English 1121

Step-By-Step Revision Plan

for the Argument Critique Paper

1.) Go through your draft and # each of your paragraphs.

2.) Put the same #s on a blank sheet of paper.

3.) Write an OUTLINE, paragraph by paragraph, using key words and phrases.

4.) Analyze your OUTLINE:

• Does it have the required five parts of a critique paper -- (I) introduction, (II) summary, (III) evaluation, (IV) response, (V) conclusion?
   
• Are parts III and IV roughly equal in size?
   
• What is missing? What needs to be added?
   
• Could or should anything be cut to make more room for something else?
   
• Could or should anything be rearranged?
   
• What needs to be rewritten for clarity or emphasis?

5.) Find your THESIS STATEMENT, underline it, and indicate it with a circle-T. (Your thesis might be in more than one place in your paper.)

6.) Analyze your THESIS:

• Does your thesis have two parts, one part for the evaluation section, and one part for the response section?
   
• Could the wording of the thesis be improved? Are the two parts clear? How is your tone?

7.) Find the TOPIC SENTENCE for each paragraph, underline each one, and indicate each one using TS.

8.) Analyze each paragraph based on the TOPIC SENTENCE:

• Does each topic sentence focus its paragraph? Is everything in each paragraph clearly related to its topic sentence? (If not, cross it out.)
   
• Do you think each paragraph is fully developed to be strong and convincing? (If not, write a note about what could be added or changed to make it stronger.)
   
• What kinds of research information might help each paragraph?

9.) Analyze your INTRODUCTION:

• Does your introduction begin by establishing the “context” of this argumentative issue? (For example, do you show how this issue fits into today’s society?)
   
• Does your introduction clearly state the author’s name and title of the essay you will evaluate and then respond to?
   
• Does your introduction give any background information about the writer? Does it need to?

10.) Analyze your SUMMARY PARAGRAPH:

• Does your summary clearly state and cover the overall argument and main ideas of the essay you are evaluating and responding to?

11.) Analyze your CONCLUSION:

• Does your conclusion end your essay in a satisfying way?
   
• Does your conclusion restate your thesis? (It should.) Does your conclusion restate your main ideas? (This is more optional.)
   
• Does your conclusion get your reader to think beyond your paper? Does your conclusion ask anything of the reader? Does your conclusion call them to action?