The following checklist is targeted at undergraduate students who find that they are able to construct in their minds strong and sophisticated arguments that bring together compelling and original ideas, but are unable in their writing to express these arguments and ideas clearly, accurately and effectively. The force of their arguments is thus severely diminished and they end up with poor grades that do not reflect the quality of their thinking. This is not to say that ‘writing’ itself should be thought of simply as a neutral medium to convey already complete arguments and ideas—the writing process fundamentally constitutes the formation of our thoughts. For practical purposes, though, it may be wise to try to isolate ‘problem areas’ in order to deal with them more systematically. Improvement will take time, but it can be speeded up with self-conscious practice and experimentation. Here are some of the areas to look out for when writing and editing typical argumentative essays:
Standard English
No grammatical errors (e.g. incomplete or awkwardly structured sentences, dangling modifiers, problems with subject-verb agreement, punctuation mistakes)
No misused words -> Always check the dictionary
No jargon or slang (meaningful only to a very specialised or local audience), unless:
You explain what they mean
You have good analytical or dramatic reasons for using them
No typographical errors, e.g.: - Cut-and-Paste’ mistakes
Spelling mistakes -> Use the spelling checker on your word-processor
Clarity
Effective choice of words -> Avoid ambiguity: Be specific and exact
Effective placement of words in sentences to eliminate ambiguity
Sentences are not cluttered with repetitive words, redundancies and inflated phrases
Avoid clumsy sentences that confuse and irritate readers
Systematic paragraphs convey ideas clearly, logically and purposefully
Consistency
Consistent use of verb tenses
Consistent use of first-person, second-person and third-person pronouns to maintain the point of view appropriate to the contexts
Consistent use of spelling, grammar and style conventions (e.g. British/American/Australian English, single/double quotations marks)
Tone
Sufficiently formal as appropriate to an academic essay
No clichés and colloquialisms, unless you have good analytical or dramatic reasons for using them
Personal Style/Voice
No mimicking of lofty and pretentious styles or use of ‘big’ and excessive words in the vain attempt to impress readers
A consistent style that you are comfortable with, because it reflects your own individual voice
A variety of sentence structures used to avoid monotony
The writing is not dull and lifeless, but elegant, clever, witty, energetic, etc.
No sexist, stereotypical, or offensive language
Sense of Audience
Your interest in the topic is conveyed to your readers
You must convince readers that they should also be interested in what you have to say
It always helps to imagine yourself as the reader
Actively engages the reader, e.g.:
Well-paced writing: Short sentences to emphasise a point, long and complex sentences to slow down readers, etc.
Suitably dramatic moments: Delaying information to make conclusions more satisfying, etc.
Formal Requirements
Falls within the prescribed word limit
Complies with the prescribed format (e.g. fonts, margins, line spacing, justification, section headings)
Consistent adherence to the prescribed style of documentation (e.g. APA, Harvard, MLA)
source:
http://www.cdtl.nus.edu.sg/success/sl36.htm
