Persuasive Essay Peer Editing Sheet Guidelines
Purpose: to give constructive feedback on the persuasive essay assignment
Persuasive Essay Writer: __________________________________
Editor: ___________________________________________________
We are doing the peer review step fairly early in the process of writing the essay in order
to give you some feedback while you are still in the developmental stage. This editing
process will not focus on correcting sentence structure errors or minor details, but rather
on the overall impression. You will get feedback on the effectiveness of specific
persuasive strategies and suggestions for improving the structure or the essay. Editors,
don't get bogged down in details. Look at the big picture, please. You need to submit one
of these peer-editing sheets with your final essay. The editorial process should take about
20-25 minutes, and it should involve an individual review where the editor reads the
essay independently, without consultation, and records his/her responses. Once this has
happened, it could be quite useful for writer and editor to confer. If the conversation
veers off the essay, please consider the conference over and return to your seats to
consider your feedback (I'll help you with this step).
1. Read through the entire essay once. Read the essay without a pen/pencil in your hand
and do not make corrections while you are reading. Once you have finished the first read
through, record your impressions about the following:
1. Unity, Coherence, Emphasis (Check grammar workbook or website if you need a
refresher)
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2. Clear thinking and writing
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***Do not make banal comments of affirmation. Certainly point out where the writer is
using language effectively, but remember that this should be an academic process.
Comments can be positive and negative as long as they are constructive. (but don't be
harsh - you are on the same team). Focus on thesis, strategies, language and structure.
Next, read through the essay a second time focusing on how the writer is conveying the
thesis. Does the introductory paragraph grab your attention and make you want to keep
reading? If not, how might this be improved? Is the thesis clear? It does not have to be
in the introductory paragraph, but it should be clear somewhere. Does the paragraphing
make sense? New ideas need new paragraphs is a very basic rule. Is there a paragraph
that offers the opposing view somewhere? Are the facts, ideas, and anecdotes all
working in the same direction? Is a variety of persuasive strategies used in the essay? Is
there a clear opinion, revisited more than once and in different ways? Has your writer
made an effort to move away from the five-paragraph essay structure into something
more creative? Has your writer adopted a level of diction and tone that fits the topic and
style? You will need to use a separate sheet of paper for most of your comments, or write
on the essay itself if there is enough room. Use this sheet as a reference to direct your
thinking about what you should be doing when you are reading and editing.