English Language Arts
Grade 6
15 min
Suggest appropriate revisions
Suggest appropriate revisions
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify areas in a peer's argumentative essay that need revision.
Formulate constructive and specific suggestions for improving clarity and coherence.
Suggest revisions that strengthen an author's argument and use of evidence.
Propose changes that align with the author's purpose.
Use respectful and encouraging language when suggesting revisions.
Explain the reasoning behind a suggested revision.
Ever read something a friend wrote and thought, 'This could be even better!' 🤔 That's the power of suggesting revisions!
In this lesson, you'll learn how to give helpful, specific feedback to your classmates on their writing. You'll discover how to spot ways to make an argument stronger, clearer, and more persuasive, help...
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
RevisionThe act of making changes to improve a piece of writing, focusing on big-picture ideas like arguments, organization, and clarity, not just small errors.Instead of just fixing a misspelled word, revision means rethinking if your main argument is strong enough or if your paragraphs flow well.
Constructive FeedbackHelpful, specific suggestions that focus on improving the writing, offered in a positive and respectful way.Instead of 'This is confusing,' constructive feedback is 'I noticed this sentence made me pause; perhaps you could rephrase it to make the connection clearer.'
ClarityHow easy it is for the reader to understand the writing without confusion or needing to guess what the author means.A sentence has clarity if its meaning is imme...
3
Key Rules & Conventions
The 'STAR' Rule for Feedback
Your suggestions should be Specific, Thoughtful, Actionable, and Respectful.
When giving feedback, make sure your comments pinpoint exact areas (Specific), show you've considered the writing (Thoughtful), tell the writer what they can actually do (Actionable), and are kind and encouraging (Respectful).
Focus on the Writing, Not the Writer
Always phrase your suggestions about the text itself, not as personal criticism of the person who wrote it.
Instead of saying 'You didn't explain this,' say 'This part of the explanation could be clearer.' This keeps the feedback helpful and less likely to hurt feelings.
Use Suggestive Language
Use phrases like 'I noticed...', 'Perhaps you could......
5 more steps in this tutorial
Sign up free to access the complete tutorial with worked examples and practice.
Sign Up Free to ContinueSample Practice Questions
Challenging
An essay argues for more funding for school arts programs. It includes strong evidence about how art improves math scores and a personal story about playing the violin. However, the paragraphs are in a random order. Which piece of feedback addresses the MOST critical 'big picture' issue?
A.Your personal story about the violin was very touching! Maybe add more detail about your first concert.
B.The statistic about math scores is powerful. I would suggest moving it to the introduction to hook the reader right away.
C.I noticed that the ideas jump around a bit. Consider reorganizing your paragraphs so that the most powerful evidence comes first, which could make your overall argument more persuasive.
D.In the second paragraph, you used the word 'fun' twice. Maybe find a synonym for the second one.
Challenging
A peer reviewer provides this suggestion: 'I think you should add a counter-argument to your essay. It would show you've thought about other viewpoints and make your own position seem stronger when you argue against it.' Which concepts from the tutorial does this feedback effectively combine?
A.It only focuses on grammar and uses harsh language.
B.It suggests a revision to strengthen the argument and explains the 'why' behind the suggestion.
C.It rewrites the section for the author and focuses on a minor detail.
D.It is too vague and doesn't align with the author's purpose.
Challenging
An author's purpose is to inform readers about the science of climate change in a neutral, factual way. However, they use emotional language like 'the terrifying destruction of our planet' and 'we must act now before it's too late!' What is the BEST revision suggestion to help the author align their writing with their purpose?
A.Your emotional language is very powerful and persuasive. You should add more of it.
B.I noticed your purpose is to inform, but some of the language sounds more persuasive. To maintain a neutral tone, you might consider rephrasing sentences like 'terrifying destruction' to be more objective, such as 'significant changes to ecosystems.'
C.You are wrong about climate change, so your purpose doesn't matter.
D.The science is confusing. You should just focus on the emotional parts.
Want to practice and check your answers?
Sign up to access all questions with instant feedback, explanations, and progress tracking.
Start Practicing Free