CAPERS GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING COMMENTS ON YOUR ESSAY – page 1
Page #? – this means I’m looking for documentation – your in-text citation – without it, you’re
committing plagiarism
Documentation – this means where’d you get this from – you have to document even when you
summarize the story, not just when you quote
How do you infer this? -- this means you’ve made a claim/offered an opinion and failed to
explain it. You have not cited evidence (summary or quote) or if you did, you don’t have and
explanation that specifically explains it. MAJOR PROBLEM THAT HURTS CONTENT
Explain/support needed/UNSUPPORTED OPINIONS -- this means I need evidence and
explanation - -you can’t just offer an opinion and not back it up and explain it MAJOR
PROBLEM THAT HURTS CONTENT
Lots of claims with no evidence – this means you are offering opinions but not explaining how
you interpreted the text to arrive at that opinion MAJOR PROBLEM THAT HURTS CONTENT
Words to avoid – being – instead use “is” or “are”; prove – we don’t prove anything in essays;
we make strong claims and support our opinions. All texts can be interpreted differently. You
make a strong case for our analysis – we don’t prove – save that word for math class MINOR
ERRORS
SEE ME – this means I’d like to talk to you TO HELP YOU BECAUSE I’M WORRIED MY
COMMENTS ARE NOT CLEAR OR YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
Vague Thesis -- This means you are not being specific. Your thesis has to directly state your
opinion. Don’t use words like “certain things” which tell me nothing. Look at my example.
You know EXACTLY WHAT I THINK. In the body of the paper, I will TELL YOU WHY I
THINK THIS. Please understand a thesis is not a hint -- it is a DIRECT ANSWER TO THE
PROMPT.
In the short story, “Everyday Use” written by Alice Walker, the two sisters are very
different in appearance and their understanding of their heritage. Maggie is motivated
by memories and love of her family. Dee is motivated by what she learned about Black
history at school. In terms of personality, Dee is smart and driven but also ashamed of
where she comes from. It is really ironic she wants the quilts and other objects but
places no value on the family who made them, Meanwhile, Maggie seems proud of her
roots but ashamed about her appearance. MAJOR PROBLEM THAT HURTS
CONTENT
Where’s the intro? Your paper has to have an interesting lead in BEFORE your thesis. Use
some imagination and make it interesting. MINOR PROBLEM BUT YOU’LL NEVER GET
AN “A” WITHOUT AN INTERESTING BUT CONTROLLED OPENING
Create an original title – engage when you write and stop writing boring titles
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Capitalize properly – go online and type “rules for capitalization” – learn what a proper noun is
– capitalize them. Stop capitalizing words randomly or for emphasis. Also go online and
google “rules for capitalizing the title of an essay” MINOR PROBLEM BUT IT IS
ANNOYING AND DETRACTS FROM YOUR PAPER
Not textually supported – this means you got the story facts WRONG and all analysis based on
your confusion or error is also WRONG --- Read carefully and make sure you have the facts of
the plot right or the parts of an article you’re reading and using -- MAJOR PROBLEM THAT
KILLS THE CONTENT
Possessive case – this means you are missing apostrophes to show possession MINOR ERROR
BUT IT IS DISTRACTING FROM THE CONTENT’S EFFECTIVENESS
Example:
Dees attitude is wrong. (incorrect)
Dee’s attitude is wrong. (correct)
The ladies dresses are beautiful. (incorrect)
The ladies’ dresses are beautiful. (correct)
Vague – this means you are not being specific so your analysis is weak and ineffective – you
have to slow down and explain clearly and specifically what you mean MAJOR ERROR THAT
FLUNKS PAPERS, MAKES FOR INEFFECTIVE THESIS, AND POOR SUPPORTING
BODY PARAGRAPHS – THIS IS ONE OF THE WORST THINGS TO HAPPEN TO A
PAPER
Omit -- that means take this part out – and usually this is a big deal -- it usually means you’re
wasting space with a super-long quote or worse you have gone off -topic and are no longer
writing something that supports the thesis.
indent new paragraph – this symbol  means you need to start a new paragraph or you need
to hit the tab key so you indent the paper – indent means to go in five spaces and start typing:
MINOR ERROR BUT THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT SUGGESTS YOU DON’T
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING
Proofread – this means BEFORE you submit a paper, you need to read it after a break from
writing and check for OBVIOUS ERRORS – misspelled words, the wrong word, awkward
wording, missing words or when you’re being redundant and saying the same thing over.
