1. Evaluate Response to Assignment
- Are all details of assignment covered?
- Is paper appropriate for audience, subject matter, style, length?
- Does paper probe subject in depth? If not, use "pre-writing" activities
to generate ideas: research, conversation, freewriting; or who, what, when,
where and why questions.
2. Evaluate Thesis Sentence and Thesis Paragraph
- Thesis should state main idea or purpose of paper
- Should be a very specific (debatable) opinion, not a vague
generalization
- Can indicate organization scheme
- Should be rhetorically emphasized (through words and placement)
- Conventionally placed at end of 1st paragraph (This also adds
emphasis.)
- Paper should begin with an exciting lead sentence: quotation from
text, striking statement, question, etc.
3. Evaluate Organization
- An organizational scheme should be used. Information supporting thesis
should be in a logical order: chronological, assignment-driven, spatial,
importance, general to specific, cause and effect, textual/narrative, etc.
- Check for unity within paragraphs (one idea per paragraph)
- Transition words should link paragraphs and sections of paper ("next,"
first," "on the other hand," etc.)
- Topic sentences of most paragraphs should 1).advance thesis 2). announce
new information to be covered in paragraph and 3). link to old information
in previous paragraph
- Paper needs effective introduction and conclusion
4. Evaluate Development
- Is supporting evidence adequate? This requires textual examples,
quotations, documented facts, authoritative opinion, illustrations, personal
examples, etc. These should be cited with MLA or other citation style if
requested in the assignment.
- Are complexities discovered and dealt with?
- Are counter arguments refuted?
5. Evaluate Sentence and Word Level Concern
Eliminate Patterns of Error:
- Awkward phrasing
- Problems of spelling and punctuation
- Citation/plagiarism problems
Make Improvements in Style:
- Vary sentence beginnings
- Choose active, specific verbs
- Vary sentence length
- Use specific nouns and adjectives
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