on the argument without giving an excessive amount of unnecessary background? Are there any ways the writer’s argument can be improved?

Additional Areas to Look At Look at the writer’s paper overall. How well has the writer followed directions? Is the paper at least 3 full pages long? Does it use at least 3 credible sources as support? How well does it respond to the assignment? How well does the writer use MLA? Check the layout, parenthetical references, and works cited. Write down any comments about this on the writer’s paper. Also, edit the writer’s paper. Correct any grammar mistakes that you find.

Finishing Up Return the writer’s paper. Sit with the writer and answer any questions that he or she has about your comments. Look at your own paper. Ask any questions that you have of the person who reviewed your paper.

One Last Activity Reread your own paper and attempt one of the following strategies to see if you can identify any other problems with your paper: Quietly read your paper aloud. See if what you are saying aloud matches what’s in your essay. Read your paper backwards. Read the last sentence first and then the one before it. Keep going in this fashion until you get to the first sentence. Did you notice any mistakes that you didn’t see before?