CHECKLIST FOR BETTER PAPERS

Paper Format
___ 1.

Font: Times New Roman (or another serif font)

___ 2.

12 pt font

___ 3.

1 inch margins: left, right, top, bottom (use ruler to check)

___ 4.

Double space always, even on Works Cited

___ 5.

Works Cited starts on new page (ctrl enter: makes new page)

___ 6.

Works cited entries -- hanging indent format

___ 7.
No extra space between paragraphs -- make sure box checked below
line spacing
___ 8.

No extra pts on line spacing, make sure set to 0 pt on spacing

___ 9.
Header, aligned right, .5 from top of page (last name and page
number)
___ 10.
Heading, done as shown on syllabus, left side, double spaced, 1 inch
from top on 1st page
Introduction
___ Look at your first sentences. Don't begin your essays with a vague statement
about life. The opening sentence (like the essays last sentence) should
convey the specific issue that your paper will address. Instead, you might
consider opening with a pertinent quote, a vivid image, or a comment on the
general theme you will be discussing. Regardless of how you open, however,
the sentence or sentences that you construct should be concrete, relevant to
the thesis, and capture your readers interest.
____ Transition toward your thesis idea.
____ Thesis: The last sentence or two of the introductory paragraph should be a
thesis, your claim for what your paper will prove.
Body Paragraphs & Evidence
____ Write topic sentences that are claims (not just a statement of fact). Is your
statement the
arguable claim that you will then prove in this paragraph?
____ Use signal phrases to introduce quotations, paraphrases, and summaries that
you derive from your sources. Never include any "freestanding quotes."
Never start a sentence with a quotation mark. Every quote, whether in the
body of your essay or blocked, must be integrated into one of your own
sentences. Use signal phrases in front of quotation, not after (despite the
examples in the book). Never include any "freestanding quotes." This means
never start a sentence with a Quotation mark. Every quote, whether in the
body of your essay or blocked, must be integrated into one of your own
sentences. Furthermore, it should be analyzed by you to demonstrate how it
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proves your point.

____ If the paper is a research essay, include at least one vivid quote or paraphrase
in each body paragraph. Dazzle me with references that you then interpret
to show how it proves your point. Interpret (analyze) all quotations.
____ If you have several quotes from one page in one paragraph, cite the page
number in the last quote.
Sentence Style
____ Slow Wind-Up: Avoid sentences with slow wind-up: The fact of the matter is
that . . . The quote means that . . . I think that . . . It is clear that . . .
-- Carefully evaluate sentences that begin with a phrase leading up to that
because often you can simply remove all the words leading up to that and
convey your idea more clearly and forcefully.
____ Vary your sentence structure and length.
____ Vary the opening style of sentences. Do not begin with the subject of the
sentence every time; rather, use a transition or introductory element.
____ Use Control/F to look for expletives. Rarely or never use the construction
"there is" or "there are" or it is or this is. In fact, you should be stingy
with your use of any form of the verb "to be to to have.
____ Do you use short sentences for emphasis of key ideas?
____ Use Control/F to look for every use of the word that. See IF they are empty
phrases like: The fact of the matter is that . . . The quote means
that . . . If so, delete this slow wind-up.
____ Carefully evaluate sentences that begin with a phrase leading up to that. If
you can simply remove all the words leading up to that and convey your
idea more clearly and forcefully, remove that introductory clause.
Diction (Word Choice)
____ Verbs: Check for unnecessary shifts in point of view and verb tense. Look at
every verb carefully.
____ Use the "historical present" verb tense when discussing your texts: The
author argues,
____ Use Control/F to search & delete contractions (can't, won't, wouldn't, etc.).
Exception: you may use them when you quote dialogue, but make sure you
spell them correctly. For example, the contracted form of "you all" is not
"ya'll" but "y'all." Exception: you may use them when you are writing an
essay for an audience that would appreciate them, such as a teenage boy.
____ The word "cannot" is one word. Please use Control/F to search & change to
correct form.
____ Eliminate all clichs and informal language.
____ Concise Sentences: Avoid Buzzwords and meaningless modifiers. Avoid
buzzwords (A.K.A. utility words, fillers, empty words) Dont Use words like "very,"
"really," or "actually." These words work well enough in dialogue, but not in formal
writing. You may think, for example, that saying, "The weather is very hot"
constitutes effective speech. However, the idea can be expressed more vividly:
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"The weather is sultry" or "oppressive." You see, the word "very" doesn't intensify;
rather, it signals you ought to scratch a little deeper for the right word. Remember
that a concise sentence contains only the number of words necessary to achieve
its effect or to convey its message. Every word serves a purpose in a concise
sentence. Because it is free of unnecessary words and convoluted constructions
that interfere with the intended meaning of the sentence, a concise sentence is
also clear and powerful.
____ Avoid these vague nouns: aspect, idea, situation, element, factor, kind, type,
quality, characteristic, scope, angle, area, thing, sort.
____ Avoid these meaningless modifiers: absolutely, very, awfully, definitely, fine,
nice, great, major, really, good, bad, significant, important, basically, completely.
Note: These lists offer just a few examples. Look back over your past papers and
find the buzzwords or "vague" phrases I've marked. Carefully scan your paper
specifically for these words & rewrite.

Revision Checklist, page 3