English 9, Monday, April 4

Excellent work today. We did 15 minutes of USSR and added words 41 and 42 to our list-sap and petty.

Next, I collected all of the first drafts of the Pigman essays and distributed them for peer editing.
If you were away, use the checklists below and do a thorough edit of your draft.
Editing is not simply finding errors, it also implies revising sections in order to make them clearer, more insightful and more interesting.

Wednesday:
Submit your first edited draft, your good copy of the essay, and your completed quotation log.

Do NOT arrive to class Wednesday without your work. Term 3 ends Friday so I cannot offer extensions.

IF YOU WERE ABSENT TODAY, COPY AND PASTE THE CHECKLIST BELOW INTO A WORD DOCUMENT AND PRINT IT OUT. USE IT AS A GUIDE FOR REVISING YOUR FIRST DRAFT.

Essay Checklist:

 

English 9 Essay CHECKLIST

 

Name______________ Editor _____________________

The items below must be in your essay.  Do not submit an essay with any of the items below missing.  The checklist is worth 40 marks as completing it competently ensures an excellent finished product and reveals your editing skills. Spend a lot of time with this list.  

Introduction Checklist

1. _____ All verbs are in the present tense and no contractions are used.
2. _____ The thesis answers the question So What??? meets the other thesis criteria discussed, and includes the author’s name and the title of the novel is italicized.
3. _____ Each body paragraph is represented by a category summary sentence. You should have three body paragraphs and three sentences.
4. _____ Your last sentence is a repeat of your thesis but it appeals more to the reader’s emotions: injustice, passion, righteousness, honor, outrage etc.
5. _____ You have varied your sentences so that they do not all start in the same manner. You have varied your verbs so that is, does, makes etc. are used rarely. Use emphasize, elucidates, exemplifies, depicts, reveals, symbolizes etc.

Body Paragraph Checklist

1. _____ Each body paragraph is equal in length and no paragraph is less than 350 words. All points prove your thesis and you make that link your priority. Repeat the thesis at least once in every body paragraph.
2. _____ All verbs are in the present tense and no contractions are used. You do not use the phrase THIS SHOWS OR THIS MOVES. Cut pronouns: this, it, he, she.
3. _____ All quotations are followed by a page or line number (19) or (3.1.35). And a period comes after the bracket but not before the bracket.
4. _____ All paragraphs have a strong concluding sentence.
5. _____ Body paragraphs 1 and 2 end with transition sentences.
6. _____ Somewhere in each body paragraph you mention your thesis and how these points are proving it.
7. _____ You vary your sentence beginnings and use good verbs like emphasizes, exemplifies, illustrates, portrays, depicts, shows etc. Is, has, makes, seems are used rarely. Your arguments are persuasive. It is easy to follow. Be convincing.
8. _____ You vary your sentence lengths so no one style takes over. Some sentences are really short and some are really long.
9. _____ You have edited and spellchecked your work so no typos get through.
10. _____ You solemnly believe that you have proven your thesis with clear evidence from the text and you are not simply retelling the story.

Conclusion Paragraph Checklist

1. _____ You have not added any new information here.
2. _____ You repeat your thesis right away and do not repeat the author or title names.
3. _____ Each body paragraph is represented by a summary category sentence.
4. _____ You end the conclusion by repeating your thesis emotionally.
5. _____ You use the present tense of the verbs and no contractions are used.