Download ESSAY: SELF-CHECK Does your introduction… Begin with an

ESSAY: SELF-CHECK
Does your introduction…
 Begin with an engaging hook?
 End with a thesis statement that clearly answers the prompt?
 Contain a total of 3+ sentences?
Does your first body paragraph…
 Start with a reason or main point that relates back to your thesis?
 Contain 1 CHELPS example that illustrates your main point?
 EXPLAIN how your example supports your thesis?
 Contain a total of 4+ sentences?
Does your second body paragraph…
 Start with a reason or main point that relates back to your thesis?
 Contain 1 CHELPS example that illustrates your main point?
 EXPLAIN how your example supports your thesis?
 Contain a total of 4+ sentences?
Does your conclusion…
 Re-state or summarize your thesis and main points from the essay?
 Avoid introducing new information?
 Contain a total of 2+ sentences?
In your WHOLE essay, do you…
 Have 4 paragraphs total? Are they all indented?
 Avoid repeating yourself?
 Stay focused on the prompt?
 Use formal/academic vocabulary?
Use the following list of rules to edit your essay for capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
 Writing Rules 
CAPITALIZATION (excessive/unnecessary capitalization will be marked with a slash)
RULE
Capitalize the first word in a sentence
Capitalize all proper names and proper adjectives
Capitalize all letters in an acronym
EXAMPLE
He was surprised to see the dog jump through the flaming hoop.
Michael used a visit to Sarah during Christmas break as an
excuse to go to Boston.
According to the newspaper, NASA plans on putting people on
Mars.
END MARKS
RULE
EXAMPLE
Place a period at the end of declarative sentences
He wants a snake as a pet.
Place a period after every mark of abbreviation
His homework assignment has gone M.I.A. again.
Place a question mark after a direct question and
sometimes to indicate doubt
Is that a snake over there?
Place an exclamation mark after sentences
expressing emotion, interjections and commands
Watch out for that snake!
APOSTROPHES
RULE
Use apostrophes (and sometimes ‘s) to form
possessive nouns
Use apostrophes to form contractions
DO NOT use apostrophes for plural nouns, singular
verbs or possessive personal pronouns
EXAMPLE
1 We were all pleasantly surprised by Elizabeth’s wonderful
presentation.
2 The boys’ reputations preceded them into high school.
He wouldn’t want to announce that to others in the class if he’d
like to remain popular.
1Many students attended the dance on Friday. (students is
plural, but NOT possessive)
2The umbrella that he found was hers. (hers is a possessive
personal pronoun and needs no apostrophe)
COMMAS
RULE
EXAMPLE
Use commas to separate items (words, phrases or
clauses) in a series or in a list
1 He filled the box with apples, pears, plums, peaches, and
bananas.
2 He looked under his bed, behind his dresser, in the bottom of
his closet and in his hamper, but could not find the missing sock.
Use commas to separate two or more adjectives
that equally modify the same noun
The gigantic, furry, three-headed beast leapt through the
window and devoured the child.
Use commas with a coordinating conjunction
(FANBOYS) linking main clauses in compound
sentences
He will attend class regularly, or his mother will ground him for
a month!
Use commas to separate signal phrases and
speakers from quotations
1Sir Winston Churchill once wrote, “The price of greatness is
responsibility.”
2”The price of greatness,” wrote Churchill, “is responsibility.”
Use commas to set off introductory elements: words,
phrases or clauses coming before the subject
(openers)
1 Spinning out of control, the car slammed into the guard rail
at top speed.
2 Unfortunately, his mother had no say in her son’s decision.
Use commas to set off parenthetical/non-essential
information in a sentence (splits & closers)
Roger and his crew were always in trouble, which surprised
no one.
QUOTATION MARKS
RULE
EXAMPLE
Use quotation marks to enclose (before and after)
direct quotations
 “The truth always comes to light,” said Elizabeth, reflecting
on the strange events of the past few days.
Use single quotation marks to enclose a quotation
within a quotation
 The politician drew his speech to a close, and said, “We, as a
society, need to extend a hand to those less fortunate, always
keeping in mind the words of Charles Dickens, who said, ‘No one
is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.’”
Use quotation marks around the titles of works that
are parts of other works (think small: articles, songs,
stories, poems, chapter titles)
 “The Ice Palace” is one of my favorite short stories by F. Scott
Fitzgerald.
ITALICS (if typing) OR UNDERLINE (if handwriting)…
RULE
Underline or italicize the titles of works that appear
independently: books, magazines, works of art, long
musical compositions
EXAMPLE
 Have you ever read Lord of the Flies by William Golding?
SEMICOLONS
RULE
EXAMPLE
Use a semicolon between main clauses not joined
by a coordinating conjunction (compound
sentences)
Roger threw paper airplanes out of the bus window; the driver
was not the least bit amused.
Use a semicolon between items in a series when the
items contain commas
This summer we hope to visit Boise, Idaho; Manhattan,
Kansas; Des Moines, Iowa and Saint Louis, Missouri.
PRONOUNS
Each pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the
noun to which each refers) in gender, number and
case
1 The team went to have its picture taken.
2 Not everyone studied his or her notes, which really showed
on the test.
3 If someone wants to do well with grammar, he or she would
have to study.
Use “I” when it is the subject of a sentence and “me”
when it’s the object
 Simon and I decided to go for ice cream. (“me” is objective
case—you would never say “Me decided. . .”)
All pronoun reference must be clear
Roger and Simon are going to his house after the dance.
(whose house is it?)
BASIC SENTENCE FAULTS
RULE
A run-on sentences is two or more complete
sentences run together as one
EXAMPLE
ERROR: He really wanted to attend the dance all of his friends
were going.
A comma splice is a run-on in which only a comma
separates two complete sentences
ERROR: He really wanted to attend the dance, all of his
friends were going as well.
A sentence fragment is a group of words punctuated
as if it were a complete sentence; it does not contain
both a subject and a verb, nor does it express a
complete thought (exception for style)
ERRORS:
1 His face covered in a thick, black mud.
2 When he first arrived at the reception.
If a subject is singular, the verb following it must be
singular; if a subject is plural, the verb following it
must be plural
ERROR: His mother, a kind old woman with gray hair, want to
see the photo album as soon as it arrives.
Keep verb tenses consistent
ERROR: He stopped the car when he sees the dead animal in
the road. (when is this taking place?)
When discussing a book or a story, or commenting
upon what a writer says, use the present tense,
known as the literary present.
 Harper Lee explores the innocence of childhood and the loss of
illusions as Scout and Jem learn more about Maycomb’s past and
present state of mind.
“DO NOTS”…
RULE
EXAMPLE
Do not use “text” language/abbreviations in formal
writing
BAD I really wanted 2 go w/ him 2 c the concert.
GOOD I really wanted to go with him to the concert.
Do not use double negatives
BAD He didn’t want none of the ice cream I offered.
GOOD He didn’t want any of the ice cream I offered.
Do not use clichés
BAD The pillow was as fluffy as a cloud.
Do not use adjectives for adverbs and adverbs for
adjectives
BAD He did good on the test.
GOOD He did well on the test.
Do not confuse Keepers words

Check Keepers chart