1. Is the title of my essay appropriate and at least moderately interesting?
2. What is my point (thesis)? Do I state it soon enough and keep it in view?
3. Is my organization reasonable? Does each point lead into the next, without irrelevancies and without anticlimaxes?
4. Is each paragraph unified by a topic sentence or topic idea? Are there adequate transitions from one paragraph to the next?
5. Are my generalizations supported by appropriate concrete details, especially by quotations from the text?
6. Is my opening paragraph interesting and, by its end, have I focused on the topic? Is my concluding paragraph conclusive without being repetitive?
7. Is my tone appropriate? No sarcasm, no apologizing, no bullying, no condescending?
8. Are my sentences concise, clear, emphatic? Are needless words and inflated language eliminated?
9. Are my quotations accurate? Is documentation provided where necessary?
10. Are my spelling and punctuation correct?
Quoted from Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing about Literature. 6th ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.