This document provides a 5-point revision checklist for a student essay assignment, including: 1. Ensuring the essay meets the assignment requirements on length, examples, and references. 2. Organizing the essay with a clear thesis statement and topic sentences that connect each paragraph to the thesis. 3. Using effective transitional words and phrases to connect ideas within and between paragraphs. 4. Writing in a clear, readable style without repetitive or vague language and strengthening "to be" verbs. 5. Completing a final proofread to check formatting, grammar, mechanics, and spelling before submitting the final draft.

1. ~ 5 Revision Tips and Checklist ~<br />Please print out a copy, sign it, and turn it in attached to your final draft.<br />_____ 1. Does the essay meet the assignment? Does it include a minimum of 500 words? <br />Does it include 3-4 examples of people/places/events that have directly influenced your life? Does it include references to songs/song lyrics?<br />_____ 2. Does the organization work for the reader? Do you include a thesis statement <br />in the beginning of the paper with a WHAT, HOW, and WHY? Does each body paragraph contain a topic sentence that sums of the main idea of the paragraph AND connects back to the thesis statement? Do the examples make sense and support the thesis statement?<br />_____ 3. Does the paper have smooth and frequent transitions? Do you include <br />transitional words and phrases that help connect your ideas and make sense within the context of the paper? Do you include transitional phrases, not only at the beginning of paragraphs, but also throughout paragraphs and to connect sentences?<br />_____ 4. Is your paper readable? Have you chosen proper language? Do you have any <br />repetitive language? Have you eliminated all vague wording (i.e. “things,” “stuff,” “something,” “anything,”)? Have you eliminated all inappropriate wording (i.e. “I think,” “I feel,” “I believe,” “in my opinion”) unless appropriate? Have you varied your sentence structure and added dependant clauses, combined sentences using conjunctions, and included prepositional phrases, etc.? Try to make all of your “to be” verbs stronger (i.e. am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been). For example, “If we extend school, we would be less stressed” becomes “Extending school would free students from the prison of stress that shackles them.”<br />_____ 5. Have you completed a final proofread before turning in your final draft? Is <br />the formatting correct down to the details (see Blackboard for requirements)? Are the grammar and mechanics right? Make sure to have someone read over the paper looking for problem areas. Is the spelling correct? Make sure to use spell check and be familiar with commonly misspelled words so that you can look out for them.<br />_____________________________ Name ____________ Date<br />