Use this exercise to focus on the paragraph as a discrete unit. Consider the following questions and comment on them as you review your peers' paragraphs:
1. Read through the paragraph in its entirety, making surface revisions as you see fit.
2. Determine what kind of paragraph this is. As you review the paragraph, comment and provide suggestions for improvement.
If an intro paragraph:
- underline the thesis statement and comment on it. Is it an argument? How do you know?
If a body paragraph:
- comment of the flow of the paragraph. Consider the entry point of the author. Does it make sense?
- underline the main idea
- comment on the unity of the paragraph: do all of the sentences in the paragraph either provide evidence or interpret that evidence as it reinforces the topic?
- does the paragraph contain a concluding sentence? if not, suggest a sentence that helps direct the reader back to the main idea of the paragraph without repeating the topic sentence.
If a concluding paragraph:
- underline the main idea
- comment on how the author appears to move from a focused point to something larger
- does the paragraph make sense and finish strong?
3. Review the quotations in the paragraph.
- if the paragraph contains no quotations, suggest places where they might be helpful.
- look for drop quotes: If any quotations are complete sentences in themselves, select the key phrase from within that sentence, then revise to include that phrase as part of your own sentence.
- check citations: Are all quotations cited correctly using MLA formatting for parentheticals?
- check punctuation: Is punctuation for quotations correct?
4. Write at least one specific, constructive (positive) comment about the paragraph, being sure to include a "because" phrase: "This is a great phrase because..."
5. Write your initials on the top of the strip of paper, refold the paragraph, and bring it back to the front of the room. Grab another, and start the process again.
