You wrote:

I think it could be helpful if the peers have similar or higher level than me on writing.

I think sometimes even readers at a lower level can help us to improve our writing. If it's not clear to them, then we haven't communicated effectively.

The IELTS question used to mention something about "Write a report for a university lecturer."  It doesn't anymore.

It now just asks you to write with examples from your experience. There is no need to imagine that you are writing a formal paper for Oxford or Cambridge or Yale. Just write clearly and simply. Simple writing does not mean easy writing: there is a huge movement aimed at making business writing (bank letters, contracts, letters from telephone companies, etc) clearer.

One approach that is sometimes useful is to imagine that you are writing for your nephew or younger sister or brother. They are studying English, but are one or two years behind you. If the ideas in your writing are not clear to them, then you have not succeeded in writing clearly. They might not understand all the vocab, but they should be able to get the ideas and to see why you have organized the essay the way you have.

Some people think you need to dazzle the reader with complicated sentences and vocab. I don't think so - if you can use simple structures well, that's a better indication. It's hard to write simply!

I agree it's may be difficult for weaker readers to comment on what is wrong with our essays or say why our essays are hard to understand. But if someone tries and honestly can't understand our writing, then it's our responsibility to make our essay simpler.

That's why I think almost anyone's input is useful in the forum - not just 'better' writers!

It's a bit like being sick - most people can tell when other people are sick. Perhaps only a nurse or a doctor can tell exactly what's wrong and suggest a remedy, but you don't need to be a medical professional to see that there's a problem!

What do you think? How do you feel when you read over-complicated or unclear writing?

1. Generate different ideas for same thing and different expressions for same meaning.

2. Repeatly solid the key points of the writing task. For example, the layout, the word choice, the association with the topic, etc.

3. Self evaluation

if i receive too many negative feedbacks in many times, i surely feel shocked. maybe it is difficult for me to continue to write. however, if their feedbacks are true, i will accept and change. above all, it is important to believe in myself, and overcome criticism.  

now, i am student, i am studying to improve myself.  i really want others to give comments for my writing. in my opinion, i feel free to receive other comments about writing, not other things. each person has their own opinions, their comments may help me to have more choices. 

moreover, all the comments i give, they are my opinions and things i have learned from my English teachers. i think it may be  useful for others. 

what do you think about my comments lately?

is it negative? tell me, i will change

in my class, at first, teachers give some guidelines for us about the criteria. after that it up to our to give comments. we are encourage to change anything in my friend's writing that we think it should.

with negative feedback, i often think carefully about it. if it is true, i change my writing. if i still feel confused, i ask my friends for further explanation.

i think feedbacks are others' opinion to improve your writing. why should you get angry? that is their opinions, we can accept or not. 

if anyone feel anoyed with my comments, i will not give comment for their writing anymore. if they want, i am willing to do.

Commenting on other people's essays is hard work, but it does make you think!

What guidelines do you have in your class for how to give the feedback? Is there a form, or do you have to look for specific things, or is it up to you?

And how do you handle negative feedback? Do you sometimes have problems there when people get angry or annoyed with the feedback? How do you deal with that?

i think peer comment is really important to improve a writing.

in my class, each writing we have two times for comments. firstly, it is friends' comment, we rewrite. after giving for teacher comment, we write final draft to submit. by this way, my writing skills are improving, so do others. 

giving comments also helps to learn new words, expression, especially ideas to write in the same topic. 

it is strange that not many members in the forum keen on giving comments for others' writing.

however, i think comment for many writings is sometimes boring. 

i often choose the essay's topic i like to give comments.

other's ideas?