Download Grammar/Writing 3

Writer’s Name: _____________________
Grammar/Writing 3
PSU-IELP
Revision Circles
Advisor’s Name:____________________
Structure and Form
Instructions: Talk about your essay with your partner. You should mark the boxes and write
comments as you and your partner discuss your essay. The task is to approach the essay
from a structural angle. Does the essay have all the ‘right’ parts? Have your partner help
you run a brief check for the required elements of an essay.
 Is there a hook that interests the readers?
 Are there at least 5 sentences between the hook and the thesis?
 Is there a thesis statement and is it located at the end of the introduction?
o Does the thesis statement have a topic? (write it here)
_____________________________________________________________
o Does the thesis statement have a controlling idea? (write it here)
_____________________________________________________________
o Does the thesis statement have a division of ideas? (write the word that shows it
here) _____________________________________________________________
 Is there a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph?
 Does the topic sentence in each paragraph have the topic, controlling idea, division-ofideas word and one sub-topic (main point)?
 Do the paragraphs discuss the sub-topics in the same order as the thesis?
 Is there a connecting sentence or transition sentence at the end of the paragraphs?
 Is there a conclusion of at least 5 sentences at the end?
 Does the conclusion have a transition to signal that the end of the essay is coming?
 Does the conclusion summarize the ideas (while not repeating them exactly)?
 Is the thesis statement restated in the conclusion?
1. What improvements would you suggest?
2. What did you like about the essay?
Writer’s Name: _____________________
Grammar/Writing 3
PSU - IELP
Revision Circles
Advisor’s Name:____________________
Content and Support
Instructions: Talk about your essay with your partner. You should mark the boxes and write
notes or make editing marks as you and your partner discuss your essay. Your partner
should help you check to see that the essay is making sense. Can the writer’s points be
understood clearly? If not, figure out how better to share the thoughts and ideas. The goal
here is to ‘clarify!’
 Does the paper follow the assignment? (e.g. Is it showing ‘causes or effects?’)
 Is the subject treated in an imaginative way? Do the ideas seem commonplace?
 Can you understand how the ideas in the introduction relate to the thesis?
o Do they help narrow the topic and are they connected smoothly to each other?
 Are there enough general statements in the introduction for you to understand how the
writer is focusing the topic for the essay?
 Is the thesis clear? Do you know what the essay will discuss?
 Are the sub-topics in each body paragraph parallel in ‘strength of idea?
 Is each body paragraph about the same length? (balance)
 Is each body paragraph unified in the sense that each sentence supports the main idea in
the paragraph’s topic sentence? (look at each paragraph individually)
 Could the writer use more specific examples to help the reader understand the ideas?
o Does the writer use connecting sentences that tie the examples back to the main idea?
o Are the examples specific? Are they written in past tense?
o Are the ideas and cause/effect relationships logical?
 Does the writer use proper transitions to help the flow of ideas within and between sentences?
 Does the conclusion help readers remember what they’ve read? Are there summary sentences?
 Is there a final thought that offers an opinion or some advice for the reader?
 Is there anything that leaves you with questions or confusion?
1. What improvements would you suggest?
2. What did you like about the essay?
Writer’s Name: _____________________
Grammar/Writing 3
PSU - IELP
Revision Circles
Advisor’s Name:____________________
Grammar, Usage, Punctuation and Spelling
Instructions: Talk about your essay with your partner. You should mark the boxes and write
comments as you and your partner discuss your essay. Look at the technical elements of the
essay. Look at the sentence level for areas where the essay needs to be improved. Try to
‘fine tune’ the paper.
 Is the paper properly formatted: including interesting title, indents, information block and
numbered pages?
 Is the thesis statement written with attention to parallel structure?
 Is there variety in sentence structures? (some simple, compound and complex sentences)
 Do the sentence structures show a clear relation of ideas?
o Is there proper subordination and coordination (including punctuation)?
 Are any sentences confusing because you can’t understand the grammar?
 Does the writer use tenses in a way that makes it easy to differentiate main ideas from
support?
 Is there subject/verb agreement in all the sentences?
 Is there pronoun cohesion? (Check all pronouns for number, gender and location)
 Did the writer repeat key nouns and use synonyms to help readers understand the topic?
 Does the writer use a variety of vocabulary and idioms?
o Do you know language that would help them be more precise or more academic?
o Is there variety in the types of transition words that are used?
 Are periods, commas, semicolons and other punctuation used correctly?
 Are there any misspelled words?
 Does the writer follow the conventions of capitalization?
1. What improvements would you suggest?
2. What did you like about the essay?
Writer’s Name: _____________________
Grammar/Writing 3
PSU -IELP
Revision Circles
Self-Reflection and Goals for REvision
Reflect in journal format on the Revision Circles conference. Jot down some quick answers to
the questions below. You may make notes or paragraphs.
1. What do I see as the biggest problem with my paper?
2. What is good, and what should I keep?
3. How can I take my ideas at this point and use them to achieve my communication goals?