Does the Essay have an interesting and provocative title? Does the title function as a rhetorical strategy to draw the reader
into the Essay proper?
NOTE: No Essays should be written in First or Second Person. No essays should have contractions. ALL essays should be
constructed in third person present tense. ALL essays should be five paragraphs. EACH paragraphs should contain 8-12
sentences. Each paper should follow proper MLA Format: 12 Font, double-spaced, Times New Roman Style with proper Left and
Right Headings. There should be no extra spaces between the title and header. There should be no extra spaces between the
paragraphs. Finally, NO THESIS= F grade.
Introduction
1.) Does the introduction begin with an effective hook or attention grabber (e.g. statistics, old saying, quote, etc.) ?
2.) Does the writer introduce the text(s) and the author (s)?
3.) Does the author of the essay provide a brief synopsis of the text?
4.) Does the authors address the shape or form of the essay (e.g. haiku, couplets, stanzas, rhyme patterns, etc.) ?
5.) Does the writer provide a transition sentence, or bridge, from the general information to very important thesis?
6.) Is there a ONE sentence thesis at the end of the introductory paragraph?
THESIS STATEMENT: a theme and three topics. For example: The Hottentot People explore the theme of God, in the poem “The
Ancestors,”
through spirituality, reincarnation, and myth.
Make sure the topics are grammatically equal: if topic A is one word, then so should topics B and C. Make sure they present
the topics in the
body paragraphs in the same order as presented in the thesis.
Body Paragraphs
1.) Does the essay writer provide a clear topic sentence that connects the theme to the topics?
2.) Does the writer alter the syntax, use active voice, literary terms, and connectives effectively?
3..) Are there at least 2-3 examples (with quotations and citations from the text) PER paragraph?
4.) Do the examples directly/indirectly support the theme AND the topics.
5.) Does the writer employ correct grammar, usage, inclusive, and politically correct language?
6.) Does paragraphs two and three have transition sentences?
7.) Are short poems in quotations, long poems in italics, and plays in italics?
Conclusion
1.) Does the author restate his/her major ideas and points?
2.) Does the author restate his/her thesis with a different syntax and diction?
3.) Does the author restate the title of the text(s) and its author(s).
4.) Does the author reiterate the theme?
