1. Choose a very specific thesis (follow the prompt); expand, explain and analyze that thesis in great detail. Every sentence should explain or reveal or give support to your thesis. Make your thesis or the author the subject of every sentence. (Do not use "I")
2. Do not summarize or discuss the plot at all; focus instead on following your support with specific discussion, comments, and analysis; do not generalize; be specific.
3. As you word-process your first drafts, print out and proofread the text for all typos, mechanics, style and clarity, including "be" verbs, passive voice, and usage with the guidelines below - eliminate inaccurate or informal phrasing. A spellcheck feature can only accomplish some spellchecks - proofread for spelling independently with your eyes from a printout.

Submit all e-mails as ASCII or "unformatted text" (in Word: highlight the text, then Edit - Paste Special - "Unformatted Text" or "Unformatted Unicode Text") in your e-mail text box. Avoid attaching files as MS Word, or other program documents. Again, if you write with Word or another word-processor, cut and paste the revised text from your word processor into the e-mail text box as unformatted text (see above for Word documents).

Before you submit a response paper or essay, please proofread and revise for the following items:

[NCH] = The New Century Handbook (4th ed.) references by chapter/section and page numbers(s) with extermal links to the handbook companion web site and additional help pages for selected markings. Grading markings appear in bold soft brackets: { }.

Clarity & Conciseness

{ PV }: Revise passive voice for active voice:  additional help [ NCH: 28a-4, pp. 616-7; 30g, pp. 657-9]

{ be }: Omit auxiliary or helping verbs (unless an ongoing action): is / are, was / were, be / being Revise or replace with active, concise verbs:  additional help [ NCH:  30c, pp.  647-9]

{ U }: usage

Avoid these inexact and ambiguous verbs: display,   exhibit,   portray,   seem,   show,   use / utilize / employ:  additional help [ NCH:  5c-4, pp.  97]

Revise and avoid these nouns as subjects for sentences: thing(s),  the reader,  the audience, today Keep the focus on the author and/or thesis, unless a prompt-specific question about "audience."

Revise and avoid these pronouns: I, me (my),   one, you (your),   we (us, our) Keep the focus on the author and/or thesis subject, - unless a prompt-specific personal experience question ("I," "me"). [ NCH:  6d, pp. 129-130, 17b-4, pp. 419]

{ logic } : reasoning, [ NCH:  7f-g, pp. 159-166]

{ phrasing } : informal or vague, [ NCH:  43c, pp. 756-8]

Organization & Content

{ analysis / develop }: Follow all examples and evidence with a well-developed discussion and analysis. [ NCH:  7h, pp. 167-9]

{ example }: Introduce appropriate examples and evidence, and document them - see MLA below; also check for plagiarism {PL ). - see course policies (left menu). [ NCH: 11, pp. 251-285]

{ combine }: Subordinate and coordinate sentences. Do not begin with conjunctions or conjunctive adverbs. [ NCH: 39, pp. 723-728]

{ MLA }: Paraphrase and parenthetically document examples and evidence according to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers - document all textbook references to prose by page number and poetry by line number(s). Avoid quotes (paraphrase and cite), and check for plagiarism. [ NCH: 11, pp. 251-285; 13, pp. 313-364]

{ P / ¶ }: Paragraph length (4 to 7 sentences on average) [NCH 6f, p. 131]

{ thesis }: Define the thesis clearly. [ NCH:  7a,  pp. 139-144]

{ PS }: Do not write long plot summaries. Support your analysis with brief documented paraphrases. [ NCH:  11c,  pp. 264-9]

Basic Grammar

{ AGREEMENT }: Subject-verb / pronoun-antecedent. [ NCH:  31, pp. 662-8]

Sentences: { CS }: Comma splices { FRAG }: Fragments (incomplete sentences { RO }: Run-on sentences (no punctuation) [ NCH:  33, 34, pp. 678-699]

Punctuation: { a / no a }: apostrophes { c / no c }: commas { cap / no cap  }: capital letters for proper nouns { col  }: colons { p  }: periods { qm  }: quotation marks { sc / no sc  }: semi-colons [ NCH:  48-54, pp. 808-857]

{ SENSE }: Basic grammar and sentence structure (subject-predicate , etc.) [ NCH:  28-32, pp. 612-676; 35-37, pp. 689-710]

{ sp } : Spelling [ NCH:  47, pp. 793-806]