a) Read your paper ALOUD. Listen closely. Often, problems can be detected in passages that dont flow/read smoothly.
b) after reading the paper aloud, you will fill this sheet out ABOUT your paper. Part of YOUR course grade will be affected by your thoroughness in completing this exercise.
PART I General Paper Review
1) What is the title of the essay? (If no title, come up with one.)
2) How do you capture the readers attention in the intro? Is it effective?
3) What is the thesis statement? What is the assertion/claim in the thesis? (What are you trying to prove?) Yes, rewrite it even if you wrote it above.
A thesis, by nature, is something that one can argue. All arguments have an opposite or alternate. What is the opposite/alternate of your thesis?
**Remember All material in the paper should support the thesis As you read the paper, eliminate any info that doesnt help to prove the thesis.
4) What is the topic sentence (mini-thesis) of the first body paragraph? Write it down below. (If you cant find it, write one that fits the info in the paragraph.)
How does the topic sentence support the thesis? Explain. (If the topic sentence doesnt support the thesis, then fix it so it does).
Eliminate any info that causes the paragraph to lack unity.
Add info as necessary to help the paragraphs cohesion.
What evidence/details from the story is used to support claim in the paragraph?
5) What is the topic sentence (mini-thesis) of the second body paragraph? (If you cant find it, write one that fits the info in the paragraph.)
Line-out any info that causes the paragraph to lack unity.
Add info as necessary to help the paragraphs cohesion.
How does the topic sentence support the thesis?
6.) Repeat step 4 (or 5) for any other body paragraphs.
7) How do you conclude your paper? Is the conclusion effective? Why or why not?
PART II Writing about Literature Review
8) Do you use present tense verbs to talk about the continuing/ongoing action of the story? (The narrator climbs into the ring to fight the other boys). Scan the entire paper and highlight/circle any instances where youve failed to use present tense to talk about the story in general.
9) Do you use past tense verbs to discuss historical events outside the story or to discuss events that happened prior to the theme of the storys main action? (Jim Crow Laws were still in effect in the 1930s .)
10) What specific/concrete examples from the text (the story) is used? From OBriens article? Summarize each one below.
11) Look over the story again. Find one example/supporting point you might also use to supplement (enhance) EACH body paragraph.
12) Read through the paper and identify any unnecessary plot summary. Weve all read the story so we dont need summarizing, only analysis. Cross/Scratch out any unnecessary plot summary. (Any summary that doesnt help the author prove the thesis.)
13) Are the titles/authors of the stories/articles youll be discussing talked about in the introduction? They should be. Are the titles of the short stories and articles in quotation marks? Reread the paper and make sure. Place quotation marks around the storys title where you find it. If any story titles are underlined, cross out the underline before placing quotes around the title.
14) Does you use the authors full name the first time the author is introduced (John Updike) and the authors last name only (Updike) for each subsequent usage? If no, make the changes on the rough draft.
15) How many quotes/citations do you use from your chosen story?
Remember, your paper should have direct evidence (examples, quotes) from the story AND from OBriens article
16) Did you use parenthetical citation? (Carver 595) or (OBrien Telling par. 5).
If not, write it in. 17) Check for (and correct) grammatical errors, spelling, usage errors, typos, etc.
Use your answers to these questions to fix your rough draft. Ill be asking these same questions when I determine your paper grade. You can download this in word processing form from the assignments page!
