Peer Critique, Critical Essay Assignment, Draft #1
Essay writer’s name _________________ Critiquer’s name ____________________
To everyone: this critique is intended to help writers improve their drafts, but it is also meant to
help all of you become better editors. I.e., everyone should apply the questions below to their
own work! These are all questions I ask myself when I grade your final product.
To the critiquer: answer each question thoroughly—no mere “yes” or “no” responses. Always
explain yourself. If possible, use a font style or color different from the questions, to help the
reader visually distinguish between questions and responses. Simply type your answers onto this
sheet, re-save, and post in our Blackboard Drop Box.
1. What do you like best about this draft? What seems to be going well?
2. What is the essay’s SUBJECT? That is, what literary work, author, or issue is the paper ABOUT?
3. What is the essay’s THESIS? That is, what POINT is the essay making about its subject?
Complete this sentence: “This essay is mainly claiming that ________________________.”
If you have trouble completing that sentence, discuss the problem with the writer. Remember that
a thesis is an idea and so must be a complete sentence. It can’t be a question, though it is likely an
answer to a question. And it can’t be just an obvious statement of fact—it should be an idea
which is provocative and insightful, and needs proving or illustrating.
4. Is the thesis evident fairly early on? (Exactly where it’s positioned isn’t especially important, but
the reader shouldn’t be thinking, a quarter or third into the piece, “So what’s the point? What are
you getting at?” Sometimes, for certain kinds of arguments, leaving a thesis to the very end is an
effective strategy. Generally, though, it should be clear fairly early in the piece.)
5. Is the thesis evident throughout the essay—or does it sort of get forgotten? Does each segment of
the essay clearly link, explicitly or implicitly, back to the main point? Transitions between
paragraphs are often a place where the thesis can be reaffirmed.
6. Does the main idea remain consistent, or does it actually change by the end? (This happens a lot
in drafts; you start off with an idea, but, in the course of writing the thing, you sort of bump into a
BETTER idea and, without realizing it, shift the paper’s claim. There’s nothing wrong with that,
but you want to be sure that you re-work the earlier part of the essay so that the main claim is
ultimately consistent.)
7. Is the thesis reaffirmed by the end? Are you left feeling convinced that the writer’s main claim is
valid? Why or why not?
8. How is the writer supporting his or her thesis? With examples? Facts? Quotes? Outside sources?
General reasons or principles? A common problem in student papers is inadequate SPECIFIC
detail in support of the main idea. Help the writer out here. You all wants LOTS of detail.
9. Another common problem is inadequate research. That is, the essay needs better support from
authoritative sources, or the ideas in the piece aren’t adequately complex. Research for this kind
of essay can help you support the point you’re trying to make, and it can also help you to
formulate better, more informed ideas. Please comment:
10. Can you follow the writer’s argument? Where do you get lost, if at all? Can you move easily from
paragraph to paragraph? Where could the essay use better transitions?
11. How’s the paragraphing? Does each one have a clear, SINGLE topic, point, and purpose—or are
multiple claims packed into each paragraph, none of them fully developed and supported? This
happens a lot in drafts—the paper’s supporting claims aren’t yet clearly identified and sorted
out—so give the writer a hand. Each sub-claim and sub-topic of the essay needs its own
paragraph with lots of specific support in that paragraph.
List the topic and claim being made by each paragraph in this essay (if you have trouble, explain):
12. How are sentence style and mechanics so far in this essay? Do you see any lapses in clarity or
concision, awkward constructions, improper documentation format, or punctuation/sentence
errors? (Don’t correct these problems; just point them out.)
13. Ultimately, having read this essay, do you feel that you now understand the literary work in
question better? Have you gained insight into it? Do you now want to read it or re-read it?
14. Ask the writer a couple good, meaningful questions:
15. Any other comments or suggestions can you make? Thanks for your help!
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