Look at the questions below. You'll answer these in the Impressions Table in Step 4. Keep them in mind as you read articles and you will increase the number of reviews your write:
Was the article clearly written?
Was the argument/message easily understood?
Was it an interesting read?
How did the spelling and grammar mistakes affect the read?
What was their readability speed or flow characteristic?
Did the author successfully introduce some sharp, witty or clever bits?
How accurate was the content?
How useful was this content to you?
Of course, these questions pre-suppose some expertise, but the standard is not so tall that well meaning readers should avoid doing reviews. Many of us are innately equipped to spot poor grammar, spelling and punctuation; to detect jerky flow and difficult-to-understand expressions; to recognize wit or the author's skill with metaphors and similes, both of which add interest and insight to the writing. We may be less skilled to detect inaccuracies, yet the last question, usefulness, often overcomes this insofar as a fair review is concerned.
