PEER RESPONSE: COMPARISON / CONTRAST

1. What assumptions can you make from the essay’s title?

2. What is the essay’s purpose and audience?

3. What does the introduction tell you about the essay?

4. What is the author’s point of view toward his/her two subjects?

5. Underline the thesis. Is it effective? Why or why not? Does it direct you to the points of comparison and / or contrast? Put parenthesis around the words that show the comparison or contrast.

6. How is the essay organized? Block style or point by point style?

7. Look at the topic sentence of each body paragraph. Does each one clearly present a point introduced in the thesis? Make any that do not with FTS (faulty topic sentence).

8. Has each body paragraph been fully developed with sufficient examples to support each statement? (At least three sentence of support/explanation). Mark any that do not with NS (needs support)

9. Has the writer used quality transitional words to connect likenesses and differences? If yes, mark those words, phrases or sentences with a T; if not, put an + where the writer could use more.

10. Has the writer cleverly pulled the essay to a satisfying end? How? (By summarizing, by restating the thesis, by making a prediction, by taking a stand, by a question that leaves the reader to think, etc.)

11. Has the writer used action verbs and lively language to convey the comparison/contrast? (Including metaphors and similies)

12. Has the writer discussed the same qualities of each subject equally?

13. Has the writer dealt with all aspects of the comparison that are relevant to the purpose?