Writing Tip #30: Final Draft Checklist

  1. Does your essay follow the form? Be sure you have an occasion, a thesis, a counterthesis when appropriate, a projected organization, background information if needed, a body that supports the thesis, and a conclusion.
  2. Does the body of the paper follow the order of supporting points you mapped out in your projected organization?
  3. Does the occasion lead the reader to the thesis and give a reason to care about it?
  4. Does your thesis assert your position clearly and positively?
  5. If you present a counterthesis, is it clear and in opposition to your argument? Be sure the counterargument and argument are opposing each other and not just aiming at the same topic from different directions.
  6. Does the projected organization tell WHY the thesis is valid, or does it merely state facts? Be sure you are not just describing what the thesis does or what the results may be if the thesis is true.
  7. Do the body paragraphs have clear positions within the essay, i.e., do they directly aim to prove the validity of the thesis? Or do the body paragraphs just list a lot of related information? How do the body paragraphs connect to each other? Did you use transitions?
  8. Does the information in the body link clearly to the thesis; does the evidence tell WHY the thesis is true?
  9. How are the details presented? Are they listed or is each detail discussed? Choose your strategy to serve your purpose.
  10. How substantive is your evidence? For that matter, how substantive is your essay? Do you just tell the reader about something he or she already knows, or do you teach the reader something new or provide a new perspective on the topic?
  11. Is your essay logical? Even description and narrative must be logical, with information presented in an orderly fashion. Details that are "flying around" the essay confuse readers. Remember, you gave the reader a map in your thesis paragraph; be sure your essay follows the sequence and the logic in your projected organization.
  12. Did you print out your essay to see how it looks in hard copy? You may find errors or other things to correct or revise when you see print on paper rather than on the monitor screen.
  13. Did you read your paper aloud or have someone read it to you? Listen for style, tone, reader "stumbles" in awkward or difficult text. Fix the problems. Aim for smooth reading. It's not a bad idea to ask your reader what he or she understood from your essay; it's a good way to check whether or not your essay is "on track."
  14. Check for stylistic interest. On your hard copy (or on the computer), count the number of words in your sentences or, with a felt pen, put a colored slash at the end of each sentence and see how far apart the colored slashes are. Are the sentences all the same length? Remember that short sentences (<7 words), long sentences (>30 words), and varied sentence structures add interest to your prose and keep the reader involved. Include questions and commands when appropriate, use some compound and complex sentences, embed a clause here and there for emphasis and variation.
  15. Usually, do you begin sentences with familiar information and end with new information? Do you have a sentence or two that includes the new information in the first few words? How about sentences beginning with "and" or "but" for variety? And how about a phrase with no verb? Controlled sentence fragments can effectively answer questions or point out special information.
  16. Look at your diction. Do you have short, medium, and long words? Did you use formal English throughout your essay, or did you include jargon, slang, "big" words, and intellectually challenging terms when appropriate? Don't be afraid to shock your readers into believing you; just don't trick them.
  17. How are your voice and tone expressed? Did you write in the first person or are you a reporter? Sometimes a "we" or an "I" personalizes an essay. Use "you" to speak directly to your reader or to bring the reader into your frame of thinking. You can tell the reader your secret by addressing the reader as "you." Is your tone formal, informal, sarcastic or dispassionate, that of an expert or a speculator? Your voice and tone tell the reader who you are; choose the voice and tone you want to convey your personality and your proposition.
  18. Read your topic sentences. Do they repeat your projected organization? Or do they tie the paragraph to the PO and the thesis without repeating the words in your thesis paragraph? Try to provide some interesting sentence structures and word choice to start those body paragraphs. Also remember that the topic sentences will serve you well if they are analytical rather than descriptive; give the paragraph a reason for existence. Let your topic sentence act like a "mini-thesis" for the paragraph; prove the topic sentence and in turn you'll prove the thesis.
  19. Don't forget to spell check, grammar check, and use your writer's handbook to make sure that "mechanical difficulties" don't bring your essay to a halt. You're known by what you write; skip the errors. If you've kept a personal "gremlin" list of errors that frequently sneak into your writing, be especially careful to catch and correct them. Make more than one proofreading pass through your paper; read backwards if necessary so you will see what's ON the page and not what you assume is on it.
  20. Refer to your critiques from your classmates and your instructor. Have you attended to them? If not, do it now. If you choose not to take a suggestion, do so consciously; know why you reject it. Pay attention to the details; they make the difference between an excellent and a good essay-or a not so good or a bad one. Spend those few extra minutes to put forth your best work.