ENGL 110/ Been
Project #1 Peer Review
Michael Chorost “My Bionic Quest for Boléro”
Rough Draft Two
Writer: ____________________________
Reader: ____________________________
Please read the introduction. Are each of the elements listed below included? Please look
particularly closely at the parallel sentence listing the main points of the essay.
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title of piece
full name of author
genre of piece
summary of main idea of essay
summary of three to five supporting ideas relating to the main idea, structured in
grammatically parallel form
Please write the parallel sentence used by the writer here:
What structures are being used to create the parallelism (infinitive verb form, --ing form,
other? If other, please identify)?
Is the writer’s parallel structure consistent? If not, point to where it breaks down or seems
awkward and offer an alternative wording here.
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Does the writer generally stay away from quotations here? (a very brief phrase or two is OK,
but nothing longer here as this is a summary of the main ideas of the essay). If the writer
uses more than just a brief phrase or two in the introduction, offer a suggestion here for
rewriting.
Body:
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How many body paragraphs does the writer have?
Does the order of ideas in those paragraphs mirror the order of ideas presented in the
parallel sentence from the introduction?
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What is that order?
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If the order of ideas in the essay seems to be different from the order in the introduction’s
parallel sentence, offer a suggestion here for either reordering the paragraphs or rewriting
the parallel sentence (or another solution).
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Point to the paragraph that you think shows the strongest organization with a clear
controlling idea sentence and related supporting material. What makes it effective?
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Point to a paragraph that you think does not seem as well-focused as it could be. Offer a
suggestion for sharpening the focus.
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Quotation styles:
o Where does the writer use a brief phrase? How well is that phrase integrated in to
the flow of the writer’s own words? If you notice any awkwardness or lack of clarity,
offer a suggestion here:
o
Where does the writer use a sentence (or two) as a quotation?
How does the writer integrate those sentences into the flow of the writer’s own
words?
o
Is the point of the quotation conveyed in the writer’s own words or does the writer
lean on the quotation to make the point for her/him?
o
o
o
If the writer seems to lean too much on the quotation making the point for her/him,
offer a suggestion here for using the writer’s own words to make the point.
Where does the writer use a block quotation?
o Is the quotation correctly spaced and formatted?
o
Is the quotation surrounded by the writer’s own words (front and back)?
o
Are you able to read the text around the quotation and understand the main point
the writer is making?
o
If the writer seems to lean too heavily on the quote to make her/his point for
her/him, offer a suggestion here for using more of her/his own words?
Are all quotations correctly cited?
Conclusion
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Does the conclusion offer an overview of the essay’s main point/argument?
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Does the writer offer a final comment on the contribution this particular essay makes to its
topic?
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Does the writer avoid introducing any new ideas that are not clearly connected to the
completion of this essay’s main idea?
References page:
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Is the citation in correct format?
Is it double spaced?
Does it have a hanging indent?
Issues of style:
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Is the author is referred to by last name after initial introduction?
Is the summary is written in the present tense (for example, “Chorost relates his experiences
with…” not “Chorost related his experiences with…”)?
Does the summary present material in an objective manner (avoids using value-laden
language such as, “This highly debatable point…” or “Chorost’s wonderfully descriptive
language…”)?
Formatting:
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Typed (12 point type, Times New Roman)
Double-spaced
One-inch margins
Indented paragraphs (6 – 8 spaces)
No extra lines between paragraphs
Grammar, syntax, punctuation, spelling, et al. Any problems with any of the following?
 Parallelism is correct in introductory paragraph and throughout
 No “things”: language is specific and precise
 Boléro is underlined when used as a reference to a title; the é has the appropriate accent
mark throughout
Everyone excels at some issue of grammar or spelling or punctuation. Offer your expertise to the
writer by pointing to a couple areas where she or he needs to be a little more careful.