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Your instructor may arrange a peer review session in class or online where you can exchange drafts with your classmates to give each other a thoughtful critical reading, pointing out what works well and suggesting ways to improve the draft. A good critical reading does three things:
It lets the writer know how well the reader understands the point of the essay.
It praises what works best.
It indicates where the draft could be improved and makes suggestions on how to improve it.
One strategy for evaluating a draft is to use the basic features of evaluative essays as a guide.
A PEER REVIEW GUIDE
Click the Peer Review Guide to download.
| A Well- |
Has the writer presented the subject effectively? Summarize: Tell the writer what you understand the subject of the evaluation to be, and identify the kind of subject it is. Praise: Point to a place where the subject is presented effectively — for example, where it is described vividly and accurately, where it is named, or where it is clearly placed in a recognizable genre or category. Critique: Tell the writer where readers might need more information about the subject, and whether any information about it seems inaccurate or possibly only partly true. Suggest how the writer could clarify the kind of subject it is, either by naming the category or by giving examples of familiar subjects of the same type. |
| A Well- |
Has the writer supported the judgment effectively? Summarize: Tell the writer what you understand the overall judgment to be, and list the criteria on which it is based. Praise: Identify a passage in the essay where support for the judgment is presented effectively — for example, note particularly strong supporting reasons, appeals to criteria readers are likely to share, or especially compelling evidence. Critique: Let the writer know if you cannot find a thesis statement or think the thesis is vague or overstated. Tell the writer where the evaluation could be improved — for example, suggest another reason that could be added; propose a way to justify one of the criteria on which the evaluation is based; or recommend a source or an example that could be used to bolster support for the judgment. |
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| An Effective Response to Objections and Alternative Judgments |
Has the writer responded effectively to objections and alternative judgments? Summarize: Choose an objection or alternative judgment about the subject, and explain it in your own words. Praise: Identify a passage in the essay where the writer responds effectively to an objection or alternative judgment. An effective response may include making a concession — for example, agreeing that a subject the writer is primarily criticizing has some good points, or agreeing that the subject has weaknesses as well as strengths. Critique: Tell the writer where a response is needed or could be made more effective — for example, suggest a likely objection or alternative judgment that should be taken into account, help the writer understand the criteria behind an alternative judgment, or offer an example that could be used to refute an objection. |
| A Clear, Logical Organization |
Is the evaluation clearly and logically organized? Summarize: Briefly describe the strategies used to make the essay clear and easy to follow. Praise: Give an example of where the essay succeeds in being readable — in its overall organization, in its clear presentation of the thesis, in its effective opening or closing, or by other means. Critique: Tell the writer where the readability could be improved. Can you, for example, suggest a better beginning or a more effective ending? If the overall organization of the essay needs work, make suggestions for rearranging parts or strengthening connections. |
Before concluding your peer review, be sure to address any of the writer’s concerns that have not been discussed already.
Making Comments Electronically Most word processing software offers features that allow you to insert comments directly into the text of someone else’s document. Many readers prefer to make their comments this way because it tends to be faster than writing on hard copy and space is virtually unlimited; it also eliminates the process of deciphering handwritten comments. Where such features are not available, simply typing comments directly into a document in a contrasting color can provide the same advantages.