Writer:

Evaluator:

Meeting Time:

1. Does the essay properly define and present its subject? How could it do this more clearly? Does the writer use comparison, denotation, or example to accomplish this? How could these elements help?

 

 

 

2. Are the causes that the writer gives specific? Are they clear enough that you can understand the subject? Could you now explain this subject with ease to someone else? What would you need to do so?

 

 

 

3. Does the writer argue that the causes are likely or plausible? Are any of the causes completely definitive and unarguable? How are these type of causes problematic for a good C&E essay?

 

 

 

4. Does the writer use a range of support? How many individual examples of facts, statistics, examples, expert testimony and anecdotes can you account for? Which of these does the writer include more of?

 

 

 

5. Does the writer examine both obvious and hidden causes? Which are more effective? How can you distinguish between the two?

 

 

 

6. As the audience of this paper, do you feel completely convinced that the proposed causes are plausible? What kind of support do you need to be convinced? What evidence that the writer has given seems flawed?

 

 

7. Is the argument coherent, logical, and authoritative? Which is it most? Least? How can you improve the one that is most lacking?

 

8. If you are opposed to the writer’s POV, do you feel the writer understands and respects you? If unopposed, do you feel curious and stimulated by the subject? What does the writer need to improve on to help this?

 

 

 

9. Is the subject of the essay a trend or phenomenon? A fad or fluctuation? How do you determine the difference? What explicit evidence does the writer give to prove this? Is the evidence enough to make you 100% sure? What is it still lacking?

 

 

 

10. Has the writer addressed you objections? What ones were not addressed? Were the ones that were addressed the most important ones? How did this make you feel about the writer’s expertise?

 

 

 

11. Was the support properly documented, or was a casual argument predominant? How did this effect the essay? Were the sources that were documented believable? Would you consider them expert sources? Why?

 

 

 

12. What parts of the essay flowed best for you? At which points did you get stuck? How could you fix these points?

 

 

 

13. Were any the facts or observations surprising or intriguing to you? What were they? Why do you think they drew you in? How could the writer use more things like this to improve the essay?

 

 

 

14. When you finished the essay, how did you feel? What do you think evoked this emotion? Considering the writer’s intent, do you think this is the reaction they wanted to elicit? How could they have gotten exactly the reaction they wanted? You may wish to ask them what reaction they wanted, exactly?