how to peer edit someone's essay

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How to Peer Edit an Essay

By Georgina Roy

Peer to peer learning is very important for writers. Writers work alone, most of the time, and writers are highly sensitive about their own work. Sometimes, you might be put into a situation where you will have to peer edit an essay , probably in a school setting or as a part of a writing workshop. Also, if your friends are writers, you might be asked to peer edit not just an essay, but a larger piece of work as well, like a short story, a novella, and maybe even a novel.

Also, knowing how to peer edit an essay can help you edit your own work as well. There are three steps to follow when you are peer editing an essay, and we will get to them below, but first, let’s take a look at what peer editing actually means.

What is peer editing?

Peer editing refers to editing a piece of writing written by a person who is equal to you in skills and abilities, or age, or both. In a school setting, your peers are your classmates. If you’re attending a writers’ workshop , the same will apply. And once someone else’s writing finds its way to you for peer editing, you might be tempted to just jump in and edit their grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors and be done with it.

However, put yourself into the writer’s shoes: would you really be that worried about grammar and spelling error? Or, would you prefer to receive constructive feedback?

Constructive feedback is necessary with peer editing

Anyone can notice a few grammar and spelling errors. However, it will be your writer peers who will be able to give you constructive feedback. Receiving constructive feedback is what makes peer editing so beneficial to all writers. Constructive feedback contains two steps: complimenting the writer and offering suggestions.

When you’re complimenting the writer, you will point out everything that you believe the writer has done right. For example, you might compliment the topic of their essay, their word choice, the structure of the essay, and other things. This will have a positive effect on the writer. Remember, your goal is not to discourage the writer, but to offer constructive feedback. If you only focus on what should be improved – and if the first part of your feedback is focused on improvement – the writer might start feeling incompetent and defensive, which will have a negative effect and render the peer editing useless in the end.

The second step, which is offering suggestions, is also a delicate step. Here, you can point out what you think should be improved, but you must present this as an opinion in the form of a suggestion, instead of saying that the structure of the essay, for example, was completely wrong. Again, you don’t want to discourage the writer, you want to help them improve, but you’re not helping when you’re just pointing out what is wrong without offering suggestions on how that can be fixed.

These two steps are very important, and are easier to understand via examples. Below, we will take a look at each step and explain how it is done, as well as offer helpful tips for each.

Step one: Praising the writer and offering compliments

This step is supposed to be easy, right? Just read the essay, find the things that you like and tell the writer. Only, what happens when the essay is mostly badly written, needs a lot of improvements, and you cannot find anything to compliment the writer on?

For that reason, in the first step, you need to at least compliment the writer on the topic they’ve chosen, the opinion they’ve shared, and your favorite thing about the essay.

The topic: You can always compliment the author on the topic they’ve chosen. You can offer your opinion on it, and why you find the topic interesting. This will break the ice between yourself and the writer, and the writer will be more receptive to everything you will have to say after that. In comparison, if you begin by saying that you don’t really care for the topic, you will create a barrier between you two. Instead, if you’re not interested in the topic, you can tell the writer that you’re not very knowledgeable about it. You will prompt them to explain why they’ve chosen the topic, again, breaking the ice in a positive way, rather than creating a barrier.

Their opinion: Writers share their thoughts through their writing. If you agree with the opinions the writer shared in the essay, you should tell them so. Again, this will create a connection between you two, and the writer will not feel animosity towards you. However, if you disagree with their opinion, instead of saying that directly, you can say that their opinion is interesting, and ask them the reasons why they think that way. This will prompt a friendly discussion, rather than generate animosity.

Favorite part: Whether you are peer editing an essay, or a novella or a novel, always make sure to have a favorite part. The favorite part doesn’t necessarily have to be the best part of the essay, but, you definitely have to present it as such. The good news is that you can choose anything. It can be a specific word the writer has chosen, or it can be a phrase, or how they have described something. Remember, you should always tell the writer what your favorite part was because the writer will understand that you read their essay with care – and you enjoyed it enough to have a favorite part.

Things to remember about the first step:

• Always be positive;
• Use the highest praises you can – but remain realistic;
• Don’t compliment something you think should be improved;
• Your goal is to be positive and start the peer editing process on a positive note;
• Show interest into the topic and the writer’s opinions, even if you disagree;
• Enable the writer to tell you more about the topic, and they may even explain what their thoughts were as they were writing the essay;
• Always have a favorite part or thing about the essay.

Step two: Making suggestions

In this step, you will talk about things that need to be improved. This step is important because you need to be careful not to do some of the following things:

• Make the writer feel insecure;
• Insult or hurt them by being too harsh;
• Offer problems and not solutions;
• Use derogatory language that will generate negativity between you two.

It’s very easy to make peer editing a negative experience for the writer if you let go and be a very harsh critic. While it is advisable to offer as many suggestions as possible, focus first on the top three or four things the writer should improve upon, which will be your major suggestions, and then if you still find more things to improve, mention them in passing.

Here are a few examples of what you shouldn’t do:

• Don’t say, “I see a lot of room for improvement here.” This will make the writer feel as though their essay is not good at all and that it needs a lot of work. Instead, you can say, “I have a few suggestions that might help the essay read better.”
• At any point, do not say words that are negative. For example, do not say something like “The essay reads as if it was written by a child.” While that example is extreme, even the smallest negative word can have a very big negative effect.
• Do not tell the writer things they’ve done wrong. That’s what offering suggestions is all about. Instead of saying, “You’ve used the word good so many times it makes reading the essay boring,” you can say, “The word “good” appears a lot in this essay, don’t you think? Do you think you could use another word, like excellent, or great?”

Most importantly, do not offer problems without solutions. If you think that there is room for improvements, you need to suggest how the writer can do this. Don’t say things like, “The structure of your essay is not good enough,” without offering tips on how the writer can change that. This is the reason why the second phase is in forms of suggestions.

Making suggestions instead of telling the writer what he or she has done wrong ensures that you don’t discourage the writer by negative comments and offer tips for improvement at the same time. Meanwhile, always remember to propose these suggestions in the form of a question, like:

• Do you think you could explain this part a bit more?
• Do you think you could use a stronger word here?
• Using the word superb here might be a little strong. Do you think you could use another word instead?
• Do you think that you can make this sentence shorter?

In this manner, you are prompting the writer to take a second look at the essay and see for themselves that the sentence is long, or that the word superb might be pretty strong in that part of the essay. You can do this for every area of improvement that you see in the essay.

Best of all is that you will not discourage the writer and make him or her feel bad. Instead, you are offering the type of constructive feedback that every writer needs, without crippling them in the process. Moreover, by phrasing suggestions as questions, you are putting a stronger emphasis on the fact that you and the writer are peers: that means equal in ability (or age) – instead of making the writer feel inferior to you.

Step three: Correcting grammar and spelling errors

This step isn’t the most important when it comes to the whole process, but you still should point out the spelling errors , wrong words, homonyms, and grammar errors that have slipped into the essay. This step is important to make the essay correct, but it will not have an impact on the essay or on the writer.

Most writers are fine with making spelling and grammar errors in the first draft and editing them out later, unless they are perfectionists who want to get everything right on the first try. Regardless, just because you offered constructive feedback in the first two steps, it doesn’t mean that you are entitled to skipping this step.

Moreover, two pairs of eyes going over the same essay will catch most, if not all, grammar and spelling errors, and make sure that the essay is the best version of itself it can be. This is important because it’s very easy for homonyms, for example, to go unnoticed (which is the reason why a lot of people today can barely tell the difference between you’re, your, they’re, their, were, we’re, and so on – they all sound the same). However, these types of spelling errors need to be eradicated from the essay.

Tips and tricks for peer editing

Peer editing needs, ultimately, to help the writer improve upon the essay and improve his or her writing in the future. However, you can also make peer editing more fun, interesting, and productive as well, by using some of the following tips:

• Create a grading system, where you award one or two, or more stars, for sections like: writing, word choice, sentence structure, use of adverbs, etc.
• Explain why you’re giving each compliment – not just saying that you liked something, but that you liked it because it brought a good image, or explained the point really well, etc.
• Talk to the writer as if you’re best friends, even if you’re strangers;
• Always try to be compassionate and empathetic – especially if you’re going to peer editing the writer’s essay tomorrow;
• Always be positive and use complimentary words;
• Treat improvements as things that the writer has not yet done (instead of presenting them as things the writer would have never done);
• Being friendly and positive will make the whole process easier and more interesting, instead of acting cold and professional all the time.

Image credit: Pixabay

Georgina Roy wants to live in a world filled with magic. As an art student, she’s moonlighting as a writer and is content to fill notebooks and sketchbooks with magical creatures and amazing new worlds. When she is not at school, or scribbling away in a notebook, you can usually find her curled up, reading a good urban fantasy novel, or writing on her laptop, trying to create her own.

How to Peer Edit an Essay: Free Peer Editing Checklist

If you want to peer edit an essay and are looking for some top tips, check out our free peer editing checklist.

The idea of editing and proofreading your own essays, let alone asking someone else to help, may be beyond comprehension. In fact, you may think your essay is pretty fantastic already.

If so, you’re deceiving yourself.

Don’t just settle for good . You should be looking for great.

But how do you achieve this?

The majority of students settle for good. That’s enough. It will get them through school.