THIS IS A SUPER-IMPORTANT SKILL – THE BEST WRITER IS THE BEST
PROOFREADER --- IF YOU’RE RUSHING TO WRITE AT THE LAST MINUTE – YOU
WILL NEVER GET THE BEST PAPER, FREE OF ERRORS. Proofing a paper can make the
difference of a whole letter grade from a C to a B. or a B to an A. I suggest you have a classmate
CAPERS GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING COMMENTS ON YOUR ESSAY – page 3
read over your paper – new eyes can see clearer. Proofing your paper is a MAJOR PART of the
WRITING PROCESS
Random – this means your paper is not planned out well and you are jumping around from one
example to the next and it isn’t making sense – your ideas are not flowing from one to the next.
This means your paper is not coherent. MAJOR PROBLEM THAT HURTS YOUR CONTENT
AND BRINGS YOUR GRADE DOWN -- YOU HAVE GOT TO PLAN A PAPER AND
HAVE A SPECIFIC THESIS TO STRUCTURE A PAPER THAT MAKES SENSE – Sitting
down to write the night before it is due – GUARANTEED WAY TO WRITE A BAD PAPER
THAT GETS A LOW GRADE
Awkward wording/diction/simplify –
diction means word choice – if I write that, I’m saying use a better word or the word you
have is slang or is being used incorrectly.
Simplify means your sentence is convoluted and wordy and hard to read.
Awkward means the writing is clunky and doesn’t read well due to odd syntax or word
order -- you only get better at this the more you write and learn how to write clean and
direct sentences that are clear – this takes practice
MLA – this means your paper is not formatted properly or it means your works cited page is
wrong or you don’t have in-text citations. Go to the Online Writing Lab for Purdue University
and find the sample MLA paper on the MLA guide tab – look at that paper and learn how to do
in-text citations
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_style_introduction.html
THIS IS A BIG DEAL AND I AM GOING TO TAKE 5 POINTS OFF PAPERS THAT ARE
NOT MLA FORMATTED OR EVEN CLOSE
Plaigirism -- this means you have intentionally or unintentionally taken someone else’s idea or
words and not given them credit. BE ADVISED I HAVE A STUDENT WHO PASSED OFF A
PAPER FROM ONLINE AS HERS. I FOUND IT EASILY. SHE DOESN’T GET AN “F” 50
POINTS. SHE GETS A ZERO, A CALL HOME AND LUNCHROOM DETENTION.
When you summarize, you have to provide documentation, NOT JUST WHEN YOU QUOTE.
And never try and pass someone else’s work off as yours, I can tell easily with online tools and I
also know how you write – If I read “fashionable memories” one more time…. YOU HAVE
BEEN SERVED NOTICE – CUT IT OUT – I AM SERIOUS
okay – this means you’re doing well and providing good details and analysis
CAPERS GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING COMMENTS ON YOUR ESSAY – page 4
-- this check mark means you’re doing well and providing good details and analysis.
THESE ARE MAJOR GRAMMAR ERRORS – AND THEY BRING YOUR GRADE DOWN
Comma-splice -- look it up and learn -- this happens when two complete sentences are joined
with only a comma. This happens when two independent clauses are joined improperly with
only a comma and no conjunction
Example
Dee and Maggie are very different, they are complete opposites. COMMA-SPLICE
Dee and Maggie are very different. They are complete opposites. [GOOD]
Dee and Maggie are very different; they are complete opposites. [GOOD]
Fragment -- -- this means you have an incomplete idea punctuated like a complete sentence –
usually this can be fixed by connecting with a comma the fragment to the sentence which came
before it . AVOID beginning sentences with the words: which, especially, not to mention.
Also fragments often happen when students use the verbal “BEING” -- this is not a verb and
Example: Dee and Maggie being sisters. FRAGMENT error
Dee and Maggie are sisters. COMPLETE sentence – no fragment
Avoid the word being as much as possible – it’s awkward wording at best but at worst you just
wrote a major error --- A fragment
Run-On – this happens when two independent clauses or two sentences are joined with no
conjunction or any punctuation
Example
Dee and Maggie are very different they are complete opposites. RUN-ON error
Dee and Maggie are very different; they are complete opposites. [This is good]
Dee and Maggie are very different. They are complete opposites. [This is good]
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