Page 244 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

Does each topic sentence raise one separate and
distinct thesis point?

Is each topic sentence clearly linked to the thesis with

a reference to the general subject or to your attitude
about the subject?

If your thesis lists points of development, are body
paragraphs arranged in the same order as the thesis

points?

The Body

Does each body paragraph provide specific detail and

examples for each thesis point?

Have you provided enough specific support for each

thesis point?

Does each sentence of each body paragraph support

the topic sentence?

The Conclusion

Is the first sentence of the conclusion a broad, thesis-

level statement?

Is the conclusion short, with no new information

introduced?

Is the last sentence satisfying and final-sounding?