Home

Contact

Schedule

Policies

Advice

Responses

Essays

Philosophy

There’s no bell curve in the class; any way you can improve someone else’s paper helps everyone involved. It helps the author because you bring a fresh perspective to his or her paper. It helps you because you start to spot the techniques that work and don’t work in essay writing. And it helps me because I get to give out higher grades and be more popular.

Don’t be afraid of being critical (an overly polite editor isn’t much help). But make sure to stay as helpful as possible: take note of what works in the paper, and think about how the author might build on that.

What to do

First, just read through the paper. Try to get a handle on its argument and flow.
Then go back through with your pen and mark it up.

- Intro:

Underline the sentence that you think contains the thesis. In the margin, with just a brief phrase, assess that thesis: is it argumentative enough? is it surprising? is it plausible? will it take a whole paper to support it?

- Body:

Any time you find a phrase that really helps you keep track of the argument, put a check by it in the margin. This could be a really convincing passage, or a passage that skillfully connects points of the argument. Remember, you’re not just looking for good writing; you’re looking for effective argumentation. ¯

Put an X by statements that seem to need specific quoted proof, or by quotes that aren’t proving anything. X

If you come across a passage that seems like empty filler (pointless summary or off-topic generalizations), put a wavy line next to it in the margin. †

If you come across a passage where you feel particularly confused as a reader, put a question mark next to it in the margin. These will be a place where the author seems to be making an important point, but not clearly enough for you to get it. ?

- Conclusion

If the conclusion just repeats the thesis, put a minus sign by it. — If it contains a fresh idea that builds on the thesis, put a plus by it. +

At the end of the paper, write two or three short sentences with some advice. What specific things could this writer do to make his or her argument more convincing?

Make sure to write your name on the paper you’ve edited.