Essay Peer Review Checklist: Critical Thinking

Ideas: Clarifying and Connecting

>Review assignment carefully: Does the paper respond fully to the assignment?
>Thesis statement:
-Is there a sentence or two that succinctly sums up the topic of the paper and contains an opinion
(debatable?
-Is the thesis specific and focused? Does it go beyond the obvious and approach the topic
insightfully! in a uni"ue way?
>Topic sentences:
-#re they clear?
-Do they all relate to the thesis?
>$ody (support paragraphs:
-Does everything in each paragraph develop and support the topic sentence?
-Is there enough support? %ould you recommend more e&amples or details?
>'ynthesis:
-Read the thesis and topic sentences in order: do they wor( together! the topic sentences
supporting and developing the central claim (thesis?
>)rgani*ation:
-Does the writer clearly meet essay conventions by including an introduction! body and
conclusion?
-Is some type of obvious organi*ation used (chronological! categorical! spatial! or do the body
paragraphs randomly wander from subtopic to subtopic?
-%here is there room for more focus and coherency (and less digression?
-+onclusion: Does the paper have a distinct ending! or does it ,ust abruptly stop?
>#nalysis:
-Does the support and e&planation go beyond the merely general and into the specific? Is there
both breadth and depth?
-Is there too much summary and not enough interpretation and e&planation?
>#w(wardness: #w(wardness impedes clarity! so is there a better (more clear and direct way to
write it (-it. usually e"ualing a sentence or phrase? Do all the sentences ma(e sense?
Style: Finding a voice
>#void:
-%ordiness
-+lich/s
>0se:
-#ppropriate diction
-#ctive versus passive voice whenever possible
>Transitions: Transition words are fine as long as they are not overused! but transition sentences
forming connections between paragraphs are better1
>Redundancy: Is there redundancy in diction! thought! or support? 2et rid of it3
>'entence variety:
-Does nearly every sentence start the same way (e1g1 with the sub,ect? They should not1
-Does the author mi& up the different types of sentences at her disposal (i1e1 simple! compound!
comple&! compound-comple&?
Format: el!ing yo"r reader and other scholars
>45#:
-In-te&t citations: Do both "uotes and paraphrasings follow the format and do parentheticals
clearly point to the appropriate entry on the wor(s cited page? #re "uotations introduced and
e&plained? #re bloc( "uotes introduced with a complete sentence ending in a colon and
indented appropriately?
-%or(s cited page: Do citations follow the format? #re they alphabeti*ed by the first word or
words in the entry and are titles underlined or placed in "uotation mar(s as appropriate?
#rammar and $echanics: $aking sense
>6unctuation: 6ay special attention to use of the basics: commas and periods1
>4iscellaneous: Is verb tense correct and consistent? #re words spelled correctly? 5oo( for
typos and homonyms1
>'entence level errors: #re there fragments (incomplete sentences! run-ons or comma splices?
Comments: In a sentence or two! discuss the strengths and wea(nesses of the paper1