But good isn’t enough for the top students. They aspire to be great. They aspire to be awesome.

How do YOU become awesome?

Get a friend to help.

To take an essay beyond the draft stage through a polished version, you need a peer editor. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a professional essay editor (although that will deliver the best results); it needs to be someone who will call you out and tell you how it really is.

When you’re looking for someone to peer edit your essay, try and choose someone who you know well and who you can trust to be honest and methodical. You’re not looking for someone who’ll tell you how great your essay is; you’re looking for someone who will provide you with an objective criticism of your paper.

The purpose of the exercise isn’t to tear you down; it’s to make you better.

So, once you’ve found the ideal peer editor, how can you get the most out of the exercise?

Hand them our handy tips and the great peer editing checklist.

If you wish to edit your essay before engaging the help of a peer editor, take a look at our guide to essay editing .

How to Peer Edit an Essay: Top Tips for Success

Peer editors should review an essay with the primary intention of offering advice on how it can be improved. Here are some great tips to make sure you do the task justice.

Ideally, read through the paper at least twice

During the first pass, you’ll familiarize yourself with the content of the essay and the primary arguments that are put forth. During the second pass, you’ll have a chance to readily understand what is being said. If you don’t understand the content after two readings; there’s a problem the writer needs to know about.

Position yourself as the target reader

While you’re in the process of peer editing the essay, take the role of the envisioned reader; i.e., the person who is reading the essay to learn from someone as opposed to being on the hunt for pesky grammatical errors. During the peer editing process, you should be concerned with content, organization, and style. If you focus purely on punctuation and spelling errors, you may not add a significant amount of value. Your role is to help the writer ensure the essay is clear and compelling.

Resist the temptation to fix the issues

Your job as a peer editor is not to take over and correct any issues that you identify; it’s to provide the writer with constructive feedback on how the paper can be improved.

Tell the truth… constructively

If you’re peer editing a friend’s essay, you may not want to hurt his or her feelings by pointing out areas where there is a lack of clarity. However, if you fail to do so, there’s no point in engaging in the process. Resist the urge to say everything is fine and instead focus on how you can help the writer learn someone from the process. Provide constructive feedback that highlights the positive areas of the essay while also pointing out some areas for improvement.

Provide specific details

Don’t provide sweeping statements such as, “I don’t understand your point.” Instead, provide very precise feedback on what exactly you don’t understand and what information may help you understand it better: “Perhaps you could make your point clearer by explaining why…” Take every opportunity to explain why you found something effective or ineffective.

Check the style guide

Universities and colleges typically follow one of six major style guides in academic writing: APA, Harvard, MHRA, MLA , OSCOLA and Oxford. When you write in a consistent manner following a recognised style guide, it is simpler for readers to understand what to anticipate and where to find further information. Effective application of a style in formal writing will distinguish your work visually and ensure you meet the university’s requirements. If you’re using APA, take a look at our guide to APA formatting .

The Three Pillars of Excellent Peer Essay Editing

Free peer editing checklist.

Download a free PDF version of our peer editing checklist by clicking on the image above. Here’s the full lowdown on what’s included.

Essay Introduction

• Does the essay begin with a clear, attention-grabbing statement or hook?
• Are there at least three sentences in the introduction?
• Does the writer make his or her intentions clear?
• Are you clear about what issue is being addressed in this essay?
• Is there a clear thesis statement?

See our guide to how to write an essay introduction for more help.

• Are there at least three body paragraphs?
• Does each body paragraph contain a clear topic sentence and idea?
• Does each body paragraph contain a conclusion statement that leads well to the next body paragraph?
• Does the conclusion contain at least three sentences?
• Does the conclusion refer back to the thesis statement?

Essay Flow and Coherence

• Do the ideas flow logically through the paper and contribute to a building argument?
• Have you used transitions correctly?
• Is the essay interesting?
• Does the analysis presented in the paper support the thesis statement?
• Is the sentence structure varied?

Essay Style and Mechanics

• Have you appropriately attributed and cited evidence?
• Have you cited each reference source according to the relevant style guide? If you’re using APA, take a look at our APA checklist .
• Is the paper formatted according to the relevant style guide?
• Are the references, tables, and figures formatted according to the relevant style guide?
• Have you proofread the paper? For a full proofreading checklist, take a look at our essay proofreading checklist.
• Misspelled words
• Grammatical mistakes
• Punctuation errors
• Run-on Sentences

So that’s our guide to how to peer edit an essay. Got anything to add? Please leave a comment.

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• Peer editing

Peer editing is a collaborative process where students constructively review and provide feedback on each other's written work to enhance clarity, coherence, and correctness. This technique not only improves writing skills but also fosters critical thinking, active engagement, and communication abilities among peers. To maximize the benefits of peer editing, it's essential for students to establish clear guidelines and cultivate a respectful and supportive feedback environment.

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Peer Editing Definition

Peer editing is a collaborative process where students review and provide feedback on each other's writing. This method is an integral part of the writing process in educational settings and helps students improve their writing skills through constructive criticism.

Understanding Peer Editing

Peer editing involves several key stages, which ensure both the writer and the editor gain from the experience.

• Reading : The peer editor carefully reads the content to understand the writer's main ideas and identify any areas that may need improvement.
• Commenting : Constructive feedback is provided on aspects such as clarity, detail, organization, and grammar.
• Discussing : The peer editor and the writer engage in a dialogue to clarify feedback and discuss possible improvements.
• Revising : The writer revises their work based on the editor's suggestions.

Peer editing is defined as the process where students engage in reviewing each other's written work to offer suggestions for improvement, foster collaborative learning, and enhance critical analysis skills.

For instance, in a peer editing session, you might receive feedback like 'Your argument is strong, but the conclusion could be clearer. Consider summarizing your main points in the final paragraph.'

Remember, the goal of peer editing is not to criticize, but to help make each other's writing more effective and polished.

Peer editing is not just an educational tool; it reflects real-world processes in professional environments where collaboration is key. Many professionals, such as authors, journalists, and researchers, rely on peer feedback as a critical part of their work, ensuring accuracy and clarity before publication.

How to Peer Edit

Engaging in peer editing involves a methodical approach, enabling you to offer and receive valuable insights that can significantly enhance your writing.

Steps to Effective Peer Editing

• Preparation : Before starting, ensure you understand the assignment criteria and what to look for in the writing piece.
• Reading with Purpose : Read the text attentively without making any comments at first, to get a grasp of the overall content and style.
• Composing Feedback : Note down your initial thoughts, focusing on both strengths and areas needing improvement, such as grammar, flow, and argument clarity.
• Using Evidence : Support your feedback with examples from the text. For instance, if a paragraph lacks coherence, point out the sentences and offer suggestions for rearrangement.
• Delivering Feedback : Be direct but respectful while sharing your feedback with the writer. Offer specific, actionable advice.

If a peer’s essay is unclear in places, instead of saying, 'This part is confusing,' you might say, 'The transition between the second and third paragraphs is abrupt; consider adding a sentence to connect these ideas.'

When giving feedback, use 'I' statements to express your thoughts, such as 'I felt that...' or 'I noticed that...'. This creates a more collaborative environment.

The practice of peer editing not only improves your writing but also develops critical thinking and empathy. When putting yourself in the writer’s shoes, you learn to consider multiple perspectives, a skill that’s vital both in academic and real-world scenarios. Additionally, you refine your self-editing skills by repeatedly identifying common errors—skills that transfer to your personal writing tasks.

Peer Editing Techniques

Developing effective peer editing techniques is essential for enhancing writing skills and fostering a collaborative learning environment. It involves clear communication and specific strategies to ensure constructive and beneficial feedback.

Effective Communication in Peer Editing

Effective communication during peer editing ensures feedback is both constructive and supportive. Here are a few strategies to keep in mind:

• Active Listening : Pay close attention to the writer's perspective and main points before offering your feedback. This ensures that your comments are relevant and constructive.
• Expressing Thoughts Clearly : Use simple, precise language when providing feedback. Be specific about what changes are needed and why. This helps the writer understand exactly what areas to focus on.
• Balancing Criticism with Praise : Always aim to balance your critique by acknowledging the positive aspects of the piece as well. This encourages motivation.
• Asking Questions : Instead of just pointing out flaws, ask questions that guide the writer to think critically about their own work. For example, 'What do you want the reader to understand in this section?'

A common technique in peer editing is the 'Compliment, Suggestion, Correction' model. This approach helps organize feedback and ensures it's well-received.

Understanding different communication styles can further enhance the efficiency of peer editing sessions. Some students may prefer direct feedback, while others might benefit from a more supportive approach. Adapting your style to suit the needs of your peer can lead to more productive collaboration.

Constructive Feedback Methods

Providing feedback that is both helpful and kind requires a structured approach. Here are some methods to optimize your feedback:

• Focus on the Writing, Not the Writer : Always target your feedback towards the specific elements of the writing. Avoid personal references to keep the focus on improvement.
• Be Specific : Vague feedback like 'this paragraph needs work' is not helpful. Instead, specify, 'The main idea of this paragraph is unclear. Consider adding a topic sentence.'
• Offer Solutions : Suggest possible ways to address issues rather than just highlighting them. This not only helps the writer make improvements but also builds your analytical skills.

For example, a feedback comment could be, 'In your essay conclusion , restate your thesis and key points to reinforce the argument—this will make your piece more persuasive.'

