Use this checklist to evaluate your writing. This checklist is organized according to the five traits, domains, or characteristics of good writing. Click on MY Tutor ® for in-depth analysis, revision tips, examples and strategies to improve your writing prior to submission.

FOCUS & MEANING

I have read the writing topic and identified my audience and purpose .

I have read my essay to make certain the words are appropriate for my audience .

I stay focused on a specific subject clearly expressed in a thesis statement .

CONTENT & DEVELOPMENT

I have included at least three main ideas .

I have included at least three or four details to support each main idea . Details include facts , statistics , examples , or personal experiences .

ORGANIZATION

I include a question , an exclamation , or an interesting fact or statistic in my first paragraph / introduction as a " hook " to grab my reader ' s attention .

I included a thesis / controlling idea statement at the end of my introduction .

I have included transitions between ideas and paragraphs to enhance meaning .

I have presented my ideas in a clear order with my strongest argument last .

I included a strong statement in my conclusion that tells readers what to do - a call to action .

LANGUAGE USE & STYLE

I varied the lengths of my sentences so that I have both long and short sentences .

I replaced general descriptive words with more specific descriptive words ( specific nouns , vivid verbs , colorful modifiers ).

GRAMMAR & CONVENTIONS

I have read my essay out loud ( to yourself ) so that I can hear my mistakes and correct them . I will try to make my reader SMILE by checking :

Sentences : Each sentence has a subject and a verb ( an action ).

Marks : End each sentence with a punctuation mark .

Indents : Indent when you begin a new paragraph .

Letters : Start each sentence with a capital letter .

Editor : I have used MY Editor as a final check for possible errors in mechanics , style , punctuation and spelling .

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