Writers must leave a blank line between each paragraph and place two spaces after each period. Because students often don't know where to begin when presented with a paper to critique, WIT walks them through the process. Reviewers must first select a class and then a paper from a menu of choices. Next, they are shown a web page providing them with the original text and online instructions for making comments. The box to the right includes a list of common grammatical errors.
Reviewers simply select a sentence and then click on one or more errors.
In practice, we found that the online grammatical error descriptions served as a good checklist for reviewers and writers alike, and made it easier to describe the problems with a sentence. WIT may be tailored to include any errors or error categories preferred by the instructor. Reviewers can comment on more than just grammar. Underneath each paragraph, WIT provides a comment box. This box allows reviewers to freely type suggestions or reactions to the text above.