Q&A!A Handy Checklist for Writers
In his book Brain Train: Studying for Success (London: E & FN Spon, 1996), 164, Richard Palmer offers great insights on how to study... and enjoy it. One example of the information he delivers is this memorable list of Rules of Grammar for Report Writing:
- Remember to never split an infinitive.
- The passive voice should never be used.
- Punctuate run-on sentences properly they are hard to read otherwise.
- Don't use no double negatives.
- Use the semi-colon properly, always use it where it is appropriate; and never where it isn't.
- Reserve the apostrophe for it's proper use and omit it when its not needed.
- Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
- No sentence fragments.
- Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
- Avoid commas, that are not necessary.
- If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a lot of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
- A writer must not shift your point of view.
- Give slang the elbow.
- Conversely, it is incumbent upon us to avoid archaisms.
- Don't overuse exclamation marks!!!!
- Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of 10 onwards or more, to their antecedents.
- Hyphenate between sy-llables; avoid un-necessary hyphens.
- Write all adverbial forms correct.
- Writing carefully: dangling participles must be avoided.
- Steer clear of incorrect forms of verbs that have snuck in the language.
- Take the bull by the hand: always pick on the correct idiom and avoid mixed metaphors.
- Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
- Never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
- Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
- If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, resist hyperbole.
- Also, avoid awkward or affected alliteration.
- Don't string together too many prepositional phrases unless you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
- ""Avoid overuse of quotation marks.""""
- For Christ's sake don't offend your readers' sensibilities.
- Last but not least, avoid clichés like the plague; seek viable alternatives.
Print out this list to use as a handy reminder when you're doing all those writing assignments. And check out Brain Train: Studying for Success for many other useful tips.
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Student Guide
Checklist for Writers
Lesson Connection: A Variety of Unwise Characters
Copyright The Kennedy Center. All rights reserved.
ARTSEDGE materials may be reproduced for educational purposes.
Checklist for Writing About Literature
These are some things you should look for when analyzing and writing about literature:
Content and Organization
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Is the topic of each paragraph developed fully through the use of examples?
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Does each sentence in a paragraph relate to the topic sentence?
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Are the ideas presented in a reasonable order?
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Are transitional words and phrases used within and between paragraphs?
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Should any information be added?
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Should some information be dropped or moved?
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Does the concluding paragraph provide a good ending?
Style
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Is language simple and direct?
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Are point of view and tone consistent?
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Are there a variety of sentence types?
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Are too many "ands" used when other ways of combining sentences are appropriate?
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Are verbs active rather than passive?
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Are tenses of the verbs consistent?
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Are pronoun references clear?
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Are any words overused?
Mechanics
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Is each paragraph indented?
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Are words spelled correctly?
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Are capital letters used correctly?
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Are there sentence fragments that must be revised?
Checklist for Writing a Story
Use the following checklist to revise, proofread, and edit your writing. You should begin the revision
process by reading the story aloud.
Content
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Does the title point to something important in the story and grab the reader's interest?
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Have you included details that describe your characters and setting?
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Do you present the main character's problem clearly? Does each event of the plot grow
logically from what happened before?
•
Is your climax a clear solution to the problem? Does your plot end soon after the climax? Do
you show the main character's reaction to the climax?
Page 2 of 2
Lesson Connection: A Variety of Unwise Characters
Copyright The Kennedy Center. All rights reserved.
ARTSEDGE materials may be reproduced for educational purposes.
•
Do you use dialogue to make the story more interesting and realistic?
Style
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Have you cut out unnecessary details?
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Have you used colorful adjectives and verbs wherever possible?
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Does your dialogue sound real?
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Do you use both long and short sentences for variety?
Mechanics
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Is each sentence complete (no fragments, no run-ons)?
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Are all the words spelled correctly? If you are not sure of the spelling of a word, have you
consulted a dictionary?
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Have you punctuated and capitalized your sentences correctly? In dialogue, have you used
quotation marks and capital letters correctly?
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Do you begin a new paragraph whenever the subject, time, or place changes or whenever the
speaker in the dialogue changes?
Using Evidence Effectively
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Is the position stated clearly?
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Do the examples support the position?
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Does the writing end with a summary of the evidence and a restatement of the position?
Writing a Clear Description
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Does the description create a main impression?
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Does it show rather than tell?
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Have you used precise details?
Writing to Compare and Contrast
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Are your points of comparison clear?
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Is your organizational pattern consistent?
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Have you used words that emphasize similarities and differences?
Writing About Plot
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Is the connection between events clear?
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Have you used examples from the selection to support your judgment about the effectiveness
of the plot?
Writing About Characters
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Is the character portrayed accurately, as he/she appears in the story?
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Are there examples from the story to support the character traits discussed?
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