Read your partner’s draft from beginning to end as you might read an article in a magazine or newspaper—to understand what the writer has to say, engaging with the ideas and information she has presented. Don’t look for problems in content, organization, or usage. After this first reading, describe in one or two sentences the draft’s impact on you as a reader—what it makes you think about, how it makes you feel, what questions it raises.
Then briefly state the writer’s purpose as you see it—how you think she wants to influence readers. If you recognize some general way that the draft’s organization or content doesn’t suit that purpose, call attention to it constructively. The important thing is to offer helpful, supportive comments without being insincere or patronizing.
After this initial response, re-read analytically, examining content and organization. Comment briefly in the margins on whatever catches your interest or attention. Often, the most useful comments point to details that arouse questions or cause confusion. Consider in particular how various parts of the paper advance or digress from what you consider to be the writer’s purpose.