Your (new) Paper title ______________________
CHECKLIST FOR A FINAL Revision and Edit
Make big revisions first. Make sure you have one clear, interesting point to make, that it is debatable (not ‘be true to yourself’), that it is clearly and understandably stated, and that it is repeated and developed in the title, thesis, topic sentences, quote analysis, and conclusion. Avoid the following: example based thesis, list of three elements, confusing thesis sentences,
Proofreading and Editing for Errors
Certain mistakes appear again and again in student papers. Try to learn to spot them and eliminate them before college. Too many mechanical mistakes detract from what you have to say and make readers believe you are careless or not literate. Print your paper out and check through it for the following:
Format
Name, teacher, date, and class in upper left-hand corner. Then a centered, descriptive two-part title with a colon—the title should only fit your essay, not everyone’s: Conformity Essay. Don’t underline or bold or quote your title, only Austen’s or Krauss’s book. Add a header with your last name, a space, and the automatic pagination.
Common Errors
Comma splice (joining two sentences with a comma), triple spacing between paragraphs (they should be the same spacing), period after the end quotation marks (should go before), missing apostrophe before the s (Hamlets father), misspellings (Austin, loosing), missing header, typing Pride and Prejudice without italics, explaining who Elizabeth is (the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet), plopping quotes in out of context, etc.
Over-dense Vocabulary and Syntax
Keep sentences and vocabulary clear and understandable. Don’t pack many big words into a short space. Don’t use abstract generalizations. Don’t use passive voice. Keep your prose easy to read and clear to understand. Don’t try to impress by using the thesaurus.
Examples: While many see the benefits of conforming to the social norm as essential for a fruitfully social lifestyle, it is crucial to humans as unique being to strive for individualism because the benefits of idiosyncrasy outweigh those of conformity. Although many people in society embody the traditional values and try to attain an idyllic and conventional world, the progress and development of a society depends on the innovative minds of individual citizens, who have the capability of correlating one’s identity with the stages of individuality. (Revise!)
When quoting material:
Periods and commas go inside the quotation marks.
Question marks, exclamation points, dashes, colons and semicolons are set outside the quotation marks (unless they are part of the source you quote).
When you are using a long quotation, check your system of documentation (MLA at Buckley) for how to define, indent and space long quotations.
Do not place blocked quotations in quotation marks. The indentation indicates that you are quoting.
Make sure you consistently and correctly use the preferred method of citing sources, MLA parenthetical citations and the correct MLA header.
Checking Usage:
Alot is not acceptable as a single word. The proper phrase is "a lot," but that is a rather colloquialized and vague phrase. Be more specific.
Its is a possessive pronoun. Ex: "Its characteristics are..."
It's is the contraction of it is. Ex: "It's a worthwhile exercise to read this handout."
Their is always plural. Ex: "Their characteristics are..."
There refers to location. (Remember "here and there").
They're is the contraction of they are.
Also check to make sure your nouns and verbs agree in number.
Be careful when using homophones (words that sound alike but mean different things, like accept/except, effect/affect.) If you are ever unsure if you are using the right word, check your dictionary.
Check the paper for colloquial or slang phrases that will take away from the academic tone of your paper. Also be aware of using gender-neutral language, and substitute neutral words for masculine ones (“he or she” for “he”).
Checking Organization:
Make sure you follow your thesis throughout your paper, and that your thesis is clearly stated in your introduction. An unclear or incomplete thesis will be the downfall of any paper.
Check your transitions to make sure that your paragraphs logically flow one to the other.
Check to make sure your paragraphing makes sense. Begin a new paragraph when you begin discussing a new topic, starting with a topic sentence.
Avoid one-sentence paragraphs. Most paragraphs, even transition paragraphs, are at least three sentences long.
Using Present or Past Tense:
Always use present tense when discussing a work of art or literature (called literary present). Ex: "In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain employs various local dialects."
Use past tense when discussing events outside the work of art. Ex: "When Mark Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn, America was rapidly industrializing." Read your paper aloud to check for:
run-on sentences
typographical errors
fragments or incomplete sentences
Make a list of Errors you particularly have to pay attention to:
_______________________________________
Overly Basic ‘College’ Essays
Intro, body paragraph about how Liz goes against society, body paragraph about how Charlotte or Mrs. Bennet conform to society, Conclusion that repeats that we should avoid conformity, as Austen reminds us to. Such an essay is passable at the college level, but it is not a strong essay because it is simplistic, lacks an edgy or debatable thesis claim, is overly predictable, and doesn’t contain enough original thought for a top college essay. This is a minimal effort in college writing would be graded thus. (See rubrics)
