1Peer Reviewer _________________________

Author of Paper_________________________
A. Read the paper as a whole at normal speed, putting a wavy line in the margin next to anything which
doesnt seem to fit or which slows down your reading. Put a check or a brief comment next to any
strong or interesting passages:
B. Now read the paper slowly a second time, answering the questions below on a separate sheet of
notebook paper.
1. Does the paper follow the guidelines for explication? In other words, does it include detailed
analysis of a specific passage of text, with attention to the emotional tones, shadings, and nuances of
particular words and phrases?
2a) What problem or question is the writer addressing? Try to put this into your own words. (For
example, the question might be: Is the narrator in Greasy Lake likely to learn from his experience or
will he remain immature and self-absorbed?
b) Is the question debatablethat is, could it be answered in more than one way?
3. Does the paper have a lead-in which sets up the issue or problem and captures the readers interest? (If
the paper begins too abruptly or bluntly or with a dictionary definition, try to suggest ways to make the
opening more engaging.) Are the title and author of the work(s) under discussion named in the
introduction?
4. Does this writer have a clear sense yet of what s/he wants to say or is the point of the discussion still
unclear? (To test this, try to put the main idea into your own words.)
Thesis: _________________________________________________________________________
Remember that the thesis should be an opinion or interpretation, not a general subject area. It should not
be too general or obvious, and should not be a restatement of the assigned question or a general
announcement of the writers intentions in the paper. (The following is a statement of intent, not a thesis:
In this paper, I am going to compare and contrast ....)
If the thesis isnt very distinctly defined as yet, try to help the other student clarify what s/he wants to say.
5. Where are quotes included? Are there enough of these? Are the quotes brief or too long? Are they
introduced and cited properly and integrated smoothly into the paper? Are they followed by adequate
commentary and discussion?
6. Where is plot summary included? (Note that description of characters and events should not dominate
the paper. Summary should be included only where it helps the writer to make a point about the story or
poem.) Identify any passages where you find too much summary, or where the summary doesnt appear
to serve the argument, naming the page and paragraph numbers.
7. Does the writer use present tense consistently to describe fictional events? Do you see any
inappropriate (random) tense shifts? (Please mark these.)
8. Do individual paragraphs seem unified and focused with clear topic sentences? Are some too short and
fragmentaryor too long and diffuse, without a clear focus? (Please identify any problem paragraphs by
page and paragraph numbers.)
9 . Overall, do you see any material which strikes you as irrelevant, self-contradictory, out of place, or

redundant? (List any problem passages by page and paragraph numbers).

10. What can the writer do to develop the ideas more fully or to make his/her paper stronger? (Please
make some SPECIFIC suggestions.)
Thank you!

What is the difference between summarizing and analyzing?

Example: Summarizing vs. making a point:
Summary of the Facts: While attending an all-white grade school, James McBride does an imitation
James Brown-style dance, complete with high leaps and shouts--spurred on by the gleeful applause of his
classmates.
More analytical: In doing his James Brown dance, McBride plays into a stereotype about blacks as
clownish entertainers, more body than mind. Although he temporarily wins his classmates approval, he
does so at considerable psychic cost to himself, violating his own dignity and sense of self.