Identify the thesis statement (copy & paste it or retype it). How effective do you find this thesis statement to be? If it is just a statement of fact, it will need to be enhanced and made more argumentative. Explain to your partner at least one way that the thesis could be improved.
Identify the topic sentences of each paragraph. Then, read the thesis statement followed by each topic sentence. Do you see a clear connection between each of these statements and the thesis? Explain to the author how s/he might strengthen the connection between the topic sentences and thesis statement.
After commenting on the thesis and topic sentences, review each body paragraph. Examine the evidence and the analysis/support statements for the paragraph. Explain to the writer how well this paragraph works with the topic sentence. Should something be changed? How could the writer improve the paragraph? If the information within the paragraph does not fully match the topic sentence’s guidelines, then the writer should be informed.
Complete each of these statements for the writer:
The strongest aspect of this essay is ___________.
The weakest aspect of this essay is ____________.
If this were my essay, the one thing I would add would be __________.
If this were my essay, the one thing I would remove would be _______.
If I could change one aspect of your paper, it would be ____________.
If the writer has asked specific questions about his or her draft, please answer those now.