Peer Editing Checklist

A comprehensive peer editing checklist is a valuable tool for systematically evaluating written work. Utilizing checklists helps ensure all critical aspects of writing are reviewed effectively, leading to more precise and helpful feedback.

Checklist for Grammar and Spelling

When reviewing a peer's work, focus on identifying and correcting grammatical and spelling errors. This can significantly improve the overall quality of the writing.

• Spelling : Double-check for correct spelling of words, ensuring accuracy throughout the document.
• Punctuation : Check for proper use of commas, periods, exclamation points, and question marks.
• Grammar : Look for subject-verb agreement , proper tense usage, and correct sentence structure.
• Capitalization : Ensure that proper nouns and the beginning of sentences are capitalized.

While editing, you might notice a sentence like 'Their going to the park.' which should be corrected to 'They're going to the park.'

Using online tools and resources such as grammar checkers can help catch errors you might miss.

Checklist for Structure and Clarity

Ensuring structure and clarity in writing is essential for effectively communicating ideas. A checklist can help improve the organization and flow of a piece.

• Introduction : Verify that the introduction provides a clear overview of the topic and engages the reader.
• Paragraph Order : Assess whether paragraphs are logically organized and ideas flow smoothly from one to the next.
• Transition Sentences : Ensure that transitions between paragraphs are smooth and appropriately link concepts.
• Conclusion : Check if the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points and reinforces the argument.
• Clarity : Look for sentences or sections that may confuse the reader and suggest simplification or rewording.

Understanding paragraph coherence is vital for clarity. Coherence refers to the logical bridge between ideas in a paragraph. The use of linking words, consistent verb tense, and focus on a single idea per paragraph can reinforce coherence, making your writing more accessible and effective.

Peer Editing Examples

Understanding peer editing through examples enriches your comprehension and application of the technique. By observing practical applications, you can better grasp how to approach, execute, and benefit from the process.

Sample Peer Editing Worksheet

A sample peer editing worksheet can guide editors in providing structured and comprehensive feedback. Worksheets typically include sections for comments and suggestions on various aspects of writing.

A peer editing worksheet is a tool that guides students through the evaluation and feedback process, helping them to focus on key elements of writing such as thesis clarity, evidence support, and grammatical accuracy.

A completed worksheet not only helps the writer improve their work, but also serves as a reference for future assignments.

For instance, a peer editing worksheet might prompt you to evaluate the thesis by asking, 'Does the thesis statement clearly convey the main argument? Provide suggestions for clarification if needed.'

Using worksheets can turn peer editing sessions into motivational and learning-rich environments. Teachers can further customize these worksheets to address specific learning goals or to target common writing issues observed within the classroom. This strategy not only enables targeted writing improvement but also fosters an environment of shared learning and growth among peers.

Real-life Peer Editing Scenarios

Peer editing is utilized in various real-life scenarios beyond the classroom. Understanding these can offer insights into the practical application and benefits of peer editing.

• Collaborative Writing Projects : In professional settings, teams often collaborate on documents or reports. Peer editing is essential to ensure a cohesive and polished final product.
• Workshops and Writing Groups : Writers frequently engage in peer editing during workshops, where participants exchange drafts to gain fresh perspectives on their work.
• Publishing : Before a piece goes to print, it often goes through multiple revisions involving peer feedback to enhance clarity, accuracy, and engagement.

Consider a scenario where colleagues are developing a presentation. They review each other's slides for clarity and effectiveness, ensuring the final presentation is coherent and impactful.

In any setting where writing needs refinement and accuracy, peer editing proves to be an invaluable tool.

Peer editing also parallels peer review systems used in academic publishing. Just as scientific papers undergo rigorous peer review before publication, student work benefits from multiple perspectives offered by peer editing. This process helps to catch errors, refine arguments, and enhance overall quality, preparing students for future professional experiences.

Peer editing - Key takeaways

• Peer Editing Definition: A collaborative process where students review and provide feedback on each other's writing to improve writing skills through constructive criticism.
• How to Peer Edit: Involves preparation, reading with purpose, composing feedback, using evidence, and delivering feedback respectfully.
• Peer Editing Techniques: Effective communication, focusing on writing and not the writer, being specific, offering solutions, and balancing criticism with praise.
• Peer Editing Checklist: Includes checks for grammar, structure, clarity, and coherence; useful for systematic evaluation and accurate feedback.
• Peer Editing Examples: Utilized in real-life scenarios such as collaborative writing projects, workshops, and publishing to refine writing quality and clarity.

Flashcards in Peer editing 15

Avoid constructive discussions

Ignoring writer's feelings

Offer suggestions without reading.

Reduces the need for individual writing skills.

Use generic comments like 'good job.'

To help improve writing skills through constructive feedback.

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The Truth about Peer Editing

Peer editing is a common part of the curriculum for writing students, but does it actually teach the students anything? Studies say yes.

If you’ve taken a writing class, especially at the university level, you’re probably familiar with the concept of peer editing. You and a classmate swap pieces and edit one another’s work. Peer editing happens all the time, but does it actually help? Does peer editing improve students’ writing skills? Does it boost their editing skills? According to Jessica Holt , a professor at the University of Georgia, the answer seems to be yes.

THE RESEARCH 

In Holt’s article “ Grade-Accountable Peer Editing: Students’ Perceptions of Peer-Editing Assignments ,” she describes research on how university-level communications students perceive the peer-editing process. In the study, students in two communications classes were given several peer-editing assignments throughout the semester. 

At the conclusion of the semester, the students participated in focus groups to discuss their perceptions about the peer-editing process. Holt discovered that the students overwhelmingly perceived peer editing to be helpful but unpleasant and that many students didn’t believe peer-editing skills would be relevant after entering the workforce. One student stated, “I think that peer editing can be good, but in all honesty, I would rather have a teacher edit my paper or like my boss or whoever the end-all, be-all person is.”

“Peer review has been shown to promote the recognition of good practice as well as critical and constructive collaborative dialogue.” —Jennifer brill and charles hodges (2011)

THE IMPLICATIONS

Though university students in writing-heavy disciplines may believe that peer reviewing is just a classroom tactic, peer review can be much more than that. Holt’s and others’ research shows that learning to effectively edit peers’ work can help individuals improve their ability to edit, including in the workplace. For example, Jennifer Brill and Charles Hodges noted in the article “ Investigating Peer Review as an Intentional Learning Strategy to Foster Collaborative Knowledge-Building in Students of Instructional Design ” that “peer review has been shown to promote the recognition of good practice as well as critical and constructive collaborative dialogue.” Peer review is also a great way to sharpen writing and communication skills. Giving feedback and receiving feedback are skills that all writers and editors can benefit from and, like other skills, require practice to develop. One way to practice is through peer review.

To learn more about the benefits of peer editing, read the full article:

Holt, Jessica. (2019). “Grade-Accountable Peer Editing: Students’ Perceptions of Peer-Editing Assignments.” Journalism & Mass Communication Educator 74 (1): 31–43. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077695818764959 .

—Erin Johnston, Editing Research

FEATURE IMAGE BY IVAN SAMKOV

Find more research

Read Pantelis Papadopoulos, Thomas Lagkas, and Stavros Demitriadis’s (2012) article on different methods to make peer reviewing as effective as possible: “How to Improve the Peer Review Method: Free-Selection vs. Assigned-Pair Protocol Evaluated in a Computer Networking Course.” Computers & Education 59  (2): 182–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.01.005 . 

Check out Lloyd Rieber’s article on how peer editing can help students in business disciplines: Rieber, Lloyd J. (2012). “Using Peer Review to Improve Student Writing in Business Courses.” Journal of Education for Business 81 (6): 322–26. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOEB.81.6.322-326 .

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Erin Johnston

Had so much fun doing this research.

As someone who hasn’t always enjoyed the peer-editing process, I liked being able to see how it would be relevant to life outside of the classroom. Writing doesn’t end when we graduate, so it makes sense that peer editing wouldn’t end either.

I definitely agree! We can all benefit from each other’s perspectives, no matter how experienced we are.

Peer Editing to the Rescue! - Editing Research

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Lend Me Your Peers: How to Make the Most of Peer Editing Sessions

September 1, 2017

By Andrew Koch, Writing Tutor

"And be sure to bring a draft of your paper for next week's class. We're having a peer review day."

(Internal groan)

Peer editing days are like Cincinnati weather: either great or miserable, with not much in between. The right suggestions from classmates about your writing can give you great insights on how to improve your paper, but if you're anything like me, you find bad peer editing can be a real drag.

Bad peer editing comes in many forms, from the hypercritical (red ink dripping from every line) to the unresponsive (a blank expression and a shrug when you ask "So what'd you think?"), and the worst peer editing can make you feel worse about your paper than when you began the session. Many professors have students critique others' works as a way of improving writing, but misguided peer review sessions can turn into time spent either politely nodding and discussing weekend plans and last night's game or (worse) passive-aggressively tearing each other's papers apart. Sometimes a student may not know what kind of advice to give to a classmate, especially if he or she is personally struggling to understand the assignment.

