Before you create the final draft of your three-point theme and turn it in, be sure you have answered all these questions about it. It is a good idea to have a friend read your paper and also answer all these questions.
If you don't understand one of the questions, go to the instructions on the website where that element of the three-point theme is explained.
1. Does the theme open with an interesting introduction that would make an average college student want to read the paper? Is that introduction two or three sentences long, and does it lead smoothly into the thesis?
2. Can you identify the thesis of this paper? Does it appear as the last sentence in the first paragraph?
3. What is the key word in the thesis statement? Is it a plural noun? Is it followed by the three main points covered in the body of the paper? Are they in parallel structure?
4. Can you identify the three main points covered in the paper? Does each appear in a separate paragraph?
5. Do the points actually covered in the paper match the points in the thesis statement in content? In order?
6. Is everything in the paper clear and easy to understand? Hint: set your theme aside for 24 hours, 48 if you can manage it, and then read it again. Do you stumble over any sentences, any ideas, any transitions? If so, fix them.
7. Are the three points in the most effective order, from weakest to strongest?
8. Are transitions from one point to the next clear and easy to understand?
9. Is each paragraph clearly about one topic? Is each paragraph organized to make that topic easy to understand, and to guide the reader easily from one subtopic to another within the paragraph?
10. Do you find any one-sentence or otherwise undeveloped paragraphs? Fix those before you turn the paper in.
11. Does the paper end with the discussion of the third point? If you find a tacked-on conclusion repeating the three points, be sure to eliminate it before turning in the paper. This paper should consist of four paragraphs, no more.
12. Have you made sure that none of your personal favorite grammatical errors are in the paper? You know--those comma splices, fragments, or agreement errors the teacher keeps marking. If you make the same error over and over, you are lucky! All you have to do is go to the handbook and look up that one rule, understand it, memorize it, and then never misuse it again. Your score on the mechanics portion of every paper will soar!
13. Have you run the spellchecker? The time to do so is now, after you have finished crafting ever sentence, every paragraph.
14. Have you proofread one more time after running the spellchecker? Remember, it doesn't know if you mean "it" or "it's," "there" or "their," etc. You must catch any such errors yourself.
Arachnophilia.