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Class,
Remember that when you critique the essays you need to be
judgmental. I do not want to see comments that say, "Oh, this essay is
great!!!" "Yes, it has a thesis."
"I think the content is wonderful...."
Etc.....
- I expect that you put time into these critiques--at
least 20 minutes
per essay. Don't breeze through one another's
drafts. Read them all the
way through before commenting on the draft so that you know the direction the
essay is going.
- Be especially
alert for essays that are off topic and engage the essay draft with a critical
eye. You job initially is to determine whether the essay is even on topic.
Take the assignment out and review it. Your own essay might even be off
topic. Let the writers know if their essay is off
topic.
- If you don't see a clear thesis
at the end of the introductory paragraph, then the paper is
failing from the start.
- As a critical thinker/reader, examine the order of the
paragraphs. You should be able to figure out whether the order of ideas makes
logical sense. If you are confused by the absence of logical order, this is not
a passing essay.
- Overall, apply the quality of mind that you would want others
to use when they critique your paper. Grades are on the line when you proclaim to a
writer that his paper is "good" when in fact it has lots of
developmental or structural problems.
Here are some criteria for making some general comments on
drafts. Contemplate these areas as your essay undergoes revision during
the next week.
What to comment on:
- coherence
- Does the essay read smoothly?
- content
- Does the writer construct material in the main body according
to the requirements in the essay assignment sheet?
- organization
- Are the paragraphs in logical order?
- Is there an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion?
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What not to comment
on:
- sentence boundary problems
- grammar
- spelling
- punctuation/mechanics
Tell the writer to pick up a handbook, see me, or
visit a
Writing Center tutor if the above kinds of errors are persistent. Note to
writers: if your essay is seriously flawed with these mistakes, you will need to
re-evaluate your preparation for this course. |
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