But you don't have to settle for anything less than the best from these sessions! As is the case in many areas in life, you'll get what you give from peer editing. By committing to being a better peer editor, you're helping to improve the peer editing culture and showing your classmate what kind of feedback you're looking for in return. By learning the right questions to ask, your partner and you can both walk away with a better paper and more confidence about the assignment. Here are some ways to help you get the most out of peer editing sessions:

Look at the big picture. A common mistake among editors is putting too much focus on "proofreading" and not enough on the content of a paper. Though it pains me (a grammar nerd) to admit it, good peer editing is about a lot more than policing spelling and punctuation. Rather, good peer editing ensures that a piece of writing, in addition to being grammatically correct, makes sense to the audience and is accomplishing what the assignment asks. Don't be afraid to ask more general questions about the paper and its structure and focus. Is the writer's focus too broad? Too specific? In an argumentative paper, is the writer's main opinion coming through? Are there ways that the writer could be clearer? Does your partner's paper fulfill the assignment's requirements in terms of focus?

Listen to the writer and let him/her guide. See if there's a specific aspect of the paper that your partner is concerned about. While some of your fellow students might not know what they want to improve about their writing/assignment, others will more precisely know how they want to better develop the paper. As a peer editor, your goal is to help the other student improve his or her assignment and writing ability, whatever shape that may take, and your classmate will do the same for you. As tempting as it might seem, this is not a chance for you to show off your intelligence or writing prowess. Remember to stay focused on what your review session partner needs and follow his or her lead.

Read the paper out loud. If you've been to the Writing Center, you're probably familiar with this technique, one of our favorites. It's easy to become bogged down in your own words while writing a piece, but verbally revisiting your words by doing a read through can help you catch content weaknesses and, yes, spelling and grammar mistakes, too, by revisiting your language in a new way. Time permitting, have your partner read his or her paper aloud to you.

Ask questions and be patient. If you're unsure about something in your partner's paper, just ask! Writers love to talk about their writing, and face-to-face communication allows you the opportunity to quickly and efficiently ask questions and get feedback. Don't assume that you understand what a writer is saying - feel free to pick your partner's brain about his or her subject or topic. I've often found that my best ideas come when I'm explaining my paper's subject or my writing assignment to someone else.

Being a better peer editor for someone else can help you focus on your own writing as well. By being a more thoughtful peer editor, you can break the cycle of unproductive and unhelpful peer editing sessions, and everybody will win.

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A Framework for Teaching Students How to Peer Edit

Giving meaningful feedback on a peer’s work doesn’t come naturally to students. Try these tips to help students hone their editing skills.

Too often, asking students to edit each other’s writing results in superficial commentary. Many students are uncertain about how to provide meaningful feedback on a peer’s work. 

One way to make peer review more effective is by scaffolding it, or breaking down the practice into several classes where students critique each other’s work in a more focused, incremental manner. Scaffolding allows students to identify and address a single type of error in an allotted time period. While it is a valuable process for all students, it is especially useful for English-language learners and learning-support students, who benefit from breaking tasks and information into more manageable components. 

Deconstruct Constructive Criticism

Students need to learn how to give and receive criticism in a productive and respectful manner. Before embarking on a class-wide peer review activity, teachers might underscore the importance of responses that are forthright and civil. Mastering the art of giving valuable feedback that doesn’t offend will benefit students in nearly every professional and personal relationship they maintain. 

Start by breaking down the two words: constructive and criticism . What do these words mean by themselves? What synonyms might apply to each word? Ask students to think of examples of ways they might offer constructive criticism on a peer’s writing. They can be as simple as “Remember to capitalize proper nouns” or “Restate your thesis in your final paragraph.” Underscore to students that the criticism must be specific and helpful. “Good job!” doesn’t suffice. Write their responses on one or two poster boards, and place them where students can see them and refer back to them throughout the process. 

Provide samples of criticism for students to emulate. You may want to advise learners to attach positive feedback with constructive criticism. For example, “Your hook poses a good question, but it contains several grammar errors” or “You inserted this quotation correctly.” 

As there is no definitive guide to constructive criticism, teachers and students are encouraged to discuss what constitutes responsible feedback to find a definition and standards that best suit the class.

Set Clear Plans

In the same way that instruction often demands that educators create the assessment first, teachers should prepare for the peer review at the beginning of any writing assignment. A scaffolded peer review can be time-consuming, so consider the length of the writing assignment to be assessed when making a determination about the class time required. 

Before assigning writing, consider what writing skills you want your students to learn, review, or practice. The objectives will vary by class, and they should be articulated to students from the outset. Some teachers may have the class focus on writing an effective thesis, incorporating quotations, or adding in-text citations. In other classes, the objective may be reviewing capitalization or comma usage. Identify the skills that students are expected to practice writing and finding in each other’s papers.

Facilitate the Process

Scaffolding the peer review provides an opportunity for students to read a piece multiple times to assess different elements of writing. First the class reviews the objective as a whole group. Then peer pairs review their individual writing with a focus on the defined learning objective. 

Some students may be reluctant to criticize peers’ work. Consider choosing peer-review partners instead of letting the students pick. This might cut down on students’ being fearful of offending their friends. Also, if the debrief period is generating little discussion, ask students to debrief with their partners as opposed to in front of the class. Give students a set of debrief prompts to focus their discussion, such as “Discuss the corrections you made.” 

Encourage students to refer to the posters regarding constructive criticism examples, especially if someone has given an impolite criticism. 

Debrief as a Class

After the pair reviews, debrief by discussing the findings as a class. The debrief can be an open-ended session in which the teacher encourages students to ask questions and voice misunderstandings about both writing and critiquing. The debrief can also be more structured and incorporate specific questions, such as “What is a challenge an editor or peer reviewer might face?” or “What is one element of your writing you wish to improve upon?” The debrief can also take the form of a small writing assignment, such as a reflective paragraph on the peer review process in which students summarize what they have learned as an editor and proofreader.

We want our students to be proficient writers and thinkers. Reviewing a peer’s work can help young people better understand the often difficult process of writing by challenging them to adopt a dynamic new role as critic.

Peer Edit With Perfection: Effective Strategies

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

Do students' eyes glaze over when they try to edit their own writing? Give them a fresh perspective with peer editing. Students are introduced to a three-step strategy for peer editing, providing (1) compliments, (2) suggestions, and (3) corrections in response to a sample of student writing. They practice these steps in a small-group session and share the results with the class. Then they move to individual editing practice guided by a PowerPoint tutorial and accompanying worksheet. This series of practice activities prepares students to engage in constructive peer editing of classmates' written work on a regular basis.

Featured Resources

• Peer Edit with Perfection! tutorial : Individual students can use the Peer Edit with Perfection! tutorial for a step-by-step practice session on peer editing strategies
• Peer Edit with Perfection! worksheet : The accompanying worksheet provides more practice with the Peer Edit with Perfection! tutorial.

From Theory to Practice

• Writing and revising in the classroom often involves peer discussion, whether in a one-to-one or group setting.
• Editing is an arduous and unwelcome task for many students; peer editing can improve students' interest in and enthusiasm for the revision stage of the writing process.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

• Computers with Internet access and PowerPoint software
• Overhead projector (optional)
• Peer Edit with Perfection! tutorial
• Peer Edit with Perfection! answer key
• Peer Edit with Perfection! handout
• Peer Edit with Perfection! worksheet
• Sample student work-5 points
• Sample student work-4 points

Preparation

Student Objectives

Students will

• Learn the definition of peer editing
• Understand and apply a three-step peer-editing process
• Peer edit sample student writing in a whole-group, small-group, and individual setting
• Use their knowledge of peer editing to develop a peer-editing assessment tool

Peer Editing as a Whole Class

Peer Editing in Small Groups

Individual Peer-Editing Practice

• Have students practice their skills by peer editing a piece written by a classmate. Implement and instill the peer-editing technique by having students edit their classmates' written pieces on a regular basis.
• Have students teach a fellow class to peer edit using the information they learned in this lesson.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Review the Peer Edit with Perfection! worksheets completed during the PowerPoint tutorial. Assess using the answer key .

Start by asking students what they need to remember about the first step—compliments. Guide the class to create one or two checklist items related to compliments. Some ideas might include, "I gave the author of this piece at least two compliments" or "I was specific about what I liked about this piece of writing." Record these student-generated checklist items on the board or on chart paper. Move through the other two steps of peer editing (suggestions and corrections) and generate several other checklist items. Some ideas might include, "I gave the author detailed suggestions about how to improve this piece of writing" or "I marked all the spelling and grammar errors that I saw in this piece of writing." Once students have generated six to seven checklist items, record and type them up. Have students use the checklist as an assessment tool for future peer-editing sessions.

• Strategy Guides
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This strategy guide explains the writing process and offers practical methods for applying it in your classroom to help students become proficient writers.

Students are encouraged to understand a book that the teacher reads aloud to create a new ending for it using the writing process.

While drafting a literary analysis essay (or another type of argument) of their own, students work in pairs to investigate advice for writing conclusions and to analyze conclusions of sample essays. They then draft two conclusions for their essay, select one, and reflect on what they have learned through the process.

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5 Ways to Foster Effective Peer Editing: How to teach peer editing in the ELA classroom

When I teach writing in my classroom, I teach it as a process. Every part of the writing process, from the initial brainstorming to peer editing, is equally important and integrally essential to the final draft. It is also important to know how to teach peer editing in an effective way.

All too often, students flounder when it comes to peer editing essays. Not only is it confusing for students, but they often lack the direction and skills that they need to successfully peer edit a paper. Simply designating a day for either peer editing and giving each student a red pen and free range to check his or her best friend’s paper is not enough.

