Writing Checklist
Style
1. Wordiness. Can your idea be expressed in fewer words? Is every word you are using necessary? Did you use a phrase when a single word would do? Is filler removed?
2. Unoriginality. Have you expressed your ideas in a way no one else can? Have you avoided clichés? Is your word choice complex? Have you avoided repeating the same words/phrases?
3. Flow. Have you connected sentences with similar ideas? Have you used transitional strategies?
4. Passivity. Is active voice emphasized? Have you avoided reliance on the "to be" verb forms such as "is," "was," "are," etc?
5. Tone. Is the proper pointofview used? Do you avoid the words "you" and "your" and phrases such as "I think," "I believe," and "in my opinion"? Have you avoided slang?
Grammar
1. Sentences. Do you have runons or fragments? Check to be sure there is a sentence on each side of a semicolon and that there is NOT a sentence on each side of a comma. READ YOUR WORK ALOUD to make sure everything makes sense and that there are no fragments or run-ons.
2. Pronouns. Pronouns such as one, everyone, everybody, etc., should be followed by singular pronouns such as he/she or his/her. Example: Everyone took his time getting ready for the game.
3. Commas. Do you have the necessary commas for introductory phrases or clauses, interrupting expressions, transitional words, items in a series, or sentences that are separated by coordinating conjunctions?
4. Parallelism. Did you use parallel structure for the items in a series? Example: In the twentyfirst century, people should consider the issues carefully, express their political viewpoints succinctly, and vote for their candidates confidently.
5. Diction. Have you eliminated mistakes with commonly confused words such as it/it's, than/then, to/too, they're/their/there, affect/effect, between/among, etc.?
Rhetoric
1. Summary. Did you make sure you stressed what the text means rather than whathappened? (In other words, analyze, don’t give plot summary). Is your "insight" something the average reader would not know about the text? Does your analysis deepen the reader's understanding of the text while deepening the point of the thesis?
2. Evidence. Are you using direct, quoted evidence to prove your point? Is the evidence too obvious? Have you worked hard to find quotes others might overlook?
3. Design. Have you used a clear blueprint to design your essay? Does it follow a set guideline, such as transition/statement/quote/explain. Do the transitional strategies support the design?
4. Introduction. Does the introduction introduce and explain the measures by which you will be arguing the point? Do its ideas resonate throughout the remainder of the essay?
5. Conclusion. Does the conclusion use a design/plan, such as the ReturntotheBeginning or the ExpansionIntotheRealWorld?
Critical Thinking/Interpretation
1. Analysis. Is the analysis focused on the words and ideas of the cited text?
2. Point. Is the point as far from the literal as you can delve? Is the point one the average reader would not have seen? Is the point central to the text's meaning?
3. Generalizations. Do your interpretations have the specificity needed for true validity? Have you eliminated the generalizations? For example, have you written "full of innocence," instead of the more specific "innocent about the horror and finality of death"?
4. Thread. Is there an interconnected thread of logic and insight that holds the essay together? Do the transitions, quotes, explanation, points all reveal the underlying design?
5. Figurative Language. Do you employ figurative language and rhetorical strategies as part of your design? Does your language increase the force and power of your writing?
Support
1. Quotes. Have you made direct and specific "snippet" quotes the keystone of your essay? Is the quote too long? Would a "snippet" have sufficed?
2. Integration. Is the quote integrated, and is the integration grammatically correct? Are block quotes used and formatted correctly? Is there a citation after the quote? Is the punctuation correct?