Thursday, February 28, 2013

English 11: Writing the Conclusion and Peer Editing

Before you write your conclusion, read over your essay several times to check that you actually acoomplished what you set out to do. Did you prove the thesis? If not, what did you prove?

You may need to go back and revise your introduction to match the ideas and examples you've chosen to discuss. That is quite common.

Once your introduction and your body paragraph topic sentences match, you are ready to write your conclusion. The conclusion is similar to the introduction. It offers opinions only but no examples. Ensure that your sentences are clear and declarative. Be persuasive. Be dramatic. Use strong verbs.

Conclusion Components:

Sentence 1: Restate the thesis (without the author or title)
Sentence 2: Restate the main point of your first body paragraph
Sentence 3: Restate the main point of your second body paragraph
Sentence 4: Restate the main point of your third body paragraph
Sentence 5: Restate your thesis but add more emotional appeal.


Peer editing: Using the peer editing sheet below (if you were here today, I handed this sheet to the class). Edit your essay closely.

50% of the mark will be style:
  • following the literary must-haves list
  • strong verbs
  • correctly integrated and cited quotations
  • sentence type and length variety (use because, unless, despite, until, although)
  • elevated but accurate diction
  • vary the way your sentences begin
  • applicable transitions and a variety of transitions
  • persuasive, formal tone
  • organization
  • proofread 
  • find good synonyms for the words identity, people, society, religion etc
50% of the mark is content:
  • you answer the question with insight: What is identity? 
  • your evidence demonstrates you have read and understood the novel
  • you use analytical expressions such as The symbol of the attic reveals or the girl's defiance declares that or the significance of the setting is clear when . . . 
  •  you offer insightful opinions about what happens in the book
  • you do not re-tell the story. Assume the reader of your essay has read the book
  • prove your thesis clearly 
  • use only the best examples from the book 

Essay Coversheet

Peer Editor’s Name ________________________ Essay Writer’s Name _______________

(ENSURE YOUR ESSAY FOLLOWS THE LITERARY MUST-HAVES SHEET)


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; the title of the novel is italicized.
  3. _____ Each body paragraph is represented by a category summary sentence. (Colours from quote log). 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: justice, passion, righteousness, honor, humour, 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 elucidates, emphasizes, illustrates, depicts, portrays, establishes, etc.

Body Paragraph Checklist (Make sure you are proving the essay’s thesis!)
  1. _____ Your topic sentence covers everything to be discussed in this paragraph.
  2. _____ Each body paragraph is equal in length and no paragraph is less than 300 -350 words.
  3. _____ All verbs are in the present tense and no contractions are used.
  4. _____ 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.
  5. _____ All paragraphs have a strong concluding sentence.
  6. _____ Body paragraphs 1 and 2 end with transition sentences.
  7. _____ Somewhere in each body paragraph you mention your thesis and how these points are proving it.
  8. _____ You vary your sentence beginnings and use good verbs like emphasizes, exemplifies, illustrates, portrays, depicts, etc. Is, has, makes, seems are used rarely. Your arguments are persuasive.
  9. _____ You vary your sentence lengths so no one style takes over. Some sentences are really short and some are long. You chop out wordiness.
  10. _____ You have edited and spellchecked your work so no typos get through.
  11. _____ You solemnly believe that you have proven your thesis with clear evidence from the text and you are not simply retelling the story.
  12. _____ You use synonyms so that the same word is not used too often.
  13. _____ You have eliminated pronouns such as THIS, IT, THEY, HE, SHE
  14. _____ You use punctuation to your advantage—the dash, the semi-colon, the colon. Are you brave enough to attempt an exclamation mark?

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.
  3. _____ Each body paragraph is represented by a summary sentence.
  4. _____ You end the conclusion by repeating your thesis emotionally. (Usually this sentence is 15 words or less).
  5. _____ You use the present tense of the verbs and no contractions are used.

Cover Page
  1. _____ Your title reflects your thesis and you have author and title in there.
  2. _____ Bottom left corner includes your name, course name, teacher’s name, date



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