Editing your Essay 

Good writers always comb through their writing, looking for ways to improve it. Before you turn in your essay, please check the following:

1)   Did you follow format guidelines for spacing, margins, and indentation?

2)   Are there any errors in spelling or capitalization in the heading? (Name, class, date)

3)   Are there any errors in the title?

4)   Is your essay written in academic style (with no informal vocabulary)?

5)   Are there missing -s endings on plural nouns or present tense verbs?

6)   If you are a writer who often leaves out articles, check every noun in your essay for

      a missing article. (Plurals and non-count nouns may not need articles, but some do.)

7)   Are sentences joined correctly? (Check punctuation.)

8)   Take one last look at vocabulary. (Try to find 2 -3 words that could be improved.)

9)   Finally, look at your introductory paragraph. Is it 2-4  sentences? Is there a hook?

      Is there a clear thesis statement?

10)  If possible, print your essay on scratch paper and then read it out loud. Often, a writer will notice

       errors more easily this way. (This means you can't wait until just before class to finish writing!)

11)  Read your essay backwards--beginning with the last sentence. This is another way to catch

       errors.

12)  Don't expect your essay to be perfect. Just do your best, but leave enough time to polish your

       work!