SOCC Writing Center

A Writer's Checklist

Checking

• What is the purpose of this paper? Is it to inform? To describe? To amuse? Did I achieve my purpose?
• Will my readers enjoy this paper? Will they learn anything?
• Did I make myself clear whom or what this paper is about in the first sentences?
• How many details and facts do I have about my topic? Is this enough?
• Are all of my facts accurate?
• Is my paper written in my own words entirely?
• Is every sentence in my paper about my topic?
• Does each page have paragraph divisions? Are there at least three sentences in each paragraph?
• Does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence? Does each sentence in the paragraph support the topic sentence?
• Is the information in the best order to make it clear and understandable?
• Did I use transition words to tie the ideas and paragraphs together? Do I need additional sentences or phrase to tie ideas together?
• Is the first sentence interesting? Is the ending good? Does it sound as if I am finished?
• If I used any of the following words, have I tried to replace them with words that show instead of tell?
  
  great bad really awful
  funny very so good really
  fantastic interesting get make
  “be” verbs

• Have I found replacements for nouns, verbs, and modifiers that I kept repeating throughout the paper?
• Have I checked the beginnings of sentences to make sure they do not all begin with the subject?
• Have I tried to combine any sentences that start with and, but, or so?
• Have I thought of other ways to join sentences besides using and?
• Did I use words that appeal to the five senses – words that help the reader to see, hear, taste, feel, and smell what I am writing about?
• Do I have a variety of short, medium, and long sentences?
• Is my paper easy to read aloud? Does it sound good?

Polishing

• Have I used correct spelling?
• Have I used correct sentence structure? (no fragments or run-ons)?
• Have I used correct punctuation?
• Have I used correct capitalization?
• Have I used correct subject/verb agreement?
• Have I used correct verb forms?
• Is my paper free of contractions and abbreviations?
• Does every pronoun have a clear antecedent? (If the word a pronoun refers to is singular, the pronoun must be singular; if the word is plural, the pronoun must be plural.)