English 102: Essay Checklist

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English 102

Winter 2003

Kris McAbee

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Essay Checklist

• Title: Did I give my essay a title? Does it appropriately reflect the content of my essay?

• Did I number my pages?

• Do I cite correctly, according to MLA format?
  • Did I cite at the end of the sentence, including the author’s name only when it is not evident?
  • Did I cite the line numbers for poetry; act, scene, and line numbers for plays; book and line numbers for epic poetry?
  • Did I offset quotes that are more than 3 lines/sentences long?

• Did I include a works cited page? Is it formatted correctly (alphabetical order, hanging indent)? Did I document all of my sources?

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• Did I quote correctly? Is my punctuation in order?
  • Punctuation on the inside of quotation marks at the end of sentences:
    • Example: Shakespeare puns on the word "will."
  • Punctuation on the outside of quotation marks:
    • Example: Does Shakespeare pun on the word "will"?
  • Punctuation at the end of the sentence after parenthetical citation:
    • Example: Spenser sets up chastity as the primary virtue, "fair above the rest" (III.1.4).
  • Punctuation at the end of the quotation after an offset quote:
    • Example:

"When the Son leaves the Father’s side, he does not begin his journey alone; rather,

Princedoms, and Dominations ministrant

Accompanied [him] to heaven gate. From whence

Eden and all the coast in prospect lay. (Milton 10.86-88)"

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• Did I spell words correctly (run a spell-check)?
  • Did I accidentally use the wrong homophone?
    • Examples of homophones:

Hear/Here; There/They’re/There; Your/You’re; Duel/Dual

• Did I use apostrophes for possessives, and no apostrophes for plurals?
• Do my sentences pivot on strong verbs? Did I avoid using passive verbs?
• Did I use consistent verb tense? Did I use present tense when talking about literature and plot?
  • Examples:

INCORRECT: Petrarch suggested the complicated nature of love through his use of oxymorons. CORRECT: Petrarch suggests the complicated nature of love through his use of oxymorons. INCORRECT: Britomart exemplified chastity. CORRECT: Britomart exemplifies chastity.

• It’s ok to use past tense when stating concrete historical facts:
  • Example: Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet in the late sixteenth century.
• Are my sentences grammatically correct? Did I avoid run-on or incomplete sentences?

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• Do I have a clear thesis? Does it synthesize the main points of my argument in a sophisticated way?
• Does the body of my paper respond to my thesis? Does each paragraph play a clear role toward arguing my thesis? Do I make my thesis evident throughout?
• Did I incorporate quotes as proof of my claims? Do I react to them sufficiently and explain their significance in relationship to my argument?
• Did I include a conclusion? Does it logically follow my paper and move beyond mere reiteration?
• Does each paragraph flow nicely to the next? Did I include transitions between paragraphs to aid in the flow of my argument?
• Does my paper "sound" like an academic paper? Does it avoid informal, colloquial, and unnecessary language? Does it clearly and succinctly get to the point?
• Did I answer the essay question? Does my paper meet the page requirements?