As you edit and revise the content, structure and style of your work you should ask yourself the following questions:
Content
❑ Have you answered the question and expressed your argument as fully as possible in a coherent, structured, logical and clear way?
❑ Have you responded to the instruction words in your question such as analyse, discuss, compare and contrast, etc…?
❑ Does your line of argument convey convincing and credible reasoning?
❑ Does your content help you to justify your main argument and claims?
❑ Have you discussed every key point of the topic?
❑ Have you given adequate, reliable and accurate evidence? Have you referenced all material used that is not yours?
Structure
❑ Have you stuck to the word limit and other guidelines?
❑ Is your essay too short? Does it need more discussion and evidence to answer the question?
❑ Is your essay too long? Have you included irrelevant or repetitious material?
❑ Does your introduction show your main argument and claims?
❑ Does each paragraph develop a key point of your main argument, introduced with a topic sentence? Are there any points missing?
❑ Do your paragraphs make sense? Are they supported by evidence?
❑ Are your paragraphs in a logical order?
❑ Have you included the necessary transitions and links so that ideas flow smoothly in paragraphs and within sentences?
❑ Does your conclusion sum up your main points?
Style
❑ Have you used clear, concise and grammatically correct English?
❑ Have you written with your reader rather than yourself in mind, i.e. is your argument clear to your reader?
❑ Are the lengths of your sentences satisfactory? Neither too long nor too short?
❑ Have you used the third person (‘This essay will show…’)?
❑ Are your tenses correct, and have you used the same tense throughout a section?
❑ Have you used the appropriate terminology for your subject?
