English 231: Documented Analytical Essay
Peer Evaluation

Writer's Name: ______________............................................................. Evaluator's Name: ______________
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Directions: Carefully read your partner's paper. Then answer the questions below and highlight and mark on your partner's 
essay as instructed. Your serious evaluation of your partner's paper can result in a significant improvement in both your partner's and your own grade on this assignment. 
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  1. Does this essay have a combination thesis and title page? __Y __N 

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  1. Carefully examine the thesis by reading it several times. Highlight the opinion part of the thesis. Number the essay map items.

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    Example: In Reynolds Price's novel, A Long and Happy Life, he explores how society forces Rosacoke to conform to sexual behavior, to accept a sacrificial woman's role, and to fall short of realizing her potential. 

    [Note: The thesis opinion here is "he explores how society forces Rosacoke" and the essay map items demonstrate how and why this opinion is true.] 
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  1. Is the thesis opinion voiced in strong, forceful language? __Y __N  Suggest alternate wording which could strengthen the thesis opinion. Take a careful look at the writer's choice of verb for the thesis statement. 

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  1. Examine the essay map items. Are they written in parallel construction? __Y ___N If they are not parallel, suggest alternate wording.

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  1. Look at the student's outline. Do the Roman numeral major headings correspond to the essay map items in the thesis? ___Y ___N In the margin of the student's paper, identify each paragraph by its outline designation such as II.B. or III. A.
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  1. Now reread the paper to see if the writer has provided reminders of this main idea throughout the paper, but especially at the beginning of paragraphs. These links back to the thesis idea are essential for both the writer and reader. Links back to the thesis keep the writer focused on his/her central purpose, and links back to the thesis remind the reader of the paper's main idea. Highlight each link back to the thesis idea.

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    Example: First of all, society forces Rosacoke to conform to the sexual behavior common in her community. [Note: The italicized part is the writer's announcement of the essay map item under discussion.]
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    (and later in the paper as other points are made)
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    Another way Rosacoke is victimized by society is that she is pressured to fall short of realizing her potential and her dreams. [Note how the wording does not have to be repetitive when these links back to the thesis are made. The links should be a natural part of the paper which helps to give the piece organization and structure.
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  1. Read the paper again. This time focus on the student's use of borrowed materials. Are borrowed materials correctly cited with in-text or parenthetical documentation? ___Y ___N

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  1. Make sure that the student has indicated in parenthesis the author's name and page number.

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    Example: If the author's name has been mentioned in the lead-in to the borrowed materials ( an excellent strategy!), then only a page number is required. However, if there has been no mention of the author, then both author's last name and the page number are are required.
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    Critic John Gentry comments on Hawthorne's tone calling it "desolate and depressing" (58).
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    One critic notes that Hawthorne's tone is "desolate and depressing" (Gentry 58).
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  1. Highlight each place where the student writer has introduced borrowed material. This is important research style. Encourage your partner to use a variety of verbs such as the critic maintains, argues, disagrees, concurs, stresses, emphasizes, ignores, underscores, and many, many other descriptive verbs that give the paper depth. Avoid lapsing into the critic "says".
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  1. Check out the verb tense used. Literary papers are generally written in present tense, technically what would be called historical present tense. Even if you are quoting a writer who penned the words two hundred years ago, the writers words are still alive (present) today. Present tense is best unless the context of a passage absolutely required past tense. This paper is written in ____tense.
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  1. Mark any errors in grammar/usage you spot. Mark problems such as subject/verb disagreement, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, comma splices, and misspelled words. Make suggestions for improving the essay to your partner.