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Peer Review Form Generator

Choose the assignment type, adjust the criteria and the questions reviewers answer, pick a rating scale, open questions, or both, and print a peer review worksheet with lines for the writer, the reviewer, and the date. Ready-made criteria for essays, research papers, lab reports, narratives, and presentations. Free, no sign-up.

The assignment

Choosing a type loads its usual criteria, which you can then edit.

Criteria

Format

Question style

Your peer review form

Ready to print or copy.

Peer Review Form

Writer:

Reviewer:

Draft title:

Date:

Note: Read the whole draft once before you write anything. Comment on the writing, not the writer, and point to specific sentences or paragraphs so the writer can find what you mean.

Ratings

Note: Tick one box in each row. 1 = Not yet · 2 = Developing · 3 = Good · 4 = Strong

Criterion1234
Thesis: Is the main claim clear, specific, and arguable? Underline it; if you can't find it, say so.☐☐☐☐
Evidence: Is every claim backed by specific, relevant evidence? Name one claim that needs more support.☐☐☐☐
Organization: Does each paragraph make one point, in a logical order, with clear transitions?☐☐☐☐
Citations: Is every source cited in the text and listed in the references, in the required style?☐☐☐☐
Mechanics: Are grammar, spelling, and punctuation clean enough not to distract? Note any error that repeats.☐☐☐☐

Questions

Thesis: Is the main claim clear, specific, and arguable? Underline it; if you can't find it, say so.

Evidence: Is every claim backed by specific, relevant evidence? Name one claim that needs more support.

Organization: Does each paragraph make one point, in a logical order, with clear transitions?

Citations: Is every source cited in the text and listed in the references, in the required style?

Mechanics: Are grammar, spelling, and punctuation clean enough not to distract? Note any error that repeats.

The Whole Draft

What is the strongest part of this draft? Be specific.

What one change would improve the draft the most?

How to Use the Peer Review Form Generator

  1. 1. Pick the assignment type. Argumentative essay, research paper, lab report, narrative essay, or presentation — each loads five criteria with a question for the reviewer.
  2. 2. Edit the criteria. Rename them, rewrite the questions to match your assignment, remove the ones you don't need, or add your own, up to eight.
  3. 3. Choose the format. A rating grid, open questions with ruled lines, or both; a 1–4 or 1–5 scale; how many lines each answer gets; and whether to include name lines and questions about the whole draft.
  4. 4. Print or share it. Print just the worksheet, copy it into a document or your learning platform, or download it as text or Markdown.

What to Put on a Peer Review Form

A good peer review form asks questions a classmate can actually answer. “Is the thesis strong?” invites a yes; “Underline the thesis — if you can't find it, say so” produces something the writer can use. The default criteria for an argumentative essay follow that rule:

CriterionQuestion for the reviewer
ThesisIs the main claim clear, specific, and arguable? Underline it; if you can't find it, say so.
EvidenceIs every claim backed by specific, relevant evidence? Name one claim that needs more support.
OrganizationDoes each paragraph make one point, in a logical order, with clear transitions?
CitationsIs every source cited in the text and listed in the references, in the required style?
MechanicsAre grammar, spelling, and punctuation clean enough not to distract? Note any error that repeats.

Rating Scales or Open Questions?

A rating grid is quick to fill in and easy to compare across reviewers, but a number on its own rarely tells a writer what to change. Open questions take longer and produce the comments writers actually revise from. A quick rating followed by a written answer for each criterion is the usual compromise, and it is the default here.

A peer review form is not a grading rubric. A rubric describes each performance level so a teacher can score work consistently; a peer review form asks a classmate to notice, explain, and suggest before anything is graded.

Tips for Useful Peer Feedback

  • Read twice. Once for the whole argument, then again with the form in hand.
  • Point, don't summarize. “Paragraph 3, second sentence” helps more than “some parts are unclear”.
  • Comment on the writing, not the writer. “The evidence in paragraph 2 doesn't support the claim” is useful; “you didn't try” is not.
  • End with priorities. A writer can fix one or two big things before the deadline, not twenty small ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a peer review form?
A worksheet that guides a student through reviewing a classmate's draft. It names the criteria to look at, asks a specific question about each, and leaves space for ratings and comments, so the feedback stays focused and the writer gets comments they can act on.
What questions should be on a peer review form?
Questions tied to the assignment's criteria that ask the reviewer to locate and explain: for an essay, where the thesis is and whether it is arguable, which claim needs more evidence, whether the paragraphs follow a logical order, and whether sources are cited correctly. Close with the draft's strongest part and the single most important revision.
How is a peer review form different from a rubric?
A rubric defines performance levels for each criterion so work can be graded consistently. A peer review form asks open questions and gathers comments to help a writer revise before grading. Many teachers use both: the peer form during drafting, and the rubric for the final grade.
Should peer review use a rating scale?
A scale makes reviewers commit to a judgment and helps a writer spot patterns across several reviews, but it works best paired with comments, since a 2 out of 4 doesn't say what to fix. The generator offers a 1–4 or 1–5 scale, open questions, or both.
Can I print the peer review form?
Yes. Print sends only the worksheet to the printer, typeset for paper, without the controls or the rest of the page. You can also copy it into Word, Google Docs, or a learning platform, or download it as text or Markdown.
Is the peer review form generator free?
Yes, with no sign-up. Honest templates, no AI: the criteria and questions are hand-written defaults you can edit, and the form is assembled in your browser without uploading anything.

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