When it comes to peer editing, students need direction and focus. Here are FIVE ways to make peer editing successful in your class.

How to Teach Peer Editing: 5 Effective Strategies

1. peer edit with mentor sentences.

Peer editing with mentor sentences is a great way to not only teach students how to write correct and effective thesis statements and topic sentences, but it also guides students because they are looking for and correcting or complementing specific aspects of the essay. I like to do this peer editing activity when my students are still outlining their papers. This activity takes about 15 minutes to complete from start to finish, can easily be completed at the end of the class period, and provides students with critical feedback early in the writing process.

To peer edit with mentor sentences, simply write or project a sample thesis statement and topic sentence (one, or one for each body paragraph) on the board. Then have students trade papers and instruct them to peer edit only the thesis statement and topic sentences. Students should use the mentor sentences as a guide to making sure that the thesis statement and topic sentences are accurate and complete. The thesis statement should include information about the topic of the essay, a strong verb, and supporting reasons. Similarly, the topic sentences should include a topic, strong verb, and a clause.

When using this method of peer editing, it helps to color code the mentor sentences. Doing this provides extra support for struggling writers, and it especially helps them understand and identify each part of the thesis or topic sentence.

2. Peer Edit in Different Colors

Students are never too old to work with crayons. I love using crayons in my classroom or essay writing and peer editing. If you are wondering how to teach peer editing, using color-coding strategies is especially helpful.

When peer editing with colors, I like to designate colors for certain parts of the essay. Then, I have my peer editors underline each part of the essay with a certain color. For example, as I get my students to edit, they will underline the thesis statement in red, topic sentence in orange, examples in blue, and commentary in green. From there, they will then look specifically at each part of the essay as designated by its color.

3. Peer Edit with Stations and Rotations

Once I explain the process, we begin the rotation. As students work their way through each rotation, I keep a to-do checklist on the board for my students to follow. Each rotation asks students to peer edit something different in the essay. By doing this, students are very focused and they are editing with a purpose.

The last rotation is a suggesting and complimenting rotation where students must provide thoughtful and helpful suggestions and compliments for the paper. This is especially helpful because it forces the peer reviewer to read with a critical eye, which then strengthens their own writing capabilities. You can purchase this resource HERE .

4. Peer Edit Electronically

If you are fortunate enough to have access to technology or be in a 1:1 digital classroom, you can take peer editing to a whole new level in Google Docs. When I use Google with my students for peer review, I instruct each student to change the editing setting from “editing” to “suggesting.” That way the peer reviewer can type directly in the document without changing the original content.

One of the benefits of peer editing digitally is that students can plug the essay into grammar checking websites like grammarly.com or polishmywriting.com to help them provide meaningful suggestions when it comes to grammar, spelling, and style.

5. Peer Edit with Forms and Rubrics

One of the best and most tried and true ways to help students complete peer editing is by providing them with some sort of checklist, form, or even a rubric. I use my Peer Editing Made Easy forms in my classroom when we don’t have time to run through the rotations. These forms are detailed and provide students with specific information to look for. Plus, there is a peer editing form for all of your writing needs.

When peer editing this way, it is also helpful to provide the peer editors with a copy of the rubric you will use to grade the essays. By doing so, the reviewer is looking specifically at different elements within an essay with a critical eye.

As with any portion of the writing process, I always assign points and a grade for peer editing. Usually, these points are merely participation points, but by doing so, I show the students that I value peer editing as part of the writing process.

This comment has been removed by the author.

It's as if you read my mind and posted this just for me! Today was the typical peer evaluation nightmare. Your post came just when I needed it. Thank you!

Oh no! I'm sorry your peer editing was a nightmare. I've been there before, and it is ROUGH. I hope some of these ideas can help you out next time.

We have gone to Chromebooks and are 1-1, I have been trying peer editing stations and prefer it to just the swapping papers with one student however I have been trying to figure out how to use the stations and not have them print their papers out. I love the idea of using the suggesting but do your students share their paper with certain students at the stations or do they pass their Chromebooks? What have you done and what works best? Thank you.

If you are doing peer editing stations electronically, I would suggest instructing the students to first make a copy of their file and peer edit that one. That way they still have the original if something happens. Then keep all of the Chromebooks stationary, and have the students rotate around. I'm thinking instead of musical chairs, you could do musical Chromebooks…but every students would get one!

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How to Edit Academic Papers for Peers?

While most students do not want to be critical of their classmates, when it comes to proofreading other students essays or term papers it is important to be honest. Boldly tell the students what they have done by using a checklist. Many instructors have checklists for their students to use, but if they do not then create your own or use the following checklist. Remember to show the positive things as well as the negative. Peer proofreading often can help improve a student's grade. Peer editing actually helps the student to learn to be critical so he/she can learn to correct his/her own mistakes.

Peer editing is a student taking time and effort to carefully read the peer's rough draft of an essay or term paper. The student needs to identify any areas that need improvement and show any problems with the thesis statement, evidence, introduction, conclusion, or transitions. Often a student may not be able to see his/her own mistakes because they are too close to their work. A peer can share his/her opinion about the work and help the student to make improvements. Sometimes students do not take serious the critique of his/her peer and the student's grade will show this lack of seriousness because the mistakes will not be corrected. Most students appreciate the time and effort spent by the peer.

Here is a checklist for peers to use when editing or proofreading someone's essay:

· The first step is checking to see if the student has met the requirements of the essay. Has all the instructions been followed?

· Check to see if the margins and spacing is set correctly.

· Does the essay have unity throughout the paragraphs? Did the student use transitions from one paragraph to another?

· Did the student use a hook or an attention-getter? Does the first paragraph lead you to want to read more? Are there any statistics, anecdotes, facts, or examples used to create interest in the essay?

· Is the thesis statement clear? The thesis statement should be like a map telling the reader why the essay is important and what can be expected.

· Did the student support all the main ideas?

· Does the conclusion leave you with a take-away value that leaves you thinking about the essay?

· Has the student used any clichés?

· Does the sentences flow smoothly? Do the paragraphs flow smoothly from one to another?

· Are there any spelling mistakes? Check the dictionary if necessary. Read each word out loud to check for accuracy. Remember there are man words that the spell checker will not find as wrong such as its and it's.

· Did the student make correct citations for any quotations? Did the student use both quotation marks?

· Did the student put his name on the paper?

Use this checklist in doing the peer editing. Check all punctuation, spelling, transitions, and quotations for accuracy. When you think about the time and effort put into editing a peer's essay, think about how you want your essay to be edited. The old saying, “Do to one another as you would have them do to you.” Take time to read the essay out loud. Listen to the sound of the sentences as well as the paragraphs. Check for any mistakes in the punctuation. Let the student know what you think about the topic. Is it interesting? Does it have evidence that supports the thesis? Does the essay seem to lack something?

The editing should include more than just negative comments. It should include positive comments such as: Does the thesis statement make sense? Does the student use transitions between paragraphs? In fact, when using the checklist, do not just put negative comments but add positive comments about what the student has done correctly. Let the student know it is a good topic. Do you like the statistics? What did you think about the anecdotes? What are some positive things the student has done? While making negative comments is important for the student to improve, it is also important to let the student know what he/she has done correctly. Think about how you want to be treated and do the same for your peer.

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5 Peer Editing Strategies That Actually Work For Student Writers

When you ask your students to do peer review of their writing, do they stare at you with puzzled expressions?[…] Continue Reading

When you ask your students to do peer review of their writing, do they stare at you with puzzled expressions? Here are five specific, hands-on approaches to peer conferencing that your students can really sink their teeth into.

Revising and editing a peer’s writing helps students learn to work as a team. It also gives them a fresh perspective on the proofreading process that will help them become more aware as they write and edit their own work. So, how can you make the peer review and editing process engaging, meaningful and fun for students? Here are five ways to get your students excited about peer review that actually work!

Highlighter Markers: 3 Colors Yellow – Mark the first word of each sentence. Questions to think about: Is there variety? Does the writer use transitional words? Are there any sentence fragments or run-ons? Pink – Highlight each adjective. Think about: Is the writing descriptive? Are the adjectives strong and specific? Blue – Highlight each verb. Think about: Are there too many “to be” verbs? Are the verb choices strong?

Students begin by highlighting specifics. Then, remind them to look at the big picture. After highlighting, they can make comparisons and add suggestions about what the student needs to add, adjust or remove. Proofreading will come later. First, they are helping a peer with sentence fluency and word choice—both descriptive language and “showing without telling.”

Teach students about the revision sandwich: compliment, suggest, correct. Remind students that when reviewing someone’s work, always start out by saying what they like about their work. Next, they make a suggestion and converse with their partner. Students ask questions. Then, they make corrections. By working together, they both learn from each other.

Click here for a PDF of the Writing Wheel Checklist.

Revising (The big picture) A dd words and sentences (be descriptive, capture all ideas). R emove words and sentences (be concise). M ove words and sentences (sentence fluency, organization). S ubstitute words and sentences (word choice, voice).

