Use this checklist to evaluate your writing. This document is feely adapted from John Langan's excellent book, College Writing Skills.

1. Unity
• Clearly stated thesis in the introduction of your paper
• All the supporting paragraphs clearly intended to support your thesis
2. Support
• As many supporting points for your thesis as you can [at least two]
• Specific evidence for each of the supporting points

 
3. Coherence
• Clear organization
• Smooth transitions and use of other connecting words or devices
• Effective introduction, body and conclusion with title
4. Sentence Skills
• Fragment eliminated
• Run-ons eliminated
• Correct verb forms
• Subject and verb agreement
• Faulty paralellism and faulty modifiers eliminated
• Faulty pronouns eliminated
• Capital letters used correctly
• Puncutation where necessary
• Proper format
• Needless words eliminate
• Syntax
• Spelling [no excuses]
• Varied sentence structure
5. Other Skills
• Unwanted or unintentional sexism/bias eliminated
• Clarity
• Style