Areas of
improvement IN THE ESSAY
Format
heading:
Your name, My Name, Class and period, date—all in the upper-left portion of
page one
subsequent
page headings: your last name, space, page number (BEGINS ON PAGE ONE; USE AN
“INSERT HEADER” COMMAND)
1”
margins
double
spacing THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ESSAY
extended
quotation offset format (see mla)
computer generated and
printed
UsES
A paper clip, not a staple, to bind the pages
10
or 12 size font and times new roman or courier font style (BLACK INK ONLY)
meets
the minimum length of the assignment
title
(UNIQUE AND RELEVANT TO THE ARGUMENT)
Grammar,
punctuation, spelling, and style
agreement between subject
and verb and/or pronoun/antecedent
sentence
fragments
run-on
sentences
present
tense verbs
elimination
of first and second person pronouns
correct
use of the
coRrect use of the comma
correct
use of the apostrophe
correct
use of single and double quotation marks
CORRECT
PUNCTUATION OF TITLES (thank you, cathy!)
CAPITALIZATION
spelling
ACTIVE/PASSIVE VOICE
EFFECTIVE AND APPROPRIATE
WORD CHOICE
Documentation
in-text parenthetical documentation
(BOTH CONTENT AND FORMAT)
WORKS
CITED ENTRIES (BOTH CONTENT AND FORMAT)
RHETORICAL ELEMENTS
HOOK
CONTEXT
THESIS (PRESENT, CLEAR AND
NOT OBSCURED BY OTHER CM STATEMENTS IN THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH)
PREVIEW OF TOPICS (CONCISELY
PRESENTED AS ITEMS IN A SERIES)
TOPIC SENTENCES (NARROWS
TO A TOPIC AND SUPPORTS THE THESIS)
PRIMARY TEXT SUPPORT
(NUMBER AND QUALITY)
SECONDARY TEXT(S) SUPPORT
(IF APPLICABLE)
CM STATEMENTS (NUMBER AND
DEPTH OF INSIGHT)
CONCLUDING SENTENCES
CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH
(AVOIDS INTRODUCING NEW EVIDENCE AND/OR CLAIMS THAT REQUIRE NEW EVIDENCE)
TRANSITIONS (PARAGRAPH-
AND DETAIL-LEVEL)