Problem-Solving Paper

Peer review form for a problem-solving paper

from Northern Illinois University's English Department.


Author:_______________ Reviewer:_______________

Read the essay once through, then read a second time before beginning to answer the following questions:


1) What is the major problem or issue the writer addresses? State this problem as clearly as you can in your own words.

2) Does the author outline different aspects of the problem? What are they? If the author doesn't explain various aspects of the problem, what are some possible aspects that you recognize?

3) Who do you think is the audience of this paper? Would this audience be likely to respond positively or negatively to the essay's tone, diction (vocabulary), and suggested solutions? Why? Also, does the author seem to anticipate his/her audience's concerns or objections? If not, try to offer some helpful suggestions.

4) Analyze each of the proposed solutions. What does each solution promise to accomplish? What are the limitations of each solution? If the author does not mention possible limitations, suggest at least one limitation of each solution.

5) Do the proposed solutions seem feasible? If not, explain why.

6) Evaluate the conclusion. Does this seem to be the best solution? If not, explain why. List at least one drawback or limitation of this solution.

7) In your opinion, which solution or combination of solutions best serves the goals outlined by the author? Why?


If teaching a writing class, you may want to also focus on elements of style.
8) Does the author use transition words at the beginning of each paragraph? Do the transitions make logical connections between ideas or items?

9) Examine one paragraph in the essay. How many be verbs does the author use in this paragraph? Rewrite one or two sentences replacing be verbs with action verbs.