Peer correction

Peer correction

Writing is like riding a bike: the more you practise it, the better you get. It is not essential that everything we write is corrected by the teacher. What is important is that we get better at revising what we have written, identifying mistakes and correcting them.

As with many other things in life, it is often easier to find mistakes in other people's work than in our own. In order to increase the amount and the quality of what we write, we are going to use peer correction: instead of writing compositions at home, with only our dictionary to help us, we are going to write them in the classroom, where we can ask our classmates and the teacher for help.

When we finish a composition, we will leave on the teacher's table and pick another to revise it. The best way to revise a classmate's writing is reading it and paying special attention when we do not understand something immediately: it may be due to a mistake in vocabulary ––they have used the wrong word–– or grammar.

The most common grammar mistakes that make it more difficult to understand a text are the following:

Making mistakes with final -s (not only in plural nouns and in third-person singular verbs in the present simple, but also when failing to use the Saxon genitive or a possessive pronoun, or when using adjectives).

Using the wrong verb tense. Sometimes the mistake will be obvious, but sometimes the meaning will change because of the wrong tense, and it will be more difficult to realise a mistake has been made.

Omitting the subject in a sentence. This is very seldom done in English, and it is never obligatory, so the safest course of action is to include a subject in every sentence. In impersonal sentences where we do not use a subject in Spanish, use "it": it is six o'clock, it is raining, it is cold, it is getting late.

Using the wrong word order. Word order determines not only the function of a phrase in English, but it can often determine what part of speech a word is: many words can be nouns or verbs, even very common ones which we normally use as only one of them, like "look", "back", "walk" or "stomach".

Compare these sentences:

In these examples, word order determines in which sentence the are the subject and in which they are the direct object, the part of speech of the word "water", and whether "need" is acting as a main verb or as an auxiliary, but the meaning is the same.

Now compare these sentences:

In these examples, word order determines not only the sentence structure, but its whole meaning.

When you are revising your classmate's work pay special attention to these mistakes, and check spelling as well ––that is what a dictionary is most useful for.

When you think you have found a mistake, check with the author of the composition what they meant. You will probably be able to agree on the right form or word order when correcting grammar mistakes. If you do not agree, ask the teacher for help.

Vocabulary mistakes will be the most difficult to correct for you. Ask the teacher about any doubts you have, especially when using new words. You should see a new word in two or three different contexts, like dictionary examples, before you try to use it in a composition.

Use the worksheet about common mistakes in university access exams as a checklist to help you identify mistakes.

Remember:
correcting other people's mistakes will help you write better.

JJCC