Checklist​ ​for​ ​Literary​ ​Essays :

Checklist​ ​for​ ​Literary​ ​Essays 

The​ ​following​ ​is​ ​a​ ​summary​ ​of​ ​things​ ​to​ ​double-check​ ​when​ ​you​ ​are​ ​writing​ ​a​ FORMAL​ ​ESSAY

FOR​ ​LITERARY​ ​ANALYSIS​.

LANGUAGE:​ ​TONE​ ​and​ ​DICTION


❏ I​ have​ ​ avoided ​ using​ ​ informal ​ diction​ ​ ​( e.g.,​ ​“lots,”​ ​“guy,” ​ “stuff”).​

❏ I ​ have​ ​ avoided ​ using​ ​ contractions​ (e.g., ​ “can’t”).​

❏ I​ ​have​ avoided​ ​referring​ ​to​ the​ ​ ​first​ ​person,​ “I”​ (e.g., ​ ​“I​ ​will​ ​explain…”).

❏ I ​ have​ ​ avoided ​ referring​ ​ to​ ​ my ​​personal ​ ​opinion ​ (e.g., ​ “I​ ​ think…”).​

❏ I​ ​have ​ avoided ​ referring ​to​ ​the​ ​second​ ​person, ​ “you”​ (​e.g., ​ “It​ ​makes​ ​ you ​sad…”).

❏ I​ ​have​ avoided​ ​posing ​ ​questions​ ​to​ ​the​ reader​ ​(e.g.,​ ​“What​ ​choice​ ​does​ he​ ​​have?”).


FORMATTING


❏ I ​ have​ ​ included TAG ​ (title,​ ​author, genre).​

❏ I ​ ​have​ ​used ​ ​the​ proper ​​format​ ​for​ ​titles​.

❏  Poems,​ ​short​ ​stories,​ other short​ ​ works:​ ​​“Title”​ ​in​ ​quotation ​​marks

❏  Novels, ​ plays,​ other​ ​ long​ ​ works:​
Title ​ ​Underlined​ (if​ ​handwriting)​ ​or​​ ​Title​ ​Italicized​​ ​(if​ ​typing)

❏ I​ ​have​ INTEGRATED ​ QUOTATIONS​ ​ smoothly​ ​ into​ ​ ​my ​ own​ ​ sentences.​

❏ I​ ​have​ properly​ ​ cited ​ references​ ​ for ​ ​my​ quotations:​ ​ “quote ​​quote”​ ​(38).


ORGANIZATION​ ​and​ ​STRUCTURE


INTRODUCTION​

❏ General​ ​opening​ ​statement ​ that ​responds to the title/question/key words

❏ Texts ( and author if relevant) to be discussed signposted in​ ​ the​ ​ ​intro.
❏ THESIS​ ​STATEMENT​:​ ​the​ ​CENTRAL​ ARGUMENT​ ​​of​ the​ essay​

❏ Identify​ ​the​ ​two​ ​or​ ​three​ SUPPORTING ​ POINTS​​ to ​ ​prove ​ your​ ​thesis. 

❏ Introduction​ does​ NOT​ include​ ​specific​ ​quotations​ ​for​ ​evidence.



BODY​ ​​#​ ​1

❏ A​ ​clear​ TOPIC​ ​SENTENCE ​ identifies ​ the​ ​ main​ ​idea​ ​ for​ ​ this​ ​

❏ The ​ topic​ ​ sentence​ ​ is​ ​ the​ ​ first​ ​ sentence​ ​ ​of ​ the body​ ​ ​paragraph.

❏ The​ ​topic​ ​sentence​ ​is​ ​an​ ​analytical​ statement,​​NOT ​​a​ ​plot​ point.​

❏ The​ ​topic​ ​sentence​ ​does​ ​NOT​ ​contain ​specific​ ​ quotations​ ​ for​ ​evidence.​

❏ All​ ​the​ ​points​ ​in​ ​this​ ​paragraph ​relate​​ ​to​ ​the​ ​topic ​ sentence.​

❏ Ideally,​ ​the​ ​final​ ​sentence​ ​in​ ​the​ ​paragraph ​does​​ ​not​ ​end​ ​with​ ​a​ ​quotation but may link smoothly to the next paragraph or back to the title.


BODY​ ​ ​#​ ​2

❏ There​ ​is​ ​a​ ​smooth​ TRANSITION ​ from the ​previous​ ( however, ​it​ ​ is​​ possible​ for the​ ​transition​ ​to​ ​come​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​previous​ paragraph.)

❏ A​ ​clear​ TOPIC ​ SENTENCE​ ​ identifies ​ the​ ​ main​ ​ ​idea ​ for​ ​ this.

❏ The​ ​topic​ ​sentence​ ​is​ ​usually​ ​combined​ with​ ​​the​ ​transition​ ​as​ ​the​ ​first sentence ​ in​ ​

the​​ paragraph.​

❏ The​ ​topic​ ​sentence​ ​is​ ​an​ ​analytical ​ statement,​ NOT​ a​ ​ plot​ ​ ​point.

❏ The​ ​topic ​ sentence does​ NOT​ ​ ​contain​ specific​​ ​quotations​ for​ ​ evidence.​

❏ All​ ​the​ ​points​ ​in​ ​this​ ​paragraph​ relate​ ​​to ​ the​ ​ topic​ ​ sentence.​

❏ Ideally,​ ​the​ ​final​ ​sentence​ ​in​ ​the​ ​paragraph ​does​​ ​not​ ​end​ ​with​ ​a​ ​quotation.



BODY​ ​​#​ ​3​ ​(if​ you​ ​ have​ ​ one)​

❏ There​ ​is​ ​a​ ​smooth​ TRANSITION​ from the​ previous​ (​ however, ​ it​ ​ is​ ​possible​ ​ for​ the​ ​transition​ ​to​ ​come​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of ​ the​ previous​ paragraph.)

❏ A​ ​clear​ TOPIC​ ​SENTENCE​ ​identifies​ ​the​ main​ ​​idea ​ for​ ​ this​ paragraph

❏ The​ ​topic​ ​sentence​ ​is​ ​usually​ ​combined​ with​ ​​the​ ​transition​ ​as​ ​the​ ​first sentence​ ​in​ ​

the​ ​paragraph.

❏ The​ ​topic​ ​sentence​ ​is​ ​an​ ​analytical ​statement,​ NOT​ a​ ​ plot​ ​ point.​

❏ The​ ​topic​ ​sentence​ ​does​ ​NOT ​ contain​ specific ​ quotations​ for​ evidence.​

❏ All​ ​the​ ​points​ ​in​ ​this​ ​paragraph ​relate​​ ​to​ ​the​ ​topic​ sentence.​

❏ Ideally,​ ​the​ ​final​ ​sentence​ ​in​ ​the​ ​paragraph ​does​​ ​not​ ​end​ with​​ ​a ​​quotation.


❏ The​ ​main​ ​ideas​ ​for​ ​each​ ​Body​ ​DO​ ​NOT​ ​OVERLAP​ ​each​ ​other​.

CONCLUSION

❑ Recap​ ​your​ ​two​ ​or​ ​three​ SUPPORTING​ ​POINTS

❑ Reassert​ ​your​ THESIS​ ​STATEMENT​ ​(you​ ​could ​use​​ ​slightly​ ​different​ ​wording, ​​for variety)

❑ The conclusion​ ​does​ ​NOT​ ​introduce​ ​any​ new​ ​​information​ ​or​ ​supporting​ ​evidence.