Quick Essay Checklist
Introduction:
1. Does the writer grab the reader’s attention from the first sentence?
2. Does this introduction provide an appropriate analogy to the thesis statement?
3. Does the writer include a transition sentence that connects the attention-grabber to the thesis
statement?
4. Does the thesis statement contain a subject + opinion?
Body Paragraphs
1. Are the topic sentences focused and written with clear diction? Topic sentence = Organizing
element + Aspect of Thesis
2. Does the writer’s topic sentence contain language found in the thesis statement?
3. Does the paragraph organize the evidence according to time, place, or idea?
4. Does the writer explain why the evidence supports the topic sentence, or does the writer merely list
the evidence with little explanation and elaboration?
5. When the writer uses direct quotations, does he smoothly blend this text with his own words?
6. Does the writer avoid summarizing plot?
Conclusion
1. Does the conclusion go beyond summary or restatement of the thesis statement?
2. Does the conclusion attempt to connect the thesis to one larger issue—to the community, to the
writer, or to other works of literature?
3. Does the writer finish the conclusion by “bookending” the attention-grabber from the introduction or
a major detail from the body?
Additional Suggestion:
Read the essay aloud or to a friend and ask for honest feedback. This provides an additional strategy for
making sure the writer is making the argument clear to the reader.