Editing (Conventions) C apitalization U sage (Verbs and nouns—does it make sense?) P unctuation S pelling

To help students with their understanding, say you use your arms and hand to hold your ear to help them remember that when you revise, you want the writing to sound better. If you punch a hole in a cup and look through it, you are using your eyes. This will help them remember that when you edit, you want your writing to look better. Students could even create a telescope made out of a paper cup and call it their Revisoscope! Check out Busy Bee Kids Crafts to see how to construct one. Once students know the difference between revising and editing and have the acronyms memorized, they can jot them down on a Post-it note when checking a peer’s writing. The acronyms will remind students of what to look for and how writing can be improved to make it look and sound better!

Print out Be the Editor task cards for students to use when revising and editing at each station. Students use Zaner-Bloser’s task cards to help them discuss and check one another’s writing! The task cards provide the children with prompts, making editing/revising easier. By concentrating on one writing trait at a time at each station, students will not feel overwhelmed. Along with the task cards, put out highlighters, sticky notes, colored pencils and other writing utensils to keep students interested.

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The power of peer editing: five questions to ask in the review.

You’ve put in the work of researching, reading, writing and revising your paper. You’ve read it out loud and followed the assignment requirements.

You’re going strong, but there’s still another step you need to perfect your paper.

The peer edit.

Utilizing peer review in your writing process may not always be easy. You’re offering the paper that you’ve spent hours on up for critique.

But the peer edit can be so beneficial in enhancing your writing.

We may often think of “peer review” in terms of journal articles that have been analyzed and approved for accuracy. While your paper won’t require that same heightened, professional level of critique, bringing it to one of your peers—whether a classmate, a friend, a mentor—can enhance your research paper greatly.

Here, we share about the importance of incorporating a peer review process for both the author and the reviewer.

What is Peer Review?

A peer review of your research paper is different than the editing process that you go through. Rather than you going through each section, citation, argument in your paper, someone else does. A peer review involves handing it to someone you trust to allow them to read it and provide feedback to help make your paper the best it can be.

This is no small feat. It requires you to be vulnerable about what you’ve written. You need to be willing to accept mistakes you may make and be committed to accepting their suggestions as a way to grow in your writing and academic work.

Why is Peer Review Important?

This stage of the editing process is unique in that pulls in another perspective. Unlike you, your peer editor hasn’t been immersed in reading and research on your paper’s topic. They don’t know for certain what direction your paper will go or what your arguments are.

This new, objective perspective brings great value in revision.

A fresh set of eyes sees issues, gaps, mistakes and clouded arguments that you may have missed or had not thought of.

When your peer editor sits down and sifts through your paper, they provide both positive comments of what’s going well in the paper, as well as opportunities for improvement in areas that may be unclear. Their input helps make your paper better, if you choose to follow their recommendations.

If you’re working with a classmate, trade papers and review each other’s paper. This not only allows you to receive feedback on your paper, but it also develops your skills in providing feedback and looking for specific elements in a paper. You become a better editor. Whether you’re passing your paper off or reviewing a paper, your skills in writing can be greatly enhanced.

Questions to Ask in the Peer Review

In the peer review process, it’s helpful to have a plan of action in addressing the paper. Below are five questions that can help guide the process. Whether you’re the author or the reviewer (or both), these five questions can help focus your attention on key components of the assignment and enhance your skills.

Question 1: Is the Audience and Purpose of the Paper Clearly Established?

As a reviewer, one of the first things you want to be sure to notice in the paper is if you can figure out who the paper is addressing. The audience of the paper should be evident in reference to the topic, the tone of the paper and the type of language used.

For example, if the paper contains a lot of jargon and industry-specific language, you could infer that the audience would be familiar with those terms. If not, you may want to suggest using less jargon or explaining the terms used.

The purpose of the paper should also be very clear and straightforward to you as the new reader. The thesis statement, most often in the introduction, should clearly convey the purpose. But from the opening to the main arguments to the concluding statement, the purpose of the paper should be obvious.

As a peer reviewer, you can help the author determine if both the audience and purpose of the paper are clearly established early on in the paper.

Question 2: Does the Main Point Match the Thesis Statement?

One of the most important sentences in the paper is the author’s thesis statement. The location and type of thesis statement depends on the kind of essay or paper. However, as a general rule, thesis statements should be concise, straightforward and clear in addressing the main argument.

As a new reader, you as the reviewer can provide great insight into the clarity of the thesis.

The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina has a helpful article on crafting the perfect thesis. In this article, they suggest you ask the following questions of the thesis statement:

• Can I find the thesis statement?
• Is the thesis specific enough?
• Does the thesis answer the “so what” question of the paper?
• Does the rest of the paper support the thesis statement?

Peer review can help enhance a thesis statement by noticing gaps or questions in the argument.

Question 3: Does the Paper Flow Well?

When you’re the writer of a paper, you may work in sections. First, you tackle main point A, then move onto B, add in C and finish up with a conclusion.

When you’re a peer reviewer, you’re reading it for the first time all in one glance. With this new perspective, you can more easily identify gaps, questions and concerns in the structure of the paper.

Does point A leap to point B leaving little to hold on to? Note that the author should include a better transition. Are you left wondering what point C has to do with point A? Highlight the need for a better connection between main points.

With an objective, outside perspective, you can help the author improve the flow and clarity of their paper to communicate most effectively.

Question 4: What Areas Need Additional Description?

As a reviewer of a paper, you want to fully understand the content you’re reading. And when you come across a section that you’re left wondering what’s going on, it can be frustrating.

An important question to ask as you review a paper is if each section contains sufficient description and detail to add value to the paper. Notice those areas that come across as too vague and uninteresting. Highlighting the desire for more information encourages the author to add clarity and enhance their ability to communicate effectively.

Question 5: Do you notice any grammar or word choice mistakes?

While this final question may be the most obvious, you want to help your author out by pointing out those grammar and word choice errors that she may have missed.

• Is there an extra comma?
• Does she have subject-verb agreement in all sentences?
• Are most of the sentences in active voice?
• Did they incorrectly cite their source?
• Is there an extra tab in their reference page?

Being on the lookout for these types of errors can also help you as the reviewer to refresh your skills in grammar, punctuation, paragraphs and APA Style.

Incorporating a peer review process in finalizing a paper is immensely beneficial for both the author and the reviewer. Each elevates their writing skills. The author is more confident in the paper she submits and the reviewer grows in her editing ability.

Be Supported as You Pursue Your Goals

PGS offers numerous academic support resources to equip you to succeed in your degree program, whether that’s in writing a paper or other assignments. Visit our academic support web page to discover more essential tools.

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Ellie Walburg

Ellie Walburg (B.S.’17, M.B.A.’20) serves as the admissions communications coordinator for Cornerstone University’s Professional & Graduate Studies division.

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Six Tips for Editing Other People’s Writing

By Erin Wright

1. Ask the writer what he or she expects from you.

• Should you offer constructive criticism on content, tone, or style?
• Should you limit your edit to grammatical errors and typos?
• Do you need to analyze the layout, graphics, or other aesthetics?

2. Agree upon the details.

• What is the method of editing (i.e., print versus digital)?
• How many rounds of editing does the writer expect?
• What is the time frame for each round of editing?

3. Notify the writer of every edit.

Use handwritten marks, strikethroughs (e.g., your you’re), or digital editing tools (e.g., Microsoft Word Track Changes ) to let the writer know about every change or edit—no matter how small. Undocumented edits can cause many unforeseen problems.

4. Buffer concerns with gentle suggestions or questions.

• “This sentence may confuse readers. Consider rephrasing this to say…”
• “The language here may be a bit harsh. How about…?”
• “The description on this page doesn’t match the description on the previous page. Could this be an oversight?”

5. Provide straightforward grammatical edits.

Extra comments, such as “This is misspelled” or “This is wrong,” will probably put the writer on the defensive; instead, verbally offer to explain any changes that the writer doesn’t understand.

• Their There were a lot of people at Lollapalooza this year!
• The little girl sent a birthday card to her Grandma grandma .
• My friend and me I went to the new outlet mall.

6. Suggest a professional editor for work-related material or creative content meant for publication.

Not only do professional editors provide grammatical know-how, but we can also offer advice and opinions without emotional attachment.

Looking for more editing advice? Here are my past editing posts, just in case you missed them:

Editing Tips for Very Short Documents

Five Editing Tips and the Document Death Spiral

How Many Rounds of Editing Are Enough?

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Argumentative Essay Peer-Editing Checklist

I use the below checklist with my students so they can improve the drafts of their argumentative essays . Feel free to use it (or edit it as long as you don't redistribute it) if you find it useful for your class.  Note that there are APA-related questions.

There are two pages. The first page is for the prepared students who brought an essay draft to class to show their partners. The second page is for unprepared students who only have their essay in their heads (it's a verbal exercise). If your students are all prepared, then you can disregard the second page.

Peer-review Checklist Preview

Argumentative Essay Draft Peer-Editing Checklist

Pair-work : Answer the below questions based on your partner’s essay.

• The essay has a clear thesis statement presenting its stance at the end of the introduction paragraph. (YES/NO) If YES, write the essay’s thesis statement below:
• The essay presents a counter-argument to the author’s stance. (YES/NO) If YES, write the counter-argument points below:
• Can you easily find a refutation or response to each of the above points?

