EDITOR’S CHECKLIST
· Show! Do not tell.
· Take out ‘I think’ or ‘To me’. Since it is your paper it is assumed it is your thinking.
· “I agree with __________ that...” instead of “I agree because...”
o First identify who you agree with and then explain what you agree with and finally explain why you agree with that statement.
· Organization of Information – The opinion statement identified in the introduction should be the thread that runs through the essay tying together your different ideas.
· Use the language of the question in your response.
o For example, if the question asks what is the point of view of Dave then include in your answer the words ‘point of view’.
o For example, if the question asks whether you think that voting is a privilege and a responsibility, in your answer include the words ‘privilege’ and ‘responsibility’.
· 'Well' and ‘So’ - Do not start a sentence with 'well' or ‘so’ as it is too conversational for this writing.
· Run On Sentences
· Possession – Dave’s point of view
· Pop-up capitals.
· He, She, It, They – Identify. Be specific.
· Verb/Subject Agreement – The first and most important rule in subject verb agreement is that the verb must agree with the intended number of the subject.
o Is/Are
§ Singular (Subject) & Present Tense (Verb) = Is
· For example: He is going to hear the band play.
§ Plural (Subject) & Present Tense (Verb) = Are
· For example: They are going to hear the band play.
o Was/Were
§ Singular (Subject) & Past Tense (Verb) = Was
· For example: He was going to hear the band play but he had to do his homework instead.
§ Plural (Subject) & Past Tense (Verb) = Were
· For example: They were going to hear the band play but they got lost on the way to the gig.
· Because means as a result of.
o I rode my bike because my car broke down.
o My car broke down because I rode my bike.
· Other words for ‘show’ or ‘tell’
o This is evident when…
o This is revealed when…
· Well/Good
o When it is an activity being described, use well, the adverb.
§ For example: Stan sang well.
§ For example: I did well on the test.
o When it’s a condition or a passive state being describe, use good, the adjective.
§ For example: At the recital he sounded good.
§ For example: The good dog brought the newspaper to his master.
§ For example: She is a good tennis player.
· When you include a quote in your writing, you do not need to identify the paragraph number just the page number. Include reference to page number within the quote itself.
Tricky Spelling Words
· College v. Collage
· Than vs. Then
o If comparing/contrasting two things use the word ‘than’
o If one thing follows another or results from another, use the word ‘then’.
· there = their = they're =
· its = it's =
· ‘a’ before a consonant ‘an’ before a vowel
ex.: ex.:
· Would of, Could of, Should of
o of = have
· Accept vs. Except
o Accept (Verb) = To receive, admit, regard as true.
o Except (Preposition) = Excluding
· Too = as well or excess
· Affect vs. Effect
o Affect (Verb) = To have an influence on or effect a change in.
§ For example: Rheumatic fever can affect the heart.
o Effect (Noun) = Something brought about by a cause.
§ For example: The drug had an immediate effect on the pain.
