footballvorti.blogg.se - College final draft essay checklist

Take short breaks to refresh your mind.

Writers should always meet their deadlines. On the other hand, try not to procrastinate. As long as you complete the assignment on time, you may choose how many paragraphs you complete in one sitting.

Write one paragraph at a time and then stop.

As a guideline, try to write paragraphs longer than one sentence but shorter than the length of an entire double-spaced page.

Long paragraphs may be wordy and may lose your reader’s interest. Readers may also think the writing is abrupt. Although paragraphs may vary in length, keep in mind that short paragraphs may contain insufficient support. You can start with the second paragraph or the first paragraph, too. You can start with the third paragraph in your outline if ideas come easily to mind.

Begin writing with the part you know the most about.

For instance, the following approaches, done alone or in combination with others, may improve your writing and help you move forward in the writing process: You should have some transitions but not too many.What makes the writing process so beneficial to writers is that it encourages alternatives to standard practices while motivating you to develop your best ideas. Check for singular/plural consistency.Ĭheck transitional words and phrases: Draw a wavy line under each transitional word or phrase (moreover, in addition, on the other hand, etc.). Check that your writing is clear and specific on who or what the pronoun is referring to (Does the reader know who they are? Can the reader easily know what you mean by it?).

Draw an arrow to the pronoun’s antecedent/referent. Be on the lookout for misplaced or absent commas that result in run-on sentences or comma splices.Ĭheck pronouns’ referents: Draw a small square around each pronoun. A sentence that starts with for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so, although, as, because, or which runs a high risk of being a sentence fragment, so read it out loud to check if any additional words are needed or if it should be connected to the previous sentence. Double-underline the subject and underline the verb for each independent clause. This helps you focus on a single sentence.

Look at your sentences: are they very long? Very short? Mix it up!Ĭheck for complete sentences: Starting from the last sentence in your paper, read it backwards, one sentence at a time. At the end of each sentence, make a slash mark (/).

Have I carefully proofread the paper for spelling and punctuation?Ĭheck for varied sentence structure and length: With a pen in your hand, read your paper out loud. Have I read the entire paper aloud, one word at a time, to check for simple errors? Have I used active and passive voice appropriately, given the field of writing? Have I maintained consistent use of verb tense? Have I documented paraphrases and quotations appropriately, using an approved citation guide (MLA, APA, etc.)?ĭoes the paper have an original, meaningful title? Have I used an appropriate number and variety of sources (per the assignment requirements)? Have I properly formatted quotes over three lines (using indentation)? If quotations have been used, have they been smoothly integrated into the text with my own sentence both before and after the quote, including signal phrases? Have I examined my paper for excess repetition (of words, phrases, sentence constructions)?Īre there transitions between paragraphs?ĭoes the conclusion do more than simply repeat the introduction, or summarize my argument? Have I extrapolated anything meaningful? Have I explained to my audience why this paper is important to them? Advice on Setting Up and Working with a Writing Groupĭoes this paper fulfill all requirements of the assignment?ĭoes this paper have a thesis? Is the thesis specific?ĭoes this paragraph have topic sentences at the beginning of each body paragraph? Do the topic sentences both connect to the thesis and introduce what I will be talking about in the paragraph itself?Īre there paragraphs that seem to be too long or too short? Are the paragraphs relatively similar lengths?.