ILA/Fall 2015

D. Wright, Instructor

Writer:Reader:

Peer Review: Essay Three

Instructions for the Writer: Review your draft as well as the description of the assignment. Now indicate one MACRO concern (organization/structure, thesis, etc.) that you would like your readers to be especially attentive to:

Also, list one MICRO concern for which you would like them to read closely (spelling, a particular grammatical or stylistic concern, etc.):

Instructions for the Reader: Ask the writer any questions you have about the concerns he or she has listed above. Then, read the paper all the way through without marking a single thing. Then return to the essay and read it again with the writer’s concerns and with the questions below in mind. Mark on the manuscript and be ready to have a clarifying conversation with the writer.

Peer Reader Questions

1)After your initial reading, what surprised or pleased you? If you can, point to a specific place in the manuscript where you experienced this pleasure or surprise. Describe your response here:

2)In your own words, restate the writer’s main idea. Has she included a stance on digital engagement? Is there a clear idea about his goals for collegiate education? Does the writer offer a strategy for using digital tools as part of this process? Which component of the writer’s thesis should she most attend to before turning in the essay?

3)What passage in the paper strikes you as most insightful? What makes this insight vivid and compelling?

4)Find one term in the essay that is not well or clearly defined as part of the argument. To which source from the semester could the writer turn for a useful definition.

5)Describe the writer’s organizational plan for the essay. Where does he need more discussion and evidence? Where could she condense some discussion? Note at least one place where a clearer transition is needed.

6)Underline the writer’s use of primary sources evidence in at least one full paragraph. Circle any that are particularly effective (and note why in the margins). Where has the writer made assertions or judgments without evidence? Note these spots with a * and suggest any more specific evidence the writer might consider.

7)Note the writer's use of direct quotations from a secondary source. Does each one include proper punctuation, attribution and citation? If not, identify what is missing.

8)Refer to the grammatical sentences section in the Bedford (277-307) looking through the essay for any sentences that don’t meet the criteria. Bring at least one problematic sentence to the writer’s attention. Then, note the comma usage section (402 and following) and point to at least one problematic comma choice you think the writer needs to reconsider.

9)Briefly look at the writer’s Works Cited page. Is there one? If not, yell at your peer. If there is, compare the format to the sample MLA Works Cited page in the Bedford. What needs to be addressed?