Student-Friendly Guide to Writing with Traits
Use the checklist below to help you revise your rough draft.
Ideas and Content
o My paper has a clear purpose or makes a point.
o I choose clear details and examples to help the reader understand my message
o I stick to the main idea. I leave out details that do not matter.
o I am writing about something I know.
Organization
o My introduction would make a reader want to keep reading.
o I tell things in an order that makes sense.
o Details in my paper go together.
o My paper ends in a good spot. It doesn’t stop suddenly or drag on too long.
Voice
o My writing shows what I really think and feel.
o I like what I’ve written.
o My writing sounds like me and not like someone else.
o I have thought about my reader. I have tried to make my writing clear to the reader.
Word Choice
o I choose words that will help make my meaning clear.
o My words paint a picture in the reader’s mind.
o I have tried to find my own way to say things.
o Sometimes I have tried to say something in a new or different way.
Sentence Fluency
o My sentences make sense. They are clear.
o Some sentences are longer than others.
o Sentences begin in different ways. They do not all begin with the same words.
o My paper would be easy to read out loud.
Conventions or Mechanics
o My paragraphs begin in the right spots.
o My punctuation is correct.
o I use capital letters on proper names of people, places, or things.
o My spelling is correct.
o I have proofread my paper.