Dialogue Component
Yes
No
Needs Improvement –
Explain what needs to be
done
Does one of your partner’s narratives include dialogue?
Does the dialogue add to the overall message or effect of the story?
Is the dialogue formatted correctly?
 Commas and periods always INSIDE the quotation marks?
 Quotation marks facing the correct direction?
 New paragraph for each time a different speaker talks?
 Commas and periods used correctly to set off the quotation from the
tag/reference to the speaker depending on what is before the tag? See
example:
“French toast is my favorite breakfast food,” said Betty. “I could
eat it every day.”
“Well, I love pancakes,” said Shirley, “especially with
blueberries.”
Does the dialogue sound realistic? (using slang and “writing” with an
accent/dialect is effective when writing dialogue because it makes the speaker
seem more realistic and natural)
Does the author identify who is speaking for each piece of dialogue?
Has the author given us a visual component to the dialogue? For example, does
he/she describe the speaker’s facial expressions, body language, and/or actions?
Add a comment where he/she may need to add dialogue or thoughts. Dialogue is a great way to show instead of tell. Don’t just
say you asked your mom about something; actually include the conversation. It just needs to capture the essence of the
conversation, not be word for word what was exactly said that day.
Descriptive Writing Component
Yes
No
Needs ImprovementExplain what needs to be
done
Does each hook grab your attention?
Does your partner use specific action verbs where appropriate? (such as
shuffled, stomped, or swaggered instead of walked or shouted, exclaimed,
whispered, or mumbled instead of said)
Does your partner appeal to the five senses (if/when appropriate)?
Do you as the reader feel as if you are experiencing this event as you read about
it?
Does the author let his/her personality shine through his/her words? Can you
“hear” him/her telling these stories? If not, mark sections that sound too formal
and academic so that the author can rewrite them in a more conversational
voice.
Are there any sentences or sections that you feel are TOO descriptive? (Note
these areas in your partner’s essay)
Does the author focus on describing the most important parts of his/her stories?
Leave a comment near your favorite descriptive words/phrases/sections on your partner’s essay. Write a brief note explaining
why you like it! Try to mark at least TWO.
Mark any words/phrases/sections that could be more descriptive. Write a brief note explaining why you think it needs more
description. Try to mark at least THREE (one for each narrative?).
Think about places the author could help you hear what was going on, see what was happening, taste or smell what was being
eaten or cooked, feel what was being touched, etc.
Grammar Component
YES
NO
NEEDS IMPROVEMENTExplain what needs to be
done
Yes
No
Needs Improvement—
explain what needs to be
done
Does your partner have a creative but relevant title for each narrative? Is it
centered on each page?
Is the essay double-spaced with the same amount of spacing between
paragraphs and between lines?
Is each narrative on a separate page or at least clearly separate from all other
narratives?
Is the font chosen by the author easy to read? Is it 11 or 12 size font
throughout?
Are there any typos? (Leave a comment on the typo for the author to fix it!)
Are there any glaring grammatical issues (misspelled/misused words,
apostrophe issues, run-on sentences, obvious comma issues, etc.)? (Leave a
comment with the error identified)
Is the essay told from the 1st person point of view (the author uses I, we, me,
mine, my)?
Does the story flow from idea to idea, event to event? Write the word FLOW in a
comment box next to sections that do not read smoothly.
Random Elements
Does each narrative reveal the significance of the moment captured in the
picture? Do they Reveal something about who you are, what you’ve been
through, where you’re from, and/or who is important to you. Your narrative
should make this significance clear; each narrative should have a point to it.
Does each narrative have a corresponding picture?
Is the connection between each picture and each narrative clear/obvious?
Are the images clear and easy to see?
Are the images formatted in such a way that adds visual appeal to the narrative
(use of borders, placement of the image, etc.)?
Leave a comment if the author needs to change anything on his/her narrative regarding the above questions.
Author’s Name: ________________________________________________________
Peer Editor’s Name: ___________________________________________________
Peer Editor’s Comment Color: ________________________________________