Learning how to evaluate other people's essays is an extremely useful way to improve your own writing skills. You will write a one or two page commentary on another student's paper, in which you evaluate how well it meets the requirements of a good written assignment:

Does it cover all aspects of the assignment?

Are its points clearly stated?

Does it have an introduction and a conclusion that highlight the main points of the paper?

Are its points well supported by evidence?

Do they follow in a logical order?

Does the paper flow easily from beginning to end, point to point?

Are there some original and interesting thoughts?

In this assignment you can write brief comments on the paper as you read it. These should address specific questions and issues, and should be very brief. Then you need to write one or two pages of review, which address the questions above, as well as the specifics of this particular assignment. Follow these steps:

1) Reread the directions for assignment 4 and then read your review paper carefully all the way through before making any comments.

2) Check if the paper covers all aspects of the assignment: did they include copies of their two ads showing non-western people? Did they explain the relationships between non-westerners and westerners as portrayed in the ads? Did they compare the two ads and discuss the use of stereotypes and relationships of power? Did they indicate the possible audience for the ads? Did they discuss what these ads might say about globalization?

3) Check to see if they have included an introduction and a conclusion, which refer to or build on the points they cover in their paper.

4) Decide if the points that the author makes are clearly stated (can you identify and understand them?). Do they have many grammatical or spelling errors that make the paper difficult to follow?

5) Does the organization of the paper make sense or do the points the author makes seem choppy and unconnected?

6) Summarize your comments and give constructive suggestions for how the author might improve their paper in terms of the criteria above. Where do they need to be more clear? How could they better organize their argument? What do they need to address in order to complete the assignment. Also be sure to note any particularly interesting points the author makes which demonstrate original or creative thought!

Remember - it is easy to find fault, but your job is also to praise the positive things you find in the paper. Be kind and constructive! Remember what it feels like to have your own work criticized.