Conference On Analytical

Evaluating Your Writing Writer _____________________________ Date _________________Period ______

Conferrer _______________________________

First Do the following: 1) Underline your thesis statement, label in the left margin “Thesis”. 2) Underline the topic sentence for each paragraph. 3) Double underline the introduction to each quote. 4) Highlight the explication of each quote. The explication is your explanation as to what the quote offers in terms of making your point. Occasionally it comes before a quote, but usually it comes afterwards. The best way to improve your paper is to read it aloud to your partner. Then to discuss the following (if you REALLY can’t read your paper aloud, then it is less helpful to you, but ok to exchange papers): Explain what you tried to explain in this paper. What kind of analysis is your paper meant to be?

Does the essay follow from the thesis statement?

Do the essay prove the thesis? How clear are the arguments? After reading the essay could a reasonable person argue with what is written? Does each body paragraph have a clear topic sentence? Is the content of each body paragraph introduced by the topic sentence?

Is text used to support the author’s arguments? Are quotes used properly?

What aspect of your essay needs the most work? What exactly needs to be done to improve on this?

What grade will this essay earn? How would you explain that grade?

Zartler 2008