AP English Language
Problem and Solution Paper Tips
If you are working hard to make an “A” on this paper so you don’t have to write the Research/Debate paper, these steps might help you find and correct many mistakes that will lower your grade.
Content
1. Have you started your paper with a short anecdote or introduction of statistics that will make your reader gasp or become extremely interested in continuing to read your paper? If not, rework your intro. One of the biggest differences between “A” and “B” papers is the effectiveness and interest of the opening and closing paragraphs.
2. Check your thesis statement. Is it the final sentence in your introductory paragraph? Is the thesis clear and precise? Does it state the problem and solution? Warning: in most cases you will NOT have a three-part thesis.
3. Make sure each of your body paragraphs begins with a clear topic sentence that relates to your thesis and that encompasses the major idea of the paragraph.
4. Watch paragraph length. If you have a paragraph that is over ¾ of a page in such a short paper, you will probably need to divide it into more than one paragraph.
5. Make sure your paper is well organized. Use at least a brief outline that lists your thesis statement and the topic sentences for each body paragraph. Does this organization make sense? Is it easy for your reader to follow? Do you provide transitional devices and ideas to help your reader understand your paper?
6. Take a highlighter or pen and underline or highlight all of the hard evidence your paper includes (facts, statistics, names of specific programs, experts in the field, etc.). A paper can be interesting and well-written, but it will not receive a grade above a “B” or “C” if it does not provide cogent evidence of the problem and solution.
7. How often do you quote? In a problem/solution paper, you should quote rarely. The best use of quotations is short quotations from experts or people with first-hand experience. Facts and statistics should be placed in your own words.
8. How effective is your conclusion in restating the problem and solution and leaving your reader with an anecdote or information to ponder? Does your reader feel a sense of closure at the end of your paper? One effective way to bring a paper to a close is to provide the conclusion to an anecdote that you included in your introduction.
9. How many sources do you use and do you rely too heavily on one or two sources? While you are only required to use four sources, the best paper will probably use twice that many sources and will not overuse one or two sources.
10. Check long quotations. If the quotation is longer than four full lines of text, you must make it a block quotation. (See the sample research paper I distributed in class.) Before making a block quotation, however, ask yourself if you really need such a long quotation in such a short paper.
11. Remember that the thrust of your paper should be the solution, not the problem. You should spend no more than the first two pages of your paper describing the problem.
Mechanics
12. Read your paper carefully to find all of your grammatical and mechanical errors. Although it is very time consuming, one of the best ways to find all of your errors is to read your paper and correct mistakes and then read your paper backward word by word to find spelling errors.
13. Check your paper for comma splices, fragments, or run-ons. One of these major errors will lower your grade 12 points. If you have questions about a specific sentence, bring your paper to me before school.
14. Find a buddy to proofread your paper. Make sure you find someone whose writing skills are comparable to your own. Exchange papers, make corrections, and then talk about the changes. Don’t allow anyone to change your punctuation or correct your errors without discussing them with you. Your proofreader may be wrong!
15. Check conjunctive adverbs. You should have a list in your notebook from when we discussed comma splices. If you have a conjunctive adverb in the middle of a sentence, see if you have a full sentence before the conjunctive adverb and a full sentence after the conjunctive adverb. If you do and your sentence does not include a coordinating conjunction (and, or, but), place a semicolon before the conjunctive adverb and a comma after the conjunctive adverb or you will have a comma splice.
16. Check your paper’s heading and make sure it matches the heading on the first and subsequent pages of the sample paper I distributed in class. Make sure you have an interesting title. Do not place the title in bold, underline it, place it in italics, or increase its font size.
17. Print a good clean copy in black ink on white paper. Do not include a title page since this is not part of MLA format.
Sources / Documentation
18. Check your Works Cited page. Make sure that every work that you cite in parenthetical documentation or in lead-ins is cited on the Works Cited Page. Conversely, make sure that each source that is cited on your Works Cited page is actually cited in your paper.
19. Make sure that your parenthetical documentation contains no URLs. This is never correct!
20. Check your Works Cited carefully and make sure you have not used any encyclopedia, including Wikipedia, since these sources do not provide sufficient depth. Also, be very careful about using blog entries. Your sources should be scholarly.
21. Check parenthetical documentation carefully. If the author’s name is not listed in the lead in, your parenthetical documentation will be (Author 44). Notice that 44 is the page number. You do not include a comma between the author and page, nor do you write “page” or “p.” for page. If you have an Internet source that does not have page number, place the paragraph number if the source numbers paragraphs. If paragraphs are not numbered, leave out the page and paragraph numbers. If the source does not include an author’s name, check NoodleTools to find the correct parenthetical documentation. Usually, you will list the title of the source of whatever is listed first in the entry on the Works Cited page.
22. Make sure you put quotation marks and periods in the right place. “This sentence is punctuated correctly” (Parrott 66).
23. If you need to cite more than one source in a sentence, here is the correct documentation: (AuthorOne 15; AuthorTwo 15).
24. If you cite a website that does not include page numbers, see if it numbers the paragraphs. If it does not, then cite only the author’s name. If it numbers paragraphs, here is the correct citation: (Author, par. 15).
25. Alphabetize entries on your Works Cited page. DO NOT number the sources.
Style
26. How many rhetorical strategies do you use in your paper? We have talked about effective strategies all semester. In your final edit and revision of your paper, try to encompass at least three effective strategies to make your paper more interesting.
27. Make sure you have NOT written in first-person in your paper. Quotations where an individual uses first-person are fine.
28. Make sure you have written your paper in ACTIVE voice. When in doubt, see page 63 in EasyWriter.
29. Avoid wordy phrases
Wordy Better
Nowadays Today
On a daily basis daily
At all times always
At this point in time now
Due to the fact that because
In spite of the fact that although
As a consequence so, then, thus, consequently
Because of the fact that because, since