Instructions for Written Responses to Rough Drafts

You must, of course, read the essay.  You will respond to each essay both on the actual essay and in writing.  The written response must be typed and should be a paragraph in length—150 words.  In order to make an “A” on these responses, you must, at the very least, identify the argument the author is attempting to make, and you must point to the proof that the author uses. If the argument falls down at any point, you must point this out as well.

Before you start your 150-word response, head the response with the author's name. Also, consider that you are writing opinion (mostly) and that you need to use evidence to back up that opinion.  Don’t make blanket statements without back-up—i.e.: “This paper sure is good.”  You have to answer why.

I will grade your responses for your writing ability. I do take into account grammar and argument and evidence. Write tight prose, no filler. Do not mention MLA formatting, title, etc. I am interested in your comments about content. You must identify the main argument for the essay and how that argument is supported. You must be specific.

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Clearly you cannot address all the items listed below, but this gives you an idea of the types of things I consider in grading an essay and that you should consider as well. 

A paper is evaluated on three levels:

sentence

paragraph

essay as a whole

At the sentence level:

Does the sentence make sense?

Does the writer vary the length of sentences?

Too many short, choppy sentences in a row?

Any long, confusing sentences?

Is the word choice appropriate?

Does the word choice accurately convey the writer’s intended meaning?

Any spelling, grammatical or mechanical errors?

At the paragraph level:

Identify the main point of each paragraph. 

Can you identify a particular main topic sentence (if so what is it) or is the main topic implied?

Is the paragraph unified?

Do all of the sentences contribute to the topic of the paragraph?

Are there any sentences which seem off-topic or out of place?

Does the paragraph switch topics?

Is the paragraph coherent?

Does the order of the sentences contribute to a progression of the paragraph?

Is the order chronological, spatial, emphatic or logical?

Are there any redundancies to the paragraph?

Is there enough detail on the topic?  Is the paragraph fully developed?

Is there any deficiency in terms of transition from sentence to sentence?

Consider the effectiveness of both the introduction and the conclusion of the essay.

At the essay level:

Do you have any questions regarding the material?  Is there anything missing?

What is the overall purpose of the essay?

Does the writer accomplish this purpose?  How so?

Who is the writer’s intended audience?  How do you know?

Is the tone of the essay consistent?

Is the tone of the essay appropriate for the audience?

How is the overall organization of the essay?

Are the transitions from paragraph to paragraph adequate?

Is the order of the paragraphs/information the best it could be?  If not, how could they be

changed?

What are the strengths of the essay?