PEER REVISION WORKSHEET:
What to do:
The idea of a Peer Revision Workshop is that you will carefully read peers' papers and write the
following critiques in the margins, drawing an arrow to the appropriate sentence(s):
Peer Revision Process:
Please give yourself adequate time to give your peer’s essay the attention it deserves, so that each
of you receives helpful comments. (Also remember that you are being graded on your
performance on this exercise.)
Procedure for Peer Revision:
1. Read the essay straight through once at a natural reading pace.
2. Read it again very slowly, trying to be aware of each main point that the essay is making and
locating each piece of evidence used to support that point. Mark the essay as you read, first by
underlining the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph and write thesis in the
margin. Does the introductory paragraph meet the criteria for the “Mrs. Beam’s 7-11
Test?” Meaning is there enough information in the introductory paragraph?
3. Next, as your read each body paragraph begin by underlining each topic sentence
and numbering each piece of support. (There should be at least three supporting
pieces of evidence in each body paragraph.) Make any other helpful notes as you read.
3. Read the essay once more, this time paying attention to the writing. Note places that are
confusing and try to understand why they are confusing and how they could be clearer; also
note moments or sections that are clear and ask yourself what in the writing makes them easy
to understand. Also, look for any grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors and
make corrections where necessary.
Other Things to Look For:
4. Double check the introductory paragraph--does it pass “Mrs. Beam’s 7 – 11 test?”
5. Are there any contractions or abbreviations?
6. Have they used first person “I” or second person “you?”
7. Have they written out numbers when necessary?
8. Have they avoided over generalization, for example “a lot” (which is always two words).
9. Did they follow MLA Format if the essay is typed? Did they write on every other line if
handwritten?
Comments to make as margin notes:
Read the following descriptions. As you read your partner’s paper apply these comments.
UNFINISHED THOUGHT -- Has the writer sufficiently finished the thought? Did the sentence
you just read require more explanation?
AWKWARD PHRASING -- Even if you are not sure how to fix the sentence, do you have the
feeling that it is difficult to read, that it sounds clunky?
UNCLEAR -- Do you have to read the sentence more than once to understand it?
VAGUE -- Is the sentence specific enough? Maybe the sentence is not awkwardly phrased or
unclear, and you may know exactly what the writer means, but the point being made could be
more specific.
WORDINESS -- Are there loads of prepositions: at, of, to, by, for, in, etc… Saying it in fewer
words is usually better.
GENERALIZATION -- Does the writer say any of the following: "everybody knows/thinks," "no
one believes." If so, these are generalizations and should be avoided.
TYPOS, SPELLING ERRORS, POOR PUNCTUATION -- Indicate where work is sloppy.
TOO SHORT OF AN EXPLANATION AFTER A QUOTE -- Is there only a sentence or two of
explanation after a quote? There should be much more.
CHOICE OF QUOTE? -- Does the quote seem like a good choice, or should the writer look for a
stronger quote?
WORD CHOICE -- Is there a word in the sentence you just read that seems like a poor choice? If
you can think of a better choice, then write it above the word.
WHY THIS SUMMARY? -- Find an instance where the writer summarizes something from the
primary text, and then offers little or no interpretation to explain why it was important to include
the summary.
FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY FORMAT? -- Does each paragraph advance the thesis? If you find a
paragraph on your peers' papers that doesn't, let them know.
FINDING THE GOOD THINGS TO NOTATE:
does finish a thought, or avoids
wordiness by employing clean and concise prose, or has a sufficiently long explanation after a
quote.
rs to identify their writing strengths.
Finally, take time to discuss your thoughts with your partner.