Ideas and Development
Personal essay. In other words, the focus is the writer's experience.
The essay focuses on a single sequence of events and not on a fixed period of time such as a
school year.
Quality of description. Can you picture what is happening? Is anything missing?
Appropriate pacing. Focus on a single key moment and a single sequence of events.
A maximum of two paragraphs before the primary sequence of events.
Minimum length.
Organization
Paragraph breaks when there is a change in time or location.
Topic sentences that set the scene for the paragraph.
Topic sentences that are also transitions. Transitions that establish connections between
paragraphs.
Topic sentences that introduce the topic of the paragraph.
Chronological order of paragraphs.
General comments not in the body of the essay.
Checklist
Identify the key moment
Personal essay?
Is there a single sequence of events that runs through most of the essay?
Appropriate paragraph breaks
Appropriate topic sentences
Appropriate transitions
Chronological order
General comments only at the beginning or end of the current draft.