Point A: (YES/NO)

Point B: (YES/NO)

(Point C: (YES/NO))

• If YES, is the refutation persuasive? (YES/Somewhat/No)
• Does the essay ignore any obvious counter-arguments? (YES/NO) (Answer should be NO)
• Do the regular body paragraphs begin with a clear topic sentence that states the overall topic of the paragraph? (Example topic sentence: “ Furthermore, outsourcing can reduce company costs .” < If this were the topic sentence, then the whole paragraph would be about reducing costs.) (YES/NO)
• Does each paragraph have at least three sentences? (YES/NO)

If time allows…

• Does each in-text citation contain the author’s last name and the year of publication? (YES/NO)
• Count the number of authors cited. Do all of these authors appear in the References? (YES/NO)
• Are there any non-cited authors in the References? (YES/NO) (Answer should be NO)
• Are the References entries listed in alphabetical order?
• Do all sources accessed online have a DOI or URL?
• Are the sentences clear? Highlight the sentences you don’t understand.

Research Essay Worksheet – Verbal Explanation (Essay draft not Ready)

Part 1 (Pair Work) : Stance, Counter-argument, and Refutation

Present the below points to your partner about your essay. You do not need to write anything–explain it as clearly as possible verbally.

Stance/Thesis

• My essay argues that ….

Counter-argument

• Critics of this view argue that (1) ….
• Some people also might argue that (2) ….

Refutation/Response

• Point #1 is not (completely) true because ….
• Point #2 is not (completely) true because ….

Part 2 : Once finished, give feedback to each other. Consider the following points:

• Are the most obvious counter-arguments mentioned?
• Does the refutation address the specific points of the counter-argument?
• Is the refutation convincing

Part 3 : (Time Permitting) Verification of peer-reviewed sources

Paste a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources that you plan to use below.

Confirm with your partner that these sources are peer-reviewed, i.e. journal articles or published books.

Best of luck with your classes.

-- Peer-editing worksheet created by Matthew Barton (copyright) for Englishcurrent.com

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Simple Ways for Effective Peer Editing

By Helly Douglas

Does your class groan when you mention editing their work? Students can find it difficult to change their writing. Once their first draft is complete, they are desperate to move on to something new. As teachers, it’s hard to make them value and enjoy the process of proof-reading and editing.

Peer editing is an important part of formative assessment that allows students to support each other. It can reduce your workload and encourage learners to take responsibility for their work.

What Is Peer Editing?

Why use peer editing, how to include peer editing in your classroom, building peer relationships, final thoughts.

Good peer editing goes much further than a simple spell check at the end of a piece of writing. It's a process. Students work with a partner to read and refine their work.

Learners find it hard to hear that their writing needs improving. Making it a collaborative process allows them to hear an honest opinion from a friend. They can then help their partner with the same process.

If students find peer editing difficult, why do we bother teaching it? Well, editing is an important shift towards understanding that writing doesn’t end with a first draft.

Peer editing helps learners take ownership of their work. They improve it independently, without relying on you to tell them what to do. This is a big reduction in teacher workload and removes the bottleneck feeling where every student waits to receive individual feedback from you.

When writing, two heads are better than one. A collaborative practice helps children see their work from a different perspective. They can make changes to improve clarity and meaning.

Embed peer editing within the writing process, don’t treat it as an add-on. Make it an integral part of writing by building in enough time. Don’t expect your students to know automatically what you expect. Dedicate time for the direct teaching and modeling of peer editing skills.

Use high-quality examples, called ‘What a Good One Looks Like’ (known as WAGOLLs ) to let your learners see what you are expecting. Annotate and unpick the successful features of a WAGOLL as a class and discuss how they could apply this to their own writing.

Most professional writers finish a first draft then leave it for as long as possible. When they edit their work, they are looking at it with fresh eyes. Try this technique with your learners by separating out the writing and editing sections, interleaving it with a different project.

Peer Editing Techniques

Often students find editing a boring process, but it really doesn’t have to be. Simple changes can make it feel fun.

Why not try:

• Letting students use colored sticky notes to write their edits
• Displaying work on a visualizer or photocopying for the class to see
• Using colored highlighters and pens to show the changes
• Editing via email
• Using an online editor such as ProWritingAid

Successful peer editing needs a clear purpose, or it can feel overwhelming. Don’t change too much at once. Ask yourself, what is the most important thing I want my students to develop? Decide as a class your criteria for success.

Editing is a difficult process, so value the changes and make use of them. Display pre- and post-edited work on a wall display or in a class book or blog. This shows that time spent editing has a purpose.

Start with Proofreading

Often students are distracted by simple grammatical and spelling mistakes. This stops them seeing wider changes they could make.

Try using these simple tips with your class for effective proofreading:

• Read work aloud to their partner
• Use a dictionary to self-correct spellings
• Provide a word mat of technical vocabulary needed
• Ask partners to read their work
• Check the tense of the piece remains consistent

Give them a set amount of time to correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar before moving on to developmental changes.

Developmental Editing

After proofreading, your students will be less distracted by obvious errors. Use questions to help your learners find positives and developmental areas to work on.

Key questions to ask:

• Does each paragraph make sense?
• Are my paragraphs in the right order?
• Which points are unclear or not detailed enough?
• Have I achieved the success criteria?

Give your students a template or guide to help them with editing. Sentence starters can help students who struggle to know what to say to their partner.

Peer editing can often fill students with dread. Showing your work to someone else is an intensely personal experience and needs treating with sensitivity.

To find the best partnerships:

• Put struggling learners with middle-ability students
• Partner your highest achieving students with secure middle-ability students
• Avoid placing best friends together unless you know they will work well
• Allow time to build a relationship
• Set clear expectations and rules to make sure peers are supportive of each other

Choose your peer editing partners wisely. Each partnership needs to be supportive but also effective.

Mark Gardner, writing in Edutopia , uses the acronym SPARK to help students understand what quality feedback looks like:

• Specific : Link comments to a discrete word, phrase, or sentence
• Prescriptive : They offer a solution or strategy
• Actionable : Students know what steps to take to improve
• Referenced : The feedback directly links to the task criteria
• Kind : Frame comments in a supportive way

You can’t achieve successful peer editing overnight. Learners need to be taught how to give and receive feedback in a supportive way. Using WAGOLLs, writing frames and sentences starters will help them know what to say to their partner.

Peer editing can be an enjoyable experience by building positive relationships and valuing the time spent making changes. For teachers, peer editing offers huge potential for workload reduction and encourages students to become independent.

It must be more than a bolt-on and requires time to embed, but the results in your classroom will be well worth your efforts.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Helly Douglas

Helly Douglas is a UK writer and teacher, specialising in education, children, and parenting. She loves making the complex seem simple through blogs, articles, and curriculum content. You can check out her work at hellydouglas.com or connect on Twitter @hellydouglas. When she’s not writing, you will find her in a classroom, being a mum or battling against the wilderness of her garden—the garden is winning!

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15 Tips for Writing, Proofreading, and Editing Your College Essay

What’s covered:, our checklist for writing, proofreading, and editing your essay, where to get your college essays edited.

Your college essay is more than just a writing assignment—it’s your biggest opportunity to showcase the person behind your GPA, test scores, and extracurricular activities. In many ways, it’s the best chance you have to present yourself as a living, breathing, and thoughtful individual to the admissions committee.

Unlike test scores, which can feel impersonal, a well-crafted essay brings color to your application, offering a glimpse into your passions, personality, and potential. Whether you’re an aspiring engineer or an artist, your college essay can set you apart, making it essential that you give it your best.

1. Does the essay address the selected topic or prompt?

Focus on responding directly and thoughtfully to the prompt. If the question asks about your reasons for choosing a specific program or your future aspirations, ensure that your essay revolves around these themes. Tailor your narrative to the prompt, using personal experiences and reflections that reinforce your points.

• Respond directly to the prompt: It’s imperative that you thoughtfully craft your responses so that the exact themes in the prompt are directly addressed. Each essay has a specific prompt that serves a specific purpose, and your response should be tailored in a way that meets that objective.
• Focus: Regardless of what the prompt is about—be it personal experiences, academic achievements, or an opinion on an issue—you must keep the focus of the response on the topic of the prompt .

2. Is the college essay well organized?

An essay with a clear structure is easier to follow and is more impactful. Consider organizing your story chronologically, or use a thematic approach to convey your message. Each paragraph should transition smoothly to the next, maintaining a natural flow of ideas. A well-organized essay is not only easier for the reader to follow, but it can also aid your narrative flow. Logically structured essays can guide the reader through complex and hectic sequences of events in your essay. There are some key factors involved in good structuring:

• A strong hook: Start with a sentence or a paragraph that can grab the attention of the reader. For example, consider using a vivid description of an event to do this.
• Maintain a thematic structure: Maintaining a thematic structure involves organizing your response around a central theme, allowing you to connect diverse points of your essay into a cohesive centralized response.
• Transitioning: Each paragraph should clearly flow into the next, maintaining continuity and coherence in narrative.

3. Include supporting details, examples, and anecdotes.

Enhance your narrative with specific details, vivid examples, and engaging anecdotes. This approach brings your story to life, making it more compelling and relatable. It helps the reader visualize your experiences and understand your perspectives.

4. Show your voice and personality.

Does your personality come through? Does your essay sound like you? Since this is a reflection of you, your essay needs to show who you are.

For example, avoid using vocabulary you wouldn’t normally use—such as “utilize” in place of “use”—because you may come off as phony or disingenuous, and that won’t impress colleges.

