Review your paper to make sure the following criteria have been met. If not, indicate changes, so any revised copy is improved.
Content/Organization/Structure
1. Essay has at least five paragraphs.
2. Each paragraph has at least five sentences.
4. Opening paragraph includes titles of three selections to be discussed.
5. Opening paragraph concisely indicates the angle/theme/moral/lesson to be addressed for each individual selection.
6. Introductory paragraph is followed by three paragraphs for the body of the essay. A separate selection and angle/theme/moral/lesson is discussed in each body paragraph.
7. Each of the body paragraphs has specific references/quotations to the plot that support the angle/theme/moral/lesson being discussed/explained.
8. Essay does not get off the point and simply summarize the story. Essay sticks to the topic.
9. Essay has an excellent concluding paragraph (at least 5 sentences).
Grammar/Usage/Mechanics
1. Titles of stories match the Table of Contents and are within quotation marks. Check spelling, capitalization, and exact wording.
2. Titles of characters are capitalized.
3. Verb tenses are consistent throughout essay.
4. Sentences do not start with "and," "also," "but," "because," "like," and "so."
5. Native American is capitalized.
6. Plural of story is "stories."
7. Essay does not have statements such as "I think," "I believe," "In this essay I will discuss," and "In my opinion."
8. Essay does not sound like someone having a conversation or chat, but instead sounds formal and scholarly.
9. "Alot" is two words: "a lot."
10. Essay avoids slang such as "wanna" and "gonna."
11. Plurals do not have apostrophes. Plural of buffalo is "buffaloes."
12. "it's" means "it is."
13. Essay does not confuse "their," "there," and "they're."
14. Punctuation occurs inside quotation marks (except in the instance of a semicolon).
15. Essay does not have run-on sentences.
16. Essay does not have fragments.
17. Essay has correct spelling throughout.
18. Singular of women is woman.
19. Essay avoids words such as "unique."
20. Essay writes out word and does not use symbols for words.
21. "Every day" is two words when used as an adverb and one word when used as an adjective.
22. Essay does not confuse "affect" and "effect."
23. Essay avoids conversational tone, such as "Now, as you may already know."
24. Essay is a pointed discussion, not just a summary of the stories.
25. Essay avoids statements such as "Story talks about . . ." Instead, words such as "relates," "discusses," and "explains" are used.
© 2017 James Mulhern
© 2017 James Mulhern