Writing error checklist
- Using a writing checklist can improve your grammar and help you communicate clearly.
- Explore two dozen tongue-in-cheek rules that illustrate common writing mistakes.
- Use this checklist to improve papers before submitting them in college or high school classes.
Communicating your ideas clearly
Two dozen ways to improve your writing (said a bit facetiously)
Southern Nazarene University emphasizes good writing skills. We've sometimes used the
phrase "writing across the curriculum" to describe the commitment of the entire faculty to
helping students become articulate writers. Following good grammar rules is important in that process.
Student papers in my classes will be graded on writing technique, grammar, and content.
Before you submit an assignment, go over it carefully. View each writing assignment as
a chance to improve your ability to express yourself clearly.
Do you like irony? If so, here are two dozen tongue-in-cheek writing rules. Each rule illustrates a writing problem, often by breaking the rule itself.
- Don't use no double negatives.
- About them sentence fragments.
- Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
- Between you and I, case is important.
- Do not submit writing assignments in email or phone text format -
thx!
- Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
- Use your apostrophe's correctly. Omit the apostrophe when its not needed.
- Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
- Of course, if any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb
is.
- Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences of 10 or more words,
to their antecedents.
- A writer must not shift your point of view.
- Avoid clichés like the plague. They're old hat. So, go around the barn at high
noon to avoid clichés and colloquialisms.
- Do not be redundant and keep repeating yourself; do not use more words than
necessary; eliminate the superfluous in your writing.
- One should NEVER generalize.
- Be more or less specific.
- And avoid starting sentences with a conjunction.
- Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
- Don't use commas, that are not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.
- Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed. So, take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
- Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
- Be careful to use the write homonym.
- DO NOT use multiple exclamation points and all caps to EMPHASIZE a point!!!!!!!!
- Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement. Understatement is always
the absolute best way to put forth earth-shaking ideas.
- Proofread your writing to see if
you any words
out.
In a more serious tone . . .
Essay evaluation checklist: Does your written assignment measure up?
A checklist for evaluating and improving papers before submitting them.
While this list was developed for use at the college level, it can also be useful for high school classes.
What are teachers looking for? Use this checklist to evaluate your writing before submitting it.
Title
- If the instructions call for a title page, do you have one?
- Is your name on the paper?
Organization and development
- Did you follow all assignment directions?
- Would your introduction encourage readers to continue reading?
- Does your thesis or main point stand out clearly?
- Is the essay written appropriately for your intended audience (even if that audience is
just the course instructor)?
- Do thoughts and ideas unfold in an orderly and logical fashion?
- Do any sentences seem out of order or unrelated to the ones immediately before
them? If so, rewrite them to give your train of thought a natural flow.
- Are paragraphs well developed without being too long?
- Are important points illustrated by examples?
- Does the content indicate original thinking and reasoning?
- Is there a satisfactory concluding paragraph?
Grammar and technique
- Are sentences clear, mature, and smooth?
- Are there any confusing or unclear words?
- Have you correctly used commonly confused words such as its/it's, their/there/they're, and here/hear?
- Have you checked for unnecessary commas, comma splices, and run-on sentences?
- Have you checked your diction or manner of expression to make certain that it is appropriate and not too colloquial?
- Do pronouns agree with their antecedents, and is each pronoun's reference clear?
- Have you checked for misspelled words? Don't forget that spell-checkers sometimes suggest the wrong word. So, make sure when you click "replace" that you are inserting the correct word.
- Are all sources properly cited?
Here is a "money-back guarantee" for you: Using this checklist conscientiously can strengthen your writing and improve your chances of earning a better grade.
— Howard Culbertson, hculbert@snu.edu
Additional writing help for you
"The right word at the right time is like precious gold set in silver." — Proverbs 25:11
(Contemporary English Version)
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