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...Home > Resources > Resource Exchange > Writing > Critiques > Writing Critique

Writing Critique

Contributed by Bart Johnson, Landscape Architecture

One of the essential ingredients of good research is the ability to communicate clearly and concisely through whatever media you use. Writing is usually the prime mode of communication, or at the least an essential component. Every writer can improve his/her writing style and everyone can benefit from thoughtful critique. In this exercise, we ask you to help each other by critiquing the papers you have exchanged, not only for content, but for composition and style using critieria described in Strunk and White, chapter 2, Elementary Principles of Composition. Be sure to read over chapter 2 carefully and then critique the paper you have received for Strunk and White items 12-18, using the form on this page.

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Writing Critique of Assignment 1

Your Name:
Classmate's Name:
Article Title:

A. Please rate the paper you have read for the following criteria on a scale of 1-5 where five means it has been accomplished with true excellence, and one means they have a lot of work to do. Then provide a few comments in the space provided for each item to suggest to the writer how or where they might improve their work. It will be helpful to the writer if you would also indicate in the text several examples of where writing could be improved by underlining, highlighting, or otherwise indicating the text and providing the number of the issue (i.e., 12-18).

12. Choose a suitable design and hold to it. 1 2 3 4 5
Comments:

13. Make the paragraph the unit of composition. 1 2 3 4 5
Comments:

14. Use the active voice. 1 2 3 4 5
Comments:

15. Put statements in positive form. 1 2 3 4 5
Comments:

16. Use definite, specific, concrete language. 1 2 3 4 5
Comments:

17. Omit needless words. 1 2 3 4 5
Comments:

18. Avoid a succession of loose sentences. 1 2 3 4 5
Comments:

B. Now provide feedback to the author on the overall readability of their paper: Was it clear? How engaging or interesting did you find their critique? What worked well and what did not? Use an additional sheet of paper if necessary.

 

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