Peer Review:
1. Does the writer begin with Fahrenheit 451 and make a connection to American society in
the introduction?
2. Find the thesis and underline it. If you cannot find it, ask your partner to point it out. Is the
thesis an arguable claim (can someone disagree with it)? If no one could disagree with it ask
your peer to re-write it now.
3. In the thesis or introduction, does your peer forecast (list with key words) what will be in the
rest of the paper? If so does the essay follow through with the promised material or order of
presentation? If not, and you think forecasting would help the essay's unity, suggest a
forecasting phrase.
4. Does each paragraph have a topic sentence—a sentence that makes a point—near the beginning
that relates to the thesis? If not, suggest your peer include a key word or phrase that connects
the topic sentence to the thesis.
5. Read the sentences in each body paragraph. Does each sentence fit under the “umbrella” of the
topic sentence? If not circle it and point it out to the writer.
6. Does the writer connect detail back to the point sentence? Does the writer justify that
connection? How could he or she improve the justification?
7. Look at the Outline. Does the paper follow the outline? If not point it out to the writer.
Evaluate the order of the paragraphs. Are all the paragraphs in a logical order? Does the writer
need to add, remove, or move stuff around in order to make it work?
8. Does each point have enough examples to support it? Are you convinced by the examples or
are they too general? Where could the writer use more support and more examples
(illustrations)?
9. Does the writer introduce quotations with either a complete sentence and a full colon?
Example: Smith is right about television causing laziness: “Quotation goes here”
Or a phrase like “Smith writes,” “Smith argues,” “Smith believes,” or “Smith says,”?
Example: Smith writes, “Quotation goes here”
Does the writer interpret or expand on the quotation and connect it to his or her point?
10. Does the writer tell you who the source of their quotation or paraphrase is? Does the
writer have a “Word Cited” page? Does the writer have at least three sources?
11. Does your peer refute counter-argument? Does he or she concede counter-points to
bolster ethos, yet still persuasively maintain their position? If there is no treatment of
counter-argument, what possible objections or counter-examples can you think of? Write
them down for your peer.
12. What, if anything, confuses you about the essay as written? Put a squiggly line under any
awkward phrases. If you feel comfortable doing so, suggests some ways to rewrite the sentence
or phrase.
13. What part of the essay did you like best? What part impressed you the most or was the most
convincing? Why?
14. Overall, what would you change in this essay?
15. If you find any grammatical mistakes or misspellings you know how to fix, please do so.