T. Bob's Home Page English 102 Honors Home Page  AUTHOR LINKS/READINGS Assignments

critic's name_______________

author's name______________________________

 

Essay Critique

Your goal is to respond to the following questions in order to help the writer improve his or her essay. Answer the following questions about the essay thoughtfully and in as much detail as possible.

 

Content and Development:

1. What is the essay about?  Has the writer set up a good rationale for the essay? Has the writer narrowed the essay's topic sufficiently? How well does the writer draw a connection to one or more of the stories we read? How meaningful and insightful is this essay about the literature?
 


 

2. What is the essay's main thesis, or claim? Is it stated explicitly, or is it implied? Restate or quote it?
 


 

3. Summarize at least two ways the writer attempts to support this claim, and describe its effectiveness. What types of support does the writer use? How might each kind of support be improved?
 


 

4. What one point does the writer most need to develop further? How would you recommend the writer make it better?
 


 

Form and Structure:

5. Comment on the essay's introduction . How well does the introduction set up the essay? Does it make you want to read further? How can the writer improve the introduction? How well does the conclusion end the essay? Does it avoid restating the obvious? Does it introduce information not discussed earlier? (It shouldn't.) Does it shed some concluding insight into the writer's thoughts on the subject?
 


 

6. How well structured is the essay? Does the essay proceed logically, presenting ideas in a clear progression of thought? Does the writer clearly indicate transitions between ideas (paragraph to paragraph and sentence to sentence)? Is the essay's structure sufficiently sophisticated? How might the writer change the order of presentation to improve the essay?
 


 

7. Point out any places in the essay where specific words or phrasing seemed lackluster, awkward, confusing, or otherwise ineffective. (Quote the offending phrases, and say why they are weak.)
 


 

8. How effectively does the writer introduce and incorporate sources? Are the sources important to the writer's argument, or do they seem tacked-on or unnecessary? Are there any quotations in which the writer does not name the source or explain who the source is (i.e., why the source is being quoted)? Are there any quotations that are not introduced? Is it clear when the writer's use of sources begins? If more than one source is there, might  the writer included a "Works Cited" page that indicates bibliographical information about the sources used?
 


 

Style and Mechanics:

 

9. Describe the writer's voice in this essay. How would you characterize the writer's attitude as presented in the essay? Might  the writer's attitude offend the intended audience?  Does the writer use clichés? Might any of the words used in the essays needlessly offend a significant portion of readers?
 


 

In which of the following areas is the essay particularly well done? (Check all that apply)
  Excellent organization of material; ideas flow from sentence to sentence and from paragraph to paragraph smoothly and logically
  Informative, vivid details; not a bunch of abstractions
  Well-unified paragraphs
  An excellent use of sources to back up the writer's ideas
  Lively, vivid words and phrases
  A logical, convincing argument
  A good, narrow focus, with all pertinent points covered in the essay; did not oversimplify or needlessly convolute the issues


 

In which of the following areas does the essay need work?
  Sloppy, confusing, or hard to follow organization; sentences and paragraphs do not always flow logically or smoothly
  Few vivid details; difficult to understand or to visualize the issues
  Some paragraphs poorly unified; ideas do not seem to fit together
  Sources are not used well; too much quoting, not enough summarizing or paraphrasing; paper seems like a series of quotes "strung together"
  Dull or confusing language; words, phrases, and sentences sometimes don't make sense
  Argument is not convincing; some relevant issues are not addressed in the essay; essay does not address opposition to the argument
  Essay topic too broad; tries to cover too much


 

Overall Assessment:

 

After reading the essay, what single element in the essay most stands out in your memory? Why? Does it stand out because it helps or hurts the essay?
 
 


 

Write a personal note to the writer, summarizing your overall view of the essay and how well it works for the intended audience. Include any suggestions on how it could be improved.