5. Does your essay show that you’re a good candidate for admission?

Your essay should demonstrate not only your academic strengths. but also the ways in which your personal qualities align with the specific character and values of the school you’re applying to . While attributes like intelligence and collaboration are universally valued, tailor your essay to reflect aspects that are uniquely esteemed at each particular institution.

For instance, if you’re applying to Dartmouth, you might emphasize your appreciation for, and alignment with, the school’s strong sense of tradition and community. This approach shows a deeper understanding of and a genuine connection to the school, beyond its surface-level attributes.

6. Do you stick to the topic?

Your essay should focus on the topic at hand, weaving your insights, experiences, and perspectives into a cohesive narrative, rather than a disjointed list of thoughts or accomplishments. It’s important to avoid straying into irrelevant details that don’t support your main theme. Instead of simply listing achievements or experiences, integrate them into a narrative that highlights your development, insights, or learning journey.

Example with tangent:

“My interest in performing arts began when I was five. That was also the year I lost my first tooth, which set off a whole year of ‘firsts.’ My first play was The Sound of Music.”

Revised example:

“My interest in performing arts began when I was five, marked by my debut performance in ‘The Sound of Music.’ This experience was the first step in my journey of exploring and loving the stage.”

7. Align your response with the prompt.

Before finalizing your essay, revisit the prompt. Have you addressed all aspects of the question? Make sure your essay aligns with the prompt’s requirements, both in content and spirit. Familiarize yourself with common college essay archetypes, such as the Extracurricular Essay, Diversity Essay, Community Essay, “Why This Major” Essay (and a variant for those who are undecided), and “Why This College” Essay. We have specific guides for each, offering tailored advice and examples:

• Extracurricular Essay Guide
• Diversity Essay Guide
• Community Essay Guide
• “Why This Major” Essay Guide
• “Why This College” Essay Guide
• Overcoming Challenges Essay Guide
• Political/Global Issues Essay Guide

While these guides provide a framework for each archetype, respectively, remember to infuse your voice and unique experiences into your essay to stand out!

8. Do you vary your sentence structure?

Varying sentence structure, including the length of sentences, is crucial to keep your writing dynamic and engaging. A mix of short, punchy sentences and longer, more descriptive ones can create a rhythm that makes your essay more enjoyable to read. This variation helps maintain the reader’s interest and allows for more nuanced expression.

Original example with monotonous structure:

“I had been waiting for the right time to broach the topic of her health problem, which had been weighing on my mind heavily ever since I first heard about it. I had gone through something similar, and I thought sharing my experience might help.”

Revised example illustrating varied structure:

“I waited for the right moment to discuss her health. The issue had occupied my thoughts for weeks. Having faced similar challenges, I felt that sharing my experience might offer her some comfort.”

In this revised example, the sentences vary in length and structure, moving from shorter, more impactful statements to longer, more descriptive ones. This variation helps to keep the reader’s attention and allows for a more engaging narrative flow.

9. Revisit your essay after a break.

• Give yourself time: After completing a draft of your essay, step away from it for a day or two. This break can clear your mind and reduce your attachment to specific phrases or ideas.
• Fresh perspective: When you come back to your essay, you’ll likely find that you can view your work with fresh eyes. This distance can help you spot inconsistencies, unclear passages, or stylistic issues that you might have missed earlier.
• Enhanced objectivity: Distance not only aids in identifying grammatical errors or typos, but it also allows you to assess the effectiveness of your argument or narrative more objectively. Does the essay really convey what you intended? Are there better examples or stronger pieces of evidence you could use?
• Refine and polish: Use this opportunity to fine-tune your language, adjust the flow, and ensure that your essay truly reflects your voice and message.

Incorporating this tip into your writing process can significantly improve the quality and effectiveness of your college essay.

10. Choose an ideal writing environment.

By identifying and consistently utilizing an ideal writing environment, you can enhance both the enjoyment and effectiveness of your essay-writing process.

• Discover your productive spaces: Different environments can dramatically affect your ability to think and write effectively. Some people find inspiration in the quiet of a library or their room, while others thrive in the lively atmosphere of a coffee shop or park.
• Experiment with settings: If you’re unsure what works best for you, try writing in various places. Notice how each setting affects your concentration, creativity, and mood.
• Consider comfort and distractions: Make sure your chosen spot is comfortable enough for long writing sessions, but also free from distracting elements that could hinder your focus.
• Time of day matters: Pay attention to the time of day when you’re most productive. Some write best in the early morning’s tranquility, while others find their creative peak during nighttime hours.

11. Are all words spelled correctly?

While spell checkers are a helpful tool, they aren’t infallible. It’s crucial to read over your essay meticulously, possibly even aloud, to catch any spelling errors. Reading aloud can help you notice mistakes that your eyes might skip over when reading silently. Be particularly attentive to words that spellcheck might not catch, such as proper nouns, technical jargon, or homophones (e.g., “there” vs. “their”). Attention to detail in spelling reflects your care and precision, both of which are qualities that admissions committees value.

12. Do you use proper punctuation and capitalization?

Correct punctuation and capitalization are key to conveying your message clearly and professionally . A common mistake in writing is the misuse of commas, particularly in complex sentences.

Example of a misused comma:

Incorrect: “I had an epiphany, I was using commas incorrectly.”

In this example, the comma is used incorrectly to join two independent clauses. This is known as a comma splice. It creates a run-on sentence, which can confuse the reader and disrupt the flow of your writing.

Corrected versions:

Correct: “I had an epiphany: I was using commas incorrectly.”

Correct: “I had an epiphany; I was using commas incorrectly.”

Correct: “I had an epiphany—I was using commas incorrectly.”

Correct: “I had an epiphany. I was using commas incorrectly.”

The corrections separate the two clauses with more appropriate punctuation. Colons, semicolons, em dashes, and periods can all be used in this context, though periods may create awkwardly short sentences.

These punctuation choices are appropriate because the second clause explains or provides an example of the first, creating a clear and effective sentence structure. The correct use of punctuation helps maintain the clarity and coherence of your writing, ensuring that your ideas are communicated effectively.

13. Do you abide by the word count?

Staying within the word count is crucial in demonstrating your ability to communicate ideas concisely and effectively. Here are some strategies to help reduce your word count if you find yourself going over the prescribed limits:

• Eliminate repetitive statements: Avoid saying the same thing in different ways. Focus on presenting each idea clearly and concisely.
• Use adjectives judiciously: While descriptive words can add detail, using too many can make your writing feel cluttered and overwrought. Choose adjectives that add real value.
• Remove unnecessary details: If a detail doesn’t support or enhance your main point, consider cutting it. Focus on what’s essential to your narrative or argument.
• Shorten long sentences: Long, run-on sentences can be hard to follow and often contain unnecessary words. Reading your essay aloud can help you identify sentences that are too lengthy or cumbersome. If you’re out of breath before finishing a sentence, it’s likely too long.
• Ensure each sentence adds something new: Every sentence should provide new information or insight. Avoid filler or redundant sentences that don’t contribute to your overall message.

14. Proofread meticulously.

Implementing a thorough and methodical proofreading process can significantly elevate the quality of your essay, ensuring that it’s free of errors and flows smoothly.

• Detailed review: After addressing bigger structural and content issues, focus on proofreading for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. This step is crucial for polishing your essay and making sure it’s presented professionally.
• Different techniques: Employ various techniques to catch mistakes. For example, read your essay backward, starting from the last sentence and working your way to the beginning. This method can help you focus on individual sentences and words, rather than getting caught up in the content.
• Read aloud: As mentioned before, reading your essay aloud is another effective technique. Hearing the words can help identify awkward phrasing, run-on sentences, and other issues that might not be as obvious when reading silently.

15. Utilize external feedback.

While self-editing is crucial, external feedback can provide new perspectives and ideas that enhance your writing in unexpected ways. This collaborative process can help you keep your essay error-free and can also help make it resonate with a broader audience.

• Fresh perspectives: Have a trusted teacher, mentor, peer, or family member review your drafts. Each person can offer unique insights and perspectives on your essay’s content, structure, and style.
• Identify blind spots: We often become too close to our writing to see its flaws or areas that might be unclear to others. External reviewers can help identify these blind spots.
• Constructive criticism: Encourage your reviewers to provide honest, constructive feedback. While it’s important to stay true to your voice and story, be open to suggestions that could strengthen your essay.
• Diverse viewpoints: Different people will focus on different aspects of your writing. For example, a teacher might concentrate on your essay’s structure and academic tone, while a peer might provide insights into how engaging and relatable your narrative is.
• Incorporate feedback judiciously: Use the feedback to refine your essay, but remember that the final decision on any changes rests with you. It’s your story and your voice that ultimately need to come through clearly.

When it comes to refining your college essays, getting external feedback is crucial. Our free Peer Essay Review tool allows you to receive constructive criticism from other students, providing fresh perspectives that can help you see your work in a new light. This peer review process is invaluable and can help you both identify areas for improvement and gain different viewpoints on your writing.

For more tailored expert advice, consider the guidance of a CollegeVine advisor . Our advisors, experienced in the college admissions process, offer specialized reviews to enhance your essays. Their insights into what top schools are looking for can elevate your narrative, ensuring that your application stands out. Whether it’s through fine-tuning your grammar or enriching your story’s appeal, our experts’ experience and expertise can significantly increase your likelihood of admission to your dream school!

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