Essay/Speech Critique Worksheet
Name_______________________________________
1. Get into the habit of giving your essay a title:
2. Is your introduction at least 6 sentences long? How many?
3. Does it start out general and really lead into your thesis?
How can it be improved?
4. Find your thesis statement. Create one if you couldn't find it. (Write it here.)
5. What are the points you are going to make to prove that statement?
(Do you have at least 3?)
A.
B.
C.
6. What evidence are you going to use to support those points?
A.
1.
2.
3.
B.
1.
2.
3.
C.
1.
2.
3.
7. Do you have quotes or statistics as evidence?
8. Do you make it clear how your evidence supports your point?
9. Do your points still prove your thesis?
Did you get off track?
How can you fix it?
10. Do your paragraphs move smoothly from one to the next (good transitions)?
11. Do all your sentences begin the same? (How?)
12. Do all your paragraphs begin the same? (How?)
13. Circle grammar problems: How many errors did you find in each category?
Incorrect use of they're, there, their
Incorrect use of you're, your
Incorrect use of it's, its
Not using an apostrophe (') to show possession [mom's]
Not using an apostrophe in contractions [can't]
Not capitalizing names, titles, 1st word in a sentence
Slang [chillin', tight]
Symbols [&]
Abbreviations [cuz, gonna]
Inappropriate language [if you have to ask, don't use it]
14. Underline questions you have: (Punctuation - fragments, run-ons - Spelling)
15. Did you use phrases such as "I think" or "in my opinion"? (How many times?)
16. Did you use phrases such as "I'm going to write about" or "now that I've told you"?
17. Did you use Pronouns such as "I, Me or My"?
(Any “Yes” answers in #'s 15, 16, 17? Now get rid of them all!)
18. Is your conclusion at least 5 sentences long?(How many?)
19. Does it re-state your thesis in the beginning?
20. Does it lead out of your essay, getting more general?
21. Does it tie into your introduction at all? (How does it? How could it?)
22. Does it have a good ending line that "wraps" it up nicely? Or does it just stop?
23. How can it be improved?
24. What other questions do you have before you re-write?
25. General comments on your paper: