What is your overall impression of the paper? What are its main strengths?
Paraphrase the paper’s main argument.
Label the thesis statement in the first paragraph. Is it easy to find? Is it sufficiently focused? Does it capture the paper’s main point?
Is the thesis sufficiently objective?
Do you find the thesis convincing and/or interesting? Why?
Does each body paragraph have a topic sentence which makes a claim that the paragraph then proves?
Read the thesis, followed by each topic sentence. Do the claims collectively pass the “so what” and “who cares” tests? Do they form a coherent argument? Should they be reorganized? How?
Can you easily determine how the topic sentences relate to each other (for example, through clear transitions) and to the thesis? Does each paragraph build on the previous paragraph?
Is the textual evidence in each paragraph sufficient, necessary, and well-explained?
Does the conclusion add something to the paper? Does it answer a “so what” question? Does it include a call to action?
What could be cut from this paper? Look for digressions, summary of the text, and wordiness.
What points in the essay are clearly written? Indicate any confusing points and suggest clarifications.
Did the writer proofread? Can you find grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, or citation format mistakes? If so, mark them on the paper itself.
List three important things the writer can do to improve this paper.
Try to formulate the “so what” question that seems most important to you as a response to the argument of this paper. In other words, if this paper were the beginning of a larger investigation, where do you think it could or should lead? What are the most interesting implications of the paper’s argument? Write it below.
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