Navigate detailed tips on the academic writing process HERE.

• Do I fully understand what I am being asked to do in this writing assignment? (If not, re-read the instructions, and/or talk to the instructor.)

• Can readers see how I have organized my paper?

•  Does each paragraph develop a single point or idea, and are there transitions between paragraphs? Do I support my general statements with specific evidence?

•  Do I stay with one tense unless I have a reason for shifting tenses?

•  If I use quotations, do I quote exactly, word for word and comma for comma? If I paraphrase or summarize, do I still furnish citations?

• Have I checked my spelling even after running a computer spell-check program? (Remember that such programs won’t correct typos if they form actual words or distinguish among there/their/they’re, for example.)

• Have I read my paper aloud or has someone read it to me, to help me hear errors I haven’t seen?