If your overall judgment seems too indecisive or too extreme (overly positive or overly negative), you may need to clarify your thesis or qualify it more carefully.

If you could not find where your overall judgment is stated, you may not have an arguable, limited, and sharply-focused thesis. Readers will expect to know what your judgment is.

4. If you have answered "yes" to these questions, write your thesis (within which a judgment is asserted) as it appears in your essay:

If the answer is no, go on to Stage Two, but when you have completed the self-assessment, revisit this question and work on developing your thesis more fully. Then write the revised version here:

Stage Two:

1. Read through your essay draft and number each paragraph in the left-hand margin (1, 2, 3, etc.)

2. Read through your essay again and, as you do, make notes on it just as you would make notes on your readings:

A. In the right-hand margin, in one sentence summarize each paragraph. If you can not do this, it is possible that the paragraph is not focused enough.

B. Underline the sentence containing the main point of each paragraph. Most paragraphs are organized around a main point and as in the case of evaluative writing, each paragraph can be organized using an appropriate reason backing up your overall judgment.

C. In the left-hand margin, rather than write what you are saying in each paragraph, write what the paragraph is doing. For example, is the paragraph summarizing the author’s purpose for writing the article, or is the paragraph discussing how the author makes his/her points? Perhaps the paragraph explains why you like or dislike the article and provides sub-support details (textual evidence in the form of quotations, paraphrases, or summaries) to back up your assertions.

D. Within each paragraph, highlight summary-type (using a yellow marker) and judgment-type sentences (using a pink marker).

Stage Three:

Now that you have re-seen your essay, you are almost ready to revise it. First, make some notes right on this page.

1. Review the notes in your right-hand margin. Does each summary match your topic sentences in each paragraph?

Does each paragraph have a topic sentence or an implied one?

If not, what paragraphs do you need to change and how will you change them- perhaps by adding a topic sentence, changing the one you have, combining two or more paragraphs?

Is there anywhere in the essay in which you can improve your transitions from old information to new?

Mark your paragraphs in some way to remind yourself if you need to make some changes.

2. Review your right-hand margin notes. Is each topic sentence developed and supported by the paragraph’s details and examples?

If not, where should you add supporting explanations?

Where should you delete any unrelated details?

Are the reasons appropriate for judging articles or books?_________________________ Put another way, does your argument employ standards commonly used for judging articles or books? For example, an accepted standard for judging articles or books is if the writer has achieved his/her intended purpose or if the writer presents a compelling, credible argument.

3. Review your highlighted sentences indicating summary or judgment. Since you are writing to your classmates (the intended audience in this case), you can assume that they know what the article is about, but you can not assume that they know what you think about the article and why. Therefore, you should take care that you summarize sufficiently so your readers can appreciate your judgment. Is there any unnecessary or repetitive summary that you can delete? If so, where? Note it here.

Should you add more judgment? If so, where? Note it here.

Mark your paragraphs in some way to remind yourself if you need to make some changes.

4. Go through and highlight the direct quotes you use in your paper and make sure of the following:

A. Does each quote support your overall judgment?

B. Have you introduced these quotes with a signal phrase, hence smoothly integrating them into your own ideas?

5. Where is the counter-argument and what is its purpose? To acknowledge, to accommodate, to refute readers’ objections, questions, or alternative judgments?

Bracket the part of the essay containing the counter-argument.

Is the counter argument strong (not superficial or dismissive)?

If not, how can you strengthen it? Note it here.

Make some notes to remind yourself if you need to make some changes.

Stage IV:

Go back and revise your essay with all of the answers to these questions in mind so that in your next revision you can answer "yes!" to all of these questions.

Grading Form for Essay One: (Instructor's version)

1. The writer asserts a clear and strong judgment adequately supported by specific details from the text and from personal experience, resulting in a well-supported, compelling argument. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

2. The writer applies appropriate standards of evaluation suitable to the personal experience scholarly genre. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

3. The writer uses enough summary so that readers can understand the judgment (and not to the extent that it overshadows the judgment).0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

4. The writer, presenting a reasonable tone, addresses and refutes the counter-argument, all the while not waffling on the issue.0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

5. The writer has coherently and logically organized his/her ideas supported by apt reasons and well-chosen examples, 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

6. The writer makes a thoughtful and in-depth evaluation. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

7. Essay meets the 4-5 page length requirement, follows MLA documentation and format (Hacker 371-377), and smoothly integrates quotes, summaries, and paraphrases into the essay (Hacker 334-340). 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

8. In-class self-assessment workshop is thoughtfully completed. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

9. Essay is critically read by at least two readers during the in-class middle draft peer workshop. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

10. Essay is generally free from errors in mechanics, usage, and sentence structure. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

______ points out of 220 points = ______