Peer Editing of Essays

Use the following points to assist you in writing comments on your peer's essay. You are an editor, making certain that the text before you is excellent.

Check that

• the essay is in MLA format--proper heading and header (name and page number in the right corner), one-inch margins, double spaced, 12-point Times New Roman (or Arial or Courier) font.

Analyzing a Text Paragraph by Paragraph--Questions to Consider

For all of the questions below, always cite specific words and phrases.

·    What is the author’s theme/message/argument and how is this reinforced by elements within the paragraph? Cite specific words and phrases.

·    What is the author’s purpose in this paragraph and how does he reveal that?

·    What is the author’s tone in this paragraph and how does that tone reinforce his theme/message/argument?